

Philosophy For Our Times
IAI
Philosophy for our Times is a free philosophy podcast bringing you the latest talks and debates from the world’s leading thinkers. We host weekly episodes on today’s biggest ideas in news, society, culture, politics, science and arts. Subscribe today to never miss an episode.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 23, 2019 • 44min
Are You An Illusion? | Julian Baggini, Joanna Kavenna, Jan Westerhoff, Silvia Jonas
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesThe self is an illusion, our passions a by-product of the brain. Or so neuroscientists and philosophers would have us believe. Is dismissing the self a mistake driven by the desire to uphold a purely material universe? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, author of A Field Guide to Reality Joanna Kavenna, Oxford University metaphysician Jan Westerhoff, philosopher Silvia Jonas and author of The Ego Trick Julian Baggini set out in search of the self.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=are-you-an-illusionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 16, 2019 • 46min
The End Of All Things | John Dupré, Subir Sarkar, Nancy Cartwright
In a captivating discussion, John Dupré, a philosopher famed for his insights into the philosophy of science, teams up with astrophysicist Subir Sarkar and philosopher Nancy Cartwright. They explore how contemporary physics challenges traditional notions of physicality, proposing energy and fields as new foundations of reality. The conversation segues into the fluidity of existence, emphasizing action and processes over static materialism. Additionally, they tackle emergent phenomena in biology and physics, delving into how context shapes causality and stability.

Jul 9, 2019 • 36min
The Fascination With Evil | Terry Eagleton, Susan Neiman, Stephen de Wijze
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesWe may condemn tyrants and abhor serial killers, but we are obsessed with evil and violence. Are we fascinated by evil, violent characters because they make life more exciting? Or because they express our real nature? Should we look to end this morbid obsession, or accept it as a feature of humanity? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, cultural critic Terry Eagleton, author of Evil in Modern Thought Susan Neiman and philosopher Stephen de Wijze get to the bottom of evil's strange allure.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-fascination-with-evilSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 2, 2019 • 39min
The Right Way to Think | Paul Boghossian, Mary Jane Rubenstein, Alister McGrath
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesReason was traditionally seen as the Enlightenment’s great legacy and the origin of our success. Yet reason is increasingly derided as just the rhetorical bluster of the educated elite, typically powerful and male. Is rationality just the prejudiced claim of those who are sure they are right? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Professor of Religion at Wesleyan Mary-Jane Rubenstein, Silver Professor of Philosophy at New York University Paul Boghossian and Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University Alister McGrath debate the right way to think.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-right-way-to-thinkSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jun 25, 2019 • 40min
The Prejudice of Philosophy | Chakravarthi Ram Prasad, Nivi Manchanda, Timothy Williamson
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesMany see the search for universal truths about the world as the noble aim of philosophy. Yet our universities largely dismiss non-Western philosophy, and critics argue that British students are taught a narrow analytic approach. Are great ideas independent of time, place and tradition? Do African conceptions of the self or Chinese Mohist logic offer equally valid insights? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Timothy Williamson, Nivi Manchanda and Chakravarthi Ram Prasad uncover the prejudice of philosophy.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-prejudice-of-philosophySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jun 18, 2019 • 42min
The Illusion of Now | Julian Barbour, Tim Maudlin, Emily Thomas
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesPast and future are worlds we can never inhabit. We live of necessity in the present. But physicists and philosophers with very different outlooks, from Einstein to Derrida, claim that the present is an illusion. Are we deluded by experience into imagining the present is real? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Philosopher of science Tim Maudlin joins author of The End of Time Julian Barbour and philosopher and historian of science Emily Thomas go in search of lost time.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-illusion-of-nowSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jun 11, 2019 • 38min
Is Oppression The Key To Creativity? | Lowkey, Joanna Kavenna, Andrew Motion
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesFreedom is often seen as the vital oxygen of creativity. Yet Shakespeare worked within a framework of censorship, Don Quixote was written from prison and Leonardo argued that at 'lives on constraint and dies of freedom'. Can oppression help produce masterpieces or do the free always write the greatest poetry? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, Novelist and Author Joanna Kavenna and hip hop artist Lowkey debate creativity and constraint.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=is-oppression-the-key-to-creativitySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jun 4, 2019 • 40min
The Dark Side of the Universe | Erik Verlinde, Catherine Heymans, Sabine Hossenfelder
String theorist Erik Verlinde, astrophysicist Catherine Heymans, and physicist Sabine Hossenfelder discuss radical solutions to the mystery of dark energy and dark matter. They challenge conventional theories, propose new ideas blending dark matter and modified gravity, and explore advancements in dark matter experiments and telescope technology. The conversation also touches on the impact of null results on theory development and the search for new particles in physics.

May 29, 2019 • 42min
The Morality of the Left and Right | Peter Hitchens, Sophie Walker, Chris Bryant
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesThe left has traditionally seen itself as progressive, with history and morality on its side. But is history on anyone's side? And as for morality, don't all politicians think they're in the right? Should the left then give up its claim to the moral high ground and argue for policies on pragmatic grounds alone? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Peter Hitchens, Sophie Walker and Chris Bryant debate the morality of the left and right. In association with the New College of the Humanities. bit.ly/2FdPgLDThere are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-morality-of-the-left-and-rightSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

May 20, 2019 • 47min
The Neuroscience of Consciousness | Raymond Tallis, Susana Martinez-Conde, Markus Gabriel
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesNeuroscientists believe that our minds and consciousness are no more than matter and mechanism. But if they are right, is all meaning, purpose and feeling illusory? Or do the secrets of experience lie beyond neuroscience's grasp? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Raymond Tallis, Susana Martinez-Conde and Markus Gabriel explore the latest in the neuroscience of consciousness.In association with the New College of the Humanities. bit.ly/2FdPgLDThere are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-neuroscience-of-consciousnessSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.