Philosophy For Our Times

Physicists Eric Weinstein and Becky Parker, and philosopher Hilary Lawson debate whether metaphysics is still relevant in a science-dominated world.

Physicists Eric Weinstein and Becky Parker, and philosopher Hilary Lawson debate whether metaphysics is still relevant in a science-dominated world.

Philosopher Nolen Gertz on nihilism and the meaning of life.

Philosopher Nolen Gertz on nihilism and the meaning of life.

Writer and historian Rob Boddice unravels the complexities of the human condition and confronts the happiness crisis.

Award-winning psychologist and cognitive scientist John Vervaeke shares his years of research on the questions that haunt us: why are we devoid of meaning in the current moment, and what can we do about it?

Mike Figgis, Lyric Hammersmith, Robert Eaglestone, Joanna Kavenna debate the nature of evil.

Mike Figgis, Lyric Hammersmith, Robert Eaglestone, Joanna Kavenna debate the nature of evil.

Slavoj Žižek delves into the troubling nature of enjoyment and excess.

Professor of Philosophy Sophie-Grace Chappell argues we should allow our epiphanies to guide our actions.

Professor of Philosophy Sophie-Grace Chappell argues we should allow our epiphanies to guide our actions.

Three of today's leading thinkers in metaphysics, philosophy of science, and continental philosophy debate radical metaphysics.

Jimena Canales interview on scientists and their 'demons'.

Join post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson, professor of logic Michael Potter and philosopher of language John Searle to learn more about the linguistic turn and its implications.

Carol Gilligan, Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, and Richard Wrangham debate the dangers of altruism.

Physicist and philosopher Avshalom Elitzur dissects science's limited understanding of consciousness and proposes a more philosophical, almost mystical, interpretation of it.

Cognitive scientist Daniel Kahneman, psychologist Ellen Langer, and philosopher Hilary Lawson try to get to the bottom of how humans perceive, and if we can ever know truth or the world around us.

American science writer Michael Shermer elucidates the reasons people tend to be drawn to conspiracy theories and what to do about it.

Suchitra Sebastian is a renowned scientist and a condensed matter physicist. She is based at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge where she is a Professor of Physics. Philip Goff is a leading philosopher of Consciousness in his field and a defender of panpsychism, the controversial proposal that everything contains consciousness, as the solution to the hard problem of consciousness. Hilary Lawson is a philosopher and long-standing critic of realism, best known for his theory of closure. Jack Symes hosts.

Join Myriam François as she hosts this panel of distinguished guests as they discuss the idea of universal moral principles. Taking part in this debate are Daniel Markovits is an American legal scholar and Professor of Law at the Yale Law School; Carol Gilligan, a celebrated feminist, ethicist and psychologist; and finally, Peter Singer, one of the world's foremost public philosophers and a prominent figure in contemporary ethics.

Well-known scholar Dan Ariely discusses the main elements of his recent book 'Misbelief: What Makes Rational People Believe Irrational Things', sympathetically dissecting the character of conspiracy theorists.

Join us as world-leading cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman discusses his cutting-edge research about consciousness and perception, as well as its astonishing implications for the ultimate nature of reality.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams discusses his professional and theological journey and reflects on what he's learned along the way, from climate activism to inter-faith leadership.

Two of the most influential thinkers of our time, Peter Singer, Australian philosopher, Princeton professor and author of Animal Liberation, and the late Mary Midgley, described by the Guardian as "UK's foremost scourge of scientific pretention" go head to head on the future of bio-ethics. Roger Bolton hosts.

Leading physicists Priyamvada Natarajan, Avshalom Elitzur, and Bernard Carr question the existence of 'energy' as a concept in physics and muse on the mysticism science can bring to.

Philosopher Michael Della Rocca challenges conventional philosophy's reliance on common sense, interpreting the world instead as a unified whole.

Two of the most influential thinkers of our time, John Mearsheimer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, and Steven Pinker, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University debate the Enlightenment and its alternative. Sophie Scott-Brown hosts.

Philosopher Sophie Grace Chappell reflects on being transgender in the light of persistent philosophical questions, from Plato to John Stuart Mill.

Kathleen Higgins is a leading continental philosopher at the University of Texas, Austin. Her research interests are broad and include the philosophy of aesthetics, emotions and music. Oliver Ready is a celebrated translator and literary scholar. His translation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment has received critical acclaim. Janne Teller is a critically acclaimed writer whose novels include Odin's Island, and Come, an existential novel about ethics in art and modern life. Niki Seth-Smith hosts.

David Baddiel and Chine McDonald discuss what humanity's deep-seated longing for God's existence may mean, and why it is okay.

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Chief Economics Commentator for the FT Martin Wolf, Yale Law professor Daniel Markovits and Head of Research at Theos, Madeleine Pennington, debate whether the 21st century will prove to be unique. Hilary Lawson hosts.

Slavoj Žižek discusses the various components of his philosophy in conversation with novelist Joanna Kavenna.

Ground breaking philosopher and psychoanalytic theorist Dr Isabel Millar discusses her work in challenging assumptions around AI by deploying the tools of psychoanalysis to the study of AI.

