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. 

Direct download: Arash_Abizadeh_on_Hobbes_Ethics.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:52am EDT

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.

Direct download: Nadler_Free_Speech_MixSesW.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:27am EDT

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.

 

Direct download: Suki_Finn_on_the_Metaphysics_of_Nothing.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:29am EDT

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

 

Direct download: Peter_Salmon_on__Derrida_and_Deconstruction.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:06pm EDT

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.

Direct download: David_Bather_Woods_on_Schopenhauer_and_Compassion.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:08am EDT

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

Direct download: Samantha_Rose_Hill_on_Hannah_Arendt_on_Plurality.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:11pm EDT

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. 

Direct download: David_Edmonds_on_Undercover_Robot.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:09am EDT

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.

 

Direct download: Steven_Nadler_on_Spinoza_on_Death.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:23am EDT

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.

Direct download: Kate_Manne_on_Misogyny.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:30pm EDT

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. 

Direct download: Liam_Bright_on_Verificationism.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:56am EDT

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. 

 

Direct download: David_Edmonds_on_Wittgensteins_Poker.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:10am EDT

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.

Direct download: Nigel_Warburton_on_A_Little_HIstory_of_Philosophy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:57pm EDT

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.

Direct download: Cheryl_Misak_on_Frank_Ramsey_and_Ludwig_Wittgenstein.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:01pm EDT

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. 

Direct download: Philip_Goff_on_Galileo_and_Consciousness.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:19pm EDT

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. 

 

Direct download: Elizabeth_Anderson_on_Lets_Talk.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:28pm EDT

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. 

 

Direct download: Christian_List_on_Free_Will.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:07am EDT

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. 

Direct download: Emily_Thomas_on_Wildly_Implausible_Metaphysics.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:10am EDT

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. 

Direct download: James_Wilson_on_Real_World_Ethics.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:06pm EDT

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

Direct download: _Kate_Kirkpatrick_on_the_Life_and_Thought_of_Simone_de_Beauvoir.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:16am EDT

'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.

Direct download: Kathleen_Stock_on_What_is_a_Woman_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:04pm EDT

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

Direct download: Christian_Miller_on_the_Character_Gap.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:53am EDT

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. 

Direct download: Philip_Pettit_on_the_Birth_of_Ethics.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:22am EDT

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. 

Direct download: Helen_Beebee_on_Possible_Worlds.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:28am EDT

Throughout its history there have been challenges to the status of philosophy. Paul Sagar discusses some of these in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

We are grateful for support from the Marc Sanders Foundation in making this podcast, and for donations from Patreon patrons. 

Direct download: Paul_Sagar_on_Scepticism_about_Philosophy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:09am EDT

Is it always good to be trustworthy? Can trustworthiness come into conflict with other values, such as generosity? Katherine Hawley discusses these and other questions about trustworthiness with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

We are grateful for support from the Marc Sanders Foundation and from our Patreon subscribers for this episode. 

Direct download: Katherine_Hawley_on_Trustworthiness.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:10pm EDT

Civility is a conversational virtue that governs how people talk to each other. How important is it in political life? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Teresa Bejan discusses this manner of speaking and writing and its history. 

We are grateful for sponsorship for this episode from the Marc Sanders Foundation and from our Patreon patrons

Direct download: Teresa_Bejan_on_Civility.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:05pm EDT

You can overdo most things, but can you overdo democracy? Political philosopher Robert B. Talisse thinks you can. He explains why in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

We are very grateful for sponsorship from the Marc Sanders Foundation for this episode. 

Direct download: Robert_B._Talisse_on_Overdoing_Democracy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:06pm EDT

Robert Wright believes that there are a number of key tenets of Buddhism which are both compatible with present day evolutionary theory, and accurate about our relationship with the world and with our own minds. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he discusses Buddhism, reality, and the mind, with interviewer Nigel Warburton. 


We are very grateful for support for this episode from the Marc Sanders Foundation

We are also grateful for the continuing support we receive from donations on Patreon and Paypal.

