Philosophy For Our Times
441 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★ - 260 ratingsPhilosophy for our Times is a free philosophy podcast bringing you the latest talks and debates from the world’s leading thinkers. We host weekly episodes on today’s biggest ideas in news, society, culture, politics, science and arts. Subscribe today to never miss an episode.
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Episodes
Is nature the new god? | Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, Tim Palmer and Melanie Challenger
August 03, 2022 10:55 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBShould we see nature as a divine source, or will doing so lead to self-annihilation? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From Greece’s Gaia to the Hindu Prithvi, many cultures have seen the Earth as a divine being. Christianity and Western culture however removed god from nature deriding such outlooks as 'pagan'. The earth was recast as a resource for humans, to be conquered, settled and tamed. Now it seems the tides may be changing...
Our delusions about reality | Iain McGilchrist
July 26, 2022 16:02 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBHow our brains lie to us and science follows. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes With a background in psychiatry, neuroimaging, and philosophy, Iain McGilchrist has a unique perspective on the world, the mind, and everything in between. Here, he discusses his new book, The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World. Iain McGilchrist is psychiatrist, writer, and former Oxford literary scholar. He i...
Is rationality a delusion? | Sophie Archer, Timothy Williamson and Nina Power
July 19, 2022 15:10 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MBIs rationality productive or is it a method for manipulation? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Rationality, once revered, has had a bad press. Increasingly derided as the rhetorical bluster of the educated elite, typically powerful and male. And seen as the prejudiced claim of those who are sure they are right. Yet in its absence public debate becomes ever more rancorous and tribal. Do we need less emotion, more calm, and more ra...
Human justice and machine intelligence | Joanna Bryson
July 12, 2022 09:05 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBShould we be scared of AI? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Joanna Bryson discusses how she became interested in the ways different species use intelligence, how the typical tropes in science fiction misunderstand AI and the problem of anthropomorphism. In this interview, Bryson discusses the most pressing ethical challenges concerning the future of artificial intelligence and whether or not we can stabilize democracy when we have...
Lies we tell about religion | Slavoj Zizek, Rupert Sheldrake, Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen
July 05, 2022 14:33 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBWill science ever come on top? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In a survey of academic philosophers 85% identified as atheists. In Europe established religion has been in decline for a century; even in the States attendance is falling. Yet globally religion remains a potent force, and predictions of its demise have not materialised. Amongst those who have abandoned established religion new forms of spirituality, such as mindful...
Are we right about atheism? | Julian Baggini
June 28, 2022 16:09 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBCan you be an atheism 'expert'? And if you are, what do you have to say? Listen to find out. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The first decade of the 21st century saw an extraordinary rise in confident atheism. Now the whirlwind has settled, what does the future of belief look like? In this talk philosopher and author of Atheism: A Very Short Introduction, Julian Baggini explores the new landscape of atheism. Julian Baggini is a...
Does ultimate truth exist? | Rupert Sheldrake, Güneş Taylor, Peter Atkins, Hilary Lawson
June 21, 2022 11:16 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBAre scientific metaphors a real description of reality? A discussion between our scientists and philosophers. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From string theory to the Big Bang, black holes to dark matter, our big scientific theories are increasingly conveyed through metaphor. Yet from Newton to the latest theories, science is largely founded on mathematics. Could Newton have chosen to call forces 'spirits' and Einstein have cal...
Demons of materialism | James Tartaglia
June 14, 2022 09:54 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBThe case for nihilism, demons of materialism, and jazz?! Join us for a fascinating discussion. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes On this week’s episode we are joined by Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at Keele University, James Tartaglia, to discuss the meaning of life and common misconceptions surrounding nihilism. We dive into a fascinating conversation about the role of materialism in our contemporary experience of the worl...
The puzzle of artistic greatness | Minna Salami, Stanley Fish, Meg Rosoff, Janne Teller
June 07, 2022 10:25 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBShould the origins of ideas matter as much as their substance? Our experts discuss. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes There has always been dispute over which ideas are most significant. But at least there used to be broad agreement about the hallmarks of quality and the great works in each field. Now, from literature to the social sciences, there are claims that previous standards were structures of prejudice and oppression, and c...
Philosophy's psychedelic renaissance |Rupert Sheldrake, Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes
May 31, 2022 11:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBAre you ready for a different kind of 'trip'? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We have a very special episode for you today, a truly fascinating (and at times even funky) philosophical discussion. From Silicon Valley to the treatment of depression, psychedelics have entered the mainstream. And with them come new political, economic and philosophical horizons. Join us as scientist Rupert Sheldrake and philosopher Peter Sjöstedt-Hu...
