082: Ep78 – Demons and Other Unusual Mental States

In this 78th episode of Philosophy Bakes Bread Eric Thomas Weber and Anthony Cashio interview Dr. Tadd Ruetenik, Professor of Philosophy at Saint Ambrose University, on “Demons and Other Unusual Mental States.” Tadd is the author of The Demons of William James: Religious Pragmatism Explores Unusual Mental States, out this year with Palgrave MacMillan.

Tadd is the winner of the 2018 Ila and John Morrow Prize from the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy. He teaches American philosophy, critical thinking, philosophy of life, and philosophy of religion. In addition to The Demons of William James, Tadd’s publications have been featured in The Pluralist, Contemporary Pragmatism, Teaching American Literature, the journal of Philosophy and Theology, and the Journal of Religion and Health, and have been on topics ranging from Animal Ethics, to Jane Addams and Christian Science.

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)

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Notes

1. William James, Varieties of Religious Experience (New York: Penguin Classics, 1902 / 1982).
2. William James, The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy (New York: Dover Publications, 1905)
3. Daemon, according to Merriam Webster.
4. “Leonora Piper,” on Encyclopedia.com.
5. “Hypnosis today,” according to the American Psychological Association.
6. Suggestion, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
7. In this episode, Weber refers to the American Medical Association’s retraction of hypnosis as a form of treatment. See this release for demonstration of what he was referring to. Nevertheless, according to the Mayo Clinic, hypnosis has shown strong evidence of helping to alleviate pain associated with cancer. See James H. Stewart, “Hypnosis in Contemporary Medicine,” Proceedings of the Mayo Clinic 80, Issue 4 (April 2005): 511–524.
8. “What Is Christian Science?” on ChristianScience.com.
9. “What Is Scientology?” on Scientology.org.
10. “Salem Witch Trials” on History.com.

 

 

You Tell Me!

For our future “You Tell Me!” segments, Tadd asked the following question in this episode:

“If you passed away and could speak to someone living, what would you want to say to them?”

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