Direct download: Robert_Wright_on_Why_Buddhism_is_True.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:30am EDT

How can we best help other people? Peter Singer has argued that we should give aid. Despite a lifetime spent believing this, Larry Temkin has started to question whether the effects of aid are beneficial. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he discusses some qualms about Peter Singer's arguments. 

Direct download: Larry_Temkin_on_The_Obligations_to_the_Needy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:02am EDT

Do states have a moral right to exclude people from their territory? It might seem obvious that states do have such a right, but Sarah Fine questions this in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

This episode of Philosophy Bites was sponsored by the Examining Ethics podcast from the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University. You can subscribe to Examining Ethics on iTunes or listen to episodes at ExaminingEthics.Org

Direct download: Sarah_Fine_on_the_Right_to_Exclude.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:39am EDT

How do I know I'm not dreaming? This sort of question has puzzled philosophers for thousands of years. Eric Schwitzgebel discusses scepticism and its history with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

This episode of Philosophy Bites was sponsored by the Examining Ethics podcast from the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University. You can subscribe to Examining Ethics on iTunes or listen to episodes at ExaminingEthics.Org

 

Direct download: Eric_Schwitzgebel_on_Scepticism.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:49pm EDT

What is a robustly demanding good, and what has that got to do with friendship and love? Find out in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast in which Nigel Warburton interviews Princeton Professor Philip Pettit about this topic. 

 

Direct download: Philip_Pettit_on_Robustly_Demanding_Goods.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:18pm EDT

Philosophers talk about 'knowing how' and 'knowing what'. But what is involved in knowing a person? Katalin Farkas discusses this question with David Edmonds in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

This episode was sponsored by the Examining Ethics podcast from the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University.

Direct download: Katalin_Farkas_on_Knowing_a_Person.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:58am EDT

Are human beings fundamentally different from the rest of the animal world? Can what we essentially are be captured in a biological or evolutionary description? Roger Scruton discusses the nature of human nature with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Roger_Scruton_on_Human_Nature.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:06pm EDT

The Hard Problem of consciousness is the difficulty of reconciling experience with materialism. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, in conversation with Nigel Warburton, Anil Seth, a neuroscientist, explains his alternative approach to consciousness,which he labels the 'Real Problem. Anil is a Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellow

Direct download: Anil_Seth_on_the_Real_Problem_of_Consciousness.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:46am EDT

Why does apparently trivial ritual play such an important part in some ancient Chinese philosophy? Michael Puett, co-author of The Path, explains in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

This episode of Philosophy Bites was sponsored by the Examining Ethics podcast from the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University. You can subscribe to Examining Ethics on iTunes or listen to episodes at ExaminingEthics.Org

Direct download: Michael_Puett_on_Ritual_in_Chinese_Philosophy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:12am EDT

What is Art? That's not an easy question to answer. Some philosophers even think it can't be answered. Aaron Meskin discusses this question on this episode of Aesthetics Bites. Aesthetics Bites is a podcast series of interviews with top thinkers in the philosophy of art. It is a collaboration between the London Aesthetics Forum and Philosophy Bites and is made possible by a grant from the British Society of Aesthetics.

Direct download: Aaron_Meskin_on_the_Definition_of_Art.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:53am EDT

The process of dying can be horrible for many, but is there anything bad about death itself? The obvious answer is that deprives us of something that we might otherwise have experienced. But that leads to further philosophical issues...Shelly Kagan discusses some of these with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Shelly_Kagan_on_Death_and_Deprivation.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:45am EDT

We certainly disagree about aesthetic judgments in a range of cases. But is anyone right? Is there  no disputing about taste? Are all tastes equal? Elisabeth Schellekens Damman discusses disagreement about taste in this episode of Aesthetics Bites. 

Aesthetics Bites is a podcast series of interviews with top thinkers in the philosophy of art. It is a collaboration betwen the London Aesthetics Forum and Philosophy Bites and is made possible by a grant from the British Society of Aesthetics.

