localphilosophers.com

Yes, there is a school of philosophy for just about every subject, including Christmas.  It’s no secret that I’m a firm believer in everyone doing a little deep thinking every now and then.

If you’re looking for a nifty gifty for the armchair philosopher in your life, I recommend the “Philosophy for Everyone” series, from Wiley publishing.  They cover everything from coffee to serial killers, but if you want to give something that’s festively-themed, there’s even a book on philosophy and Christmas.  The books are even compact enough to fit into most stockings.

Happy Holidays, all you deep thinkers out there!

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to delve into Plato’s Republic in order to do philosophy.  It’s really as simple as giving some thought to questions that are philosophical in nature.  But where to start?

There are a lot of fantastic resources out there for grown-ups, but I’m partial to books by Peter Cave.  Peter presents philosophy to his readers by posing seemingly silly questions that don’t really have a clear answer, but which open up all sorts of discussion on important issues.  His books are funny, engaging, and a great way to slip a little deep thought into one’s day.  I’ve brought them with me into the classroom, and I’ve given them as gifts to nimble-minded friends.

Some of his more popular titles include:

• Do Llamas Fall in Love?
• What’s Wrong With Eating People?
• Can a Robot Be Human?

Check out Peter’s website, for more information, and for some interesting tidbits.

We’re in the midst of illustrating our upcoming kids’ book on aesthetics (the theory of art and beauty).  It seemed like a good time to post something about matters of taste, and what makes us think of something as lovely or loathsome.  Here’s a link to an article I wrote a couple of years ago.  It deals with the unifying power of all things disgusting.

Enjoy!

I’m a huge fan of BigThink.com.  For anyone not familiar with the site, it’s like YouTube for smart people, with a refreshing lack of people dancing in their underwear and bragging about their dog’s ability to bark the alphabet.  BigThink is a fantastic resource for philosophy tidbits too.  This clip talks about the role philosophy plays in modern life.  Enjoy!

Stephan Law and Julian Baggini write marvelous books that introduce philosophical questions in a very user-friendly way.  They also have terrific websites, featuring useful resources and pithy questions.  Check these out:

http://julianbaggini.blogspot.com

http://stephenlaw.blogspot.com

Take a walk on the rosy side of human nature with the March edition of “Empowerment House” magazine, and get to know philosopher John Locke.

http://www.empowermenthouse.ca/amy_leask_march_issue.htm

A University of Toronto professor takes a crack at an age-old subject:

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/937566–a-philosopher-s-take-on-romantic-love

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Yes, there is a way indulge your hunger for deep thoughts without having to haul around dusty, 300-page volumes and without having to hide them behind the latest vampire novel.  Many philosophy lovers aren’t aware of this, but it comes in non-academic magazine form!

Philosophy Now focuses on a different theme each month, and features engaging articles, editorials, book reviews, advice columns, and even crossword puzzles.  Their website (www.philosophynow.org) also provides a number of tempting philosophical tidbits.

Spearheaded by Stephen Law, champion of “everyday philosophy”, Think is also an excellent choice.  It covers just about everything from soup to nuts, and is designed to be accessible to thinkers from all walks of life.

It’s up! Visit the newly-posted “Kid Thinkers Wall of Fame” and read some of the amazing ideas kids have been stewing and brewing.

Know someone small with big ideas to share? Well, there’s always room for more on the wall, and contributors will receive a free KidsThinkAboutIt button to boot!

Link: http://www.kidsthinkaboutit.com/wall_of_fame