Philosophy For Our Times

Latest Episodes:

The World That Disappeared | Peter Atkins, James Ladyman, Joanna Kavenna Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

Looking 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 three leading thinkers: chemist Peter Atkins, philosopher of science, James Ladyman and novelist Joanna Kavenna.

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_campaign=the-world-that-disappeared

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

The Mind and the World | Raymond Tallis Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

Looking 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.

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

The Myth of the Self | Julian Baggini, Angie Hobbs, John Milbank Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

Looking 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 the cornerstone of what it is to be human?

Professor of religion, politics and ethics John Millbank, co-founder of The Philosophers' Magazine Julian Baggini and Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy Angie Hobbs explore our multiple selves.

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

Why Philosophy Won't Go Away | Rebecca Goldstein Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

Looking 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.

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

Philosophy Vs Quantum Theory | Tim Maudlin Feb 25, 2020

Show notes

Looking 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 logic.

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

Is Morality Rooted In Culture? | Joel Robbins Feb 18, 2020

Show notes

Looking 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 anthropological theory.

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

How To Do Philosophy and Why | Timothy Williamson Feb 11, 2020

Show notes

Looking 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 the laws of reality, and the importance of debate in making philosophy more inclusive.

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

Tribal Truths and New Wisdom | Paul Mason, Hilary Lawson, Ella McPherson Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

Looking 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 narratives to help us escape a dangerous, relativistic world? Post-Capitalism author Paul Mason, Cambridge sociologist Ella McPherson, philosopher and former editor of The World This Week Hilary Lawson question whether it is ever really possible to report the truth. Roger Bolton hosts.

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

How Maths Changed Philosophy | Silvia Jonas Jan 28, 2020

Show notes

Looking 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.

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

Philosophers vs Post-Truth | Homi Bhabha, Rebecca Goldstein, Hilary Lawson Jan 21, 2020

Show notes

Looking 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 Homi Bhabha and post-postmodern metaphysician Hilary Lawson confront the future of the post-truth world.

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