Philosophy Bites
Edmonds and Warburton
David Edmonds (Uehiro Centre, Oxford University) and Nigel Warburton (freelance philosopher/writer) interview top philosophers on a wide range of topics. Two books based on the series have been published by Oxford University Press. We are currently self-funding - donations very welcome via our website http://www.philosophybites.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 24, 2008 • 13min
M.M. McCabe on Socratic Method
Philosophy began in earnest with Socrates. He asked impertinent questions. In this interview with M.M. McCabe, Philosophy Bites explores the nature of Socratic Method and Socrates' claim that the unexamined life is not worth living.
Aug 16, 2008 • 16min
Aaron Ridley on Nietzsche on Art and Truth
Friedrich Nietzsche's ideas about art and truth run through much of his philosophical writing, but are most apparent in his first book, The Birth of Tragedy. In this episode of Philosophy Bites Nigel Warburton interviews Aaron Ridley about this topic.
Aug 10, 2008 • 13min
Clare Carlisle on Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling
Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling retells and interprets the story of Abraham and Isaac. In Kierkegaard's hands the story becomes a model for the human predicament. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Clare Carlisle provides an interesting overview of some of Kierkegaard's themes in this book.
Aug 3, 2008 • 17min
Alex Neill - the Paradox of Tragedy
How can we enjoy watching tragedy when it is a genre that deals with suffering and pain? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Alex Neill explains what the paradox of tragedy is, and shows how he thinks it can be dissolved. He also relates this discussion to related questions about our experience of horror movies.
12 snips
Jul 27, 2008 • 26min
Quentin Skinner on Machiavelli's The Prince
Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince is one of the most notorious works of political philosophy ever written. Quentin Skinner sets it in its historical context and explains its key themes in this episode of Philosophy Bites.
Jul 20, 2008 • 15min
Peter Adamson on Plotinus on Evil
Plotinus, who lived in the 3rd Century A.D., was the founder of neo-platonism. In this episode of Philosophy Bites Peter Adamson explains what Plotinus had to say about evil.
Jul 13, 2008 • 15min
Matthew Kramer on Legal Rights
What precisely is a legal right? Matthew Kramer discusses this question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of Philosophy Bites.
Jul 6, 2008 • 17min
Melissa Lane on Rousseau on Modern Society
Modern society is for most people synonymous with progress. Not for the eighteenth century thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau believed that civilization corrupts us in certain ways. Melissa Lane explains Rousseau's views on progress in this episode of Philosophy Bites.
Jun 29, 2008 • 14min
John Broome on Weighing Lives
How do we weigh lives one against another? Governments frequently have to make life and death decisions that take in to account such issues as the quality of life compared to the length of a life. In this episode of Philosophy Bites John Broome presents his view of how such decisions should be taken.
Jun 22, 2008 • 13min
Robert Rowland Smith on Derrida on Forgiveness
Jacques Derrida, father of deconstructionism, divided philosophers. For some he was a genius; for others a charlatan. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites Robert Rowland Smith defends Derrida's views about the concept of forgiveness.
