Philosophy For Our Times

Are we bound by traditional rules for life or is it time for a new playbook? Tune in to find out!Seeking the link mentioned in this episode? It's right here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesIn this thought-provoking discussion, our distinguished panelists delve into the foundations of moral codes and rules for living. Sophie-Grace Chappell, Professor of Philosophy at the Open University, Massimo Pigliucci, Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York, and Simon Baron-Cohen, Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, wrestle with the question: Can life be reduced to a rulebook? They debate the influence of religious commandments, the rise of self-help books like Jordan Peterson's 'The 12 Rules for Life', and whether such codes are inherently flawed. Our panelists also ponder the role of these frameworks in upholding social order and institutions. This insightful conversation is moderated by journalist and broadcaster Myriam François.The PanelSophie-Grace Chappell, Massimo Pigliucci, and Simon Baron-Cohen, all respected philosophers and psychologists, bring their deep insights to this critical discussion, posing thought-provoking questions about the nature of life's rules and moral codes. Myriam François, a seasoned journalist and broadcaster, expertly guides the conversation.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-new-10-commandmentsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Could it be that the world's true essence is beyond our comprehension? And what if this isn't a drawback, but an advantage? Explore this paradox in this interview with Hilary Lawson. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesWe tend to think the world is divided into bits, and we spend time trying to define those bits. But what if this metaphysical approach is false? In this interview, we sit down with the post-postmodern philosopher Hilary Lawson who walks us through his theory of Closure, a non-realist view which describes the world as an open, unreachable 'other', and provides an account of how we enclose the world with our language, thoughts and categories.Hilary Lawson is a philosopher and a renowned critic of philosophical realism. He is best known for his work on reflexivity and his theory of Closure, which puts forward a non-realist metaphysics arguing that we close the openness of the world with our thought and language.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-making-of-reality-hilary-lawsonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can you understand a novel - or a life - before you know how it ends?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesFrom Beethoven's 5th to Batman, Harry Potter to Hamlet, we want and expect satisfying endings that tie up loose ends and provide resolution. But real life doesn't often come tied up so neatly. Relationships and careers often evolve in tangled confusion with transitions that can leave messy legacies. And, as TS Eliot said, often things end "not with a bang but a whimper."                     Is it that our stories and narratives are in error, or the way we run our lives? Academy award nominee David Hare, critically acclaimed writer Janne Teller and director-producer Sophie Fiennes talk endings. Hosted by Barry Smith, Director of the Institute of Philosophy.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=after-happily-ever-afterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is "truth" a redundant concept? Listen as Simon Blackburn grapples with the topic. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesTruth has had a difficult century. More than ever we are lost as to both 'what truth is' and 'what is true'. Should we instead turn to pragmatism? Join Simon Blackburn to explore why truth and pragmatism may be more aligned than at first it may seem.Author of Think and Truth: A guide for the perplexed, Simon Blackburn has worked to bring philosophy to a wider audience. He was a Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge University and Vice President of the British Humanist Association.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=a-tale-of-truth-with-simon-blackburnSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is our focus on happiness making us unhappy?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes"Oh happiness! Our being’s end and aim!” claimed Alexander Pope. Now, a few centuries later, it's not just smiling faces on billboards, some governments have made happiness measures a central goal. 89% of young people in their twenties think life has no purpose other than happiness. But might this be a fundamental error? Income in the West has gone up three fold since the 1950's, but those who say they are unhappy has not fallen, instead it is up 50%. Countries, like New Zealand, that target a happiness index have some of the highest rates of depression and suicide.Should we see happiness not as the goal, but as the outcome of other actions and focus instead on purpose and achievement, both individual and collective? Or is the notion of an end or purpose to life, be it happiness or anything else, the fundamental mistake?Cofounder of Novara Media Aaron Bastani, behavioural scientist Paul Dolan and multi-award-winning author Joanna Kavenna debate the the role of happiness in life. Rana Mitter hosts.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-happiness-delusionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is materialism a fundamental mistake?