Jazz-Philosophy Fusion Project

James Tartaglia’s Jazz-Philosophy Fusion allows you to listen while you think, providing a different philosophical experience from reading a book or attending a lecture. To find out more about Jazz-Philosophy Fusion, including philosophical and musical background to each of these songs, visit the project website.

James’ articles about Jazz-Philosophy Fusion

Gods and Titans (2019)

These songs are based on chapters from James’ new book, Philosophy in a Technological World: GODS AND TITANS (Bloomsbury 2020):

Philosophy has come to seem like a specialist interest with little or no influence on our lives. On the contrary, argues James Tartaglia, it was the philosophy of materialism which taught us to turn from the gods to seek practical assistance from the titans, thereby reversing the moral of an ancient Greek myth to inspire the building of today’s technological world. As the largely unreflected belief-system it has now become, materialism continues to steer the direction of technological development, while making us think this direction is inevitable. By drawing on neglected idealist traditions of philosophy, Tartaglia argues for a new way of looking at reality which asserts our freedom to choose, reaffirms and builds upon our ordinary, everyday understanding, and motivates us to convert technological innovation into a process driven by public rationality and consent. With discussions ranging from consciousness, determinism and personal identity, to post-truth culture, ego-death and video games, this clear and accessible book will be of wide interest.

Musicians

  • James Tartaglia: Vocals and Alto Sax
  • Andy Bowie: Tenor Sax
  • Steve Tromans: Piano
  • Mike Green: Bass
  • Tymek Jozwiak: Drums

Recorded by Olly Sansom at Sansom Studios, Birmingham UK, on 25 November and 9 December, 2019.
Cover artwork: detail from 'Space Time' by Santiago Ribeiro.

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Gods and Titans

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