Computing the mind | Kenneth Cukier, Joanna Bryson, Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes
May 24, 2022 12:41 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBIs the brain just a computer? Are AI conscious? Or could they be? Our experts debate. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The idea of the brain as a computer is everywhere. So much so we have forgotten it is a model and not the reality. It’s a metaphor that has lead some to believe that in the future they'll be uploaded to the digital ether and thereby achieve immortality. It’s also a metaphor that garners billions of dollars in res...
When science meets philosophy | Philip Goff, Julian Baggini, Peter Atkins, Güneş Taylor
May 17, 2022 10:23 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBHas science become the philosophical belief of our time? Leading scientists and philosophers discuss. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In less than a lifetime, the first half of the twentieth century brought a series of life changing inventions. In combination with the all encompassing new stories of physics, science, once a branch of philosophy, became the philosophical belief of our time. Some claimed philosophy was over. Yet i...
The truth about philosophy of science| Sabine Hossenfelder
May 10, 2022 11:40 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBCan science accommodate human subjectivity? Sabine Hossenfelder responds. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In this interview, leading physicist and author, Sabine Hossenfelder, discusses the relationship between physics and philosophy. She examines the scientific community’s desire to find a unified theory of everything, and contemplates how science can accommodate human subjectivity. She also considers the role of physics in help...
What does data really tell us? | Donald Hoffman, Tim Maudlin, Lisa Randall
May 03, 2022 15:41 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBIs our obsession with data healthy or dangerous? Our specialists discuss. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Look to the science' was the call from politicians and the public alike throughout the pandemic. As if science has a single definitive view, and the data one interpretation. Yet science is full of competing and sometimes contradictory views particularly at the edge of current understanding. And increasingly scientists see th...
Everyday philosophy, Extraordinary life | Timothy Williamson
April 26, 2022 16:10 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBDoes philosophy really have an impact on our daily life? Timothy Williamson explains. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In this interview, professor of Logic at the University of Oxford, Timothy Williamson examines how common sense can sometimes not be fully self-consistent and can even lead us into certain logical paradoxes. The philosopher discusses in what ways philosophy is comparable to the natural sciences and how language is...
Was Richard Dawkins wrong about memes? | Massimo Pigliucci, Hilary Lawson, Joanna Bryson
April 19, 2022 09:41 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBWhat do memes really mean? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Memes are everywhere. But the term was coined only a few decades ago by Richard Dawkins to describe ideas and cultural behaviour that can be passed on from one individual to another. He argued that memes are a stage in evolution, and just as humans are carriers for genes, we are also carriers for memes. We don't so much choose our memes as they choose ...
Asking the ultimate questions about reality | Robert Lawrence Kuhn
April 12, 2022 15:49 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBAll the questions. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes What exists? Why is there anything at all? Are there realities beyond physics? What is consciousness, personal or cosmic? Robert Lawrence Kuhn, host of the long-running 'Closer to Truth' television series and acclaimed website, has spent over 20 years interviewing the greatest thinkers and exploring the deepest questions. In this talk, he uncovers the common thread running throug...
Dreams of a transhumanist future | Luke Robert Mason
April 05, 2022 16:01 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBIs our obsession with enhancing ourselves leading to the end of humankind? Luke Robert Mason explains. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The transhumanist dream, the merging of humans with machines, may soon be a reality. Elon Musk's NeuraLink is developing quickly, and before long, with the rise of more forms of human biotechnology, we may find that more and more of us are becoming half-human, half-machine. Futures theorist Luke ...
Art beyond the sublime | Rupert Sheldrake, Minna Salami, Olivia Fane, Joanna Kavenna
March 29, 2022 13:25 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBHas contemporary culture abandoned the quest for the sublime? Our experts try to find out. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From Rembrandt to Rothko, Mozart to Wagner, art and music have the capacity to give us a feeling of the sublime and transcendent wonder. Yet in contemporary culture the sublime is rare and for the most part not even desired. Few would claim that watching the WAP video or Takashi Murakami's art are gateways to...
Has philosophy lost its stories? | Galen Strawson, Patricia Churchland, Hilary Lawson
March 22, 2022 15:44 - 42 minutes - 38.5 MBIs metaphysics back in fashion? Or is philosophy getting increasingly lost? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The twentieth century began with a revolutionary new approach to philosophy. The great arguments about the nature of reality and human experience were deemed empty and meaningless. A new philosophical broom, in the form of analytic philosophy, claimed to sweep away vacuous grand theories and replace them with hard logic and...
Panpsychism vs physics | Philip Goff
March 15, 2022 12:06 - 26 minutes - 24 MBHow does panpsychism clash with fundamental physics? Does it? Can we find a theory that supports science AND philosophy to finally explain consciousness? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In this episode Philip Goff responds to recent critiques of panpsychism by theoretical physicists Sean Carroll and Sabine Hossenfelder, and then explores some implications for the science of consciousness. Philip Goff is a philosopher of consciou...
A guide to parenting in the digital age | Melanie Challenger
March 08, 2022 12:19 - 25 minutes - 23 MBHow do we make decisions regarding our children in an impossibly complicated digital world? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Technology is changing parenthood. From children raised by smartphones, to making choices about gene-editing and enhancement, Melanie Challenger asks what it means to be a parent in a technological age. Melanie Challenger is a researcher on the history of humanity and the natural world, and on environmental...
The power of ritual in the modern world | Noel Carroll, Hannah Dawson, Linda Woodhead
March 01, 2022 13:45 - 39 minutes - 35.7 MBIs the abandonment of ritual a contemporary mistake? Listen to what our experts have to say. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From greetings and introductions, to love and relationships, church services and dances, formality and ritual were once a central part of our lives. But form and ritual have been in retreat for more than a century. Many now see formality as outdated, an unnecessary sign of deference, and welcome a less cons...
The truth about consciousness | Anil Seth
February 22, 2022 10:54 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBHow wrong was Descartes exactly? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Anil Seth explores the ultimate mystery of our consciousness experience. In this interview, Seth discusses the misconceptions surrounding the difference between consciousness and intelligence, the link between consciousness and self-consciousness and why consciousness can be seen as similar to...
The dangers of morality | Rebecca Roache, Matthew Taylor and Hilary Lawson
February 15, 2022 10:33 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MBCan morality lead society down dangerous roads? Listen to how our speakers deconstruct our idea of right and wrong. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Many would argue that for at least a century we have been moving away from the moral certainties of traditional Christianity. Yet, a new form of moral certainty is now reappearing, with much of our culture seemingly gripped by a focus on virtue and a tightly policed sense of right and...
Free will, the self and other illusions | Galen Strawson
February 08, 2022 13:29 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBFree will? Nah... Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Do we have free will? Are we exercising our agency or following our predetermined destiny? How would we structure our society if we believed that individuals are not responsible for their actions? Or maybe we already do? In this interview analytic philosopher Galen Strawson discusses free will, ultimate moral responsibility and the thin veneer of our own rationality. Strawson pro...
Was Nietzsche right about meaning? | Rupert Sheldrake, James Tartaglia, Maria Balaska
February 01, 2022 13:22 - 44 minutes - 40.5 MBDoes life have meaning or is it time to embrace nihilism? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Humans have always sought meaning beyond themselves in stories about the gods and the “beyond”. Yet today contemporary culture and thought has left many alone with only human, and contradictory, perspectives on the universe. In the absence of something beyond ourselves some would argue we have also lost meaning and purpos...
Machines that feel? | Fotini Markopoulou
January 25, 2022 12:16 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBCan AI really help us reach our human potential? How reliant should we be on technology? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We all know that the world of AI is rapidly changing. What is less obvious are the ways in which we change with it. In this talk, complex systems expert and pioneer of the world’s first empathic technology, Fotini Markopoulou, explores how we co-evolve with our technologies, and what this means as we build a ne...
All the things we cannot say | Ray Tallis, Hilary Lawson, Joanna Kavenna
January 18, 2022 16:38 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBCan language ever truly capture reality? Is there anything unsayable? Listen to what the experts have to say. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes "What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence", famously claimed the philosopher Wittgenstein. He primarily had in mind the relationship between language and the world, and more generally the very idea of metaphysics. Yet, a century after Wittgenstein's conclusion, many continue ...
The mechanics of other minds | Philip Ball
January 11, 2022 12:01 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBHave you ever wondered how animals, robots and even aliens think? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes How do non-human minds think? Acclaimed science writer Philip Ball provides a whistle-stop tour of the kinds of minds that might exist in the universe and how these might be similar to and different from our own. Philip Ball is a science writer and broadcaster. He is the former editor of the journal Nature and a ...
