Philosophy For Our Times

Latest Episodes:

How important is rationality to humans? PART 1 | Stuart Hameroff, Subrena Smith, Paul Bloom Dec 10, 2024

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Thinking set free

Is the emphasis our modern society places on rationality well-placed? Does rationality help us think or should we be in tune with other ways of thinking/perceiving the world?

Join our diverse panel of speakers as they discuss these questions: Stuart Hameroff, anesthesiologist known for the theory of consciousness he developed with Roger Penrose; Subrena Smith, philosopher and vocal critic of evolutionary explanations of behaviour; and Paul Bloom, professor of psychology and cognitive science (and staunch defender of rationality).

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Challenging Peter Singer's Ethics Dec 03, 2024

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Can morality be objective?

Whether or not moral ideas can be objectively true has divided philosophers for centuries. But can we ever find moral truths? How would we find them? And what can these truths tell us about the world? In this challenging interview, Peter Singer defends his turn to objectivity and argues morality doesn't need religion, that we should resist our intuitions and that the future of the Effective Altruism movement isn't as bleak as it may appear.

Peter Singer is a prominent philosopher, author and academic. He a professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, and specialises in practical ethics. His is best known for his work on global poverty and animal ethics. His book Animal Liberation was a key to the early environmental movement. Interviewed by Senior Producer at the IAI Charlie Barnett.

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African Philosophy SPECIAL | Contemporary philosophers Nov 29, 2024

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What can African philosophers teach us about history, the modern world, and the good life? And can their ideas and teachings cross cultural boundaries?

Join the IAI team for a reading of three articles about African philosophy, written by professor of communication Omedi Ochieng and professor of political theory Katrin Flikschuh. From the apparent divide between the philosophies of Africa and the Western world, to advice on how we can lead happier, more fulfilling lives, these articles provide an excellent foundation for anyone interested in learning more about the ideas and voices that have shaped Africa.

Katrin Flikschuh is professor of political theory at the London School of Economics. Her research interests relate to the political philosophy of Immanuel Kant, metaphysics and meta-level justification in contemporary political philosophy, global justice and cosmopolitanism, and the history of modern political thought. Omedi Ochieng is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Denison University. His areas of specialization include the rhetoric of philosophy; comparative philosophy; and social theory. He has published articles in the International Philosophical Quarterly, Radical Philosophy, and the Western Journal of Communication.

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The philosophy behind Thanksgiving | Property, Power, and Indigenous Land Rights Nov 26, 2024

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Land, ownership and hypocrisy with Peter Singer, Dale Turner, Tommy J. Curry and Janne Teller

Since Magna Carta, the right to property is seen as universal, yet this principle often favours the strong. While nations like Ukraine are supported in reclaiming invaded land, Indigenous peoples in North America—who lost 99% of their land after European invasion—face severe inequalities and little restitution. Despite the belief in inalienable rights, almost no one advocates returning land to Native Americans. Is this principle applied hypocritically? Or is our attachment to universal rights genuine and should we be returning a major part of the land in North America to its original inhabitants?

This episode, hosted by Barry C. Smith, features a panel of distinguished experts exploring justice, rights, and ownership. Peter Singer, a leading ethicist renowned for his work in bioethics and animal rights, has received accolades including the Berggruen Prize and the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award. Dale Turner, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, specializes in Indigenous politics and postcolonial thought, with a highly anticipated novel, Vision, on the horizon. Tommy J. Curry, Chair in Africana Philosophy and Black Male Studies at the University of Edinburgh, is the award-winning author of The Man-Not: Race, Class, Genre, and the Dilemmas of Black Manhood. Janne Teller, an acclaimed writer of fiction and essays, has been celebrated for her works promoting peace and understanding. Together, they bring unique perspectives to this timely conversation.

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The philosophy of extinction (or of the end of the world)| Philosopher Ben Ware Nov 19, 2024

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Philosophy at the end of the world

Is humanity looking at its demise in the face? Has it always been? And how can philosophy help us?

