Scott Hershovitz: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids

Scott Hershovitz talks about his new book, Nasty, Brutish, and Short, in which he discusses philosophy with his children. Scott Hershovtiz is a professor of law and philosophy at the University of Michigan and former law clerk to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Scott’s new book, Nasty, Brutish, and Short, is a “romp through contemporary philosophy” led by his two young sons as they discuss ancient arguments, and ask their own questions.  During the interview, Scott describes a conversation he had with his son, and how that influenced his book:  “My son, when he was four years old, he went to the Jewish Community Center preschool, so he would learn about God and he'd learn about various aspects of Jewish religion. He had a lot of questions, and he would frequently ask if God was real. One night I was cooking dinner and he said, ‘Is God real?’ And I said, ‘Well, what do you think, buddy?’ He said, ‘I think that for real God is pretend and for pretend, God is real.’ I was just stunned by that. It was such a complicated thought. I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘I think that God isn't real, but when we pretend, he is.’”  You can find Scott on Twitter at @shershovitz. To learn more about Scott and his work, visit scotthershovitz.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices