washington and hamilton among other members of the american philosophical society, which i'll talk about a few minutes. and, of course, franklin straddle both the political and scientific world. rather my focus is on an earlier cohort, crass and an independent farmer captivated by two particular ideas borrowed from european enlightenment, and been shaped by the american experience. so what were these? one, the value of learning and knowledge, that is what we would call information updated perhaps today, is directly proportional to its practical import or utility. in other words, to be of any real value, knowledge has to be truly useful. and second, that anyone, not just the highborn, the well-educated, those fluent in latin and greek, could take part in the pursuit of knowledge, the pursuit of science and the pursuit of knowledge in general. so what we really have here is this growing movement that sort of gathered momentum was a movement for useful knowledge was a challenge to traditions through an educational system that was relatively restrictive. colonial education was dominated by t

because with no, this goes back to the philosopher emmanuel todd. he called the thing in itself unknowable. right? so what we have instead of the thing itself was -- the only way we knew how to make sense of experience for kant was through what he felt were a prioritized structures of language and mathematics. that's the only way we know how to make sense of the experience and i go so far in the book as to say that, you know, this universe that scientists are so interested in is the creation. it's not present at all without the presence of language bears or symbol bears. the universe exist because of language, as a philosopher second language is the house of being but anabolic been very persuaded by something like that point of view. >> the point is that the it is and the i am is a joint venture. venture. >> exactly. >> the world is something that we find but we also invented. >> exactly. >> the mathematics is a very poor language. i mean, it's not like poetry, pure and simple. you talk about between faith on one hand and reasons on the other hand.

so the early precursors to the american philosophical society went through a number of names, but it would include something like the philosophical society or the society for the advancement of useful knowledge or practical knowledge held in philadelphia in the province of pennsylvania. and from our perspective when you read this, it seems sort of silly. but in century thinking, knowledge and its pursuit was a personal, face-to-face experience. it had to be done locally. it had to be done through face to face connections, through lectures, you had to have members needed to live nearby so they could come to regular meetings. the this also had the advantage of giving a broad section of each of these commitments access to these localized groups. now, when it was impossible for everyone to get together, the acknowledged movement organize toed very highly directive systems of correspondence, generally coordinated by a secretary or other function their to fill in the gaps. now, many of us will probably recall from our school days that franklin was postmaster. he wanted a pretty good salary

maimonides, the 12th century jewish philosopher defined hope as -- said, "belief in the plausibility of the possible as opposed to the necessity of the probable." now let me say that again. that to be a realist is to recognize that the world is not a domain in which the probable always happens. i mean, goliath is more likely to win. but you know what? sometimes david does. you know? >> bill moyers: was there a time you had to do that, when you had to suspend disbelief and see that the inevitable was not a necessity, that it was a probability? >> marshall ganz: boy, i you know -- well, first of all, thinking i can get into harvard in the first place from bakersfield, leaving harvard to go work in mississippi is -- >> bill moyers: you left before you finished your studies? >> marshall ganz: yeah, i had a year to go.

plato is a greek philosopher, sweetheart. >> a greek philosopher?s. >> why would a greek philosopher want to hang out with mickey and goofy? i mean, that doesn't make any sense. what are you all teaching these kids? >> what? what are you talking about? joaquin, come on, let's go upstairs so i can help you with your homework. >> mm-hmm. >> come on, sweetie. >> well, i hope he don't get a f. >> what? huh. >> what are you doing? >> writing a letter. >> what you writing? >> this chick in my daggone anger management class tried to steal my sunflower seeds, and i got to write a letter to make amends. >> we all know how you feel about your sunflower seeds. >> okay. >> wait, so you actually walked away from a fight? >> no, i didn't say all that. i mean, she ran. i tried to catch her. huh, i got to get in better shape. wow, i hadn't made you laugh in a long time. >> yeah. it's good to see you trying. >> thanks, thanks. hey, you better go up there and help your brother with his homework, because miss cora thinks that plato is some greek philosopher. and she's

