philosophy bites

Anil Seth on the Real Problem of Consciousness

How can we begin to explain the relationship between our brains and our conscious experience? This problem has vexed philosophers, and more recently neuroscientists, at least since the time of Descartes. Here Anil Seth, a neuroscientist, suggests a way forward. In contrast with what David Chalmers has called the Hard Problem of consciousness (the difficulty of explaining the phenomena of conscious experience in purely physical terms), Anil outlines an approach which he has dubbed the 'Real Problem' of consciousness. Anil is a Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellow.

Listen to Anil Seth on the Real Problem of Consciousness

Read an article by Anil Seth on the Real Problem of Consciousness

Watch Anil Seth's TED talk on Consciousness

 

Patricia Churchland on Self Control

Neurophilosopher Pat Churchland discusses the nature of self-control and the light that neuroscience can throw on its mechanisms in conversation with Nigel Warburton. 

Listen to Pat Churchland on Self Control

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Pat Churchland on Eliminative Materialism

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Pat Churland on What Neuroscience Can Teach Us About Morality

Rom Harré on the Linguistic Turn in Philosophy

In the early part of the Twentieth Century Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russell, and Ludwig Wittgenstein transformed philosophy: they emphasized the logical form of language. Ludwig Wittgenstein later repudiated his earlier philosophy, concentrating on how people actually use language, the things they do do with words. Together with J.L. Austin, Gilbert Ryle and others, he initiated what has come to be known as the Linguistic Turn in philosophy. For this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, Rom Harré, whose PhD supervisor was Austin, discusses the Linguistic Turn with Nigel Warburton.

Listen to Rom Harré on the Linguistic Turn in Philosophy

Listen to an earlier Social Science Bites podcast interview with Rom Harré on the Nature of Social Science

Tim Bayne on the Unity of Consciousness

Is our phenomenal experience unified? Philosopher of mind Tim Bayne investigates this tricky question in conversation with Nigel Warburton for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Listen to Tim Bayne on the Unity of Consciousness

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

Liane Young on Mind and Morality

An important aspect of understanding morality is accurate description of what happens when people make moral judgments. Nigel Warburton talks to psychologist and philosopher Liane Young about her experiments designed to shed light on moral intentions. 

Listen to Liane Young on Mind and Morality

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy

Daniel Dennett on Free Will Worth Wanting

Daniel C. Dennett discusses free will, moral responsibility, and the intentional stance in this wide-ranging Philosophy Bites interview with Nigel Warburton. 

Listen to Daniel Dennett on Free Will Worth Wanting

Philosophy Bites is made in association with  the Institute of Philosophy

Pat Churchland on What Neuroscience Can Teach Us About Morality

Can science teach us anything about morality? Are facts and values two separate realms? Patricia Churchland discusses what neuroscience can teach us about morality in this episode which was originally released on Bioethics Bites. Bioethics Bites is made in association with the Uehiro Centre and with a grant from the Wellcome Institute.

Listen to Patricia Churchland on What Neuroscience Can Teach Us About Morality

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Pat Churchland on Eliminative Materialism

  

Adina Roskies on Neuroscience and Free Will

Recent research in neuroscience following on from the pioneering work of Benjamin Libet seems to point to the disconcerting conclusion that free will is an illusion. Adina Roskies of Dartmouth College is not convinced that this conclusion follows. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she explains to David Edmonds why the conclusion that free will is an illusion is far stronger than the evidence warrants.

Listen to Adina Roskies on Neuroscience and Free Will

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy

David Eagleman on Morality and the Brain

Should recent discoveries about the brain change our attitude to moral responsibility and culpability. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast neuroscientist David Eagleman argues that it should.

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy

Listen to David Eagleman on Morality and the Brain