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Philosophy Bites

375 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1.5K ratings

David Edmonds (Uehiro Centre, Oxford University) and Nigel Warburton (freelance philosopher/writer) interview top philosophers on a wide range of topics. Two books based on the series have been published by Oxford University Press. We are currently self-funding - donations very welcome via our website http://www.philosophybites.com

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Episodes

Yascha Mounk on the Identity Trap

March 14, 2024 11:27 - 30 minutes - 29.2 MB

Privileging one identity over others can be counterproductive for individuals and for society according to Yascha Mounk. He thinks there is an 'identity trap'. He discusses his ideas with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Mark Rowe on J.L.Austin

March 14, 2024 11:08 - 22 minutes - 21.8 MB

J.L.Austin was the best known exponent of what came to be known as Ordinary Language Philosophy. He was also a war hero. In this episode of the Bio Bites strand of the Philosophy Bites podcast David Edmonds discusses Austin's life and work with his biographer Mark Rowe.

James Klagge on Wittgenstein

February 19, 2024 12:42 - 20 minutes - 20 MB

In this episode James Klagge discusses the life and times of Ludwig Wittgenstein with David Edmonds. This is part of our mini series on the biographies of philosophers, Bio Bites.

David Chalmers on Technophiloosphy and the Extended Mind

January 22, 2024 07:19 - 18 minutes - 17.6 MB

Agnes Callard on Sex

November 27, 2023 17:35 - 17 minutes - 16.5 MB

What happens when people have sexual desires for one another? Agnes Callard from the University of Chicago discusses sex, eroticism, and much more in conversation with Nigel Warburton.  Not surprisingly, this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast involves mention of sex.

Michael Lamb on Augustine on Hope

October 16, 2023 18:17 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MB

Augustine is usually described as a pessimist with a bleak view of human evil and corruption. Michael Lamb thinks that is a simplistic reading. Augustine has interesting things to say about hope as a virtue.   

Seth Lazar on Political Philosophy in the Age of AI

September 27, 2023 15:55 - 22 minutes - 21.4 MB

AI has changed our lives already and looks set to have a huge impact. How should we adapt our thinking about political philosophy in the light of this? The philosopher Seth Lazar explores this question in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Hannah Dawson on Mary Wollstonecraft

September 27, 2023 11:54 - 20 minutes - 19.6 MB

In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Nigel Warburton interviews Hannah Dawson (editor of The Penguin Book of Feminist Writing) on Mary Wollstonecraft and her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792).

Scott Hershovitz on Law and Morality

August 16, 2023 09:32 - 26 minutes - 25.2 MB

What is the relationship between law and morality? How do they differ? Scott Hershovitz discusses these questions with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Carissa Veliz on Digital Ethics

June 20, 2023 12:11 - 23 minutes - 22.1 MB

Digital ethics is a new field. But what is it, what is its scope? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Carissa Véliz, author of Privacy is Power and editor of The Oxford Handbook of Digital Ethics, discusses these topics with Nigel Warburton. Philosophy Bites is brought to you by the team of David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton. We've been running since 2007.  

Theron Pummer on the Rules of Rescue

May 08, 2023 09:41 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MB

You might not have an obligation to risk your life saving other people, but if you do, you should go for saving the greatest number. That's more or less what Theon Pummer believes. Listen to him discussing the morality of rescue with David Edmonds in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast  

William MacAskill on Longtermism

March 09, 2023 12:58 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MB

In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast David Edmonds interviews Will MacAskill on the controversial idea that we ought to give the interests of future people substantial weight when deciding what we ought to do now.   

Kieran Setiya on Loneliness

March 09, 2023 12:55 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MB

What is loneliness and why is it harmful? How does it differ from just being on your own? In the latest episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, Kieran Setiya discusses this important topic with Nigel Warburton.    

Edith Hall on Aristotle's Way

November 27, 2022 14:10 - 17 minutes - 12 MB

How should we live? This is the basic question for all of us. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Edith Hall, author of the book Aristotle's Way, gives a sympathetic answer to Aristotle's take on this question. 

L.A. Paul on Transformative Experience

October 08, 2022 18:24 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MB

We have all had transformative experiences. But do they have philosophical relevance? Laurie Paul believes they do. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she discusses this fascinating topic with Nigel Warburton. 

Josiah Ober on the Civic Bargain

September 08, 2022 15:33 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MB

How do you solve the question of collective self-government by citizens? Josiah Ober discusses a fundamental problem of democratic societies: how we come to agree on courses of action when we commit to living within a democracy. His argument is that we need to become civic friends, a concept he explains in the conversation.

Skye Cleary on Authenticity

August 01, 2022 10:57 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MB

Skye Cleary approaches questions of human authenticity throught he lens of French Existentialism, and particularly through Simone de Beauvoir's thought. She is in conversation with Nigel Warburton.

Peter Railton on AI and Ethics

July 01, 2022 14:21 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MB

Developments in AI are coming very quickly. But it's not easy to work out how to deal with the ethical questions that AI generates. Peter Railton discusses AI and Ethics with Nigel Warburton for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast

Clare Chambers on the Unmodified Body

June 20, 2022 21:52 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MB

We all make some modifications to our bodies. But often this is in response to social pressures. So is there something to say for the largely unmodified body? Clare Chambers thinks so. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she spells out why. The interviewer is David Edmonds. 

Peter Singer on Consequentialism

May 19, 2022 22:38 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MB

Peter Singer is probably the most famous living philosopher. He recently won the million-dollar Berggruen Prize and promptly gave all that money to charity.  His positions on this, on animals, poverty, altruism, and much else besides are underpinned by his consequentialism. Here, in conversation with Nigel Warburton he explains his consequentialism and its implications.

Cecile Fabre on the Ethics of Spying

April 20, 2022 21:05 - 24 minutes - 18.1 MB

Spying raises many ethical issues, but these are rarely discussed - at least by philosophers. Cécile Fabre, author of a recent book on the topic, Spying Through a Glass Darkly, discusses some of these issues with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.  This episode is sponsored by The New European newspaper.

Ro Khanna on Digital Dignity

March 18, 2022 09:48 - 18 minutes - 13 MB

In this digital age, how can we organise society and the public sphere in ways that will preserve the sense of individual dignity? Ro Khanna, Congressman for Silicon Valley, and author of Dignity in a Digital Age, discusses this important topic with Nigel Warburton. 

Benjamin Lipscomb on 4 Women Philosophers

January 22, 2022 19:41 - 20 minutes - 14.5 MB

In Oxford during the Second World War four women philosophers came to prominence. Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Iris Murdoch, and Mary Midgley were friends and met to discuss their ideas, particulary about ethics. Benjamin Lipscomb, author of a recent book about them, The Women Are Up To Something, speaks to David Edmonds in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Paul Bloom on Psychological Hedonism,

December 19, 2021 22:07 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MB

Do we seek pleasure and avoid pain? The moral psychologist Paul Bloom believes psychological hedonism gives an inaccurate picture of what motivates us. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he discusses pain and pleasure with Nigel Warburton.

Myisha Cherry on Rage

November 03, 2021 20:40 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MB

Stoic philosophers described anger as a temporary madness and argued that we should eliminate it wherever possible. More recently Martha Nussbaum has argued for keeping anger out of political debates. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, in contrast, Myisha Cherry makes the case for rage in some specific circumstances. She discusses rage with Nigel Warburton.

Agnes Callard on Complaint

October 09, 2021 08:57 - 26 minutes - 15.1 MB

We all do it. But is there anything philosophically interesting about complaining? Agnes Callard thinks there is. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she discusses complaint with Nigel Warburton.

Arash Abizadeh on Thomas Hobbes' Ethics

August 23, 2021 15:52 - 20 minutes - 12.1 MB

Thomas Hobbes is best known as author of Leviathan which is usually read today for its theory of political authority. Here Arash Abizadeh discusses Hobbes' ethics, the theory of what we are and what are obligations are to each. 

Steven Nadler on Spinoza on Free Speech

May 18, 2021 12:27 - 18 minutes - 10.5 MB

Spinoza was famously heretical in his views. No surprise then that he defended free expression. Here Steven Nadler discusses Spinoza's views on this topic with Nigel Warburton.

Suki Finn on the Metaphysics of Nothing

March 08, 2021 16:29 - 19 minutes - 11.2 MB

What is the status of something that is an absence, like a hole? Suki Finn explores the metaphysics of nothing in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Suki is also the editor of a new book based on Philosophy Bites interviews with women philosophers selected from our archive Women of Ideas, to be published by Oxford University Press in April.  