The paradox of moral codes | David Friedman, Timothy Williamson and Maria Baghramian
January 04, 2022 12:00 - 38 minutes - 35 MBIs there a universal moral code? Or are we lying to ourselves? Listen to find out. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Absolute moral claims are making a resurgence along with demands for action in response. Yet at the same time many proclaim the value and importance of upholding diverse cultural outlooks with sometimes radically different moral codes. To avoid this hypocrisy should we give up belief in a universal moral code, and s...
More than a theory | Sabine Hossenfelder, Bjørn Ekeberg, Sam Henry
December 21, 2021 16:47 - 47 minutes - 43 MBIs it time to shift our perception of the universe? Listen to what the experts have to say. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Since the 1970s we have understood the world through the lens of the Standard Model and its account of the forces and particles that make up the universe. But a series of deep puzzles have emerged. And now, even more significantly, a new force has been discovered throwing the whole theory into question. Can...
Beyond truth | Hilary Lawson
December 14, 2021 13:38 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBWhat is wrong with truth? Can we find a solution? Listen to find out. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes There are many varied voices who see the attack on objective truth as the root cause of all that is wrong in today’s society, including recently Tom Stoppard, UK Cabinet member Liz Truss, and Pope Benedict. But philosopher and renowned critic of philosophical realism Hilary Lawson warns this is a dangerous and mistaken response. ...
How to navigate the hidden gems of philosophy | Maria Balaska
December 07, 2021 11:54 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBIs there a connection between philosophy and psychoanalysis? A place for discussing children in philosophy? Listen to find out. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Psychoanalysis and philosophy share a deep interest in what it means to be human and what it means to be in the world. At the heart of both philosophical and psychological investigations lies three questions: What can I know? What ought I do? And what can I hope for? Dr M...
A radical plan to save education | Michael Hrebeniak, Isabelle McNeill
November 30, 2021 15:55 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBThere is hope for academia after all. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We need a revolution. Universities are turning into corporations, students, academics and the culture at large is damaged as a result. Cambridge academics Michael Hrebeniak and Isabelle McNeill lay out their vision of how to revolutionise education by removing neo-liberal "outputs" culture and democratising the university once again. Michael Hrebeniak is a pol...
Are we hallucinating ourselves? | Anil Seth
November 23, 2021 13:48 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBIs consciousness independent from our bodies? Or is it just a hallucination? Listen to find out. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Somehow, within each of our brains, billions of neurons work to create our conscious experience. How does this happen? Why do we experience life in the first person? After over twenty years researching the brain, world-renowned neuroscientist Anil Seth puts forward a radical new theory of consciousness ...
The big ideas we choose to believe in | Dallas Campbell
November 16, 2021 15:53 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBWhy do Flat Earthers believe the world is flat even when confronted with scientific evidence? Why don't anti-vaxxers "trust the science"? Listen to find out. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Dallas Campbell is one of the most celebrated science television presenters in the UK. He has been communicating complicated ideas to the nation for years. But what does it really take to mediate between scientists and the public? In this inte...
Does language make us uniquely human? | Ray Tallis, Joanna Kavenna and Jennifer Ackerman
November 09, 2021 13:41 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBHave you ever wondered if birds talk to each other like we do? Listen in to find out whether we are really all that different. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Many think language makes us uniquely human. Are humans no different in principle from other animals and plants? Or is language profoundly different from all other forms of communication and the enabler of consciousness itself? Joining us to debate the uniqueness of human ...
Are we moral hypocrites? | Julian Baggini, David Chandler, Ece Temelkuran
November 02, 2021 13:44 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBHave you ever wondered if you are a "good" person? Are any of us actually morally good? Listen in to find out. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From fervent socialists to devout Christians, many have sought to live by a strict moral code. Yet from the gulags to the Inquisition it has often been those with the strictest codes who have perpetrated the greatest crimes. Is this just accidental, or is there something about a strict mor...
Playing with fire | Beverly Taylor, Ella Whelan and Lawrence Phillips
October 26, 2021 13:43 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MBHow much risk is too much? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In a Covid world we have been focused on safety. Yet almost all of us choose to engage in activities, from swimming in the sea to driving a car or having a bottle of wine, that carry risks. In fact, more died globally last year from alcohol than Covid. So how do we assess what risks to take and how much time and resource to protect ourselves from futur...
