Philosophy is more about making good decisions than reading Immanuel Kant.

Question: How does philosophy relate to our everyday lives?

Dale Jamieson: I think there's a popular misunderstanding about what ethics is and what philosophy is. The philosophers have actually done a lot to propagate, I mean, I think of philosophy as a process, I think it's better. I mean, philosophy is not a body of knowledge to impart to someone, that's why reading philosophy books isn't always the best way of learning philosophy. Philosophy is really more the process of rational engagement, rational reflection with a diversity of views and ideas and opinions and trying to sort of reason your way through to a more reflective position. I think if you look at it that way, philosophizing is to some extent some small way a part of almost everyone's lives although they don't recognize it as such and a lot of people are embarrassed about it.

Question: What is embarrassing about philosophy?

Dale Jamieson: Depending on people's family situations and what they do for a living and all of that, you know, in some parts of American society, the idea of asking questions is considered, in some way, a kind of disloyalty or a way of, you know, not really getting on with things in the way that we should be getting on with things. And I think we have to do more and not only to say that that is important, that that kind of dialogue is central really to even somewhat argue to the idea of America, the traditional idea of America. But really, that's what philosophy is, I mean, philosophy isn't reading Emmanuel Kant. Philosophy is about thinking hard about what the right thing to do is in a situation and approaching that kind of question in an open-minded and open-hearted way, receptive to a broad range of considerations and interests of other people and other things.

Recorded on: April 15, 2009