The Philosophy and Therapy Podcast · John T Maier

Episode #28: Cheshire Calhoun and Karen Stohr

·1 hr 9 min·1 clip

Why moral philosophy was broken and how to fix it.

John T. Meyer introduces the episode as the show's first with two guests at once. He welcomes Cheshire Calhoun and Karen Storr to a podcast about the meeting point of philosophy and therapy. The conversation begins with Calhoun's essay on positive moral philosophy. Meyer asks what positive moral philosophy is meant to name. Calhoun frames the issue around moral development, moral education, flourishing, and well-being. She argues that these are closely related questions, not separate ones. For her, the bigger question is the normative one of what a human life should be for. The discussion stays with that question instead of letting it become a slogan. Calhoun notes that philosophers and social scientists may use different terms, but they often return to the same underlying problem. She also adds that descriptive language still has to be operationalized. Even so, she is reluctant to pretend the normative question can be avoided. The episode then moves toward her theory of moral improvement. Meyer picks up one strand of that theory through Irving Goffman's work on the presentation of the self in everyday life, a connection that is presented as counterintuitive and worth unpacking. The conversation keeps a measured pace, with each idea opened up before moving on. Later, the discussion turns to a book manuscript opportunity connected to the topic. Meyer and the guests say that listeners with a manuscript in the area should reach out. The hope is that the project will support new work on these themes and bring more of that work into the podcast's orbit. The episode closes by pointing listeners to the show's site and to the materials mentioned in the conversation. The tone stays measured, academic, and collaborative throughout.

As heard by us

A patient conversation about moral improvement, flourishing, and the shape of a good life.

Cheshire Calhoun and Karen Storr join John T. Meyer for a patient conversation about moral improvement, moral development, and the question of what a good human life should look like.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want a conversation about philosophy and therapy that stays on the question of what counts as a good life.

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