Was Max Planck right about consciousness? | Patricia Churchland, Brian Greene, Amanda Gefter and Laura Mersini-Houghton
October 19, 2021 13:49 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBWas Planck wrong or was he into something? Our experts discuss. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Most of us, scientists included, see physics as an attempt to provide an objective description of the world independent of human subjectivity and consciousness. Yet, Max Planck, one of major scientific figures of the twentieth century and the founder of quantum mechanics, stated as a result of his investigations and experiments: “I reg...
Islands and the Anthropocene | David Chandler
October 12, 2021 14:39 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBCould this be the end of modernity? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Whether it's the discussion on rising sea levels or nuclear waste, islands have gravitated to the epicentre of the geopolitical zeitgeist. But why are we more interested in islands than ever before? Professor at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, David Chandler explores the importance of islands in the Anthropocene. David Chandler is Professor of Internation...
The story of reality | Sophie Fiennes, Betty Sue Flowers, Noel Carroll
October 05, 2021 13:44 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBShould narratives reflect or escape reality? Our panellists discuss. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From fairy tales to Harry Potter, from Avatar to James Bond, we love fantasy and expect our books and films to take us there. Yet at the same time we want our poems and plays, novels and movies, to reflect life and reality. Should our narratives be seeking to uncover reality or be seeking escape from it? Or are both goals impossi...
What it means to be human | Raymond Tallis
September 28, 2021 12:48 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBAre humans beyond nature? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Humans are unlike anything else in the universe. We're the only part of existence that can observe and reflect on being itself, that can choose to destroy or repair our own habitat. Or so Raymond Tallis argues in this deep dive interview into what it means to be human. Watch to find out how we came to be so unique, what it means for our relationship to nature, and what Par...
The case for virtuous virtue signalling | Kwame Anthony Appiah, Crystal Fleming, David Goodhart
September 14, 2021 14:22 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBAre we all hypocrites? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Most of us want to be good and be seen to be good. But aren't these goals contradictory? Isn't the desire to be seen to good a means of placing ourselves higher than others and wishing to gain status and position as a result? Should we conclude that the attempt to be seen to be good is immoral and call it out as hypocritical, including philanthropist donation, explicit piety...
Consciousness Beyond Time | Laura Mersini-Houghton, Paul Davies, Craig Callender, Hilary Lawson
September 07, 2021 12:33 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MBMight consciousness operate in an entirely different sphere, outside of the world of space and time? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We imagine ourselves as existing within time and space. Yet, we only ever experience the present moment. It is all we have. And within the present moment there is no direct experience of past or future. Nor is the present moment located anywhere, since it is everything for us. In short, there is no...
Can wireheading cause real pleasure | Anders Sandberg
August 31, 2021 11:54 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBSci-fi dream or reality? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The practice of putting electrodes in the pleasure centres of the brain - otherwise known as 'wireheading' - has been a sci-fi dream for decades. Oxford professor and transhumanist Anders Sandberg, explores the history and modern impact of the idea. Anders takes us on a journey from Rosseau’s critique of civilisation via Victorian parasitologists to weir...
Can wireheading cause real pleasure
August 31, 2021 11:54 - 25.7 MBThe practice of putting electrodes in the pleasure centres of the brain - otherwise known as 'wireheading' - has been a sci-fi dream for decades. Oxford professor and transhumanist Anders Sandberg,... Philosophy for our Times features debates and talks with the world’s leading thinkers on today’s biggest ideas. This live recording podcast is brought to you by the Institute of Art and Ideas – described by Total Politics as “Europe’s answer to TED” and host to the annual philosophy and music f...
Why do we want to be good? | Ece Temelkuran, Alison Milbank, Peter Sjöstedt-H
August 24, 2021 10:28 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBWhat would you feel if you found out you are bad? Why? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In our largely secular world, most think there is no afterlife, no reward or punishment in the hereafter. Yet most still wish to act morally and even ascetically, delaying or refusing gratification in favour of some higher ideal. Even though, without God or an afterlife, there is no-one watching and judging us, and 'right and wrong' are seen as...
How the universe learns | Rupert Sheldrake
August 17, 2021 13:36 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBSounds impossible? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Are the laws of nature nothing more than habits that natural systems have learned to repeat over time? While it might sound impossible, Rupert Sheldrake will be explaining the phenomenon in this episode. Rupert Sheldrake is a scientist, author, and parapsychology researcher. Best known for his 2012 book The Science Delusion and the controversial, viral TED tal...