Broadcast June 8, 2025
To read a transcript of this episode, click here.
There are countless depictions of people in the throes of madness. From the Bible, to Shakespeare, to modern exposés of asylums, we think we know what mad people look like, but do we? More importantly, do we actually know what madness is and what causes it? These questions are a lot more complicated than you might think and they’ve been the subject of fascinating explorations by theologians and philosophers, long before psychiatry even existed.
Justin Garson is Professor of Philosophy at Hunter College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York. He is the author of three books, including Madness: A Philosophical Exploration, which will be our main focus of this episode.
To subscribe in another app or platform, copy and paste the following RSS feed into your program:
http://news.prairiepublic.org/podcasts/11132/rss.xml.
Follow us on our social Networks
Want more philosophy?
Listen to Philosophical Currents, a philosopher’s take on this month’s biggest news stories.
Join Ashley Thornberg as she interviews Why? Radio’s host Jack Russell Weinstein for a philosopher’s look a the news, cultural trends, and controversies everyone is talking about. No arguments, just good humored and trustworthy conversation from two people who like and respect one another. .
[…] Philosophical exploration through writing can take on new depth when you’re high. Choose a thought-provoking question or concept and explore it through writing. You might examine the nature of consciousness, the meaning of creativity, or questions about reality and perception. The different thinking patterns that cannabis can induce often lead to fresh perspectives on these timeless questions. […]