Rowan Williams and Iain McGilchrist discuss the layered and inter-connected nature of reality from their perspectives.

Simon Blackburn on the dangers of self-love.

Anthropologist and Harvard University Professor Richard Wrangham, renowened philosopher and cultural critic Slavoj Žižek, University of Hertfordshire professor Maria Balaska and the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams join Myriam François to discuss the nature of good and evil.

Rupert Sheldrake, Suchitra Sebastian, and Tommy Curry challenge our views about knowledge.

Iain McGilchrist gives Hilary Lawson an exclusive interview on the nature of truth and the cosmos, and the danger of delusional thinking.

Nolen Gertz, Betty Sue Flowers, and Joscha Bach debate language and reality.

Radical scientist, Rupert Sheldrake, and world-leading sceptic, Michael Shermer, go head-to-head on where the edges of knowledge lie.

Rebecca Roache, Simon Baron-Cohen, and Hilary Lawson join Samira Shackle to scrutinize honesty and deception.

Joanna Kavenna, Rory Sutherland and Rebecca Roache debate whether we need reason as much as we think we do in an increasingly chaotic modern age. Bahar Gholipour hosts.

Katarina Schwarz discusses the reality of modern-day slavery.

Sunetra Gupta, Anders Sandberg and Subrena Smith debate whether or not our neurobiology inadequate to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. Güneş Taylor hosts.

Denis Noble cracks the free will debackle.

Barry Smith, Hannah Critchlow and Gary Lachman talk subjectivity and collective experience.

Lucelia Rodrigues discusses the prospects of a sustainably built future.

Stephen Kinsella, Victoria Baines and Hugh Tomlinson debate internet anonymity.

John Ellis, Sophie Scott-Brown and David Aaronovitch debate if the systems in place to breed and form knowledge are more inhibiting than beneficial.

Julian Baggini, Ellen Clarke, and Ben Burgis debate whether our mistrust in science if justified.

In a secular age dominated by scientific understanding, philosophers Lisa Miller, Nick Lane, and Paul Bickley explore the profound mysteries of life and death, delving into questions surrounding consciousness and the potentiality of an afterlife.

Simon Blackburn delves into the heart of objective morality, challenging metaphysics and shedding light on the philosophical intricacies of truth.

Peter Singer, Julian Baggini and Sophie Scott-Brown debate if inaction is equally as bad as, or worse than, action.

Anders Sandberg, Massimo Pigliucci, Mazviita Chirimuuta debate promises and perils of our potential digital future.

Slavoj Žižek provides a Hegelian insight into historical and current political crises.

Paul Dolan believes that attention significantly impacts happiness and suggests making life choices based on what will occupy our daily focus afterward.

Experts discuss the intersection of psychedelics, reality, and the human psyche.

Is thought a distraction from reality? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From the birth of reason to Descartes' "I think, therefore I am"; Western culture has placed thought at the centre of what it is to be human. We spend much of our time planning the future, reflecting on the past, puzzling about what to do, and talking about it with others. But might this be a mistake? Should culture, as Nietzsche proposes, 'free itself from the seduction of words and thought'? Should we focus on experience, and live a bit more? Or is this romantic nonsense? Bestselling author Miranda Keeling, psychologist Steve Taylor and prison philosopher Andy West decide: to think, or not to think? Janne Teller hosts.  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-seduction-of-thought See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Questioning the significance and solvability of language's role in shaping our understanding of the world.

Philosopher Kathleen Stock shares her perspective on the current gender identity discourse.

Exploring the complexities of independence vs. community in modern society.

In a dynamic head-to-head, physicist Marika Taylor and philosopher Julian Baggini explore the intertwined histories and futures of philosophy and science.

Leading thinkers debate the shifting nature of moral codes, questioning whether life can truly be condensed into a rulebook, amidst the backdrop of religion, social media norms, and evolving societal structures.

Join us as philosopher Hilary Lawson unveils 'Closure', a theory exploring the intriguing concept of an open, elusive world that transcends our linguistic and cognitive boundaries.

Janne Teller, David Hare and Sophie Fiennes discuss the end.

Exploring the elusive nature of truth: Challenging conventional theories including pragmatism, and unveiling the redundancy of the concept

Aaron Bastani, Paul Dolan and Joanna Kavenna debate "happiness" - whatever that is.

Is materialism a fundamental mistake? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The relationship between the individual human subject and the world was once the central focus of Western philosophy. Modern neuroscience has instead tended to assume that the world is purely material and physical, and the problem of consciousness a question of how to generate thought from matter. Yet, we are no closer to solving the deep puzzle of consciousness and many argue that the American philosopher Thomas Nagel is right when he maintains that the question of consciousness 'cannot be detached from subject and object'. Is the notion that the world is purely material a fundamental mistake? Would we be more likely to unlock the mysteries of consciousness by once again adopting the framework of the subject and object? Or will slow, piecemeal advances in neuroscience and analytic philosophy eventually yield the answers that we have been searching for? Revolutionary cognitive psychologist Donald Hoffman (joining us live from across the pond), neuroscientist Hannah Critchlow and philosopher Sam Coleman battle to unlock consciousness. Hosted by award-winning 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-key-to-consciousness See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Julian Baggini, Peter Godfrey-Smith and Sarah Garfinkel attempt to settle the free will debate once and for all.