Direct download: Elisabeth_Schellekens_on_Disgareement_about_Taste.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:00am EDT

Andy Clark, who with David Chalmers proposed the theory of the extended mind, explains what he means by this idea in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Andy_Clark_on_The_Extended_Mind.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:16am EDT

Why do we have art at all? There must be some evolutionary explanation. In this episode of the Aesthetics Bites podcast series, Stephen Davies discusses some of the evolutionary theories about where art came from in conversation with Nigel Warburton. 

Aesthetics Bites is a podcast series of interviews with top thinkers in the philosophy of art. It is a collaboration between the London Aesthetics Forum and Philosophy Bites and is made possible by a grant from the British Society of Aesthetics .

Direct download: Stephen_Davies_on_Art_and_Evolution.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:33am EDT

In this episode of  Aesthetics Bites, Eileen John discusses some of the ways that art explores moral questions. Nigel Warburton is the interviewer.

Aesthetics Bites is a  series of interviews with top thinkers in the philosophy of art. It is a collaboration between the London Aesthetics Forum and Philosophy Bites and is made possible by a grant from the British Society of Aesthetics.

 

Direct download: Eileen_John_on_Art_and_Morality.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:14am EDT

Why do we have consciousness at all? Neuroscientist Chris Frith discusses this question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of Mind Bites which is part of a series made in association with Philosophy Bites for Nick Shea's AHRC-funded Meaning for the Brain and Meaning for the Person project. 

Direct download: Chris_Frith_on_the_Point_of_Consciousness.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:21am EDT

One distinctive feature of human beings is that we can represent aspects of the world to ourselves, and also counterfactual situations. We do this through our conscious thoughts. Keith Frankish discusses this phenomenon in this episode of Mind Bites, which was made as part of Nicholas Shea's ASHRC-funded Meaning for the Brain and Meaning for the Person project.

Direct download: Keith_Frankish_on_Conscious_Thought.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:34pm EDT

'What is a woman?' may seem a straightforward question, but it isn't. Feminist philosophers from Simone de Beauvoir onwards have had a great deal to say on this topic. Amia Srinivasan gives a lucid introduction to some of the key positions in this debate in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. She is talking to Nigel Warburton.

Direct download: Amia_Srinivasan_on_What_is_a_Woman__2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:18pm EDT

Neuroscientist Kate Jeffery discusses how the brain represents the world. This episode is is part of a short series Mind Bites made in association with Nicholas Shea's AHRC-funded Meaning for the Brain and Meaning for the Person project. That website is open for comments and discussion of the topic of this podcast.

Direct download: Kate_Jeffery_on_Concepts_and_Representation.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:51pm EDT

Pierre Bayle was one of the best-known philosophers in the Eighteenth Century, but his work is now rarely studied. Anthony Gottlieb, author of The Dream of Enlightenment, argues that he should be better known, particularly his work on toleration and on scepticism. 

Direct download: Anthony_Gottlieb_on_Pierre_Bayle.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:35am EDT

How should we understand the emotions that readers feel about fictional characters? Kathleen Stock discusses this question with Nigel Warburton in this, the second episode of Aesthetics Bites, a collaboration between the London Aesthetics Forum and Philosophy Bites, made possibly by a grant from the British Society of Aesthetics.

Direct download: Kathleen_Stock_on_Fiction_and_the_Emotions.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:20am EDT

Immigration is one of the major, and most contentious, political issues of our day. Can philosophy help here? David Miller thinks so. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he speaks to David Edmonds about border controls and their justification. 

Direct download: David_Miller_on_Immigration.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:55am EDT

What is laughter? What roles does it serve? Sophie Scott, a neuroscientist, discusses this serious question with Nigel Warburton for this episode of Mind Bites, a series made in association with Philosophy Bites as part of Nicholas Shea's AHRC-funded Meaning for the Brain and Meaning for the Person project 

Direct download: Sophie_Scott_on_the_Meaning_of_Laughter.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:08pm EDT

Do we map the world in our minds? Does that imply that we have a little inner map-reader in our heads interpreting mental representations? Peter Godfrey-Smith discusses these issues with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. This episode is is part of a short series Mind Bites made in association with Nicholas Shea's AHRC-funded Meaning for the Brain and Meaning for the Person project.

