If you like reading about philosophy, here’s a free, weekly newsletter with articles just like this one: Send it to me!
Dr. Shane Epting, welcome to Daily Philosophy and thank you for agreeing to this interview! I am very happy and honoured to have you here. It seems that you are the rare case of a philosopher who has written nothing but fascinating papers and books. As opposed to much of present-day analytic philosophy, your topics are always eminently practical and of immediate relevance to life. What are your views on this? Is academic philosophy missing out a bit on opportunities to engage more with the pressing problems of society today?
I love philosophy, all kinds. When I think about some of the “great works” in the discipline, they remain accessible. I do my best to embrace this quality. I think I get it right sometimes while failing in other instances. Progress, not perfection, as my friends say.
Getting more to your point, I don’t want to tell anyone else how to do philosophy or think. I have a penchant for works that cut from the abstract to the concrete. I recently argued that the academy needs a new kind of philosophy that participates in interdisciplinary conversations. Several contemporary philosophers’ works are inherently philosophical while remaining connected to the academy. Grant Silva’s article “Racism as Self-love” is an excellent example. Such papers offer insights into real-world situations, revealing the extraordinary in the ordinary. One way to usher in an age of new philosophy is to encourage people to be their own philosophers. I’m not saying to ignore the canon or relevant works. Dare to use your understanding of philosophy to reflect your personality and genuine interests.
For instance, when working on my Ph.D., my vehicle went kaput. I walked over a mile and rode two buses and a train to get to my university. During my first academic job, I waited in the blistering Mojave Desert sun to catch a bus enough times to burn the experience into my memory for life. These lessons guide my research. While I cannot (and do not) speak for others with harsher conditions compounded by racism, classism, sexism, and ableism, I’ve positioned my work to speak against the conditions that perpetuate such harm in general (among other kinds). These points are evident in my first book, The Morality of Urban Mobility: Technology and Philosophy of the City.
Let’s now talk about how that book that summarises much of your recent …
Read the full article which is published on Daily Philosophy (external link)
