Philosophy For Our Times

Latest Episodes:

Demons of materialism | James Tartaglia Jun 14, 2022

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The case for nihilism, demons of materialism, and jazz?! Join us for a fascinating discussion.

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On this week’s episode we are joined by Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at Keele University, James Tartaglia, to discuss the meaning of life and common misconceptions surrounding nihilism. We dive into a fascinating conversation about the role of materialism in our contemporary experience of the world, and James puts forward an appealing argument for the return to idealism, while encouraging us to chuck out determinism. To top it all, he shares how and why he combines jazz music with philosophy in his personal life.

James Tartaglia is a British philosopher and the author of Philosophy in a Meaningless Life and Philosophy in a Technological World: Gods and Titans. James also leads a Jazz-Philosophy fusion band called 'Continuum of Selves'.

This interview was recorded at our philosophy and music festival HowTheLightGetsIn. If you want to check out the video footage click here.

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The puzzle of artistic greatness | Minna Salami, Stanley Fish, Meg Rosoff, Janne Teller Jun 07, 2022

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Should the origins of ideas matter as much as their substance? Our experts discuss.

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There has always been dispute over which ideas are most significant. But at least there used to be broad agreement about the hallmarks of quality and the great works in each field. Now, from literature to the social sciences, there are claims that previous standards were structures of prejudice and oppression, and calls are heard for greater inclusion.

How do we navigate this new space where there is so little agreement on merit? Should we abandon the notion of 'great works' altogether, or would this threaten the very survival of our culture and much that we hold to be valuable?

Literary theorist Stanley Fish, author of How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff, journalist and editor of MsAfropolitan, Minna Salami and writer and essayist Janne Teller rethink what makes a great work of art. Hosted by BBC Parliamentary Correspondent, Sean Curran.

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Philosophy's psychedelic renaissance |Rupert Sheldrake, Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes May 31, 2022

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Are you ready for a different kind of 'trip'?

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We have a very special episode for you today, a truly fascinating (and at times even funky) philosophical discussion.

From Silicon Valley to the treatment of depression, psychedelics have entered the mainstream. And with them come new political, economic and philosophical horizons. Join us as scientist Rupert Sheldrake and philosopher Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes discuss the past, present and future of the mind.

Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist whose research led to the theory of morphic resonance and nature's memory. In his book Ways To Go Beyond he explores states of altered consciousness and their implication on the mind.

Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a philosopher of mind, described as "a psychedelic Nietzsche". He is a Research Fellow and Associate Lecturer in University of Exeter's Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology Department, who specialises in altered states of sentience.

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Computing the mind | Kenneth Cukier, Joanna Bryson, Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes May 24, 2022

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Is the brain just a computer? Are AI conscious? Or could they be? Our experts debate.

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The idea of the brain as a computer is everywhere. So much so we have forgotten it is a model and not the reality. It’s a metaphor that has lead some to believe that in the future they'll be uploaded to the digital ether and thereby achieve immortality. It’s also a metaphor that garners billions of dollars in research funding every year. Yet researchers argue that when we dig down into our grey matter our biology is anything but algorithmic. And increasingly, critics contend that the model of the brain as computer is sending scientists (and their resources) nowhere fast.

Is our attraction to the idea of the brain as computer an accident of current human technology? Can we find a better metaphor that might lead to a new paradigm? Is there something about computers that has indeed identified the very same processes that are operating in our brains, or is it a profound mistake to imagine the organic can be reduced to technology?

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When science meets philosophy | Philip Goff, Julian Baggini, Peter Atkins, Güneş Taylor May 17, 2022

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Has science become the philosophical belief of our time? Leading scientists and philosophers discuss.

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In less than a lifetime, the first half of the twentieth century brought a series of life changing inventions. In combination with the all encompassing new stories of physics, science, once a branch of philosophy, became the philosophical belief of our time. Some claimed philosophy was over.

Yet in the last half century, technology has become more contentious and big scientific theory has seemingly stalled. Might philosophy once again find itself centre stage at a time when knowledge and progress are in question? Or is science still the only credible way to improve our circumstances and make sense of the world?

