philosophy bites

Shelly Kagan on Speciesism

Peter Singer famously argued that many of us are guilty of speciesism in our dealings with animals - we give unreasonable priority to humans over other the interests of other animals. Speciesism is like racism and other prejudices in many respects. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, Shelly Kagan outlines and criticises Singer's arguments for this position, and in the process makes some interesting points  about prejudice in general. 

Listen to Shelly Kagan on Speciesism

 

Christine Korsgaard on the Status of Animals

Harvard philosopher Christine Korsgaard defends a Kantian account of the status of animals in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. She argues that we should treat animals as ends in themselves and spells out what that means in practice.

Listen to Christine Korsgaard on the Status of Animals

Gary L. Francione on Animal Abolitionism

How should we treat non-human animals? Is it enough not to cause them harm? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Gary Francione argues that we need to go one step further than Jeremy Bentham did and abolish all use of animals. He calls his approach abolitionism.

Listen to Gary L. Francione on Animal Abolitionism

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy

Jeff McMahan on Moral Status

Many questions in practical ethics turn on questions of moral status. In this bonus episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast (originally released on Bioethics Bites), Jeff McMahan explores the issues surrounding the moral status of foetuses, those in persistent vegetative states, and non-human animals. This episode of Philosophy Bites was made in association with the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics and made possible by a grant from the Wellcome Trust.

Listen to Jeff McMahan on Moral Status

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Jeff McMahan on Vegetarianism

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Jeff McMahan on Killing in War

 

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

Jeff McMahan on Vegetarianism

Human beings don't need to eat meat. But should we? Jeff McMahan thinks that it is obvious that we shouldn't. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he discusses his views with Nigel Warburton.

Listen to Jeff McMahan on Vegetarianism

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Jeff McMahan on Killing in War

Philosophy Bites is made in association with The Institute of Philosophy

This episode of Philosophy Bites was recorded at the Uehiro Centre.

Peter Singer on Using Animals

How should we treat animals? Peter Singer, perhaps the best know living moral philosopher addresses this question in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this bonus episode. This  was produced in association with The Open University as part of podcast Ethics Bites. A transcript of the interview and further information about the series is available from Open2.net.

Listen to Peter Singer on Using Animals

Extensive list of links to online articles and interviews by and about Peter Singer