i of the philosophers of hard to resist doing a little of that. with the realization, a lot of books written on these subjects and on the financial crisis and i wanted one that was readable. there is narrative nonfiction like a big short by michael lewis but it focuses on five guys you never heard of and doesn't give a lot of argument. then you have a lot of analysis including by many good ones here in washington so what i decided to do to split the difference is try to combine these things and put a section on additional resources at the end of the books of if you are just starting on this and wants to dig deeper, go to peter walston's book for the truly, those who are not faint of heart is about 550 pages long but you will get the story in detail. another thing mark said that is right, i do primarily emphasize affordable housing policy as the causal link in the crisis but i don't think it is the only thing. i also think policy and too big to fail mentality had something to do with it. what i was interested in was i don't know the fed policy too

. >> the basis basis of this gridlock, there are philosophical views. immigration as an example. when john mccain talks about politics. a lot of people came in illegally. there are lots of people doing all the right things, standing in line. why should we give a pathway to people doing it illegally when there are people trying to do it legally? others think a bill based on promises about what the government is going to do don't trust the government, which is a reasonable position to have. the problem is when the conversation take place on the political plane, it's not speaking to the people who are thinking in terms of a philosophical view -- gwen: so the senator ted cruz's and mike lees of the world who are pushing back, the white house says to them what? they're becoming like a house? >> i think they do. in mike's case he didn't come from the house but you have a dynamic in the senate where a lot of the republican senators now are people who came from the house and one office there in first the gingrich revolution and the subsequent more conservative waves of the house and they

and kant actually went so far as to make this philosophical argument that you could both prove that it was infinite in time and finite so just throw up your hands. ...but then you had this steady state which theoretically was infinite in time and the big bang which theoretically had a beginning. precisely, so then it took this form these two competing cosmologies and it was nice because we could have observational evidence that would tell us which of those was right and it turned out that the big bang cosmology was right and the steady state was incorrect. but now the steady state is kind of made a come back through, through the back door and we're now at this interesting place in cosmology where we can say that the universe is 13.7 billion years plus a number between zero and infinity. thank you very much for your help and, and the way that that worked is that we developed this big bang model that the universe at an early time was hot and dense and expanding and so on and that model has been in spectacular agreement with observations.... ...if you take that model and extrapolate it ba

being something separate and really squabbling or some of the fights within the party may have more philosophic content than really the the the fighting that goes on in a presidential race especially after they nominate the two candidates deep down in policies are very very similar and american people on offered a whole lot if you happen not to fall into the mainstream if you happen to be you know libertarian or belong to green party. they don't get there they don't get a fair shake they don't get the interviews and in so i think that that's why so many people were turned off does that mean possibly and since i was so involved with that that it's possible for a modern day ross perot to emerge. i guess if you're a billionaire you can i don't think you can do it from the grassroots i think that you know and i remember when ross perot became a name and i think you helped him along that you gave a fair shot a lot of on your program which was you know i'm usual he didn't get you know the other networks automatic but he got as he got along pretty well but i think it's money talked you know i think it

case and point, jim messina said my favorite philosopher is mike tyson.a plan until you punch them in the face. my job is to punch them in the face. it was fought out in small ways. if 2008 was inspiring, 2012 was negative and nasty. joining us is dan balls, author of "collision 2012." dan, thanks so much for joining the program and congrats on the book. >> thank you. glad to be here. >> we are happy to have you. the future of elections in america, after 2012, given the prolonged and insane nature, what do you think each party learned and how do you think it's going to affect 2016? >> you speak of long campaigns, the 2016 campaign seems to be getting under way or there's an appetite for it. one campaign ends and the next begins. they don't necessarily settle the ones we think they should. if you step back, there are two ways to look at it. one is the big forces out there in the country that have a huge effect on the outcome of the elections. in the day-to-day battling of gaffes and the trivial moments, the big forces seem to get relegated backstage, yet t

