Philosophy For Our Times
433 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★ - 249 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
A Philosopher’s Duty? | Julian Baggini
September 15, 2020 10:04 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Should it be a philosopher’s duty to discuss politics? And how can philosophy be used to improve public life? This week we’re discussing the roles and responsibilities of philosophers and the everyday applications of philosophy. Julian Baggini is a philosopher, journalist and the author of philosophy books for a general audience. He is co-founder of The Philosophers' Magazine and has written for in...
Understanding Consciousness | Bernardo Kastrup, Susan Blackmore, Tim Crane
September 08, 2020 10:52 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Should we conclude that consciousness cannot be explained in terms of the physical? But if so what is the alternative? Or is it just a matter of time, and one day an AI machine will miraculously find itself experiencing the world, and its mere components will have soul? Philosopher of mind Tim Crane, metaphysical idealist Bernardo Kastrup and consciousness specialist Susan Blackmore debate the mira...
The Ancient Indian Roots of Consciousness | Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad
September 01, 2020 11:30 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The radical idea that everything is conscious has a small but growing following in Anglo-American philosophy. How deep are the philosophical roots of panpsychism? And how do older Indian systems of thought inform modern philosophical ideas? To explore these questions we’re joined on this week’s episode by Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad, Professor of Comparative Religion and Philosophy at Lancaster Univer...
A World of Illusions | Jan Westerhoff
August 25, 2020 12:58 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Should we trust our senses? And how can we know that the waking world is real but the dreaming world is not? On this week’s episode we are interviewing Professor of Buddhist Philosophy at Oxford University, Jan Westerhoff. Westerhoff discusses the philosophy of illusions, dreams and outlines his theory of an external world whose fundamental constituents are bits of mind, not bits of matter. There ...
Panpsychism to the rescue | Philip Goff
August 18, 2020 12:58 - 32 minutes - 29.3 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Is it possible for all matter in the universe to hold consciousness? And can the theory of panpsychism be the solution to the problems of materialism and dualism? To help us explore realms of panpsychism we’re joined by author and professor of philosophy at the university of Durham, Phillip Goff. There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you...
Power and Philosophy: East vs West |Julian Baggini, Jamie Whyte, Vivienne Shue
August 11, 2020 12:38 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Is the sun setting on Western ideas as well as Western economies? Or is Western thought, essential to growth and progress, already embedded in China's success? On this week’s episode we’re discussing the influence of the Eastern and Western worlds of philosophy on the modern global stage. Author of How the World Thinks Julian Baggini, political philosopher Jamie Whyte, and Oxford Professor of China...
Truth and Scientific Progress | Nancy Cartwright
August 04, 2020 12:01 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes How important is trust and authority to the healthy production of modern science? At a time of uncertainty and doubt, many of us look to science to provide the answers. But does science deserve the authority we give it? And does our trust help, or are challenge and criticism better drivers of progress? A former mathematician turned philosopher of science, Nancy Cartwright breaks down the importance...
Humanity's Distant Future | Anders Sandberg
July 28, 2020 12:43 - 18 minutes - 16.6 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Should we upgrade our bodies and minds? Will developing technologies create utopian or dystopian futures? On today’s episode we’re discussing transhumanism, artificial intelligence and ageing. Anders Sandberg is a researcher, science debater, futurist, transhumanist and author. He holds a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience from Stockholm University, and is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the...
Epiphanies, Experiences, and Ethics | Sophie-Grace Chappell
July 21, 2020 12:07 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Is it possible for certain experiences to reveal specific truths to the experiencer? On this week’s episode we’re discussing epiphanies, experience and ethics. Sophie-Grace Chappell explores the moments of discovery which shape our moral identities. Sophie-Grace Chappell is the author of numerous books and articles on ethics, ancient philosophy, epistemology and philosophy of religion. TLS describe...
Science and Spiritual Practices | Rupert Sheldrake
July 14, 2020 12:05 - 15 minutes - 13.7 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes How closely do science and spirituality inform our daily practices? How closely does science underpin the spiritual practices which so many embrace in the modern world? To explore these issues we are joined this week by author, scientist and researcher in the field of parapsychology Rupert Sheldrake. Sheldrake discusses the importance music festivals, learning from animals, existing in the moment a...
