At the intersection of philosophy and my life

Reflecting on the theme of “examining one’s life”.

In this episode, Laurance engages in some professional and personal reflection to explain how these components have combined in shaping the direction of his life (so far!). He cites the phrase “the life of the mind” as a powerful motivating force in his own education, but acknowledges its limitations, including the reference to just one mind, and its focus on cognition and reasoning over emotion and affect. He reminds listeners of Jonathan Haidt’s colourful metaphor of the mind’s reasoning rider and its emotive elephant, and his thesis that the former is often controlled by the latter.

Laurance points to his somewhat ironic commitment to the concept of community, the irony being that while he extols the virtues of community in his own writing and teaching, he has always struggled to feel connected to any particular community. He refers to the major shift in his career trajectory when he became involved in Philosophy for Children and spent many years working with educators and children, and establishing regional, national and international organizations committed to “P4C”. After reviewing the key concept of the community of inquiry, and its connection with a relational view of what being a person amounts to, he turns to some reflection on his own development during his early years. He gravitated to positions of leadership, in part to avoid the casual intimacy of communal life, and also because he yearned to be recognized and appreciated. He was and is something of a perfectionist who always found it difficult to accept compromise, particularly in the context of interpersonal relationships. He knew, from his early adolescence, that he had an emotional attraction to other boys and men, but did not share his feelings with anyone, and only “came out” to himself and others during his late twenties. By then he had completed post graduate studies at Oxford, thanks to the Rhodes Scholarship which he was awarded at the age of 22.

After reflecting on the well-known affinity between abstract mathematics (which he studied) and Baroque music (which he still performs as a chorister), Laurance presents his own views about sexuality and gender, arguing that stereotypical ideas about romantic and sexual attraction have made it particularly difficult for gay men to navigate around concepts of intimacy and, even, love.

In closing, Laurance returns to the idea that contemporary analytic philosophy can accommodate a balanced view of “self”, which is both embedded in a thriving network of other “selves” and reflects a harmonious balance of the best aspects of intellectual and emotional life.

After 20 episodes of the Podcast – all of which can be found via the link www.therestisuncertain.com – Laurance will take a short break in order to consider future topics and directions, and to continue looking for people interested in having a lively conversation on topics of mutual concern. He is always keen to promote the podcast in a crowded podcast world and expresses his thanks and gratitude to those who have been regular – or even irregular – listeners.

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For resources, transcripts and more visit: https://www.therestisuncertain.com/episodes/