Join philosopher Ben Ware, Co-Director of the Centre for Philosophy and Art at King’s College London, as he interrogates how to philosophically, and humanly, confront the end of the world. Ware traces the idea of extinction across many authors - philosophers, writers and the scientists who influenced them - to chart a path to his own ideas of how we can cope with the possibility of the End, of extinction. Without defeatism or denial or excitement, but with strength and possibility.

Read more about Ben's 2024 book On Extinction: Beginning Again at the End here: https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/2604-on-extinction.

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God, science, and the natural world PART 2 | Philosopher Fiona Ellis Nov 15, 2024

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The metaphysics of naturalism - PART TWO

Have we completely abandoned the idea of the supernatural? Could there still be important truths that lie outside of the natural world?

Join philosopher Fiona Ellis as she explains her version of naturalism, arguing that there is still some middle ground to be found between the world of the natural and the realm of the supernatural.

Fiona is professor of Philosophy and Religion at University of Roehampton, and also the former president of the British Society for Philosophy of Religion. Her work focuses on the relationship between experience and physical things, as we;; as the nature of value. She rejects the narrow limits of experience that have been brought about by the monopoly of science on reality.

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God, science, and the natural world PART 1 | Philosopher Fiona Ellis Nov 12, 2024

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The metaphysics of naturalism - PART ONE

Have we completely abandoned the idea of the supernatural? Could there still be important truths that lie outside of the natural world?

Join philosopher Fiona Ellis as she explains her version of naturalism, arguing that there is still some middle ground to be found between the world of the natural and the realm of the supernatural.

To witness such debates live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/

And visit our website for many more articles, videos, and podcasts like this one: https://iai.tv/

You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes

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Consciousness predates life | Stuart Hameroff Nov 05, 2024

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Consciousness predates life

Did consciousness exist before life? Could such a counter-intuitive idea, in fact, be the answer to the hard problem of consciousness?

Join anaesthesiologist Stuart Hameroff as he puts forward his theory that consciousness came before the origin of life on Earth, using quantum mechanics and his research with Sir Roger Penrose to support his claim.

Stuart is a professor at the University of Arizona, and he is known for his studies of consciousness and his controversial contention that consciousness originates from quantum states in neural microtubules. He is also the lead organizer of the Science of Consciousness conference.

To witness such debates live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/

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Halloween SPECIAL | The philosophy of monsters, magic, and mausoleums Nov 01, 2024

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Why do audiences across the world love to be scared at the cinema? Why do we have such strong attachments to those who have left this Earth? What can horror tell us about ourselves?

Join the team at the IAI for a reading of three Halloween-themed articles, written by historian Thomas Laqueur, and philosophers Noël Carroll and David Livingstone Smith. From the importance of funeral practices to the true meaning of vampires and werewolves, this episode is a spooky journey through all things macabre.

David Livingstone Smith is professor of philosophy at the University of New England. His research interests include self-deception, dehumanization, human nature, ideology, race and moral psychology. Noël Carroll is an American philosopher considered to be one of the leading figures in contemporary philosophy of art. Although Carroll is best known for his work in the philosophy of film, he has also published journalism, works on philosophy of art generally, theory of media, and also philosophy of history. Thomas Laqueur is an American historian, sexologist and writer. He is the author of 'Solitary Sex: A Cultural History of Masturbation' and 'Making Sex: Body and Gender from the Greeks to Freud' as well as many articles and reviews.

To witness such debates live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/

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You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes

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The devil in all of us | Paul Bloom Oct 29, 2024

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Our human shadow

Many have had the experience of an urge to do something wrong just for the hell of it. From walking on grass we're told to keep off to fantasies of violence towards someone we find a minor annoyance. Join Yale psychologist Paul Bloom as he invites us to see the clever, creative and beautiful side of our impulses toward evil.

Paul Bloom is a trailblazing Canadian American psychologist, bestselling author and celebrated speaker. He is the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of psychology and cognitive science at Yale University and Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto.

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/

You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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