The Importance of Identity and Belonging | Homi Bhabha, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, David Miller
July 07, 2020 15:39 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Many take pride in their family, ancestors and social origins, and we think it wrong to forget our roots, and where we came from. But can we justify these tribal allegiances, or are they a source of conflict and division? Should we all see ourselves as members of the human family and have done with tribal identities? Or is where we come from essential not only to our culture, but to knowing who we r...
Reality and Evolution | Donald Hoffman
June 30, 2020 11:28 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes On this week's episode we interviewed cognitive psychologist Donald Hoffman. He talks through his work on evolutionary game theory and puts forward the radical view that we have evolved to experience something different to reality. Donald Hoffman is an American cognitive psychologist and popular science author. He is a Professor in the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of Californi...
Doing Wrong To Do Right | Stephen de Wijze
June 23, 2020 11:59 - 26 minutes - 23.8 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Is it possible to do a morally wrong action in order to do what is morally required? To help us answer this question we're joined by political philosopher and author Stephen de Wijze who explores the 'dirty hands' idea. Stephen de Wijze is senior lecturer in political theory at the University of Manchester. His work is concerned with the interface between ethical constraints and effective political...
Morality and Humanity | Simone Schnall, Joel Robbins, Rae Langton
June 16, 2020 11:18 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Is being good an innate component of the human condition? Or is morality just a story we tell ourselves rather than a set of rules we must follow? Psychologist Simone Schnall, Cambridge philosopher Rae Langton and anthropologist and author of Becoming Sinners Joel Robbins rethink meaning, morality and what it is to be human. There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles...
Unpacking The Ethics of Covid-19 |Susan Neiman, Peter Hitchens, Patricia Churchland
June 09, 2020 11:30 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes When it comes to making risk-reducing decisions how does one strive for ethical and responsible outcomes? And how do we make any choice, if saving one group of vulnerable people has a disastrous impact on another? To help us explore the ethics of the pandemic we are joined by moral philosopher Susan Neiman, analytical philosopher Patricia Churchland and conservative journalist Peter Hitchens. Ther...
The Margins of Language | Stanley Fish, Genia Schönbaumsfeld, Hilary Lawson
June 02, 2020 11:30 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We use language every day to communicate with others and understand the world. Yet, from metaphors to the mystical, there are many things we seem unable to directly express. To help us explore the limits of language we are joined by eminent literary critic Stanley Fish, Wittgenstein expert Genia Schönbaumsfeld and post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson. Joanna Kavenna hosts. There are thousands of...
How to Make the Right Decision | Jason McKenzie Alexander
May 26, 2020 17:50 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Cognitive science has shown that all of us suffer from biases that distort our reality, impair our judgement and lead us to bad decisions. Here author J. McKenzie Alexander guides a workshop session that talks through the findings of contemporary decision theory and what's really involved when we make a choice. Head of Philosophy at the London School of Economics, Jason McKenzie Alexander is an exp...
Knowledge Resistance | Åsa Wikforss
May 19, 2020 11:50 - 11 minutes - 11 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes With the rise of 'fake news' and the publicising of blatant lies, how important is it to reassert the importance of accuracy and truth? Åsa Wikforss is a professor of theoretical philosophy at Stockholm University. Wikforss is a member of Swedish Academy whose research focuses on the intersection of philosophy of mind, language and epistemology, ans in 2017 Wikfoss published Alternative facts. On k...
Mysteries of the Mind | Markus Gabriel
May 12, 2020 11:11 - 28 minutes - 26 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Is the brain a conscious control centre? Where is my mind? Many believe the mystery of consciousness will be solved once we understand the physical brain. Philosopher and author of I Am Not A Brain Markus Gabriel challenges scientific complacency and argues for a different view of the self, the mind and human freedom. Markus Gabriel is a German philosopher and author at the University of Bonn. The...
In Search of Freedom | Paul Broks, Julian Baggini, Hannah Dawson, Hilary Lawson
May 05, 2020 13:09 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Is there space left for individual autonomy when we are constrained by our genes, manipulated by technology and shaped by the cultural zeitgeist? Should we conclude that the very idea of freedom was a mistake, which once abandoned will enable us to reframe human behaviour and success and create a more equal society? Historian of ideas and author of Life Lessons from Hobbes Hannah Dawson, post-reali...
