School of Arts and Sciences 2006 Dean's Forum
Harry G. FrankfurtProfessor Emeritus of Philosophy, Princeton University, author of The Reasons of Love and On Bullshit
On Bulls**t
Frankfurt is one of the nation’s leading authorities on moral philosophy, the history of early modern philosophy and philosophy of mind. In his bestselling book, On Bullshit, Frankfurt explains how members of our society have become so adept at misrepresenting themselves and why it matters. He discusses the manipulative persuasion performed by politicians and shares how starved most people are for “straight talk.”
Why do we care if we are being told the truth? Why should others care if they are speaking the truth? A philosophical discussion with real-world implications, Frankfurt's lecture on bullshit was original and fascinating.
View lecture by Harry G. Frankfurt (Viewing time: 40 minutes)
Praise for On Bullshit
"A gem of psychological insight, social commentary, philosophical analysis and good humor. This is the work of an extraordinarily acute, attentive and versatile philosopher who has succeeded in addressing an audience comprised of both other philosophers and the general public on a topic of considerable human interest in a characteristically wry and engaging way. It is one of the most enjoyable and humanly illuminating short pieces of philosophy produced in the past 50 years.” – Raymond Geuss, University of Cambridge
"The most audacious of the ancient alchemists desired to transmute lead into gold. They never succeeded. Who would have known that they should have started not with a base metal, but with bullshit? Harry Frankfurt offers a philosophical analysis of bullshit that is golden. The prose by turns employs irony, broad humor and tongue-in-cheek high seriousness while at the same time manages to have a rigorous logical coherence that is always impressive. One leaves the essay not merely thinking it was a delight. One leaves it realizing that one has engaged the accomplishment of a great analyst and thinker.” – William Chester Jordan, Professor of History, Princeton University
“Frankfurt's deadpan tone gives a comic flavor to many of his observations.” – The San Francisco Chronicle
"On Bullshit is both very funny and refreshingly unpedantic.” – The Times-Picayune
"Editors and reporters will likely recognize their current challenges in the changed cultural landscape he describes." – Editor and Publisher
"It is tempting to say that On Bullshit comes very close to defining the essence of postindustrial society.” – Inside Higher Education
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