Peter Salmon on Derrida on Deconstruction

February 18, 2021 17:06 - 22 minutes - 12.9 MB

Jacques Derrida was a controversial philosopher whose writing could be fiendishly difficult to read. Nevertheless he had many followers. Here Pete Salmon, author of a recent biography of Derrida, manages to give a clear account of what Derrida meant by deconstruction.  This episode was sponsored by St John's College. For more information about the college go to www.sjc.edu/podcast  

David Bather Woods on Schopenhauer on Compassion

January 10, 2021 16:08 - 24 minutes - 13.9 MB

Arthur Schopenhauer is best known for the deep pessimism of his book The World as Will and Representation. Here we focus on a slightly less pessimistic aspect of his philosophy: his views on compassion. Very unusually for an early nineteenth century thinker, he was influenced here by his reading of Indian philosophy. David Bather Woods is the interviewee. We are very grateful for sponsorship for this episode from St John's College.

Samantha Rose Hill on Hannah Arendt on Pluralism

December 06, 2020 17:11 - 20 minutes - 12 MB

Hannah Arendt's experience of the Eichmann trial in 1961 led her to reflect on the nature of politics, truth, and plurality. Samantha Rose Hill, author of a biography of Arendt, discusses the context for this, and the key features of Arendt's views.  We are grateful for support for this episode from St John's College - for more information about the college, including online options, go to sjc.edu/podcast

David Edmonds on Undercover Robot

November 28, 2020 14:09 - 12 minutes - 7.34 MB

David Edmonds has co-authored a children's book, Undercover Robot. Here in this bonus episode (originally released on the Thinking Books podcast) he discusses it with Nigel Warburton. 

Steven Nadler on Spinoza on Death

November 12, 2020 14:23 - 19 minutes - 11.4 MB

Baruch Spinoza was perhaps most famous for his equation of God with Nature - a view that his contemporaries, probably correctly, took to be atheist. But what did he think about death? Steven Nadler, author of A Book Forged in Hell and Think Least of Death, discusses this aspect of his thought with Nigel Warburton.  

Kate Manne on Misogyny and Male Entitlement

October 04, 2020 17:30 - 21 minutes - 12.1 MB

In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Cornell philosopher Kate Manne discusses the notions of misogyny, male entitlement, and the term that she coined 'himpathy' with Nigel Warburton.

Liam Bright on Verificationism

September 16, 2020 14:56 - 27 minutes - 15.9 MB

Verificationists believe that every meaningful statement is either true by definition or else empirically verifiable (or falsifiable). Anything which fails to pass this two-pronged test for meaningfulness is neither true nor false, but literally meaningless. Liam Bright discusses Verificationism and its links with the Vienna Circle with David Edmonds in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

David Edmonds on Wittgenstein's Poker

July 07, 2020 14:10 - 17 minutes - 10.4 MB

For this special episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast (produced under lockdown) Nigel Warburton interviews David Edmonds about his bestselling book, written with David Edinow, Wittgenstein's Poker. It focuses on a heated argument between the two great Viennese philosophers Karl Popper and Ludwig Wittgenstein, and the differing accounts that were give of it by those who were there.   

Nigel Warburton on A Little History of Philosophy

June 24, 2020 17:57 - 15 minutes - 9.1 MB

For this first of two special lockdown episodes of Philosophy Bites we interviewed each other. Here David Edmonds interviews Nigel Warburton about his bestseller A Little History of Philosophy. In the companion episode Nigel interviews David about his bestseller Wittgenstein's Poker.

Cheryl Misak on Frank Ramsey and Ludwig Wittgenstein

May 30, 2020 17:01 - 19 minutes - 11.4 MB

Cheryl Misak has recently published a biography of F.P. Ramsey, the great Cambridge thinker who died at the age of only 26, but who nevertheless made a significant impact in several different fields including philosophy, mathematics, and economics. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she discusses Ramsey's interactions with Wittgenstein. The two thinkers had very different personal styles and their philosophies reflect this.

Philip Goff on Galileo and Consciousness

May 09, 2020 17:19 - 18 minutes - 10.9 MB

Philip Goff discusses some of Galileo's insights into the nature of matter. He then goes on to discuss his own view about consciousness, panpsychism. Goff believes that matter is conscious at some level. 

Elizabeth Anderson on 'Let's Talk'

April 19, 2020 18:28 - 20 minutes - 12 MB

In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, recorded before the Covid-19 lockdowns, the political philosopher Elizabeth Anderson explains why we need to be prepared to talk more, even with people with whom we strongly disagree.   

Christian List on Free Will

February 05, 2020 14:07 - 23 minutes - 13.8 MB

What is free will? Do we have it? These are difficult questions. Neuroscience seems to point in the direction of determinism. But Christian List suggests that there might still be room for genuine free will.   