How To Overcome Wilful Blindness | Margaret Heffernan
April 28, 2020 10:22 - 16 minutes - 14.6 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes How can we protect ourselves from the dangers we wilfully don't see? Businesswoman and author of Wilful Blindness Margaret Heffernan puts forward her theory and outlines how and why institutions and individuals need to open their eyes to information they do not want to know. An entrepreneur, CEO and author, Heffernan's book Wilful Blindness was chosen as one of Financial Times' business books of th...
Philosophy Vs Authority | Noam Chomsky, Deirdre McCloskey, Mark Lilla
April 21, 2020 14:19 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We know authority is dangerous yet we assume it is necessary for society to work. Should we dream of a free and flourishing world without leadership and rules? Or do we want and need leaders and authority to feed our hopes and dreams? Philosopher Noam Chomsky, political scientist Mark Lilla and professor of economics Deirdre McCloskey ask whether we need authority at all. There are thousands of bi...
The Value of Ethics | Bart Streumer
April 14, 2020 10:59 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Can an action that is 'right' become 'wrong' without any other change taking place in the world? And do we need to apply ethics to real-world issues to feel that these theories matter? Bart Streumer unpacks these questions and more in this in-depth interview, before making the case that we should understand philosophy as a cooperative enterprise, in which debate, learning what others have to say, an...
Can we distinguish truth from lies? | Sacha Golob, Steve Fuller, Åsa Wikforss, Peter Pomerantsev
April 08, 2020 13:14 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes It seemed that we had all got used to the idea that rather than a single definitive truth there are a multiplicity of competing and alternative perspectives. Now with the rise of 'fake news' and the publicising of blatant lies, we want to reassert the importance of accuracy and truth. Author of Post Truth Steve Fuller, theoretical philosopher Åsa Wikforss, continental philosopher Sacha Golob, and ...
New Gods | Myriam François, Peter Atkins, Hilary Lawson
March 31, 2020 11:27 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes As our churches have emptied our belief in progress, science and reason has also begun to falter, and we find ourselves in a new space in which all beliefs are challenged, and perspectives jostle in a relative world. Might religion, in the form of shared rituals and values, once again have a role to play? To discuss the role of religion we are joined by three leading thinkers: acclaimed chemist Pet...
The World That Disappeared | Peter Atkins, James Ladyman, Joanna Kavenna
March 24, 2020 13:35 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes No-one who has ever stepped on a Lego brick could doubt the reality of physical objects. Yet from Heraclitus to George Berkeley, many philosophers claimed to have disproven the existence of things. Could the world truly be made up of fields and processes, rather than physical stuff? Are the everyday objects that surround us an illusion? To help us discuss the existence of things we are joined by t...
The Mind and the World | Raymond Tallis
March 17, 2020 11:43 - 23 minutes - 21.3 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Is the mind just a part of the world? Or is the world all in the mind? Neither, argues physician, philosopher and poet Raymond Tallis as he puts forward his take on how we make sense of experience. There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm...
The Myth of the Self | Julian Baggini, Angie Hobbs, John Milbank
March 10, 2020 10:55 - 42 minutes - 39 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes It is said that Mother Theresa allowed many to die unnecessarily and glorified suffering. While Stalin was a loving son to his parents, and Hitler - a vegetarian who adored his dog. Are we wrong to assume that there is a single self behind our actions? Are people not good or bad but only individual actions? Should we accept that we are inconsistent and unpredictable? Or is consistency and integrity ...
Why Philosophy Won't Go Away | Rebecca Goldstein
March 03, 2020 12:00 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Has science killed philosophy as Hawking famously claimed? What would Plato make of the debates between psychoanalysts and tiger mums, atheists and the religious, or search engines like Google? In this episode of Philosophy for Our Times, philosopher Rebecca Goldstein returns to philosophy's roots and makes her case for why humanity can't thrive without it. There are thousands of big ideas to disco...
Philosophy Vs Quantum Theory | Tim Maudlin
February 25, 2020 11:34 - 20 minutes - 19 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Philosopher of science Tim Maudlin discusses interpretations of quantum mechanics, explaining the pilot wave theory and objective collapse theory, and considers what we stand to learn from quantum theory about the nature of our universe. Tim Maudlin, author of Philosophy of Physics, is an American philosopher of science responsible for influential works on metaphysical foundations of physics and l...
