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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

Molly Crockett on Brain Chemistry and Moral Decision-Making (originally on Bioethics Bites)

Can moral decision-making be affected by chemical means? And if so, should we use drugs for this purpose? Molly Crockett 's research in this area is the basis of this Philosophy Bites interview which was originally released on Bioethics Bites and made in association with the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics and with a grant from the Wellcome Institute ....

Jul 22, 201217 min

Huw Price on Backward Causation

Effects can't precede their causes, can they? The direction of causation is forwards not backwards. But this common belief doesn't mesh with every aspect of contemporary physics. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Huw Price discusses the counterintuitive idea that retro-causation might occur. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....

Jul 15, 201216 min

Hanna Pickard on Responsibility and Personality Disorder (originally on Bioethics Bites)

Does a diagnosis of personality disorder exempt an individual from moral responsibility? Hanna Pickard discusses this question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. This episode was originally released on Bioethics Bites which was made in association with the Uehiro Centre with a grant from the Wellcome Trust ....

Jul 07, 201216 min

Jonathan Dancy on Moral Particularism

Is morality a matter of applying general principles? Jonathan Dancy , a moral particularist, thinks not. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he defends moral particularism in conversation with Nigel Warburton . Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....

Jun 29, 201214 min

Tim Lewens on Selling Organs (originally on Bioethics Bites)

Can it ever be acceptable to sell human body parts. Tim Lewens discusses this increasingly pertinent moral question with Nigel Warburton . This episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast was originally released on Bioethics Bites and made in association with the Uehiro Centre with a grant from the Wellcome Trust ....

Jun 22, 201218 min

John Tomasi on Free Market Fairness

Is free market fairness an oxymoron? John Tomasi , author of Free Market Fairness , argues that economic freedom and social justice are compatible. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he explains his position in conversation with Nigel Warburton . Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy....

Jun 16, 201218 min

Jonathan Wolff on Political Bioethics (originally on Bioethics Bites)

How should health resources be distributed? Jonathan Wolff discusses this and related questions in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. This episode was originally released on Bioethics Bites in association with the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics and made possible by a grant from the Wellcome Trust ....

Jun 10, 201220 min

Fiery Cushman on Moral Luck

Should morality be immune from luck? It seems so. Yet outcomes beyond participants' control seem to affect our judgements of culpability. Fiery Cushman , a psychologist in the area of experimental philosophy (x-phi), has been investigating the phenomenon of moral luck and our apparently conflicting judgements about culpability and luck. In this interview with Nigel Warburton for the podcast Philosophy Bites he discusses his research on conflicting moral intuitions about outcomes, intentions, wro...

Jun 02, 201215 min

Onora O'Neill on Trust (originally on Bioethics Bites)

Trust is crucial in areas of medicine and health. But what sort of explicit consent should doctors obtain before medical treatment? Onora O'Neill discusses the place of trust in areas of bioethics with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast (originally on Bioethics Bites , a series made in association with the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics and made possible by a grant from the Wellcome Trust )....

May 27, 201218 min

Adina Roskies on Neuroscience and Free Will

Some recent research in neuroscience seems to point to the conclusion that free will is an illusion. That's certainly the conclusion that some have drawn. But Adina Roskies is sceptical. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she explains to David Edmonds why she thinks that that conclusion isn't supported by the facts. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....

May 20, 201218 min

NIck Bostrom on the Status Quo Bias

Are we systematically biases against changing the status quo? It seems that we are. In this interview, originally released as part of the Bioethics Bites series, Nick Bostrom discusses this tendency and its implications when it comes to making decisions about cognitive enhancement. Bioethics Bites is made in association with the Oxford University Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics and made possible by a grant from the Wellcome Trust ....

May 13, 201219 min

Galen Strawson on Panpsychism

Could everything that exists have experiences? Is there something that it is like to be an electron? This sounds unlikey on first hearing, but in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Galen Strawson argues in conversation with Nigel Warburton , that panpsychism is the best explanation of how things are. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....

May 05, 201211 min

Peter Singer on Life and Death Decision-Making (originally on Bioethics Bites)

How should doctors, patients and family make end of life decisions? Peter Singer explores questions about euthanasia, abortion and autonomy in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this bonus episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast (originally released on Bioethics Bites ). This episode was made as part of Bioethics Bites in association with the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethic s and made possible by a grant from the Wellcome Trust ....

Apr 29, 201216 min

Philip Pettit on Republicanism

What is republicanism? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Philip Pettit outlines the key features of this important strand in political philosophy, one which has a continuing relevance today. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .

