The Antipodean Philosopher
Interviews on Philosophy in Australia and New Zealand
Edited by Graham Oppy, N. N. Trakakis, Lynda Burns, Steve Gardner, Fiona Leigh, Michelle Irving
Not available to order
Publication date:
28 December 2011Length of book:
282 pagesPublisher
Lexington BooksISBN-13: 9780739166567
In this second volume of The Antipodean Philosopher, Graham Oppy and N.N. Trakakis have brought together fourteen leading Australasian philosophers, inviting them to speak in a frank and accessible way about their philosophical lives: for example, what drew them to a career in philosophy, what philosophy means to them, and their perceptions and criticisms of the ways in which philosophy is studied and taught in Australia and New Zealand.
The philosophers interviewed include Brian Ellis, Frank Jackson, Jeff Malpas, Alan Musgrave, Philip Pettit, Graham Priest, Peter Singer and Michael Smith – philosophers who have distinguished themselves in the discipline, both nationally and internationally, over many years and in various branches of philosophy. What emerges from the discussion with these philosophers is a distinctive and engaging narrative of the history of philosophy in Australasia, its recent successes and flourishing, and the problems and prospects facing it in the twenty-first century.
These interviews will challenge and entertain anyone with an interest in contemporary philosophy and the challenges of living out the examined life today.
The philosophers interviewed include Brian Ellis, Frank Jackson, Jeff Malpas, Alan Musgrave, Philip Pettit, Graham Priest, Peter Singer and Michael Smith – philosophers who have distinguished themselves in the discipline, both nationally and internationally, over many years and in various branches of philosophy. What emerges from the discussion with these philosophers is a distinctive and engaging narrative of the history of philosophy in Australasia, its recent successes and flourishing, and the problems and prospects facing it in the twenty-first century.
These interviews will challenge and entertain anyone with an interest in contemporary philosophy and the challenges of living out the examined life today.
The stated aim of this volume – ‘to bring the diverse and significant contributions of Australasian philosophers to the attention not only of seasoned philosophers, but also to the wider academic community … and indeed members of the wider public’ – is to be commended. But while the volume does an admirable job on that score, its real value lies in the way it reveals what kind of activity philosophy is, why it is important that some people spend, and should be able to spend, their lives engaged in it; and, on a more personal level, how individual people end up living this kind of life. This volume will be of interest to a wide variety of readers, especially to anyone curious about nature of philosophy.