philosophically denoting certain premises of society in an experimental notion i'm inspired and i want to move forward with new ideas and that's part of the issue of this festival too and up again i recommend i pursue i prefer i should say the inspiration element to the cathartic element because while the cathartic element is needed it's not enough just to get out there and and release we want to focus people in a specific way and i get that goes back to the general. the gentle foundation of the movement's work i agree art is definitely fundamental in any sort of progress any sort of social change i think ron paul even said you know revolution never happened and unless the music in our or involved i can agree more you know but peter i feel like i meet people all the time who tell me that they wish that they were artistic it seems like they've been conditioned to thinking that they aren't but they've never really explored how to express themselves in really this way i mean how do we break this ninth that good point it's educational progress by all means i i i am very non establishment w

commercial galleries around union square, and it is because of their core mission, to increase social, philosophical, and spiritual change my isolated individuals and communities. >> it gives a statement, the idea that a significant art of any kind, in any discipline, creates change. >> it is philosophy that attracted david linger to mount a show at meridian. >> you want to feel like your work this summer that it can do some good. i felt like at meridian, it could do some good. we did not even talk about price until the day before the show. of course, meridian needs to support itself and support the community. but that was not the first consideration, so that made me very happy. >> his work is printed porcelain. he transfers images onto and spoils the surface a fragile shes of clay. each one, only one-tenth of an inch thick. >> it took about two years to get it down. i would say i lose 30% of the pieces that i made. something happens to them. they cracked, the break during the process. it is very complex. they fall apart. but it is worth it to me. there are photographs i took 1 hours 99 the former s

it's more of the literary book a more philosophical. a different sort of history book it will have notes. what have this sort of pantheon book of history. everything in it. it will actually be more fascinating. it will be probably the shortest book i have written, in fact, of all my books. it is going to be -- it is going to be a literary philosophical look at life in the world. but through the lives of people. that's why it's called a biography. rather like i did in jerusalem. that will be one hell of a challenge, but it is wildly exciting. >> host: we have been talking on book tv in london with simon sebag montefiore, author and historian. you're watching book tv on c-span2. >> for more operation on these and other interviews from london , visit booktv.org and once book tv every sunday at 6:00 p.m. over the next several weeks for more. >> you're watching book tv. coming up next, jeff guinn recalls the life of charles manson. he reports on how manson was able to influence and motivate the members of the manson family to murder seven pe

under obama >> i was a student during the , and for some reason i felt it was necessary to .ecome a philosopherthere were more crises of humanity. what can we do? were we just interested in jobs so we can become materialists, or did we value human values. i think the understanding we have to build our souls and not just the economy is going among the people, and the world needs that. tavis: this is why i love you so much. you mentioned fdr and a philip randolph and the work they did together. this week marks the 50th anniversary of the big march in detroit. you can read this online these days. speechous i have a dream , we celebrate 50 years this coming august. before king got to washington to deliver this speech, he went to detroit. it was in destroyed he worked it out. he used it as a testing ground. first in detroit. grace lee boggs was in the audience. >> i was an organizer. rex she was an organizer when dr. king came to detroit. 100,000 people. >> 2000 people. tavis: -- 200,000 people. tavis: i am only 48, but your memory is better than mine. >> the alabama christian movement for human rig

. >> we have such a philosophical mission around bringing people together around food.so natural for me to come here. >> we want them to walk away feeling like they have the tools to make change in their lives. whether that change is voting on an issue in a way that they will really confident about, or that change is how to understand why it is important to support our small farmers. each class has a different purpose, but what we hope is that when people leave here they understand how to achieve that goal and feel that they have the resources necessary to do that. >> are you inspired? maybe you want to learn how to have a patch in your backyard or cook better with fresh ingredients . or grab a quick bite with organic goodies. find out more about 18 reasons by going to 18 reasons.org and learn about buy right market and creamery by going to buy right market.com. and don't forget to check out our blog for more info on many of our episodes at sf quick bites.com. until next time, may the fork be with you. ♪ ♪ >> so chocolaty. mm. ♪ >> oh, this is awesome. oh, sorry. i thou

