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Civilization is synonymous with progress, isn't it? Not according to the eighteenth century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He argued that civilization is for the most part morally corrupting. Melissa Lane explains his position in this episode of Philosophy Bites.
Listen to Melissa Lane on Rousseau on Civilization
Should minority groups such as recent immigrants be given rights that other citizens don't have? Will Kymlicka believes that they should. The difficulty of reconciling apparently preferential treatment with a policy of equality is a central one for anyone committed to multiculturalism. He addresses this important issue in this episode of Philosophy Bites.
Listen to Will Kymlicka on Minority Rights
Previously on Philosophy Bites:
What are the limits of expression in a civilized society? T. M. Scanlon addresses this question in this bonus episode which was produced in association with The Open University and originally appeared on Ethics Bites. A transcript of this interview is available from www.open2.net/ethicsbites/.
Jonathan Wolff, author of Why Read Marx Today? and the very popular An Introduction to Political Philosophy, explains what Karl Marx meant by alienated labour. He also sheds light on Marx's controversial vision of what non-alienated labour would be like.
Friedrich Hayek, though much admired by Margaret Thatcher, distanced himself from conservativism. He was a liberal philosopher. In this episode of Philosophy Bites, Chandran Kukathas of the London School of Economics, explains the key features of Hayek's liberalism.
What are the acceptable limits of individual freedom? John Stuart Mill addressed this question in his classic defence of liberalism, On Liberty (1859). In this episode of Philosophy Bites, Richard Reeves, author of a recent biography of Mill (recently shortlisted for the James Tait Black biography prize), discusses this powerful book.
Listen to Richard Reeves on Mill's On Liberty
Can a nation be held responsible for actions? David Miller of Nuffield College, Oxford, author of National Responsibility and Global Justice, explores the kinds of responsibility that nations can have.
Are men and women different by nature? And if so, what follows? Janet Radcliffe Richards, author of The Sceptical Feminist and Human Nature After Darwin, examines questions about human nature, focusing on John Stuart Mill's important book The Subjection of Women. David Edmonds is the interviewer for this episode of Philosophy Bites.
Listen to Janet Radcliffe Richards on Men and Women's Natures
Was Plato's ideal state a totalitarian one? Karl Popper, thought so, and made his case in The Open Society and Its Enemies. Melissa Lane, author of Plato's Progeny discusses Popper's critique of Plato in this episode of Philosophy Bites.
Why should anyone contribute to a joint enterprise if their contribution is tiny and they can just as easily 'free ride' (i.e. get the benefit without making the sacrifice)? This is known as the 'Free Rider Problem'. Richard Tuck, Professor of Government at Harvard, has a distinctive take on this problem.
Listen to Richard Tuck on Free Riding
