Philosophy For Our Times

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Anonymity: the dream and the nightmare | Stephen Kinsella, Victoria Baines, Hugh Tomlinson Oct 17, 2023

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Is internet anonymity causing social breakdown? Should we do anything about it?

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Anonymity was the gift that was going to give everyone a voice, free from the oversight of institutions and government control. Yet critics claim the dream has turned into a nightmare. For the anonymous world turns out to be one full of abuse, division and wild conspiracy. In addition, many contend that the dark side of the anonymous web has infected real world personal and public life undermining social cohesion, communication and wellbeing.

Is it essential that we end anonymity now if we are to arrest the growing tensions in our culture? Are the financial benefits of anonymity to the web giants so great, and the short term pleasures it offers so addictive, that this cannot be achieved? Are we as a result snared in a downward spiral from which there is no escape, or can we find a way to return to the original dream?

Stephen Kinsella is founder of Clean Up the Internet. He is a competition lawyer with a longstanding interest in human rights, digital technology, and democracy.

Victoria Baines is part of the organisation Demos. Her interests cover content moderation, digital labour, datafication and blockchain technologies.

Hugh Tomlinson is a barrister, famed for his role in the UK MP’s parliamentary expenses scandal and in the News of The World phone-hacking case.

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The new renaissance | Sophie Scott-Brown, David Aaronovitch, John Ellis Oct 10, 2023

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Is the academy and our culture as a whole in need of newer, bigger ideas?

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In the first half of the twentieth century radical thinkers, from Einstein to Schrödinger, Russell to Wittgenstein, Woolf to de Beauvoir, were transforming ideas. But many wonder where the equivalents are today and point to a deep seated flaw. Universities and research labs have become increasingly specialised and focus on small 'piecemeal advance' leaving little room for originality and big thinking. Studies confirm a bias against publishing novel research and 90% of papers remain uncited, possibly unread by anyone.

Should we encourage a less specialised and broader approach to create the breakthroughs and radical ideas of the future? Do we need to change the way university appointments are made and articles reviewed to escape conventional set thinking? Or have the big theories largely been found already and have we now only to fill in the gaps?

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The ignorance of experts |Julian Baggini, Ellen Clarke, Ben Burgis Oct 03, 2023

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Can we rely on science for the answers?

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Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts' argued Richard Feynman. He held that the best science respects no authority and is not a learnt set of facts, but a rigorous method of questioning in search of a better account. Yet in the pandemic governments and commentators propounded the opposite, that experts should be followed without question. Feynman proposed that good science guesses at theories and then looks to see whether they are supported by the data. But in public debate there is rarely clarity about the theory and little focus on the data.

Should we see science not as an agreed body of knowledge but a method to improve our account of the world? Should science never have been seen as an authority? Or are authorities necessary since we cannot all test all of the theories all of the time?

Author of How The World Thinks Julian Baggini, philosopher of biology Ellen Clarke, and radical philosopher Ben Burgis tackle our diminishing trust in experts and what to do about it. Hosted by Güneş Taylor.

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Beyond the boundary | Lisa Miller, Nick Lane, Paul Bickley Sep 25, 2023

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Are we overlooking the profound mystery of life and death in a secular age?

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In a scientific, secular age, narratives of the afterlife often appear to many as empty and anachronistic wish fulfillment. However, this podcast episode invites listeners to delve deeper into this topic, pondering the unexplained phenomenon of consciousness and the potential limitations of a physical machinery to harbor thought, consciousness, and life. Could there be more to life and death than the prosaic, earthly experiences, and the belief that everything ends upon death? Philosophers and scientists Lisa Miller, Nick Lane, and Paul Bickley embark on an exploration of these profound questions, shedding light on the mystery encompassing life, death, and the possibility of an afterlife.

Lisa Miller is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiritual Child, a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University and the Founder and Director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute.

Paul Bickley is a researcher, media commentator and author on politics, religion and culture. He is the Acting Head of Research at Theos, the UK’s leading religion and society think tank.

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How I changed my mind about truth | Simon Blackburn Sep 19, 2023

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Can we have objective morality without metaphysics?

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Join Simon Blackburn, renowned philosopher at Cambridge University, as he discusses navigating heated moral discussions, the play of perspective on moral dilemmas, and his notable disagreements with Richard Rorty. From understanding contentious topics to gaining insights into meta-ethics, Blackburn takes us on an enlightening journey into the depths of truth and its implications in the modern world.

Simon Blackburn is an academic philosopher known for his work on meta-ethics and his attempts to popularise philosophy to a wider audience. He has published over a dozen books on various philosophical issues both for public and academic audiences, and has appeared on shows such as Radio 4's The Moral Maze and PBS's Closer to Truth. He is known for proposing a meta-ethical view called 'quasi-realism' which proposes that ethical statements are projections of emotional attitudes as if they were real features of the world. His latest book, On Truth (2018), examines various philosophical approaches to the concept of truth, in order to interrogate what it is, how we should think about it, and why it matters.

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The good, the bad and the ignored | Peter Singer, Julian Baggini, Sophie Scott-Brown Sep 18, 2023

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Is human agency a fantasy?

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We may not always agree on questions of morality, but whatever standards we adopt we apply them to human action. We are less inclined to take a moral stance on human inaction and failure to act. Many would argue that Putin's attack on the Ukrainian people is morally evil, but there is less outrage that we fail to save any of the estimated 5.4 million children under five who died last year from preventable causes.

Is our moral emphasis on human agency a mistake? If we applied morality equally to inaction would it help to mark a shift to a more caring and socially responsible society? Or is the application of morality to inaction an impossible burden for us to carry, and one that risks undermining morality as a whole as we all become culpable all of the time?

Legendary moral philosopher Peter Singer (joining us live from Australia), eminent philosopher Julian Baggini and provocative biographer Sophie Scott-Brown clash over morality. Hosted by author Robert Rowland Smith.

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Getting everything, losing everything | Anders Sandberg, Massimo Pigliucci, Mazviita Chirimuuta Sep 05, 2023

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Is our future reality a digital utopia or impending nightmare?

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As tech giants promise a lavish digital existence and unparalleled virtual experiences, there's a rising concern. Will we be trading real-life relationships for virtual ones? Substituting nature for mere simulation? And at the forefront, will control rest solely with corporations like Meta? Dive into this pressing debate and navigate the line between digital advancement and the essence of human experience. Hosted by Maria Balaska.

Maria Balaska is currently a research fellow at the University of Hertfordshire and at Åbo Akademi University.

Anders Sandberg is a researcher, popular science debater, trans-humanist and author of Superhuman: Exploring Human Enhancement from 600 BCE to 2050.

Massimo Pigliucci is a philosophy professor at the City College of New York and former co-host of the Rationally Speaking Podcast. His research interests include the Philosophy of Science and the Philosophy of Biology.

Mazviita Chirimuuta is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. She is a self-described techno-pessimist and anti-transhumanist.

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How philosophy got lost | Slavoj Zizek Aug 29, 2023

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Should we seek to fulfill our needs with multiple partners? Does dissecting a rat brain count as philosophy? Are we entering the age of corporate authoritarianism? Listen as Zizek guides us through these and other major questions of our time.

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Slavoj Žižek provides a Hegelian insight into historical and current political crises. The dialectical repetition of history is not inevitable, and the recent trend away from continental 'transcendental historicism' will allow the continental tradition to shed new light on the world. Slavoj takes us on a whirlwind tour of continental philosophy from the pandemic to how philosophy is like falling in love.

Slavoj Žižek is a globally renowned philosopher and cultural critic. He is international director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities at the University of London, visiting professor at New York University and a senior researcher at the University of Ljubljana's Department of Philosophy. He is the author of several books, including The Sublime Object of Ideology, The Parallax View, Living in the End Times and Heaven in Disorder.

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How to find and make sense of happiness | Paul Dolan Aug 22, 2023

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Want lasting happiness? Paul Dolan reveals the secret: it's all about where you direct your attention to on a daily basis.

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Happiness isn't about what you think, it's about what you do. And you're more in control than you'd imagine. Join happiness expert and LSE Professor of Behavioural Science, Paul Dolan, as he explains how to create a happy life by your own design.

Paul Dolan is Professor of Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Professor Dolan's research focusses on the measurement of happiness, its causes and consequences, and the implications for public policy. He is the author of books: Happiness by Design and Happy Ever After.

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Truth, delusion, and psychedelic reality | Eileen Hall, Julian Baggini, James Rucker Aug 15, 2023

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Are psychedelics the lens to reality or the key to delusion?

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With a resurgence in the cultural zeitgeist, psychedelics are now at the forefront of debates about mental health treatments. Critics challenge the efficacy of these substances, but are they missing a broader truth? Join Anne Katrin Schlag, Julian Baggini, and James Rucker as they grapple with the nature of psychedelic experiences and the fabric of reality.

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