Emily Thomas on Wildly Implausible Metaphysics

October 21, 2019 13:10 - 19 minutes - 11.4 MB

Some philosophers have drawn very strange conclusions about the nature of reality. Despite this Emily Thomas believes that their work may still be worth studying. They usually have had good reasons for what they concluded. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she discusses several wildly implausible metaphysical theories with Nigel Warburton.  We are grateful for support from the Marc Sanders Foundation and from our Patreon donors. 

James Wilson on Real World Ethics

September 21, 2019 20:06 - 20 minutes - 11.7 MB

Are thought experiments the best way of doing practical ethics? Not according to James Wilson. He thinks we need the rich detail of real cases or complex imaginary cases not a simplified version of reality to make sense of the moral problems we face.  We are grateful for support for this episode from the Marc Sanders Foundation and from our supporters on Patreon. 

James Wilson

September 21, 2019 20:06 - 20 minutes - 11.7 MB

Are thought experiments the best way of doing practical ethics? Not according to James Wilson. He thinks we need the rich detail of real cases or complex imaginary cases not a simplified version of reality to make sense of the moral problems we face.  We are grateful for support for this episode from the Marc Sanders Foundation and from our supporters on Patreon. 

Kate Kirkpatrick on the life and work of Simone de Beauvoir

July 08, 2019 15:16 - 17 minutes - 9.94 MB

In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, Kate Kirkpatrick, author of a new biography of Beauvoir, Becoming Beauvoir, discusses the relationship between the life and work of Simone de Beauvoir. Beauvoir is often portrayed as applying Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialism to the condition of women. Is this a fair assessment? We are grateful for support from the Marc Sanders Foundation. 

Kathleen Stock on What is a Woman?

May 21, 2019 17:04 - 30 minutes - 17.4 MB

'What is a woman?' has become a contentious question with practical implications. The philosopher Kathleen Stock gives an account of the category 'woman' and how we should think about it. She gives a different answer to this question which Amia Srinivassan addressed in a previous Philosophy Bites interview on this topic.

Christian Miller on the Character Gap

February 25, 2019 10:53 - 20 minutes - 11.9 MB

Christian Miller believes that there is a character gap, a gap between what we think we are like morally and how we actually behave. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he explores the psychology of moral behaviour, and how we can become better people.  We are grateful for support from the Marc Sanders Foundation. 

Philip Pettit on the Birth of Ethics

February 25, 2019 10:22 - 20 minutes - 12 MB

Where did ethics come from? Philip Pettit tells an 'as if' story about the birth of ethics that is designed to illuminate what ethics is and why it evolved on this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. We are grateful for support from the Marc Sanders Foundation and from Patreon donors for this episode. 

Helen Beebee on Possible Worlds

January 14, 2019 12:28 - 16 minutes - 9.65 MB

Philosophers often talk about possible worlds. Is this just a way of describing counterfactual situations? As Helen Beebee explains, some of them believe that possible worlds actually exist. This episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast is supported by the Marc Sanders Foundation and by Patreon donations. 

Guests

Jonathan Wolff
4 Episodes
Peter Singer
4 Episodes
Alain de Botton
3 Episodes
Mary Warnock
3 Episodes
Michael Sandel
3 Episodes
Alison Gopnik
2 Episodes
Anthony Kenny
2 Episodes
Nick Bostrom
2 Episodes
Onora O'Neill
2 Episodes
Quentin Skinner
2 Episodes
Raymond Geuss
2 Episodes
Roger Scruton
2 Episodes
Adam Swift
1 Episode
Alexander Nehamas
1 Episode
Anil Seth
1 Episode
Colin McGinn
1 Episode
David Chalmers
1 Episode
David Eagleman
1 Episode
John Cottingham
1 Episode
John Gardner
1 Episode
Julian Baggini
1 Episode
Molly Crockett
1 Episode
Myles Burnyeat
1 Episode
Noel Malcolm
1 Episode
Ray Monk
1 Episode
Richard Reeves
1 Episode
Robert Wright
1 Episode
Sophie Scott
1 Episode
Stephen Mulhall
1 Episode
Ted Honderich
1 Episode
Thomas Pogge
1 Episode
Will Kymlicka
1 Episode

Books

Fear and Trembling
1 Episode
On Human Nature
1 Episode

Twitter Mentions

@philosophybites 1 Episode