Direct download: Peter_Godfrey-Smith_on_Mental_Representations.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:54am EDT

Noel Carroll argues that evaluation is a central element of criticism of art, drama, dance, music, and literature.  Nigel Warburton is the interviewer for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. This is the first of a series of 6 interviews on Aesthetics, made in association with the London Aesthetics Forum and made possible by a grant from the British Society of Aesthetics.

Direct download: Noel_Carroll_on_Criticism.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:40am EDT

How should we remember and commemorate those who die in war? What about the enemy dead? Cecile Fabre discusses this issue with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Cecile_Fabre_on_Remembrance.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:53am EDT

Many philosophers deny the common sense view that we think with pictures. Are they right to do so? Jesse Prinz doesn't think so. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he explains to Nigel Warburton why we need to think again about thinking with pictures. This episode is part of the series Mind Bites, made in association with Nicholas Shea's AHRC-sponsored Meaning for the Brain and Meaning for the Person project. 

Direct download: Jesse_Prinz_on_Thinking_with_Pictures.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:30am EDT

The mid-life crisis is a well-observed phenomenon. Is there a philosophical angle on this? MIT philosopher Kieran Setiya thinks there is. He discusses it in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Direct download: Kieran_Setiya_on_the_Mid-Life_Crisis.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:20am EDT

Epicureanism has been caricatured as a philosophy of indulgence. But what did followers of the Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus really believe? Catherine Wilson discusses Epicureanism with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Catherine_Wilson_on_Epicureanism.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:42pm EDT

If determinism is true, can there be any justification for punishment? Gregg Caruso discusses this issue on Philosophy Bites.

Direct download: Gregg_Caruson_on_Freewill_and_Punishment.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:09am EDT

This episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast focuses on several questions about representation and perception in the philosophy of film. Nigel Warburton talks to Greg Currie

Direct download: Greg_Currie_on_the_Philosophy_of_Film.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:35pm EDT

Maurice Merleau-Ponty was one of the most interesting of the French phenomenological thinkers, but his reputation has been eclipsed by those of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. Katherine Morris discusses some of Merleau-Ponty's ideas about the body in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Katherine_Morris_on_Merleau-Ponty_on_the_Body.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:56am EDT

Does the word 'Gödel' straightforwardly refer to the person who came up with the incompleteness theory of arithmetic? Some think the best way to find out to ask people about their intuitions on the topic? This creates all kinds of problems, as Michael Devitt explains in conversation with Nigel Warburton.

Direct download: Michael_Devitt_on_Experimental_Semantics.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:21am EDT

Steven E. Hyman discusses the philosophical issues that arise from attempting to categorise mental disorders with David Edmonds in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Steven_Hyman_on_Categorising_Mental_Disorders.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:54am EDT

Where does our oil come from? Does it matter? Leif Wenar, author of the recent book Blood Oil, argues that Western democracies are compromising themselves by buying either directly or indirectly from vicious tyrants. 

Direct download: Leif_Wenar_on_Trade_and_Tyranny.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:46am EDT

In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Katrin Flikschuh addresses the question 'What sort of philosophy is going on in Africa?'

Direct download: Katrin_Flikschuh_on_Philosophy_in_Africa.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:29am EDT

Some eminent physicists, including Stephen Hawking, have been sceptical of the value of philosophy to physics. Carlo Rovelli, a theoretical physicist with a strong interest in philosophy, disagrees. Here he discusses the relationship between philosophy and physics with Nigel Warburton.

