Philosophy For Our Times

Latest Episodes:

Innocence and Punishment | Ritula Shah, Emma Sulkowicz, David Aaronovitch, Sarah Langford Jan 08, 2019

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'Innocent until proven guilty' is a core principle of democracy. Yet from the BBC's coverage of the Cliff Richard raid to the social media storms around MeToo, it seems we are increasingly happy to destroy reputations and careers before the proof is in. Can trial by media be more effective than the legal system? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Times columnist David Aaronovitch, performance artist dubbed as 'Mattress Girl' Emma Sulkowicz and criminal barrister and author of In Your Defence Sarah Langford debate how justice gets made.

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Reality in the Digital World | Laurence Scott Jan 02, 2019

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Our worlds were once human and solid, but now our lives are increasingly virtual. What place has reality in this fantasy world? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, ‘Picnic Comma Lightning’ author Laurence Scott explores the challenges of finding meaning amidst the digital noise.

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The Promise of Psychedelics | David Nutt, Amanda Feilding, Stephen Reid Dec 18, 2018

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Besides being illegal, LSD has not had good press, associated with bad trips and psychological breakdown. But with a new craze for microdosing acid amongst Silicon Valley whizz kids and management gurus, and respected scientists claiming antidepressant benefits, might we have been too quick to ban psychedelics? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Pharmacologist and former Home Office drugs advisor David Nutt, drugs reformer and director of the Beckley Foundation Amanda Feilding and founder of the Psychedelic Society Stephen Reid explore the promise of psychedelics.

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Does Universal Morality Exist? | Stanley Fish, Myriam Francois, Phillip Collins Dec 11, 2018

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Is there a universal morality, and if not, are moral beliefs actually the cause of some of the greatest human suffering? To debate this issue, we have on our panel literary theorist Stanley Fish, writer, broadcaster and SOAS researcher Myriam Francois, and journalist and former speech-writer to Tony Blair Phillip Collins.

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Minds, Madness And Medicine | Lucy Johnstone, David Nutt, David Healy Nov 27, 2018

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Deaths from heart disease have fallen by almost two thirds since the 1960s, yet outcomes for those with mental illness have not improved for decades. Is this because we have the wrong categories and the wrong diagnoses? Might neuroscience enable more precise descriptions and more effective treatment? Or is it a mistake to think that biological accounts of mental illness will ever provide the answers? Users and Abusers of Psychiatry author Lucy Johnstone, psychiatrist David Nutt and author of The Antidepressant Era David Healy consider plausible alternatives to diagnosis.

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Who We Are | Diane Abbott, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Kemi Badenoch, Richard Reeves Nov 20, 2018

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Ten years ago, the US elected its first black president. Yet race-related hate crime has increased 216% in the last year. Are we wrong to suppose that racial prejudice will be overcome by equal opportunity? Should we dream of a world where race is not a basis for social identity? Or are social groupings inevitable and equality the only possible solution?

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The Evolution of Suicide | Nicholas Humphreys Nov 13, 2018

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Suicide is a terrible but commonplace event amongst all societies within the human race. But at what point in our evolution did suicide come into being, and for what purpose? Can suicide be explained, and if so, can we provide an answer to those who become so desperate? Neuropsychologist and author of A History of the Mind Nicholas Humphrey answers these questions.

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Tale of Love and Hate | Rowan Williams, Renata Salecl, Robert Rowland Smith Nov 06, 2018

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We think love an indisputable force for good. Yet from Jihadi John to Anders Breivik, extremists often cite love of creed or country to justify atrocities. Might love of a person or group also be the origin of prejudice and hatred towards others? Are love and hatred forever entwined, as Freud suggested? Or can we imagine a society built on love but free from tribalism?

Former Archbishop of Cantebury Rowan Williams, sociologist and author of Perversions of Love and Hate Renata Salecl and philosopher Robert Rowland Smith debate the dark side of love. Michael Crick hosts.

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The Good, the Bad and the Artist | Stanley Fish, Emma Sulkowicz, Nell Stevens, John Harvey Oct 30, 2018

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In the wake of the Weinstein scandal, many called for a boycott of the films of Roman Polanski and Woody Allen. Yet 20th century literary critics encouraged us to look at the text alone, citing "the death of the author." Can and should we separate the artist from the art? Are the misdeeds of writers, thinkers and artists irrelevant to their work? Or should we excise the morally indefensible? Literary critic Stanley Fish, Carry That Weight performance artist Emma Sulkowicz, novelist Nell Stevens and Cambridge cultural theorist John Harvey untangle the beautiful and the good.

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Could the Universal Basic Income work? | Guy Standing vs Deirdre McCloskey Oct 23, 2018

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Once dismissed as a utopian fantasy, universal income has now hit the mainstream. With new technologies, support from across the political spectrum, and advocates from Stephen Hawking to Mark Zuckerberg, it’s no surprise people have begun to take the idea seriously. In a combative head-to-head debate, author of Basic Income: And How We Can Make It Happen Guy Standing goes head to head with leading libertarian economist Deirdre McCloskey.

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