talkPOPc's Podcast
talkPOPc (Philosophers' Ontological Party club), is public philosophy + cognitively-engaged art nonprofit founded by Dr. Dena Shottenkirk, who is both a philosopher and an artist. As a topic-based project (we are now on our fourth) talkPOPc sponsors one-to-one conversations between a participant and a philosopher (who always dons our amazing gold African king hat, along with our mascot Puppet!) These conversations are consensus-building conversations and feed back into Shottenkirk's related artworks and published philosophy. The conversations become collaborative acts of making both philosophy and art. Thus, each topic - #1. nominalism, #2. censorship, #3. art as cognition, and #4 power - has three "pillars" the associated artworks, the published philosophy book, and podcast conversations. Various philosophers participate (see our website talkpopc.org for the list of philosophers) and these conversations happen in various places. For example, we go into bars and have one-to-one conversations. We sit down next to the deli counter and hold a conversation with someone who has walked in to get a ham sandwich and walked out knowing so much more about their own thoughts. We go into the MDC prison in Brooklyn and have conversations. We set up in galleries where the artworks and the philosophy are also displayed. And we listen. Here are some of those conversations.
Change happens when people talk.
talkPOPc's Podcast
Episode #120 R.P. Peluce and Mia talk about censorship and the self-exploration of one's beliefs
0:25 Philosopher Peluce asks participant Mia for her thoughts on censorship.
2:24 They talk about the concept of self-censorship concerning government censorship. It suggests that even in the absence of explicit government censorship, individuals may still self-censor due to societal conditioning. The idea of therapy and psychoanalysis is mentioned as a means of "unself-censoring" oneself and discussing topics, such as familial issues, in a safe environment.
7:45 Peluce suggests the importance of individuals being able to openly express, discuss, revise, and evolve their beliefs.
12;29 Peluce reflects on the process of socialization, comparing it to the development of a child's ability to express desires. The example of a baby learning to communicate its needs is used to illustrate this point, implying that as individuals grow, they also learn to express themselves more effectively and patiently.
16:20 They discuss the concept of self-censorship in interpersonal dynamics versus broader contexts such as government intervention. Mia struggles to think of instances where the government would intervene due to self-censorship.
20:30 They talk about the balance between freedom of speech and setting boundaries on harmful or hateful speech and reflect on the liberal approach to freedom of speech in the United States.
23: 20 Mia explores the difficulty of characterizing a category of speech that is harmful or derogatory, particularly concerning race, sex, or religious views.