Direct download: Carlo_Rovelli_on_Philosophy_and_Physics.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:19pm EDT

What sort of conclusions can we legitimately draw from the experiments that support evidence-based medicine? John Worrall questions some of the received opinion on this topic in this interview with David Edmonds for Philosophy Bites

Direct download: John_Worrall_on_Evidence-Based_Medicine.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:20am EDT

We take for granted the fact that we can combine concepts to give new thoughts, and understand the thoughts too. How do we do that? Joshua D. Greene discusses this question in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Joshua_Greene_on_the_Construction_of_Thought.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:21pm EDT

What is the nature of the self? What is reality? How should we live? These are fundamental philosophical questions. Graham Priest discusses how such questions have been discussed in the Buddhist tradition for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Graham_Priest_on_Buddhism_and_Philosophy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:50pm EDT

To what degree is reality something created by us? Jesse Prinz explores this fascinating question in conversation with Nigel Warburton

Direct download: Jesse_Prinz_on_Is_Everything_Socially_Constructed_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:32pm EDT

How can you tell science from non-science? Karl Popper argued that the falsifiability of a hypothesis is the mark of science. Massimo Pigliucci is not so sure about that. 

 

 

Direct download: Massimo_Pigliucci_on_The_Demarcation_Problem.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:00am EDT

What is a duty and what sort of obligation does it put us on? David Owens explores the nature of duty in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. If you enjoy Philosophy Bites, please consider supporting us via Patreon.

Direct download: David_Owens_on_Duty.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:10am EDT

We are a highly social species: we need human contact. But do we have a right to it? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Kimberley Brownlee suggests that this is an ingredient in a minimally decent human life...

Direct download: Kimberley_Brownlee_on_Social_Deprivation.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:10am EDT

The philosopher Peter Singer is famous for his attack on speciesism, the alleged prejudice that many exhibit in favour of human interests when compared with the interests of other animals. Here Shelly Kagan outlines Singer's position and takes issue with it. In the process he makes some interesting points about prejudices in general.



Direct download: Shelly_Kagan_on_Speciesism.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:00am EDT

Michel Foucault's work explores a wide range of topics; it includes histories of both punishment and sex. He also wrote more abstractly about philosophical topics. One theme to which he kept returning, whatever the topic, was the nature of our knowledge. Susan James discusses this thread in his work in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Susan_James_on_Foucault_and_Knowledge.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:48pm EDT

How do you choose which course of action is best? It seems reasonable that if A is better than B, and B is better than C, A must be better than C. But is it? Larry Temkin challenges this idea, known as the axiom of transitivity.

Direct download: Larry_Temkin_on_Transitivity.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:40am EDT

How should we live? is a basic philosophical question. The Stoics had some answers. But are they relevant today? William B. Irvine thinks so. Listen to his conversation with Nigel Warburton on this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: William_B._Irvine_on_Living_Stoically.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:24am EDT

What is power? Steven Lukes argues for a three-dimensional account of this concept in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Steven_Lukes_on_Power.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:28am EDT

The historian and writer Theodore Zeldin gives his personal take on the relation betwen philosophy and history in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Direct download: Theodore_Zeldin_on_Philosophy_and_History.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:22am EDT

What part do emotions play in our appreciation of art? Jesse Prinz explores the sense of wonder at artworks in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Jesse_Prinz_on_Art_and_Emotion.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:16pm EDT

What is a conspiracy? Why do conspiracies - real or imagined -  matter to philsophy? Cassim Quaassam explores these questions in conversation with Nigel Warburton

Direct download: Quassim_Cassam_on_Conspiracy_Theories.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:50pm EDT

Are all truths relative? That's an attractive idea for many people. Tim Williamson, Wykeham Professor of Logic at Oxford University discusses why and attempts to immunise us against sloppy thinking in this area.

Direct download: Tim_Williamson_on_the_Appeal_of_Relativism.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:32am EDT

How does your view of the self affect your attitude to your own death? Shaun Nichols discusses this question in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Shaun_Nichols_on_Death_and_the_Self.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:02pm EDT

Warning: this episode on the philosophy of swearing includes swearing. Rebecca Roache discusses swearing and whether there are good arguments for refraining from it. 

