Thurs 10/30 @ 5:00PM
Princeton University Press, 41 William Street

With Jaime Fernández Fisac, Elizabeth Harman, and Gideon Rosen, moderated by Joe Schmid

The world has changed dramatically over the past 20 years—from politics and policies to the media and technology. But one thing has remained constant through it all: bullshit. With the rise of social media and the deepening divides of political polarization, and now with the emergence of A.I., bullshit is perhaps more prevalent than ever in our lives.

In his 2005 Princeton University Press book, philosopher Harry Frankfurt argued that “bullshit is a greater enemy of the truth than lies are.” Thirty-two translations, 37 printings, and one million copies sold globally later, Frankfurt’s prescient and powerful message still resounds today.

Following the recent release of a 20th anniversary edition of the New York Times bestseller, Princeton University Press, Princeton Public Library, Labyrinth Books, and GradFUTURES invite you to join us for conversation about why bullshit is so dangerous – perhaps now more than ever.

Please RSVP via Eventbrite here.

***This will be a hybrid event, in-person and live streamed here: https://www.youtube.com/live/3ZQ9GkEM7cI

Jaime Fernández Fisac is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Princeton University, where he leads the Safe Robotics Lab. After helping shape how autonomous vehicles share the road during his time at Waymo, he now studies how to make robots and AI trustworthy around people, and how efforts to make generative AI more helpful can instead give rise to “machine bullshit.” 

Harry G. Frankfurt (1929–2023) was one of the world’s most influential moral philosophers and a professor of philosophy emeritus at Princeton University. His books included On Inequality, The Reasons of Love, and Demons, Dreamers, and Madmen (all Princeton). 

Elizabeth Harman is Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Philosophy and Human Values at Princeton University.  She has published on the ethics of abortion, what we owe to animals, moral ignorance, moral uncertainty, and actions above and beyond what morality requires.  Her book in progress is titled When To Be a Hero. 

Gideon Rosen is Stuart Professor of Philosophy and Acting Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Princeton.  He is the author of A Subject With No Object (with John P. Burgess) and general editor of the Norton Introduction to Philosophy. 

Joe Schmid is a third year Philosophy PhD student at Princeton University and works in metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and philosophy of mind. He also creates philosophy videos on his YouTube channel, Majesty of Reason.

This event is presented by Princeton University Press, the Princeton Public Library, Princeton gradFUTURES Professional Development, and Labyrinth Books.