Do you think you have a firm grasp of reality? In this talk, philosopher Mike VanQuickenborne uses everyday language and examples to question our assumptions about what is real. Learn how our perception of reality is shaped by language, and discover how conversation can help us come to terms with our varied experiences.
You’ll also learn how the concept of “reality” can be motivating, but also weaponized by things like artificial intelligence, fake news, and “deep fakes.” Our ability to use technology to distort reality is stronger than ever, and is greatly contributing to our deeply fractured society. Could something as simple as conversing with one another be the antidote?
Mike VanQuickenborne (he/him) is a tenured philosophy instructor at Everett Community College and has taught philosophy at a variety of colleges on both sides of the Cascade crest. Along with a slate of introductory philosophy courses, he has taught “Philosophy in the Cinema” since 2000. In 2008, with the help of a grant from Humanities Washington, he organized the world’s first philosophical film festival, “Philosophy in the Dark.”
VanQuickenborne lives in Anacortes.
