Rebecca Newberger Goldstein

This week we talk to Rebecca Newberger Goldstein about the relevance of philosophy in today's world Rebecca Newberger Goldstein is an American philosopher who is also a novelist and public intellectual. She is the author of ten books, many of which cross the divide between fiction and non-fiction. She holds a Ph.D. from Princeton. Her latest book is called Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away, an exploration of the historical roots and contemporary relevance of philosophy. In the book Plato is brought to life in the 21st century and demonstrates the relevance of philosophy by arguing with contemporary figures such as a software engineer at Google headquarters, a right-wing talk show host, an affective neuroscientist, and others. Goldstein is a MacArthur Fellow, has won the National Jewish Book Award, and numerous other honors. In September of 2015 she was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama in a ceremony at the White House.

In This Interview, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein and I Discuss:

The One You Feed parable Winning a National Humanities Medal and meeting President Obama Cultivating the positive emotions Her latest book Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away What Plato would say about the Parable of the Two Wolves Plato's Parable of Two Horses Why virtue is good for us The story of Socrates death The most famous sound bite in the last 2500 years

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