Apr 21, 201222 min

Jeff McMahan on Moral Status (originally on Bioethics Bites)

Disagreement about moral status is at the heart of many issues in practical ethics. In this bonus episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast (originally released on Bioethics Bites ) Jeff McMahan , in conversation with Nigel Warburton , explores some of the questions surrounding the status of a human foetus, non-human animals, and those in persistent vegative states. Biothethics Bites is made in association with the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethic s and made possible by a grant from the We...

Apr 15, 201219 min

Adrian Moore on Philosophy and Its History

What is the point of studying philosophy's past? Is it just to learn about the history of ideas? Is there something special about the history of philosophy that makes it different from the history of other subjects? Adrian Moore , author of a new book on the history of philosophy, The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics , discusses these questions with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....

Apr 06, 201214 min

Julian Savulescu on Designer Babies (originally on Bioethics Bites)

Is it ethical to select advantageous genes and select against disadvantageous genes when having babies? Julian Savulescu , Director of the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics in Oxford, discusses this question with Nigel Warburton . This bonus episode was originally made for Bioethics Bites in association with the Uehiro Centre and made possible by a grant from the Wellcome Trust ....

Apr 02, 201221 min

Neil Levy on Moral Responsibility and Consciousness

Do recent discoveries in neuroscience threaten the notion of moral responsibility? Could we have moral responsibility without full consciousness of the significance of our actions? Neil Levy discusses these questions in conversation with Nigel Warburton for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....

Mar 23, 201219 min

Ronald Dworkin on the Unity of Value

Is liberty compatible with equality? Many philosophers think it can't be, and that pluralism is the correct response. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Ronald Dworkin argues that there is a fundamental unity of value. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .

Mar 09, 201218 min

Guy Longworth on J.L. Austin and Ordinary Language

J. L. Austin, who died in 1960, was an immensely influential philosopher whose method involved precise scrutiny of ordinary language: the precise words, the contexts in which they were uttered, and what people were doing by uttering them. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Guy Longworth discusses the key features of Austin's approach. Philosophy Bites is made in associaton with the Institute of Philosophy ....

Feb 25, 201215 min

Philip Schofield on Jeremy Bentham's Utilitarianism

Jeremy Bentham, legal reformer and philosopher, was an early Utilitarian. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Nigel Warburton interviews Bentham scholar and head of the Bentham Project , Philip Schofield about Bentham's contribution to moral philosophy. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....

Feb 11, 201215 min

Nicola Lacey on Criminal Responsibilityhttp

What is criminal responsibility? Is it a timeless concept, or does it have a historical aspect? Nicola Lacey addresses these questions in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .

Jan 27, 201218 min

Alain de Botton on Atheism 2.0

Some atheists despise religion and ridicule it as absurd. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Alain de Botton , author of Religion for Atheists , takes a more pragmatic line, arguing that atheists can learn a great deal from religion. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .

Jan 16, 201215 min

Kit Fine on What is Metaphysics?http

Metaphysics is the philosophical study of reality. But what does that mean in pratice, and what are the limits of what it can reveal? Kit Fine addresses the question 'What is Metaphysics?' in discussion with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....

Jan 01, 201215 min

Brian Leiter on the Analytic/Continental Distinction

Is there a useful distinction to be made between analytic and continental philosophy? Brian Leiter thinks not. Listen to him in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .

Dec 18, 201117 min

Melissa Lane on Plato and Sustainability

What can Plato teach us about sustainability? According to Princeton's Melissa Lane , author of Eco-Republic, quite a lot. Melissa discusses this topic with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....

Dec 03, 201115 min

Tim Crane on Animal Minds

What sort of minds do other animals have? Tim Crane discusses this intriguing question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .

Nov 20, 201119 min

Sean Kelly on Homer and Philosophy

Homer is a great poet, but is he relevant to philosopy? Harvard University's Sean Kelly believes that he is and that we can glean important insights from studying Homer's work, insights about what it is to be human that might otherwise be overlooked. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .

Nov 05, 201118 min

Paul Boghossian on Moral Relativism

Are moral judgements simply relative to culture? Are moral relativists in the grip of a fundamental confusion, or is that just the view of a philosophical subculture? Paul Boghossian suggests that moral relativism is an untenable position in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....

Oct 23, 201117 min

Jonathan Glover on Systems of Belief

Beliefs are important. Wars are fought over conflicting belief systems. Philosophers ask 'What is it reasonable to believe?' Can philosophers, then, give us any insights into what is going on when belief systems clash? Jonathan Glover discusses this issue with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy...

Oct 09, 201120 min
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