277 - Tim Maudlin: What Is Philosophy?

Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at NYU and Founder and Director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. In this episode, Robinson and Tim discuss the nature of philosophy. More particularly, they discuss philosophy’s origin, its connections to physics, what characterizes some of its well-known sub disciplines, and some of its biggest problems. If you’re interested in the foundations of physics, then please check out the JBI, which is devoted to providing a home for research and education in this important area. Any donations are immensely helpful at this early stage in the institute’s life.

Tim’s Website: www.tim-maudlin.site

The John Bell Institute: https://www.johnbellinstitute.org

OUTLINE

00:00 The Beginning of Philosophy

06:53 Where Physics and Philosophy Diverged

14:07 Quantum Gravity

18:30 Physicists and Philosophers on Space and Time

23:10 Is Metaphysics Different From Physics?

34:54 Why Don’t Universities Have Departments of Metaphysics?

49:27 Are Numbers Real?

01:07:50 What Are Continental and Analytic Philosophy?

01:14:58 The Age-Old Puzzle of the Statue and the Clay

01:28:05 What Is Epistemology?

01:38:57 Is the World Around Us an Illusion?

01:49:13 What Are the Biggest Open Problems in Philosophy?

01:57:00 A John Bell Institute Update

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.