philosophy bites

Melissa Lane on Plato and Sustainability

What can the ancients teach us about sustainability? According to Melissa Lane of Princeton University, author of Eco-Republic, quite a lot. She discusses the relevance of Plato to modern environmental problems in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Listen to Melissa Lane on Plato and Sustainability

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Melissa Lane on Rousseau and Modern Society

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Melissa Lane on Plato and Totalitarianism

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy.

Tim Crane on Animal Minds

What sort of thoughts can animals have? Tim Crane discusses the intriguing issue of what apes and monkeys are capable of thinking about in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Listen to Tim Crane on Animal Minds

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Tim Crane on Mind and Body

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy

Sean Kelly on Homer on Philosophy

Is Homer, the great poet of antiquity, relevant to philosophy? If so how? Sean Dorrance Kelly (co-author with Hubert Dreyfus of All Things Shining) addresses these questions in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast series. 

Listen to Sean Dorrance Kelly on Homer on Philosophy

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy

 

Paul Boghossian on Moral Relativism

Is moral relativism a tenable position? Does it matter? Paul Boghossian argues that it isn't and that it does matter in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Listen to Paul Boghossian on Moral Relativism

Read an article 'The Maze of Moral Relativism' by Paul Boghossian from the New York Times. Read Stanely Fish's response. Read Paul Boghossian's response to Fish 'Does Philosophy Matter - It Would Appear So'.

Philosophy Bites is made in association with The Institute of Philosophy

'The Power of the Voice in the Age of the Internet'

 Nigel Warburton will be giving a talk 'The Power of the Voice in the Age of the Internet'  at 5.30 p.m. on 1st November in Cambridge University Library. Further details here.

Jonathan Glover on Systems of Belief

Beliefs are important. Wars are fought over them. How can and should we deal with conflicting belief systems? Jonathan Glover discusses this question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Listen to Jonthan Glover on Systems of Belief

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Jonathan Glover on Personality Disorder

Philosophy Bites is made in association with The Institue of Philosophy

Dan Sperber on the Enigma of Reason

Why have we evolved with a capacity for reason? One answer might be because reason is a good way of getting at the truth, and truth is valuable for self-preservation. But reason is often fallible. It isn't on it's own a reliable route to truth. Dan Sperber, who with Hugo Mercier, has researched this issue extensively, explores the question of why we have reason in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Their research suggests that reason has a social function.

Listen to Dan Sperber on the Enigma of Reason

A pdf of Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber's paper on why humans reason is available  from Dan Sperber's website here. Hugo Mercier provides a very useful overview of their research on the  Argumentative Theory of Reason (together with further links, including extensive press coverage).

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy

Philip Pettit on Consequentialism

Is consequentialism in ethics a form of moral opportunism? Is torture always wrong? What about punishing the innocent? Philip Pettit, who recently gave the 2011 Uehiro Lectures on 'Robustly Demanding Values', discusses some common criticisms of consequentialism in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast

Listen to Philip Pettit on Consequentialism

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Philip Pettit on Group Agency

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy

A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton

A Little History of Philosophy, Nigel Warburton's latest book, is now available in the UK.

Read Julian Baggini's review of A Little History of Philosophy

Frank Jackson on What Mary Knew

Frank Jackson is responsible for one of the most famous thought experiments in the philosophy of mind, one that was intended to show that qualia, the 'feely' aspects of our exprience can't be explained by physicalism. This is sometimes known as The Knowledge Argument. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he talks about the thought experiment and explains why he has changed his mind about it.

Listen to Frank Jackson on What Mary Knew

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy