PHILOSOPHERS' CORNER

Art and Obscenity

The Supreme Court defines obscenity as any material which "appeals to a prurient interest in sex, portrays sexual conduct in a patently offensive way," and which "does not have any serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value." But can't some work be both obscene and also have "serious artistic value"?

Is Postmodernism to Blame for Post-Truth?

Is postmodernism to blame for the current state of American politics, as philosopher Daniel Dennett claims? Or has disrespect for the distinction between truth and lies been around since before postmodernism? Should we instead be thanking postmodernism for giving us frameworks and vocabularies to make sense of current politics?

Ethical Relativism

"What makes a man go neutral?  Lust for gold?  Power?  Or were you just born with a heart full of neutrality?" -- "Captain Zapp Brannigan," Futurama