reporter: while both sides have met to discuss the missionary tack techs, they ready admit their philosophical differences are unlike those that date back centuries. >> for insights on his daily store i ris, follow -- stories, follow him on twitter. >>> we all complain about waiting for security through the airport, but proof that this may have paid off. tsa found what they thought was a gun. the pellet gun was stashed inside the boy's carry-on. he took the gun. >>> a plane made an emergency landing in memphis. the air tran flight was headed toward austin. we talked to the woman who was sitting right next to the man. >> i heard the flight attendant say, sir, you can't do that or something like that i looked and here he comes barreling, stumbling down the aisle. went to sleep. >> passengers deplan in memphis investigators removed the unruly passenger and the flight >>> this is the last night of uncertainty for the army private who leaked hundreds of thousands of classified documents. bradley manning was convicted. a military judge said she is still deliberating his fate and will announce the de

most economists almost unanimously recognize that even if philosophically you're weary of governmentthe economy, when you have a problem we have right now, what started on wall street goes to main street. suddenly, businesses can't get credit. they start to tear down their investments. they start laying off workers. worker -- workers pull back in terms of spending. that when you have that situation where government is an important element of introducing some additional demand into the economy. >> it seems that all it took for republicans to all join the flatter society of economic was the election to the presidency of barack obama. prior to that, republicans were happy to deficit fund all sorts of things like wars and new medicare prescription drug benefits. but once barack obama proposed the tried and true years of keysnian use of economics, republicans were unanimously opposed. at no point during his presidency has barack obama gone on record on the matter of the planet earth being round. so republicans have not yet been forced to change their minds about that. president roosevelt

series, with fantastic conversations and film segments exploring the most urgent, existential, philosophical, and spiritual issues of the 21st century. so, settle back, take a slow, deep breath, as we join our trusted guide and host, phil cousineau, on this fascinating episode of "global spirit," the first internal travel series.

this is a question of philosophers have explored over the ages.s what we like to explore with people facing disabilities and life challenges. i am curious, when you thought about what would be critical for a good life, how many of you listed family and friends? how about making a contribution or participating? being engaged? how about good health and having choices? all of these are core elements. you know how most of our efforts are focused? yes, this is it. this is how we have a whole industry thinking about future planning and what a good life is. it is focused on money. you can see some canadian money up there. in any case, i am curious about how come how money is easy to plan for, and but what about planning for people? what about those loved ones, those friends that we all say are so critical for having a good life? how many of you, when you thought about a good life, put friends and family first? how many put friends and family being the critical number one element? what do you think it is? what makes it easy to think about planning for mon

they told us they were fi philosophic philosophical. everywhere now was radio active. they can't escape it. >> the stricken diachi nooufshling plant is 35 kill meters up the coast that way. and this beach, only open to the public in july, back then authorities said that radiation in the sea water had funeral acceptably low levels but wantanabe took samples for analysis, he found levels there were far higher. >> no one knows what a safe background level is anymore. the japanese are now part of a massive non-consent annual experiment on the radio radiation ex posed you're. this man worked at diachi and its sister plant, diani for more than 20 years. he says no one ramey knows how bad the situation is in the reactors because it's now deadly to go inside them. >> i personally believe that nuclear power, humans, cannot co-exist. >> the workers have been forbidden from talking to the media. >> the government is playing down the accident so it can keep exporting the technology to other countries. >> the shinto shrine here is seen as the protector of this community. the govern

right now, i'm working on a project with a philosopher and an anthropologist. the working title is break every joke which is language from i say i'm that the abolitionists used and we're going to try and we a conference in the fall. we are writing a book i think in which we're going to try to make public and martial the kind of religious resources that might prove useful in helping to cultivate a mass movement against mass incarceration, i camcan do the kind of mass movet that we had going on 200 years ago against slavery. so, you know, i owe it to myself to be engaged in these practices, in some way. >> host: i think we are just about at the end of our time. i want to thank you again for the book, which i think is a necessary -- elucidating as much for the scholar of religion as to any of us who might be concerned with the politics and mass incarceration. so thank you and thank for the opportunity for sitting down today with this conversation. >> that was afterwards. afterwards airs at the weekend on booktv at 10 p.m. on saturday, 12 and 9 p.m. on sunday and 1

