philosophy bites

Mary Warnock on Philosophy and Public Life

What can philosophers contribute to public life? Mary Warnock who was a member of the House of Lords chaired two important commissions - special education needs and on human fertilisation and embryology - discussed how her training in philosophy prepared her for these roles.

Listen to Mary Warnock on Philosophy and Public Life

This episode was first released in 2007. It was our second Philosophy Bites episode.

Mary Warnock died in 2019. There is an obituary here.

We recorded two further Philosophy Bites interviews with Mary Warnock (in 2007 and 2008):

Listen to Mary Warnock on Sartre's Existentialism

Listen to Mary Warnock on the Right to Have a Baby

Michael Ignatieff on Political Theory and Political Practice

Michael Ignatieff is in the unusal position of having seen both philosophy and politics from the inside. He had a career as an academic and as a writer and presenter before entering politics and going on to become leader of Canada's opposition. He lost his seat in the 2011 general election when he had hoped to become Prime Minister. In this Philosophy Bites podcast interview with Nigel Warburton he discusses the relationshiop between theory and practice in politics, the moral ambiguities, and the necessity of having dirty hands to be effective.

Listen to Michael Ignatieff on Political Theory and Political Practice

 

John Gardner on Constitutions

What are constitutions? How are we to interpret them? John Gardner, Professor of Jurisprudence at Oxford University, addresses these questions in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Listen to John Gardner on Constitutions

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy (though from June 2013 this arrangement comes to an end and we will be seeking a new sponsor).

Tom Sorell on Surveillance

What, if anything, is wrong with surveillance? How does it affect privacy? Why value privacy anyway? Tom Sorell explains his position on these issues in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Listen to Tom Sorell on Surveillance

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy 

 

Michael Sandel on Justice

Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel in conversation with Nigel Warburton outlines 3 answers to the question 'What is Justice?', Jeremy Bentham's, Immanuel Kant's, and Aristotle's.

Listen to Michael Sandel on Justice

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

Previous interviews with Michael Sandel:

Michael Sandel on Genetic Enhancement in Sport (part of the Open University Ethics Bites series)

Michael Sandel on What Shouldn't Be Sold

In the UK BBC4 will be showing a number of programmes featuring Michael Sandel from the end of January 2011 onwards as part of their Justice season. These include the documentary, co-funded by the Open University and the BBC, A Citizen's Guide to the 21st Century.

You can also still listen to Michael Sandel's 2009 Reith lectures 'A New Citizenship' and watch his Justice lectures on YouTube: