PHILOSOPHERS' CORNER

When

Sunday, January 27, 2013 -- 12:00 PM

Philosophy Talk returns to the Marsh Theatre in Berkeley for another pair of live recordings! Join us for the next two programs in our 2012-2013 season.

  • 12:00pm - Bioethics: Myths and Realities with David Magnus
    Recent advances in mapping the human genome suggest a vision of the future that might fill us with equal parts hope and dread. On the one hand, the possibility of identifying disease-causing genes may enable us to eradicate cancer, obesity, or depression before they ever develop. On the other hand, the idea that soon we could be “designing” our progeny, choosing physical and psychological traits we deem desirable, is fraught with deep moral complexities. But are these ideas realistic or just the stuff of science fiction? What real ethical problems does the current state of human genomics present? John and Ken map out the terrain with David Magnus, Director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics and co-editor of Who Owns Life?  (buy tickets)
  • 3:00pm - Dance as a Way of Knowing with Alva Noë
    Whether it be rhythmic or shuffling, athletic or pedestrian, erotic or just social, dance is an art form that utilizes movement of the body through space. Could the aesthetic experience of being physically present and embodied in the world be considered a way of knowing? Is there something in particular we can come to know by watching or performing dance? And are there broader lessons that dance can teach us about human perception and action? John and Ken hit the floor with Alva Noe from UC Berkeley, author of Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness. (buy tickets)
Tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or in person through The Marsh's box office.
 
The Marsh is located at 2120 Allston Way in Berkeley, California.