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Philosophy Cafe at Harvard Book Store
We are very pleased to announce that the Center for Naturalism will partner with the Harvard Book Store to continue our philosophy cafe, formerly held at McIntyre and Moore Booksellers in Davis Square. The upcoming topic and readings are below. Online discussion of topics, as well as suggestions for topics and readings, can be posted here. A calendar of academic talks on philosophy in the Boston area is here.
When and where. We will meet the 3rd Wednesday of the month, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm, at the Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA, in the lower level of the store (the used book section downstairs). The suggested donation is $3 to cover the cost of the essential philosophical ingredients: coffee, tea and cookies. We will meet in May and June, take July and August off, and resume in September.
General information.
Topics and readings will be posted here 2 to 3 weeks in
advance, and you can sign up to receive email notification of topics by writing
to info at naturalism dot org. The Harvard Book Store will also mention the cafe
at its web site under their event
Listings. For further
information you can reach the bookstore at 617-661-1515,
the Center for Naturalism at 617-480-8846.
Purpose and format. The Philosophy Cafe at Harvard Book Store is a philosophy discussion group modeled on
philosophy cafés underway in other cities in Europe
and the US. The goal is to present occasions for informal, relaxed
discussion on topics of mutual interest to participants. No
particular expertise is required to participate, only a desire to explore philosophy and its real world applications.
The format consists of an introduction to the topic
(5-10 minutes), then moderated discussion for about 45 minutes, followed by a 15
minute break for coffee and refreshments. Discussion resumes for
another 45 minutes or so. Suggestions for topics and readings are most
welcome.
About the moderator. Tom Clark is director of the Boston-based Center for Naturalism and author of Encountering Naturalism: A Worldview and Its Uses. He writes on science, naturalism, free will, consciousness, addiction and other topics, and maintains an extensive website on philosophical and applied naturalism, Naturalism.Org. As moderator of the Philosophy Café, he brings an engaging interest in philosophy and its real world applications, and the ability to involve participants of varied backgrounds in animated, productive and fair discussion. Below is the topic and some readings for the next meeting.
Behavioral Economics: How Rational Are We?
The relatively new science of behavioral economics, along with its sub-discipline neuroeconomics, suggests that we might not be classically rational creatures who reliably maximize our own well-being. We might in some cases act against what would seem to be our best interests, and we might not even know clearly what those interests are. Is there a way to get a rational grip on rationality itself, and if so, how might this change our priorities?
Articles:
The Marketplace of Perceptions - covers lots of ground in behavioral economics and its application to politics, advertising, markets, third-world development and group conflict.
What’s It Worth to Ya? - brief, on the neural basis for decision-making, suggesting that there might be brain mechanisms that translate specific types of rewards into a common basis for comparison.
If Only Gay Sex Caused Global Warming – the human brain evolved to respond to immediate, salient threats.
Behavior Tech: Creating the Norm of Environmental Altruism - explores the possibilities for exerting global self-control.
Cash With a Catch – op-ed by Bob Herbert on using cash as an incentive in behavior change.
In Praise of Peer Pressure – on social norms marketing.
Dynamic Choice - from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: "Sometimes a series of choices do not serve one's concerns well even though each choice in the series seems perfectly well-suited to serving one's concerns. In such cases, one has a dynamic choice problem. Otherwise put, one has a problem related to the fact that one's choices are spread out over time." See Breakdown of Will below.
Books:
Breakdown of Will, by George Ainslie – a tour of the motivational paradoxes generated by “inter-temporal bargaining” between our present and later selves. There may be no stable strategy to maximize achievement of our own interests.
The Robot’s Rebellion, by Keith Stanovich – can we escape the biological biases of genes and the cultural biases of memes to discover our true interests as autonomous individuals? Reviewed briefly here.
Good and Real: Demystifying Paradoxes from Physics the Ethics, by Gary Drescher – chapters on Newcomb’s Problem and the Prisoner’s Dilemma test intuitions about rational choice in the context of some mind-bending philo-scientific investigations.
Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein; related article: A nudge in the right direction – suggests we might be better off accepting some outside help in making good choices. Libertarians raise immediate objections…
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, by Dan Ariely, reviewed here.
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CFN philosophy cafe in the news: A Boston Globe article on philosophy cafes in Boston, including the former Davis Square Philosophy Cafe, is here.
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