I've always liked Craig Ferguson. He strikes me not only as a funny dude but also as a decent human being, and my admiration for him has just grown since he decided to invite to his show a professional philosopher, Jonathan Dancy, to discuss the nature of morality. Dancy holds an interesting place in contemporary moral theory for his defense of moral particularism, the view that moral principles neither explain the nature of morality nor do they help us understand whether particular actions are right or wrong.If you've been paying attention to this blog recently, this view stands in stark contrast to more generalist views, such as that espoused by Sam Harris, in which he claims that moral questions not only have objective answers but can actually be determined by science.
It's great to see philosophy entering the mainstream, but can we please choose someone with more personality and social skills next time?
And in case you're wondering, yes, being a philosopher can get you sexual favors :)
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As though you can find socially equipped philosophers on every street corner. Why the hell should a philosopher care if he appears slightly bemused and uneasy on a television show. What he thinks and talks about is what's important. And that's Craig's whole rationale for having him on there. Stop trying to be funny.
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