[00:00.00]Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor.
[00:04.45]Student: So the reason I came in, Professor Williams, well, it’s about what you were explaining in your philosophy class today.
[00:12.00]Professor: Yes?
[00:12.68]Student: En, Yeah, the whole thing about simulations, would you …would you mind going over that with me again?
[00:18.68]Professor: No problem. The main point of the book I was referring to is that, well, in a post-modern world, we live in a world of unreal images of simulations. [00:29.59]For example, the things we see on TV become a reality for us even though they are not in fact real. They’re representations, simulations of reality.
[00:39.78]Student: Post-modern world?
[00:41.62]Professor: Right. It came after the modern one.
[00:44.57]Student: Gee...thanks a lot.
[00:46.44]Professor: No, sorry. You are right. Post-modern, well, that’s a sticky term that covers a lot of things. Let’s save that for later. [00:53.91]But back to my point about simulation, it leads to hyper-realism, a feeling that something is more real than real.
[01:01.90]Student: Wow…Wow, I’m sorry. But all this is…I just don’t get it.
[01:09.70]Professor: Video games, virtual reality, theme parks, all of these remove us from reality. [01:16.74]Worse yet, we can begin to think these simulations, these fake experiences are real, or we don’t know the difference anymore.
[01:24.97]Student: Well, actually I’m starting to think this class is not for me. In fact, I wonder if I might not do better just to drop the course.
[01:34.11]Professor: Oh, you are still having trouble following this?
[01:37.13]Student: Yeah, I just don’t think I’m cut out for philosophy. I signed up because my academic advisor…well, I feel like my advisor sort of pushed me into it.
[01:46.29]Professor: I see. If I may ask, what are you interested in?
[01:50.12]Student: I want to be a lawyer.
[01:51.97]Professor: Well, then you need a firm base in logic and argumentation, so this philosophy course is basically a necessity for you.
[01:59.24]Student: I hope not. I could only get maybe half the lecture.
[02:02.63]Professor: That’s pretty good then. I covered a lot, probably too much. And these were only some opening remarks for the first day of class. [02:09.87]I was just skimming through some contemporary ideas and, well, more cultural theory than actual philosophy, so you needn’t worry. [02:18.09]Starting next week, we are going to read some real philosophy, primary sources like Plato, Rousseau, Emerson. [02:25.17]And you’ll be able to talk about them in small discussion groups led by graduate assistants.
[02:29.70]Student: Well, I don’t know.
[02:31.41]Professor: I understand you are uneasy about this course, but, well, give it another chance, attend a few more sessions, get into your assigned discussion group, then see how you feel. [02:41.74]Look, these ideas, like what post-modernism really is. They are ideas that people developed over years, careers, lifetimes. I didn’t mean to scare you.
[02:52.30]Student: I guess I should have just taken it in the spirit it’s intended, as an intro. [02:56.92]You are right that instead of trying to wrap my mind around every little detail all at once, I need to work on seeing the bigger picture and not getting so stressed out.
[03:07.21]Professor: Well, don’t think you are going to learn all the law right away either. Have you looked at the law library lately?
[03:13.62]Student: Yeah. Talk about scary!
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