Co-founder and editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine, Julian Baggini, chemist Peter Atkins, Crick Institute Researcher Güneş Taylor, and consciousness philosopher Philip Goff argue over life, the universe and everything. Hosted by researcher and author, Melanie Challenger.

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The truth about philosophy of science| Sabine Hossenfelder May 10, 2022

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Can science accommodate human subjectivity? Sabine Hossenfelder responds.

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In this interview, leading physicist and author, Sabine Hossenfelder, discusses the relationship between physics and philosophy. She examines the scientific community’s desire to find a unified theory of everything, and contemplates how science can accommodate human subjectivity. She also considers the role of physics in helping us tackle major philosophical issues involving time, free will, and consciousness.

Sabine Hossenfelder is a theoretical physicist who specialises in the foundations of physics. She is a Research Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies where she leads the group on Superfluid Dark Matter.

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What does data really tell us? | Donald Hoffman, Tim Maudlin, Lisa Randall May 03, 2022

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Is our obsession with data healthy or dangerous? Our specialists discuss.

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Look to the science' was the call from politicians and the public alike throughout the pandemic. As if science has a single definitive view, and the data one interpretation. Yet science is full of competing and sometimes contradictory views particularly at the edge of current understanding. And increasingly scientists see themselves as operating with models of reality. Ultimate final accounts being perhaps more typical of religion than the exploratory and sceptical approach at the core of science.

Should we abandon the idea that science provides absolute answers? Should scientists and politicians avoid giving the impression that there is a single definitive account? Or do we need to cut through the complexity of competing outlooks and commit to a truth in order to drive action and change?

Pioneering American physicist Lisa Randall, renowned philosopher of science Tim Maudlin and legendary cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman argue over the fundamental nature of science. Biologist Güneş Taylor hosts.

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Everyday philosophy, Extraordinary life | Timothy Williamson Apr 26, 2022

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Does philosophy really have an impact on our daily life? Timothy Williamson explains.

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In this interview, professor of Logic at the University of Oxford, Timothy Williamson examines how common sense can sometimes not be fully self-consistent and can even lead us into certain logical paradoxes. The philosopher discusses in what ways philosophy is comparable to the natural sciences and how language is ill-equipped to describe people's experiences of reality. In this discussion, Williamson also touches on the arbitrariness of disciplinary boundaries when it comes to understanding life's fundamental questions.

Timothy Williamson is the Wykeham Professor of Logic at the University of Oxford and a fellow of New College, Oxford. His main research areas are philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, epistemology and metaphysics. He is the author of the widely translated Knowledge and Its Limits and The Philosophy of Philosophy.

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Was Richard Dawkins wrong about memes? | Massimo Pigliucci, Hilary Lawson, Joanna Bryson Apr 19, 2022

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What do memes really mean? Listen to find out!

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Memes are everywhere. But the term was coined only a few decades ago by Richard Dawkins to describe ideas and cultural behaviour that can be passed on from one individual to another. He argued that memes are a stage in evolution, and just as humans are carriers for genes, we are also carriers for memes. We don't so much choose our memes as they choose us. Its critics however argue that meme theory upends all human agency and thought. Is meme theory an exciting new framework that moves evolution forward to account for concepts and culture? Or is the very idea of a meme a misguided and reductionist account of what it is to be human?

Post-postmodern philosopher Hilary Lawson, Professor of Ethics and Technology at Hertie School Joanna Bryson and Professor of Philosophy at City College of New York Massimo Pigliucci discuss whether or not it is useful to think about sharing mimetic information like genetic information. Gunes Taylor hosts.

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Asking the ultimate questions about reality | Robert Lawrence Kuhn Apr 12, 2022

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All the questions.

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What exists? Why is there anything at all? Are there realities beyond physics? What is consciousness, personal or cosmic? Robert Lawrence Kuhn, host of the long-running 'Closer to Truth' television series and acclaimed website, has spent over 20 years interviewing the greatest thinkers and exploring the deepest questions. In this talk, he uncovers the common thread running through the most profound mysteries of existence and human sentience.

Robert Lawrence Kuhn is the creator, writer, host and executive producer of Closer To Truth. He has written or edited over 30 books, including The Mystery of Existence: Why is there Anything At All? And Closer to Truth: Challenging Current Belief.

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