Wit and Wisdom: What does Public Philosophy Do?

Wit & Wisdom: What does Public Philosophy do? Two philosophers sit down to think out loud about a question at the heart of Philosofarian's work: What does public philosophy do? Does it change how people listen to one another? Does it shift how a community understands itself? What happens when thinking becomes something shared rather than hidden? And what possibilities emerge when ordinary places become places of wonder? Meet the Speakers Kaarina Beam Kaarina’s work centers on social and political philosophy, applied ethics, and philosophy of education — fields that examine how people live together and what shapes our choices. Her thinking is also grounded in years teaching abroad in China, Nepal, India, and Bhutan, where she studies how different societies approach responsibility, community, and ethical life. She brings a reflective, people-forward approach to the ways philosophy moves through lived experience. Local philosopher Seth Tichenor Seth has been exploring how people think, learn, and change through shared conversation here in Astoria for more than a decade. His background and training are in comparative philosophy, especially South Asian traditions, but his lifelong project is local: helping our community discover what becomes possible when people think together. Seth’s approach is rooted in curiosity, stories, and the belief that philosophy belongs in everyday life. Together, Kaarina and Seth will explore “What does public philosophy do?” through an open conversation that invites the community to wonder alongside them.