This mini-seminar asks what it is to be a reasonable person, and contrasts two metaphors for reason. One is that being reasonable is like walking a tightrope, and trying not to fall into unhelpful absolutism on one side, and unhelpful arbitrariness on the other. The other metaphor casts reason as a stick with which to beat people into submission. As you might have guessed, I'm not a fan of the stick metaphor, but it plays an important role in contemporary life, and needs to be examined. Examples include scientistic (not scientific) overreach, alternative facts, and the amazing prevalence of bullshit

Discussion led by John Kulvicki, Philosophy Department

6:00-7:30 pm, House Center B

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