Direct download: Rebecca_Roache_on_Swearing.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:43am EDT

We're all irrational some of the time, probably more of the time than we are ready to acknowledge.  Lisa Bortolotti discusses the nature of irrationality with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Direct download: Lisa_Bortolotti_on_Irrationality.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:46am EDT

There are many ways to deceive with words, some of which don't involve lying. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Jonathan Webber considers whether it matters or not if you lie. 

Direct download: Jonathan_Webber_on_Deception_With_Words.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:44pm EDT

Albert Camus described suicide as the 'one really serious philosophical problem'. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Simon Critchley discusses suicide with Nigel Warburton.

Direct download: Simon_Critchley_on_Suicide.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:28am EDT

Many philosophers argue in favour of the welfare of animals because of their capacity for feeling pain. Harvard philosopher Christine Korsgaard is unusual in using Kantian arguments to defend the status of animals as ends in themselves. She discusses her approach with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Christine_Korsgaard_on_the_Status_of_Animals.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:30am EDT

What are the aims of education? Meira Levinson discusses this important question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosoph Bites podcast.

Direct download: Meira_Levinson_on_the_Aims_of_Education.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:51pm EDT

What is forgiveness? Whom does it benefit? Is it ever obligatory? Lucy Allais discusses these questions in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Lucy_Allais_on_Forgiveness.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:24am EDT

We've collected a range of answers to the question 'Who's the most impressive philosopher you've met?' This includes the late Ronald Dworkin's response along with many others. Some of the answers are expected, but quite a few are suprising. 

Direct download: The_most_impressive_philosopher....mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:40am EDT

Julia Annas explains what Virtue Ethics is for and how it differs from other approaches to the question of how we should live in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Direct download: Julia_Annas_on_What_is_Virtue_Ethics_For_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:30am EDT

What is probability? Not an easy question to answer. We thought our best chance of clarity on this question was from Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge University and author of a book on the subject, Hugh Mellor...

Direct download: Hugh_Mellor_on_Probability.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:59pm EDT

In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Nigel Warburton interviews the philosopher and novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein about whether Philosophy has made any progress since the time of Plato. If you enjoy Philosophy Bites, please support us on Patreon or via the Paypal links on our blog.

Direct download: Rebecca_Newberger_Goldstein_on_Progress_in_Philosophy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:13am EDT

Most people think it is acceptable to advantage their children, but how far should this go? Adam Swift discusses the limits of parental partiality in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Adam_Swift_on_Parental_Partiality.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:31am EDT

Keith Frankish discusses consciousness, subjective experience and the brain in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Keith_Frankish_on_the_Hard_Problem_and_the_Illusion_of_Qualia.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:02am EDT

In this episode Ted Honderich sketches his theory of the nature of consciousness. 

Direct download: Ted_Honderich_on_What_It_Is_To_Be_Conscious.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:52am EDT

Genomics is a new approach to understanding our biology, one with far-reaching consequences for our understanding of what we are and where are responsibilities lie. Philosopher of biology John Dupre explains in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: John_Dupre_on_Genomics.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:43am EDT

Many people have claimed that one of the benefits of reading writers like Dostoevsky and Shakespeare is that they convey important truths about the human condition. Peter Lamarque is sceptical about this way of speaking about literature. He explains why in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Peter_Lamarque_on_Literature_and_Truth.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:51pm EDT

Knowledge is part of our everyday lives. We know all kinds of things without even thinking about them. But what is going on here? Jennifer Nagel discusses our intutions about knowledge with Nigel Warburton for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast

Direct download: Jennifer_Nagel_on_Intuitions_about_Knowledge.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:40am EDT

Why do philosophers use examples? Tamar Gendler explores this question in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Tamar_Gendler_on_Why_Philosophers_Use_Examples.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:30pm EDT

Does it matter where our ideas came from? Friedrich Nietzsche famously diagnosed the origin of Christian morality in what he thought of as a slave mentality. Amia Srninivasan discusses genealogical reasoning with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Direct download: Amia_Srinivasan_on_Genealogy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:11am EDT



-->

Syndication

Categories

Archives

September 2021
S M T W T F S
     
      1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30