Jacob Needleman, Philosopher
Interview by Bill Moyers
Presented by Austin Robbs
Where Journalism and Philosophy
Meet
Bill Moyers
Jacob Needleman
artsandlectures.sa.ucsb.edu
www.sfgate.com
What Does Jacob Needleman
Believe?
 Modern society thrives on wants, but misses out on what it needs
 Human nature is two-fold, both physical and spiritual
 We are not meant to live transitory lives, but to live in a state of
“consciousness”
 Philosophy helps us achieve a state of “conscious living,” the
desired balance between our physical and spiritual natures
Is There a Business Application to
Needleman’s Philosophy?
 Our quest for financial prosperity must remain balanced between
our physical and spiritual needs
 We must remember that money, of itself, is meaningless – it is our
lifelong learning and our relationships that give us true meaning
 We should “consciously enjoy” our work, and not simply see it as a
“means to more money”
The Philosophical Nail in the
Economic Coffin
 We are dual-beings that need love, even more than we think we
need money
 The meaning of life is found in our individual growth, not merely in
our pursuit of wealth
 We become “conscious beings” when we live balanced lives,
maintaining all things in the right perspective
Citations
Moyers, B. (1989). Jacob needleman, philosopher. In E. Engh (Ed.), Critical
Thinking: Readings from the Literature of Business and Society (pp. 313324). Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.
Moyers, B. (2013). About us. Retrieved from http://billmoyers.com/about-us/
Needleman, J. (2013). Jacob needleman - bio. Retrieved from
http://www.jacobneedleman.com/biography-of-jacob-needleman/
Moyers, B. (Producer). (1990, June 23). Jacob Needleman - A World of Ideas
[Web Video]. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/archives/needlemanwoi_flash.html