You think you know what's best but don't do it. We've all been there. For Plato and Aristotle this weakness of will presented a philosophical problem. Jessica Moss explains their contrasting approaches to this topic in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.
David Hume's 'Of the Standard of Taste' focuses on judgements about beauty in writing. Can we say with any authority that one writer or work is better than another? Michael Martin gives a clear analysis of Hume's essay on this topic in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Reliable texts of Hume's works are available from www.davidhume.org
What do we really care about? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Samuel Scheffler suggests that most of us care a lot about what happens after our deaths, and that affects what we feel about what is happening now and how we value it.
Must humour be moral? What about jokes that rely on immoral attitudes? Can they be funny? Are humour and morality simply separate spheres. Noel Carroll explores the relationship between humour and morality in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.
Can computers think? John Searle famously used the Chinese Room thought experiment to suggest that they can't. Daniel Dennett is suspicious about the way the thought experiment is set up. In this conversation with Nigel Warburton for the Philosophy Bites podcast he explains why.
'How should we live?' is a basic philosophical question. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Dale Jamieson addresses the question in a period when human beings are having devastating effects on the environment. Which virtues should we cultivate in these conditions?
Most philosophers today self-identify as within an Analytic or a Continental tradition. Where did these two cultures of philosophy come from? What role does Continental Philosophy play for Analytic Philosophy? Simon Glendinning investigates these questions in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast....
Is there any reasonable objection to same sex marriage? Les Green discusses this controversial issue from a philosphical perspective with Nigel Warburton for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.
Hitting someone, throwing a ball hard at someone's head, spitting at someone: these are all examples of harmful acts, called 'battery' in Tort Law, and most of us judge those who do such things without the victim's implied or actual consent as morally blameworthy. Could widespread aversion towards such acts be due to some kind of fundamental moral principle? John Mikhail discusses this question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in asso...
Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, published in 1651, remains one of the great works of political philosophy. Noel Malcolm has recently published a 3 volume scholarly edition of this book, based on decades of research. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he discusses how a better understanding of the context in which Hobbes was writing can lead to new insights. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....
Is there any connection between philosophy and running. Mark Rowlands , who began running to exercise his pet wolf thinks there is. Find out why in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, which was recorded at the 2013 'Words by the Water' Literary Festival at Keswick. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....
What are constitutions and how are we to interpret them? John Gardner addresses these questions in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in assocation with the Institute of Philosophy .
What is a hallucination? How does it differ from an illusion? Fiona Macpherson of Glasgow University 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 ....
Jeff McMahan argues against the private ownership of guns in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .
Descartes believed that we can have knowledge that was independent of experience. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Colin McGinn makes a case for there being some such knowledge. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .
What, if anything, is wrong with surveillance? Why value privacy? Tom Sorrell answers these questions in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in assocation with the Institute of Philosophy .
What can philosophers learn from schizophrenia? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast John Campbell discusses this intriguing question with David Edmonds. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .
Philosopher Kendall Walton argues that we can literally see through photographs in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy.
Ancient and modern concepts of freedom differ. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast political philosopher Alan Ryan compares and contrasts ancient and modern concepts of freedom in conversation with Nigel Warburton . Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy.
To celebrate the launch of our second Philosophy Bites book Philosophy Bites Back , we've released this special episode of the podcast. We asked a wide range of philosophers the question 'Who's your favourite philosopher?' We got a wider range of answers, but some patterns emerge.
Are we purely physical beings? Is the mind or soul immaterial? These questions have vexed philosophers for millenia. Avicenna, born in the 10th Century, believed he had a thought experiment that showed that we are not purely physical beings, the Flying Man thought experiment. Peter Adamson explains in this interview with Nigel Warburton for the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy....
Is conscious experience unified? A tricky question. Philosopher of mind Tim Bayne investigates it in conversation with Nigel Warburton for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....
An important aspect of understanding morality is accurate description of what happens when people make moral judgments. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Nigel Warburton talks to psychologist and philosopher Liane Young about her experiments designed to shed light on moral intentions.
How should we treat animals? Jeremy Bentham argued that we should weigh animal suffering in our moral decision making, and Peter Singer 's concept of speciesism is a modern version of that utilitarian approach. Gary L. Francione argues that philosophers like Peter Singer who focus on animal welfare have not gone far enough: what matters is that we shouldn't use animals at all. He calls his approach abolitionism . Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....
Richard Sorabji discusses Mahatma Gandhi 's philosophy of non-violence in this the 200th episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .
How can we talk about things that don't exist? Tim Crane explores this question in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .
Consciousness of pain may seem straightforward, but as Michael Tye shows, in conversation with Nigel Warburton , a number of philosophical questions arise from the experience of pain. The Philosophy Bites podcast series is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy .
What is free will and why should we care about it? Daniel C. Dennett addresses these questions in a wide-ranging Philosophy Bites interview with Nigel Warburton . Philosophy Bites is made in association with The Institute of Philosophy .
Can science give us any insight into morality? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, originally released on Bioethics Bites , neurophilosopher Patricia Churcland argues that it can. Bioethics Bites is made in association with the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics with a grant from the Wellcome Institute ....
Is it true that words can't harm you? What about hate speech? In the US the First Amendment protects a wide range of free expression, far wider than is tolerated, for instance, in the United Kingdom. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Rae Langton discusses the phenomenon of hate speech and some of the moral questions it gives rise to. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy ....