there is sort of visual connections to street photography and there is philosophical connections. know there is some movement by me, that yet, the camera was a machine and it was taken from a height of about 7 feet of a fixed position. no

we met many times in his apartment to talk about philosophical issues, history, and medical views relatedo his cancer. >> host: did you ever think you could really help him? >> >> guest: i hoped we might be able to slow down what was clearly going to be a threatening and almost certainly fatal circumstances given the far advance nature of the disease. i think we might probablily have slowed it down. it seemed as if only he had only a couple of months to live. he lived a whole year and a half. he was a pioneer by being out there on the leading edge. went to st. louis to have the agree -- genome consequences to see if there was something a this would lead to the slerks of a different therapy. it did. did that therapy, actually specifically results and benefits hard to be sure it's any choice one science which most scientist would tell you is a different way to draw conclusions. but he was intensely interested in this. it was an experience, i guess he and i went together to see what we could do in his particular case. he wrote about it. brilliantly in his column in the vanity fair magazine.

right now i'm working on a project with a philosopher and anthropologist. the working title is called break every yoke that is lined with from messiah that the abolitionists used and we were having a conference in the fall. we were writing a book i think in which we were going to try

a split in the opinion about the way to oppose it, and it is a tactical debate and not a deep philosophical fish susure, and the president was controlling the house, we had the second large nest the history and 60/40 in the senate and now 64 republican senators and 30 governors and so again, this idea that somehow what the president has done is to put us in a box and on the road to -- >> no, you put yourselves in the pox. >> i don't think so. it is a bad law. >> we will see. >> and if it were a good law, the democrats wouldn't have lost the ma jjority as decisively as they have in 2010, and they would have easy captured the presidency in 2012. >> and you know, you will find that conservatives agree that obama care very likely may be pop ular with americans once it is in effect. there are some conservatives who say you will get some americans sucking off of another teet of the government. >> well, i have been hearing it how sooner or later it is going to be popular, but it is not. parts in effect now, and we were told it would be a, you know, popular within a couple of years, and certain thi

. >> this next project, you're known for being funny, it's a little more philosophical. a moment in the beginning of the book, there's this exchange between truth -- >> fear and truth. >> it's a conversation that we all have. really, we're our own worst enemy. >> right, good angel, bad angel. >> you see it in cartoons. is that what you want people to take away from this, internalize conversations they're having with themselves? >> i want them to look at their fear. fear is -- cannot stand up when you actually examine it. so i want them to look at their fear. fear will bring you down a road, but if you question it, you'll quickly get off and get back on to what i would believe is truth, which is from your own heart, your own path. >> tom, in the book you talk about becoming extraordinarily successful. five of your first six films were huge hits. you made over $50 million. you had all kinds of artistic freedom in hollywood, which is very rare to find. but they create a lot of pressure and chaos in your life. it was sort of like the thing where success doesn't actually make

bustos and the brave particularly debray when he was captured, he was a french philosopher, a real left philosopher who wanted to be a guerilla and hooked up with che and decided he didn't want to be a guerilla anymore and walked into a village and got arrested. when they arrested him he flipped fast. he got interrogated. at first he claimed that the cia saved him. i think he has backed off of that a little bit but at some point to make a long story short charles degaulle the president of france gets involved. the communists in france get involved. they'll write letters to release him and it was a big embarrassment and a lot of headache for the bolivians as well as the americans. i think that leads to the ending with che. if you think you've got it bad with debray getting arrested you have shade now. how do you handle that lacks and we talked to some of the bolivians about this. there wasn't a prison there. they had him but they didn't have a person that could hold che let alone dupree said there was also a fear that the cubans were, and take him. that testimony and that arrest i think