Rupert Sheldrake, Anders Sandberg, Ella Whelan discuss how modern chemistry can unlock feelings of love

Can we make ultimate moral judgements? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes For a couple of millenia in the West we have judged people and their actions by the standards of good and evil. But, from Mother Theresa to Winston Churchill the notion that an individual is simply good is hard to sustain. Almost all claim to be good. Even the Nazis believed they were on a moral crusade against the evils of corruption and deceit, managing to enlist the Catholic church in support. And, from the Crusades to 9/11, seeing oneself and one's cause as good has a habit of intensifying dispute and conflict. Should we conclude that dividing the world into good and bad is not just misguided but actually dangerous? Should we adopt a Roman approach to human qualities and actions where kindness and brutality could both be valued in the same one individual. Or is the distinction between good and bad essential to social well being, public order, and individual growth? Fearless thinker, Tommy Curry, esteemed philosopher, Massimo Pigliucci, and author of Zed, Joanna Kavenna, explore whether 'good' and 'evil' are just categories used for coercion. Hosted by Myriam Francois. 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-good-and-the-evil See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Massimo Pigliucci on scepticism as a philosophy of life.

Donald Hoffman, Bernardo Kastrup, Susan Schneider debate the possibility of conscious AI. Hosted by Curt Jaimungal.

Rupert Sheldrake discusses earthly ways to undergo spiritual experiences.

Tommy Curry, Güneş Taylor, and Julian Baggini on passion and reason. Barry Smith hosts.

Kenneth Cukier, Nolen Gertz and Caintjan Gainty debate if we need technology to progress.

Janne Teller, Barry C. Smith, Silvia Jonas debate the question of whether philosophy can be devoid of motives or social goals.

Distinguished philosopher and panpsychist Philip Goff argues for a new approach to understanding consciousness.

Slavoj Žižek, Joanna Kavenna and Simon Blackburn grapple with morality.

Hilary Lawson proposes a non-realist metaphysics.

Mazviita Chirimuuta argues that the connection between intelligence and life is stronger than previously believed.

Barry Smith, Maria Balaska and Hilary Lawson debate the current state of analytic philosophy.

Janne Teller, Isy Suttie, Paul Muldoon, James Tartaglia debate whether art should be the primary means of understanding reality.

Pioneer of modern understanding of ancient myths Betty Sue Flowers, Award winning journalist Anil Ananthaswamy, renowned psychiatrist Ian McGilchrist and Professor of Philosophy Bence Nanay are joined by our host, Professor of Religion and Science Mary Jane Rubenstein to ask if we can ever truly know ourselves.

Paul Dolan, Mary-Ann Ochota and Steve Taylor debate whether we should rid ourselves of things or hold on to them.

Must we give up on our current ideas of the self and identity? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We laugh at the medieval view that disease is due to an imbalance in the four humours. Instead we see infectious illness as an attack by something external. But this can't be the whole story. After all, not everyone got Covid or suffered from it equally. There are mounting challenges to the standard attack-defence account of disease. Critics argue It relies on our being able to distinguish self and non-self and there is no such mechanism. Instead they argue radical collective and ecological frameworks provide a better and more effective account. Can the new paradigms of danger theory or adaptation help crack disease? Might immunology proves to be the key to the deep philosophical question of what makes us who we are? Quantum biologist JohnJoe McFadden, distinguished immunologist Ane Ogbe and Professor of Paediatric Immunology Petter Brodin debate the self and the non-self. Gunes Taylor hosts.   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=beyond-the-self-and-the-non-self See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Peter Godfrey-Smith pushes us to reconsider our moral limits.

Emma Sulkowicz, Andrea Elliott and Paul Muldoon debate the individual and society.

What is philosophy and how can it help us lead more meaningful lives? Join philosopher Rebecca Roache as she discusses the tools that philosophy can equip us with to create better lives and more enlightended societies.

An interview with CosmisSkeptic about scepticism, philosophy, religion, and more.

Mark Williams, Peter Lilley, and Natalie Bennett discuss the benefits and the trap of civilisation.

Bernardo Kastrup, Patricia Churchland and Carlo Rovelli lock horns from radically different sides of the consciousness debate.

Meg Rosoff sits down with us to give insight into her writing philosophy.

Simon Blackburn, Hilary Lawson and Ruth Chang discuss if certainty can ever truly be found.

Alister McGrath discusses the intersection between science, religion and certainty.

Joanna Kavenna, Ian Parker and Sarah Garfinkel explore modern trauma and what we can do about it. Mark Salter hosts.

Santiago Zabala, Corine Besson and Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad debate the idea of certainty.

Juilan Baggini, Mina Salami, Hilary Lawson and Julie Bindel debate over the authority of so-called objective truth.