Is Morality Rooted In Culture? | Joel Robbins
February 18, 2020 12:05 - 42 minutes - 39 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From remote groups in Papua New Guinea to Pentecostal Christians, what can values and desires around the world tell us about the nature of morality? Cambridge anthropologist Joel Robbins tours the globe in search of the good. Joel Robbins is the Sigrid Rausing Professor of Social Anthropology at Cambridge University and author of Becoming Sinners. He specialises in the anthropology of religion and...
How To Do Philosophy and Why | Timothy Williamson
February 11, 2020 12:54 - 21 minutes - 19.2 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes For millennia, humans have looked to philosophy to help them understand the world, but why is it then that so many people find philosophy confusing? Is the confusion perhaps part of the solution? Philosopher of logic Timothy Williamson outlines how philosophy can help us think more clearly, such as Alan Turing's use of logic to invent the computer, how the principles of logic can be understood as ...
Tribal Truths and New Wisdom | Paul Mason, Hilary Lawson, Ella McPherson
February 05, 2020 17:51 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From populist demagogues to liberal elites, Fox News to the BBC, the warring tribes of our troubled world agree on few ideals and still fewer facts. Yet they all share the belief that they are right. Are we all suffering from the illusion that we can uncover the truth? Should we embrace a world of competing facts while still seeking a progressive and stable society? Or do we need new grand narrati...
How Maths Changed Philosophy | Silvia Jonas
January 28, 2020 12:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes What does mathematics have to do with the nature of human thought? How does it change how philosophers think of reality? Philosopher and author of 'Ineffability and its Metaphysics', Silvia Jonas explains how mathematics has come to shape our politics, ethics and our very idea of what the world is. There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for ...
Philosophers vs Post-Truth | Homi Bhabha, Rebecca Goldstein, Hilary Lawson
January 21, 2020 12:00 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In a post-truth world, tribal agreement seems to have replaced reason and evidence. But is a world where our truths are tribal sustainable? Don't we need a shared framework of thought to prevent fragmentation and confrontation? Can we rely on evidence and reason whilst abandoning absolute truth, or do we need reality after all? Philosopher and novelist Rebecca Goldstein, post-colonial theorist Hom...
A Philosophy of Fashion | Shahidha Bari
January 14, 2020 13:34 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We all get dressed. But how often do we pause to think about the place of clothes in our lives? Can a philosophy of living be wrapped up in a winter coat? Can we see a suit not just as an object, but as an idea? Philosopher, broadcaster, and author of 'Dressed: The Secret Life of Clothes', Shahidha Bari, unveils the hidden power of what we wear. There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI...
How to be a Stoic | Massimo Pigliucci
January 07, 2020 13:19 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We all want to lead a good life. But that goal seems always elusive. What can we learn from the ancient Stoics? Hear philosopher of science and author of How to be a Stoic Massimo Pigliucci explain how the philosophy that inspired the great emperor Marcus Aurelius can help us focus on what really matters, and confront the challenges of modern life. There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IA...
Is Sexuality a Vehicle For Power? | Minna Salami, Rowan Pelling, Julia Long
December 31, 2019 04:00 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From Cleopatra to Beyoncé, women have used sexuality to increase their power and influence. But many feminists warn that it is undermining to be seen as a sex object, and some in the #MeToo movement propose culture should banish such behaviour. In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Minna Salami, Rowan Pelling, and Julia Long debate whether sexuality is a vehicle for power or for subservience....
The Problem with Paradoxes | Slavoj Žižek, Sophie Allen, Hilary Lawson
December 24, 2019 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Once we assumed that reason and rationality would gradually uncover the truth. But from quantum mechanics to set theory, paradox it seems is found at the heart of our most revered theories and at the cornerstones of our thought. Are these paradoxes evidence that our theories are wrong and is it essential that they are overcome? In this episode of Philosophy for Our Times, Slavoj Žižek, Sophie Alle...
The End of the West | Linda Yueh, Rana Mitter, David Aaronovitch
December 17, 2019 04:00 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Once, Britain was the dominant power, then the US. Now, with the largest economy in the world by purchasing power, it seems China's turn has come. Should we accept, even welcome, the passing of the West? Or is there a response that would enable the West to retain significance, if not the dominance it once had? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Linda Yueh, Rana Mitter, and David Aaronovitc...
