•  3
    Reason, Desire and the Ridiculous
    The Philosophy of Humor Yearbook 2 (1): 261-270. 2021.
  • The main purpose in this dissertation is to show how certain modal-semantic considerations can be used to make sense of the subject of impredicativity. A secondary purpose is to rebut in a more direct manner the charge of vicious circularity. ;In Chapter 1, I examine Russell's early idealist work in the foundations of geometry. Although Russell increasingly disassociated himself from this work, as indeed from Kant and Hegel, an examination of Russell's idealist foundations can shed light on Russ…Read more
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    Revised and expanded as (The Bedside Book of) "Paradoxes" (2013). Translated into multiple European languages, it has sold over 70,000 copies worldwide. 'If there is an exception to every rule, then every rule must have at least one exception - except this one.' Welcome to the world of the paradox - something that appears to be true and yet contradicts itself. From Galileo's Fan to the Cone of Democritus, and from the impossibility of motion to the infinite staircase, these mind-bending thought …Read more
  •  5
    Philosophical Praxis
    with Gerd Achenbach
    Lexington Books. 1984.
    This is Michael Picard's translation of Gerd Achenbach’s _Philosophische Praxis_ Beset by life-problems you can neither get rid of nor solve? Stuck? Over- or under-burdened by reality? Not living up to your potential? Philosophical Praxis is the alternative to psychotherapy for people not satisfied to muddle through life or merely exist. Not a method or a teaching, not diagnosis, treatment, or therapy, not a ready-made rule of life for you to conform to. It is no preformed application, but the …Read more
  • Three Statements on Philosophy as Dialogue
    In Horst Gronke, Angella Hodgson & Dieter Krohn (eds.), Series on Socratic Philosophizing, Lit-verlag. 2012.
  •  1
    But is it Philosophy? Cafe Philosophy and the social coordination of inquiry
    In Lydia Amir & A. Fatić (eds.), Practicing Philosophy, Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 163-181. 2018.
    This paper was also presented at 13th International Conference on Philosophical Practice, Belgrade, Serbia. Aug., 2014. It is reprinted in Cafe Conversations (Anvil, 2022), edited by the author. This paper looks at public participatory philosophy, or cafe philosophy, from a critical perspective. The issue is the extent to which it can be considered philosophy. Personal experience of the author creating, organizing and moderating Café Philosophy in a Canadian city is the point of departure, and a…Read more
  •  17
    This collection of essays is the first to look closely at the phenomena of philosophy in a cafe. Since the tradition of philosophical dialogue in coffee-houses was revived in Paris in the 1990s, public venues for participatory philosophy have sprung up in numerous countries, taking many forms, all seeking to stimulate intellectual interest as well as meaningful democratic community engagement. Some of the earliest discussion series continue to this day. The simple activity of reasoning together …Read more
  • On Right in Wrong
    Lexington. forthcoming.
    This is Michael Picard's translation of Gerd Achenbach’s Vom Richtigen im Falsche. This book by the pioneer of Philosophical Praxis deals with themes from the philosophy of life, such as impermanence, the contradictions in life, trust, happiness, solace and old age. It represents a profound engagement with today but no less with the long tradition of Western philosophy and culture, and offers livable insights in a rare style. The over-arching question is how a philosophically-inspired artisanal…Read more
  • Philosophical Praxis
    Lexington. forthcoming.
    Translation of Gerd Achenbach’s _Philosophische Praxis_
  • An expanded edition of "This Is Not a Book" (2007). This book will expand your mind, put your neurons through their paces, and go as far as question the foundations of your options and knowledge itself. You'll discover that you can't even trust your own senses-even though they are all that you have. Filled with philosophical puzzles that have intrigued the greatest minds, quizzes that reveal the inconsistency of our ideas, insoluble logical paradoxes, and moral dilemmas that force us to confront…Read more
  •  15
    How to Play Philosophy
    Hamilton Books. 2022.
    How to Play Philosophy is a series of lyrical, creative essays that explore timeless and timely ideas about who we are and how we live. MIT-trained philosopher Michael Picard shares ideas of numerous philosophers from conflicting traditions and builds an intellectual background to enable readers to draw their own conclusions. Written in a spirit of free and playful inquiry, the essays were composed originally to support public participatory philosophy, or Café Philosophy, which the author has f…Read more
  •  15
    Integrity: A Philosophical Exploration
    Proceedings of the XXIII World Congress of Philosophy 68 95-98. 2018.
    This paper explores the virtue of integrity and certain paradoxes and problems with its assertion. It examines the social and pragmatic dimensions of integrity, especially as regards the norms of self-ascription. These generate a dangerous dialectic of perception and reality, and set up an illusory half-way house between inner possession and social attribution. The temptations to self-deception and impression management are inherent in any attempt at self-evaluation. This essay attempts to negot…Read more
  •  4
    Stretch your mind and give your intellect a workout. Put your neurons through their paces with this little book filled with philosophical quizzes, games, and thought experiments.