meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
EconTalk

Agnes Callard on Meaning, the Human Quest, and the Aims of Education

EconTalk

Library of Economics and Liberty

Ethics, Philosophy, Economics, Books, Science, Business, Courses, Social Sciences, Society & Culture, Interviews, Education, History

4.74.3K Ratings

🗓️ 14 November 2022

⏱️ 81 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Suppose all of humanity was infected by a virus that left us all infertile--no one will come along after us. How would you react to such a world? Agnes Callard of the University of Chicago says she would be filled with despair. But why does this seem worse than our own inevitable deaths? Callard speaks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the meaning of life, and what exactly about the end of humanity is so demoralizing. The conversation concludes with a discussion of whether humanity is making progress.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to Econ Talk, Conversations for the Curious, part of the Library of Economics and Liberty.

0:07.8

I'm your host, Russ Roberts of Shalem College in Jerusalem and Stanford University's Hoover

0:12.7

Institution.

0:13.7

Go to econtalk.org where you can subscribe, comment on this episode and find links down

0:18.6

the information related to today's conversation.

0:21.4

You'll also find our archives, but every episode we've done going back to 2006.

0:26.8

Our email address is mail at econtalk.org.

0:30.3

We'd love to hear from you.

0:31.8

Today is October 19, 2022, and my guest is philosopher Agnes Callard of the University of

0:43.2

Chicago.

0:44.5

This is her fourth appearance on econtalk.

0:47.2

She was last here in May of 2021, talking about anger.

0:51.4

Our topic for today is the modest question on the meaning of life.

0:55.4

Or less, we'll get into a lot of other things.

0:57.3

Agnes, welcome back to econtalk.

1:00.4

Thank you.

1:01.4

We're basing this conversation on your recent address to incoming freshmen at the University

1:06.4

of Chicago.

1:09.2

Addresses called the aims of education, and we'll link to the video over your talk.

1:13.8

Now you start with the claim in that presentation that we care about the future.

1:21.5

Why?

1:22.5

Why do we care about the future?

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Library of Economics and Liberty, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Library of Economics and Liberty and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.