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Philosopher Agnes Callard Has Some Questions About Questions

Release Date: 05/20/2025

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Philosopher Agnes Callard Has Some Questions About Questions

Chicago Humanities Tapes

Our goal at Chicago Humanities Tapes is to help you get closer to the answers to life’s biggest questions with the brightest minds the world offers. And we’ll get those answers eventually according to philosopher Agnes Callard, though it might take another 10,000 years of humanity. So, how do we live our lives knowing we’ll never know the answers to life’s biggest questions such as: is there a God? What makes a good parent? Should I have gone into academia? Her and University of Chicago constitutional law professor William Baude think the answer is in the Socratic method – asking...

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Our goal at Chicago Humanities Tapes is to help you get closer to the answers to life’s biggest questions with the brightest minds the world offers. And we’ll get those answers eventually according to philosopher Agnes Callard, though it might take another 10,000 years of humanity. So, how do we live our lives knowing we’ll never know the answers to life’s biggest questions such as: is there a God? What makes a good parent? Should I have gone into academia? Her and University of Chicago constitutional law professor William Baude think the answer is in the Socratic method – asking questions without the goal of persuasion, being ok without getting answers, and living a life examined. This spirited conversation also touches on confirmation bias, the challenges of making new friends as an adult, and how to pause and ask yourself those big philosophical questions… without being driven to madness.

SHOW NOTES

Read the podcast transcript.

CW: Mentions of suicide.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988 lifeline.org.

PHOTO: Agnes Callard and William Baude.

Read:

Open Socrates: The Case for a Philosophical Life, Agnes Callard

Listen:

Minds Almost Meeting podcast

Live event programmed by Michael Green

Live event produced by Jesse Swanson

Live event stage managed by Rebecca Dose, Juju Laurie, Aryn Henderson