Caption: Deborah Brandt
Deborah Brandt 

"Is Ghostwriting Ethical?" with guest Deborah Brandt

Series: Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life
From: Prairie Public
Length: 00:53:56

Every day, politicians publish books telling the stories of their lives and their political views. But more often than not these “autobiographies” are written by ghost writers, unnamed people who imitate the voice of the author for money and a brief acknowledgment in the introduction. Is this lying? Is this ethical? Should it diminish the politician’s credibility. Join WHY? as host Jack Russell Weinstein explores this complicated issue with one of America’s foremost experts on literacy and its connection to politics. Deborah Brandt recently retired from her position as professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Read the full description.

Brandt_small

To hear the full audio, sign up for a free PRX account or log in.

Also in the Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life series

Caption: Deidre McCloskey

What do we talk about when we talk about economics? with Deidre McCloskey (00:53:26)
From: Prairie Public

Everywhere we look there are “economic indicators.” We talk about the jobless rate and the national debt. We learn about the first quarter and evaluate movies by how much ...
Caption: Virginia Held

WHY? Episode 37 - "Should government care about you?" with guest Virginia Held (00:54:00)
From: Prairie Public

Does the government have the responsibility to care about its citizens? Does it have an obligation to think of each of us as people, as individuals, and not just as ...
Caption: Gary Gutting

WHY? - "A House Divided: Analytic vs. Continental Philosophy" (00:54:00)
From: Prairie Public

Join WHY? as we discuss one of philosophy's deepest and most divisive controversies: the battle between the "continentals" and the "analytics." Host Jack Russell Weinstein ...
Caption: Stephanie Coontz

WHY? Episode 35 - "Philosophy of Marriage" with Stephanie Coontz (00:54:00)
From: Prairie Public

Is the “traditional” marriage between one man and one woman really the most preferred form of marriage? History suggests it is not. In addition to polygamy (the most valued, ...
Caption: Steven Pinker

Episode 34 "Philosophy of Violence" with Steven Pinker (00:54:00)
From: Prairie Public

Steven Pinker argues that the world is less violent today than it has ever been before. For some of his critics, this claim is more than false, it’s bizarre. What is Pinker’s ...
Caption: Lou Marinoff

"Plato Not Prozac" Philosohical Counseling with guest Lou Marinoff (00:54:00)
From: Prairie Public

Can philosophy make our lives better? Can it help us develop better senses of self? Join host Jack Russell Weinstein and his guest Lou Marinoff, as we investigate the ...
Caption: Jay Basquiat

WHY - "Food and Sustainability" with guest Jay Basquiat (00:54:00)
From: Prairie Public

How much thought have you given to the idea of food? Why do we eat some things and not others, even though they are all edible? And, what exactly does it mean to be natural? ...
Caption: Michael Walzer

"Are There Just Wars," with Michael Walzer (00:54:00)
From: Prairie Public

Host Jack Russell Weinstein of the Institute for Philosophy in Public Life at the University of North Dakota visits with Michael Walzer, professor emeritus at the Institute ...
Caption: Maughn Gregory

"Teaching Philosophy for Children," with Maughn Gregory (00:52:52)
From: Prairie Public

How young can children learn philosophy? How should it be taught in the schools? What does philosophy offer that other curricula do not? Join WHY? as we examine this ...
Piece image

"Growing Up North Dakotan" (00:53:00)
From: Prairie Public

UND philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein hosts a panel discussion with four native North Dakotans: Joshua Boschee, Kathryn Joyce, Jesse Veeder Scofield, and Prairie ...

Piece Description


Timing and Cues

1:00 break and :45 break can be replaced. There's also ample music pad at the conclusion.