philosophy bites

David Edmonds on Trolley Problems

Is it ever morally acceptable to kill one person to save five? Most people think that it can be. But are we consistent in this? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Nigel Warburton interviews David Edmonds (co-creator of Philosophy Bites) about the subject of his new book, Would You Kill the Fat Man?, an investigation of the ethics of killing and letting die.

Listen to David Edmonds on Trolley Problems

Download a transcript of David Edmonds on Trolley Problems  (pdf)

Read David Edmonds' 2010 Prospect Magazine article 'Matters of Life and Death'

Special Offer @DavidEdmonds100's Would You Kill the Fat Man for only $15! (or£10) here:  http://bit.ly/12APQs6  enter P05444 in catalog keycode box during checkout. Your discount will be applied when the order is processed. Special offer expires January 31, 2014.

Praise for Would You Kill the Fat Man?

"Lucid, witty, and beautifully written, this book is a pleasure to read. While providing an introduction to moral philosophy, it also presents engaging portraits of some of the greatest moral philosophers from Thomas Aquinas to the present day, and it makes the case for the relevance to ethics of the new experimental moral psychology. It is a tour de force."--Kwame Anthony Appiah, author of The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen

"This is a splendid work. You shouldn't expect it to resolve all your trolley problems but you can look forward to a romping mix of fine humor, intriguing anecdote, and solid argument. It's a sheer joy to read."--Philip Pettit, Princeton University and Australian National University

"David Edmonds has a remarkable knack for weaving the threads of philosophical debates into an engaging story. Would You Kill the Fat Man? is a stimulating introduction to some key ethical issues and philosophers."--Peter Singer, author of The Life You Can Save: How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty

"David Edmonds's new book, Would You Kill the Fat Man?, is both highly informative and a delight to read. Written in a clear, engaging, and witty style, it succeeds admirably in making various fascinating and important debates in philosophy and psychology accessible to a broad readership."--Jeff McMahan, Rutgers University

"This is a highly engaging book. David Edmonds?s reflections are full of insight and he provides fascinating biographical background about the main players in the history of the trolley problem, in a style reminiscent of his very successful Wittgenstein's Poker."--Roger Crisp, University of Oxford

 

 

Daniel Dennett on the Chinese Room

Can a computer think? John Searle famously used the Chinese Room thought experiment to suggest that it can't. Daniel Dennett is not convinced. He thinks that Searle's thought experiment is what he calls a 'boom crutch' - a faulty intuition pump. Here, in conversation with Nigel Warburton, he explains why. 

Listen to Daniel Dennett on the Chinese Room

Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Daniel Dennett on Free Will Worth Wanting

 

Peter Adamson on Avicenna's Flying Man Thought Experiment

Are we simply material beings? Do we have an immaterial soul? Can we know this? These questions have vexed philosophers for millenia. Avicenna, who was born in the 10th Century believed he could show that we are not simply physical through a thought experiment, the Flying Man. Peter Adamson discusses this idea with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Listen to Peter Adamson on the Flying Man Thought Experiment

Listen to an earlier interview with Peter Adamson on Avicenna on God

Listen to an earlier interview with Peter Adamson on Plotinus on Evil

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

Peter Adamson has his own podcast History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

Julian Baggini on Thought Experiments

Philosophers often use elaborate thought experiments in their writing. Are these anything more than rhetorical flourishes? Or do they reveal important aspects of the questions under discussion. Julian Baggini, editor of The Philosophers' Magazine and author of a book, The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten, which surveys some of the most interesting and imaginative thought experiments philosophers have used discusses this topic with Nigel Warburton. David Edmonds introduces the interview.

Listen to Julian Baggini on Thought Experiments