In this 67th episode of the Philosophy Bakes Bread radio show and podcast, Eric Thomas Weber and Anthony Cashio talk with Dr. Marilyn Fischer about “Jane Addams and Democratic Activism.” Dr. Fischer is a Professor Emerita at the University of Dayton where she specializes in political philosophy and American Pragmatism. She focuses especially on Jane Addams’s philosophy.
Marilyn has a strong passion for interdisciplinary work. She is the author of several books, including Ethical Decision Making in Fundraising (2000), On Addams (2003), and in 2008, she released a co-edited volume titled Jane Addams and the Practice of Democracy.
Listen for our “You Tell Me!” questions and for some jokes in one of our concluding segments, called “Philosophunnies.” Reach out to us on Facebook @PhilosophyBakesBread and on Twitter @PhilosophyBB; email us at philosophybakesbread@gmail.com; or call and record a voicemail that we play on the show, at 859.257.1849. Philosophy Bakes Bread is a production of the Society of Philosophers in America (SOPHIA). Check us out online at PhilosophyBakesBread.com and check out SOPHIA at PhilosophersInAmerica.com.
(1 hr 2 mins)
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Notes
- Jane Addams, Nobel Prize.
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum.- Sudio.com, a high quality headphone company, offers a 15% site-wide promotional discount if you use the code that we mention in the show (around minute 13 and a half).
- On mirror neurons, see Lea Winerman, “The Mind’s Mirror,” Monitor on Psychology 36, Issue 9 (October 2005).
- Jane Addams, Twenty Years at Hull House (New York: Signet Classics, 1961).
- See the “Talk Tables” related to the English as a Second Language (ESOL) page for Dayton, Ohio.
- David S. Meyer, “The Parkland Teens Started Something. How Can It Become a Social Movement?” The Washington Post, April 13, 2018.
You Tell Me!
For our future “You Tell Me!” segments, Marilyn posed the following question in this episode:
“What do you think it means to be a citizen of a democracy in terms of responsibilities beyond voting?”
Let us know what you think! Via Twitter, Facebook, Email, or by commenting here below.
Good discussion and introduction to some main strands of addams’ life and political engagement. Your discussion emphasized her open-mindedness and -heartedness towards immigrants from various parts of Europe. I missed a discussion of her attitudes about black americans, and/or immigrants (or for that matter, citizens) from other parts of the globe, but I know that your time was limited and that there’s an entire Worldwide Web where I can look up that information. It just seemed a glaring omission from an otherwise good discussion, particularly given the fact that she lived in a city that now — if not when she was in her prime — has many black and brown residents!
Thanks for your comment. I’ve sent it to Dr. Fischer. Perhaps we can record a breadcrumb followup episode. Interesting question!