Agnes Callard on engaging in public philosophy, her work as a columnist, and whether or not we can learn to believe in God

Agnes Callard is an Associate Professor in the University of Chicago's Department of Psychology, where she is Director of Undergraduate Studies. She received her BA from the University of Chicago in 1997 and her PhD from Berkeley in 2008. Her primary areas of specialization are Ancient Philosophy and Ethics. Prof. Callard has a regular column in The Point, a "magazine of philosophical writing on everyday life", and has written many essays for the New York Times. On this episode, she sits down with James Ryerson to discuss her career as a philosopher and popular writer, her thoughts on the possibility of public philosophy, how she cultivates ideas and her authorial voice, and her first New York Times piece, "Can We Learn to Believe in God?", published in Jan 2018. You can find Prof. Callard on Twitter at @AgnesCallard, Line Edit at @the_line_edit, and Joseph Fridman at @joseph_fridman.

Om Podcasten

Line Edit, supported by the John Templeton Foundation and hosted by long-time editor James Ryerson, is a show about writing short pieces for wide audiences about the big questions. Ryerson has been an editor at the New York Times since 2003, and before that, edited pieces for Legal Affairs, Lingua Franca, and Feed. On each episode of Line Edit, Ryerson sits down with an academic to discuss the life cycle of a popular piece they've published, from conception to pitching, writing, editing, publication, and response. Along the way, they'll discuss advice for academics looking to communicate their work to the public, and dive into the details of the academic's background, current, and future work.