Episode description

Is philosophy an unbiased quest for the true account of the world?

From Plato to Aristotle, Russell to Wittgenstein, we traditionally see philosophers as engaged in the disinterested pursuit of truth: a view philosophers themselves are inclined to encourage. But in a postmodern world, shaped by Richard Rorty's claim that philosophy is merely a form of 'cultural politics', few now imagine that truth with a capital 'T' can be uncovered. Must we abandon the ideal of a philosophy free from motives and social goals? If so, how is such a philosophy to be distinguished from literature or politics? Should we hold on to philosophy as the pursuit of the one true story of the world, with logic and rationality central to the endeavour, or are these themselves rhetorical tools to convince the unwary? Janne Teller, Barry C. Smith and Silvia Jonas exchange their views.

Janne Teller is a critically-acclaimed writer, whose oeuvre consists mainly of novels, essays, and short stories, often focusing on grand-scale existential topics which spark controversial debate.

Barry C Smith is a philosophy professor, and the director of the Institute of Philosophy at the University of London’s School of Advanced Study. He also co-directs the Centre for the Study of the Senses, a research centre trying to understand how our senses contribute to our perception of the world.

Sophie Allen is a renowned philosopher, her work focuses on philosophical methodology, metaphilosophy and metaphysics. She is a lecturer at the University of Keele where she writes on the very understanding of philosophy itself.

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