Philosophy on Late Night TV

Last week, Craig Ferguson probably made a little television history when he invited a philosophy professor to appear on The Late Late Show. The guest is Jonathan Dancy, a prof at UT-Austin, who also happens to be the father of actor Hugh Dancy, and the father-in-law of actress Claire Danes. And the unlikely topic of discussion? Moral particularism, which argues that morality is contextual, not objectively defined. The conversation runs 11 minutes, and it’s intriguing to see how Ferguson and Dancy navigate the interview, trying to bring philosophy and comedy together. Meanwhile, if you’re a regular Open Culture reader, you’ll note that Dancy’s thinking stands in sharp contrast to the controversial vision of moral philosophy outlined by Sam Harris at the recent TED Conference. Part 2 continues here.