The Dark and the Digital | Nigel Inkster, Ella Whelan, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Janne Teller
December 10, 2019 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The anonymity of the internet has enabled an epidemic of abuse. Was Hobbes right after all, and humankind are at core wicked and requiring constraint? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, former director at MI6 Nigel Inkster, assistant editor at Spiked Ella Whelan, renowned journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, and novelist Janne Teller ask should we abolish online anonymity to create a better wo...
The Future of Thought | Julian Baggini, Vivienne Shue, Jamie Whyte
December 03, 2019 10:25 - 34 minutes - 32 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Few now doubt that China will soon eclipse the US to become the world's largest economy. Is the sun setting on Western ideas as well as Western economies? In this episode of Philosophy for our Time, philosopher Julian Baggini, politician and academic Jamie Whyte, and Professor of Contemporary China Studies at Oxford University, Vivienne Shue, discuss the future of Western and Chinese thought. There...
In Search of Freedom | Julian Baggini, Paul Broks, Hilary Lawson, Hannah Dawson
November 26, 2019 12:58 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Constrained by our genes, manipulated by technology and the cultural zeitgeist, there seems little space left for individual freedom. Should we conclude that the very idea of freedom was a mistake? Or is this a madness that threatens our personal lives and the culture on which the West was built? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Julian Baggini, Paul Broks, Hilary Lawson and Hannah Dawson...
Tribal Identity and Tribal Conflict | David Blunkett, Dawn Butler, Phillip Blond
November 19, 2019 10:33 - 43 minutes - 40 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Identity politics has become ever more influential. Does our desire to belong to one tribe or another make conflict with others inevitable? Could we do away with tribal allegiances and see ourselves as part of the same human family? Or are group identities based on class, race, sexuality or nationality the only effective vehicles for political change? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Dav...
The Rise and Fall of Sex | Dapha Joel, Barry Barnes, Stuart Ritchie
November 12, 2019 09:35Although most of us are critical of gender stereotypes, few deny the existence of two discrete biological sexes. Yet biology itself shows dozens of combinations of human sex chromosomes. Could... 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 festiv...
The Rise and Fall of Sex | Daphna Joel, Barry Barnes, Stuart Ritchie
November 12, 2019 09:35 - 36 minutes - 33 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Although most of us are critical of gender stereotypes, few deny the existence of two discrete biological sexes. Yet biology itself shows dozens of combinations of human sex chromosomes. Could biological sex itself then be an illusion, constructed from human categories? Or is this a futile attempt to deny the reality of two biological sexes? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Head of Psych...
The Mystery of Life | Nick Lane, Monica Grady, Ralph Cordey
November 05, 2019 09:56 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes As we explore the planets of the solar system and look out at those beyond, researchers hope they will find evidence of life. But would it be like life on earth? Or is the wish to find other life forms a science fiction fantasy that serves Hollywood well but has little to do with reality? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Biochemist and author of The Vital Question Nick Lane, Head of Futu...
A Mad World | Richard Bentall, Ann John, Lucy Johnstone
October 29, 2019 11:04 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes An ever growing number of people are being treated for mental illness. Some blame the modern world, yet critics warn that psychiatrists and big pharma have an interest in describing normal human behaviour as an illness or disorder. Might we do better to give up the notion that mental distress implies illness? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, author of Madness Explained Richard Bentall, c...
The New Moralism | Matthew Taylor, Rebecca Roache, Hilary Lawson
October 22, 2019 03:00 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBLooking 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 now a new form of moral certainty is reappearing, with much of our culture seemingly gripped by a focus on virtue and a tightly policed sense of right and wrong. Should we welcome this return to virtue and embrace a new moralism that will purge society of its newly found ...
Into the Unknown | Martin Rees, Tony Milligan, Elizabeth Seward
October 15, 2019 08:54 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBLooking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Fifty years ago we landed on the moon, and imagined that in 2001 we would be travelling vast distances through space. But the fantasy died, and we went nowhere. Now a new age of space exploration is underway - this one driven by companies, billionaires, and new players like China and India. Is it an essential trait of being human to reach out into the unknown? In this episode of Philosophy for our T...