Alex Levy is a smart young philosopher in Mexico associated with Cuidad de Los Ideas. Our long-form conversation published this month: Apple, YouTube, Spotify.
HIGHLIGHTS (1:40) What does philosophy mean to you? (4:15) How do you approach philosophy and big thinkers with big ideas? (6:35) W.T. Jones – A History of Western Philosophy (8:24) Do you think that there’s a Goldilocks area between subjectivism, relativism, and objective reality? (12:20) Are all human beings committed to progress? (16:45) What do we mean by “progress”? Is progress the same for everyone? Can we measure progress objectively? Is progress only subjective? (18:30) Has Capitalism helped us with progress? (26:40) Can Relativism coexist with Globalism? (34:30) United States, Collective Identities, and Individuality. (44:50) Why have we associated feeling offended with being threatened? (46:15) Reason, emotion, passion, and action. (57:00) The importance of challenging one’s ideas about the world. (59:30) The role universities have in today’s world — an essay on postmodernism versus liberal education. (1:01:00) What makes a leader great? (1:02:00) Closing Remarks.
DESCRIPTION:
“In this conversation, we discuss Stephen Hicks’s book Explaining Postmodernism and topics around it, such as Identity Politics, how to approach philosophy as a young student, what’s the role of universities in today’s world, has Capitalism made the world more prosperous, are all human beings committed to progress, and much more. This episode comes at a time when ideas are clashing more, and it seems that we are forgetting how crucial it is to dialogue with those who oppose our ideas, rather than trying to shut them down. We are approaching an era that will be defined by challenges and uncertainty, and there is no better way of thriving during these times than by creating ties with people, and not by engaging in more divisive practices. This is why I believe that my conversation with Dr. Hicks was so important, as we engaged in a meaningful dialogue that had as its purpose to engage with our ideas critically. If we want to thrive as a species, we must recognize that dialogue in our universities, and both in the public and private sphere, is a crucial component of it. We must be able to open the conversation and challenge ideas, such as the notion of progress, globalism, individuality and collectivism. I hope this conversation inspires you to open your heart and ears for those who oppose you, and that you are able to engage with them in a civil, honest and critical manner.”