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesThe relationship between the individual human subject and the world was once the central focus of Western philosophy. Modern neuroscience has instead tended to assume that the world is purely material and physical, and the problem of consciousness a question of how to generate thought from matter. Yet, we are no closer to solving the deep puzzle of consciousness and many argue that the American philosopher Thomas Nagel is right when he maintains that the question of consciousness 'cannot be detached from subject and object'.Is the notion that the world is purely material a fundamental mistake? Would we be more likely to unlock the mysteries of consciousness by once again adopting the framework of the subject and object? Or will slow, piecemeal advances in neuroscience and analytic philosophy eventually yield the answers that we have been searching for?Revolutionary cognitive psychologist Donald Hoffman (joining us live from across the pond), neuroscientist Hannah Critchlow and philosopher Sam Coleman battle to unlock consciousness. Hosted by award-winning novelist Joanna Kavenna.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-key-to-consciousnessSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Does science have anything to say about our freedom of choice?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesA famed experiment, by Libet in the 1980s, led many scientists and philosophers to argue that free will was an illusion. Despite the experiment being challenged at the time and in recent studies, its legacy persists. Many materialists still contend that free will has been shown to be illusory, supporting their belief that humans are merely biological machines. We often imagine that experiment settles the matter, but should we instead conclude that our interpretation of experiment is a function of our desire to believe its outcome? Or can empiricism really determine the existence or non-existence of free will?Prolific British writer, philosopher and co-founder of The Philosophers’ Magazine, Julian Baggini, renowned Australian philosopher of science, Peter Godfrey-Smith, and leading British neuroscientist and UCL professor, Sarah Garfinkel, argue about empiricism and its role in determining the existence of free will. Alex O'Connor hosts.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-future-of-freedomSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can synthetic drugs induce true feelings of love?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesFrom the Christian tenet 'God is love' to the plots of countless novels and films, love is seen as central to our lives. Yet from scientific studies along with anecdotal accounts we know that psychoactive substances and MDMA in particular can enhance and even induce feelings of love. If love can be hacked by a change in brain chemistry, might our romanticised idea of love itself be the distortion? Should we use drugs to encourage, initiate and repair relationships as some therapists advocate? Or are such experiences false, damaging, and potentially socially dangerous? Is love a product of brain chemistry, or, is it something deeper that a drug could never replicate? There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=love-and-other-drugsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can we make ultimate moral judgements?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesFor a couple of millenia in the West we have judged people and their actions by the standards of good and evil. But, from Mother Theresa to Winston Churchill the notion that an individual is simply good is hard to sustain. Almost all claim to be good. Even the Nazis believed they were on a moral crusade against the evils of corruption and deceit, managing to enlist the Catholic church in support. And, from the Crusades to 9/11, seeing oneself and one's cause as good has a habit of intensifying dispute and conflict.Should we conclude that dividing the world into good and bad is not just misguided but actually dangerous? Should we adopt a Roman approach to human qualities and actions where kindness and brutality could both be valued in the same one individual. Or is the distinction between good and bad essential to social well being, public order, and individual growth?Fearless thinker, Tommy Curry, esteemed philosopher, Massimo Pigliucci, and author of Zed, Joanna Kavenna, explore whether 'good' and 'evil' are just categories used for coercion. Hosted by Myriam Francois.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-good-and-the-evilSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do we believe things because they are true or because they are convenient?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesMassimo Pigliucci argues that adopting the principles of scientific and ethical scepticism can lead us to think and live better. We all like to think of ourselves as discerning people. But research shows that many of our firmly-held beliefs are in fact false. It's not enough to simply decry others' beliefs as nonsense, we must be just as sceptical about our own. Join renowned philosopher Massimo Pigliucci to explore how to truly live the life of a sceptic.Massimo Pigliucci is a philosophy professor at City College New York and one of the world's leading thinkers in the study of Ancient Stoicism. His most recent books include The Quest for Character and Think like a Stoic.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=how-to-be-a-sceptic-massimo-pigliucciSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.