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Philosophy Bites

Edmonds and Warburtonwww.philosophybites.com
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
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Episodes

John Worrall on Evidence-Based Medicine

What sort of conclusions can we legitimately draw from the experiments that support evidence-based medicine? John Worrall questions some of the received opinion on this topic in this interview with David Edmonds for Philosophy Bites .

Nov 17, 201512 min

Joshua Greene on the Construction of Thought

We take for granted the fact that we can combine concepts to give new thoughts, and understand the thoughts too. How do we do that? Joshua D. Greene discusses this question in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Oct 31, 201512 min

Graham Priest on Buddhism and Philosophy

What is the nature of the self? What is reality? How should we live? These are fundamental philosophical questions. Graham Priest discusses how such questions have been discussed in the Buddhist tradition for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Oct 13, 201518 min

Massimo Pigliucci on the Demarcation Problem

How can you tell science from non-science? Karl Popper argued that the falsifiability of a hypothesis is the mark of science. Massimo Pigliucci is not so sure about that.

Sep 13, 201524 min

David Owens on Duty

What is a duty and what sort of obligation does it put us on? David Owens explores the nature of duty in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. If you enjoy Philosophy Bites , please consider supporting us via Patreon .

Sep 01, 201513 min

Kimberley Brownlee on Social Deprivation

We are a highly social species: we need human contact. But do we have a right to it? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Kimberley Brownlee suggests that this is an ingredient in a minimally decent human life...

Aug 19, 201517 min

Shelly Kagan on Speciesism

The philosopher Peter Singer is famous for his attack on speciesism, the alleged prejudice that many exhibit in favour of human interests when compared with the interests of other animals. Here Shelly Kagan outlines Singer's position and takes issue with it. In the process he makes some interesting points about prejudices in general.

Aug 01, 201525 min

Susan James on Foucault and Knowledge

Michel Foucault's work explores a wide range of topics; it includes histories of both punishment and sex. He also wrote more abstractly about philosophical topics. One theme to which he kept returning, whatever the topic, was the nature of our knowledge. Susan James discusses this thread in his work in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Jul 22, 201522 min

Larry Temkin on Transitivity

How do you choose which course of action is best? It seems reasonable that if A is better than B, and B is better than C, A must be better than C. But is it? Larry Temkin challenges this idea, known as the axiom of transitivity.

Jul 06, 201521 min

William B. Irvine on Living Stoically

How should we live? is a basic philosophical question. The Stoics had some answers. But are they relevant today? William B. Irvine thinks so. Listen to his conversation with Nigel Warburton on this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Jun 21, 201514 min

Steven Lukes on Power

What is power? Steven Lukes argues for a three-dimensional account of this concept in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Jun 06, 201514 min

Theodore Zeldin on Philosophy and History

The historian and writer Theodore Zeldin gives his personal take on the relation betwen philosophy and history in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Jun 06, 201512 min

Jesse Prinz on Art and Emotion

What part do emotions play in our appreciation of art? Jesse Prinz explores the sense of wonder at artworks in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

May 22, 201520 min

Cassim Quassam on Conspiracy Theories

What is a conspiracy? Why do conspiracies - real or imagined - matter to philsophy? Cassim Quaassam explores these questions in conversation with Nigel Warburton

May 10, 201521 min

Tim Williamson on the Appeal of Relativism

Are all truths relative? That's an attractive idea for many people. Tim Williamson , Wykeham Professor of Logic at Oxford University discusses why and attempts to immunise us against sloppy thinking in this area.

Apr 28, 201514 min

Shaun Nichols on Death and the Self

How does your view of the self affect your attitude to your own death? Shaun Nichols discusses this question in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Apr 14, 201515 min

Rebecca Roache on Swearing

Warning: this episode on the philosophy of swearing includes swearing. Rebecca Roache discusses swearing and whether there are good arguments for refraining from it.

Mar 29, 201518 min

Lisa Bortolotti on Irrationality

We're all irrational some of the time, probably more of the time than we are ready to acknowledge. Lisa Bortolotti discusses the nature of irrationality with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Mar 19, 201517 min

Jonathan Webber on Deceiving With Words

There are many ways to deceive with words, some of which don't involve lying. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Jonathan Webber considers whether it matters or not if you lie.

Mar 01, 201514 min

Simon Critchley on Suicide

Albert Camus described suicide as the 'one really serious philosophical problem'. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Simon Critchley discusses suicide with Nigel Warburton .

Feb 16, 201518 min

Christine Korsgaard on the Status of Animals

Many philosophers argue in favour of the welfare of animals because of their capacity for feeling pain. Harvard philosopher Christine Korsgaard is unusual in using Kantian arguments to defend the status of animals as ends in themselves. She discusses her approach with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Feb 03, 201516 min

Meira Levinson on the Aims of Education

What are the aims of education? Meira Levinson discusses this important question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosoph Bites podcast.

Jan 18, 201519 min

Lucy Allais on Forgiveness

What is forgiveness? Whom does it benefit? Is it ever obligatory? Lucy Allais discusses these questions in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Jan 04, 201517 min

Who is the most impressive philosopher you've met? A compilation.

We've collected a range of answers to the question 'Who's the most impressive philosopher you've met?' This includes the late Ronald Dworkin's response along with many others. Some of the answers are expected, but quite a few are suprising.

Dec 20, 201438 min

Julia Annas on What is Virtue Ethics For?

Julia Annas explains what Virtue Ethics is for and how it differs from other approaches to the question of how we should live in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Dec 20, 201415 min

Hugh Mellor on Probability

What is probability? Not an easy question to answer. We thought our best chance of clarity on this question was from Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge University and author of a book on the subject, Hugh Mellor ...

Dec 07, 201414 min

Rebecca Newberger Goldstein on Progress in Philosophy

In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Nigel Warburton interviews the philosopher and novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein about whether Philosophy has made any progress since the time of Plato. If you enjoy Philosophy Bites, please support us on Patreon or via the Paypal links on our blog ....

Nov 13, 201416 min

Adam Swift on Parental Partiality

Most people think it is acceptable to advantage their children, but how far should this go? Adam Swift discusses the limits of parental partiality in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Oct 27, 201417 min
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