Philosophy For Our Times

Is rationality productive or is it a method for manipulation?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesRationality, once revered, has had a bad press. Increasingly derided as the rhetorical bluster of the educated elite, typically powerful and male. And seen as the prejudiced claim of those who are sure they are right. Yet in its absence public debate becomes ever more rancorous and tribal.Do we need less emotion, more calm, and more rational conversation and debate? Should we see rationality as a method for positive change? Or is rationality a rhetorical delusion, a means of dressing up privilege and power, which should be seen for what it is, a defence of the vested interests it seeks to hide?Eminent philosopher of mind and psychology Sophie Archer, ground breaking Oxford logician Timothy Williamson and trailblazing cultural critic Nina Power put reason and emotion to the test. Hosted by Mary Ann Sieghart.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=rethinking-reason See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Should we be scared of AI?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesJoanna Bryson discusses how she became interested in the ways different species use intelligence, how the typical tropes in science fiction misunderstand AI and the problem of anthropomorphism. In this interview, Bryson discusses the most pressing ethical challenges concerning the future of artificial intelligence and whether or not we can stabilize democracy when we have so much information about each other. She also touches on how the problems that arise with AI aren't always to do with the technology itself but with the social conditions that often produce it.Joanna Bryson is professor at Hertie School in Berlin. She works on Artificial Intelligence, ethics and collaborative cognition. She advises governments, corporations, and other agencies globally, particularly on AI policy.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=human-justice-and-machine-intelligenceSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Will science ever come on top? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In a survey of academic philosophers 85% identified as atheists. In Europe established religion has been in decline for a century; even in the States attendance is falling. Yet globally religion remains a potent force, and predictions of its demise have not materialised. Amongst those who have abandoned established religion new forms of spirituality, such as mindfulness and yoga are on the rise. Does religion, in all its many forms, provide a psychological support for humans that makes it essential - without which there is only the void?Scientist, author, and parapsychology researcher Rupert Sheldrake, Hegelian psychoanalyst Slavoj Zizek and Professor of History at University of Madison-Wisconsin Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen discuss whether the persistence of religion is an extended but ultimately temporary phenomenon. Wes Alwan 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=fantasy-and-the-voidSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can you be an atheism 'expert'? And if you are, what do you have to say? Listen to find out.Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesThe first decade of the 21st century saw an extraordinary rise in confident atheism. Now the whirlwind has settled, what does the future of belief look like? In this talk philosopher and author of Atheism: A Very Short Introduction, Julian Baggini explores the new landscape of atheism. Julian Baggini is a British philosopher, journalist and author of over 20 philosophical books. Since graduating with a PhD from University College London in 1997, he has co-founded The Philosopher's Magazine and been a regular contributor to both national and international newspapers. 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=atheism-revisitedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are scientific metaphors a real description of reality? A discussion between our scientists and philosophers.Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesFrom string theory to the Big Bang, black holes to dark matter, our big scientific theories are increasingly conveyed through metaphor. Yet from Newton to the latest theories, science is largely founded on mathematics.Could Newton have chosen to call forces 'spirits' and Einstein have called fields 'matrices'? And if so would our understanding of reality have been profoundly different?Fellow at the Francis Crick Institute Güneş Taylor, scientist and author Rupert Sheldrake, chemist and author of popular works of science Peter Atkins and post-postmodern philosopher Hilary Lawson debate whether scientific metaphors can be considered real descriptions of an underlying universe. Joanna Kavenna 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=does-ultimate-truth-existSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The case for nihilism, demons of materialism, and jazz?! Join us for a fascinating discussion.Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesOn this week’s episode we are joined by Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at Keele University, James Tartaglia, to discuss the meaning of life and common misconceptions surrounding nihilism. We dive into a fascinating conversation about the role of materialism in our contemporary experience of the world, and James puts forward an appealing argument for the return to idealism, while encouraging us to chuck out determinism. To top it all, he shares how and why he combines jazz music with philosophy in his personal life.James Tartaglia is a British philosopher and the author of Philosophy in a Meaningless Life and Philosophy in a Technological World: Gods and Titans. James also leads a Jazz-Philosophy fusion band called 'Continuum of Selves'.This interview was recorded at our philosophy and music festival HowTheLightGetsIn. If you want to check out the video footage click here. 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=james-tartaglia-interviewSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Should the origins of ideas matter as much as their substance? Our experts discuss.Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesThere has always been dispute over which ideas are most significant. But at least there used to be broad agreement about the hallmarks of quality and the great works in each field. Now, from literature to the social sciences, there are claims that previous standards were structures of prejudice and oppression, and calls are heard for greater inclusion.How do we navigate this new space where there is so little agreement on merit? Should we abandon the notion of 'great works' altogether, or would this threaten the very survival of our culture and much that we hold to be valuable?Literary theorist Stanley Fish, author of How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff, journalist and editor of MsAfropolitan, Minna Salami and writer and essayist Janne Teller rethink what makes a great work of art. Hosted by BBC Parliamentary Correspondent, Sean Curran.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=popularity-and-prejudiceSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you ready for a different kind of 'trip'?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesWe have a very special episode for you today, a truly fascinating (and at times even funky) philosophical discussion.From Silicon Valley to the treatment of depression, psychedelics have entered the mainstream. And with them come new political, economic and philosophical horizons. Join us as scientist Rupert Sheldrake and philosopher Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes discuss the past, present and future of the mind.Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist whose research led to the theory of morphic resonance and nature's memory. In his book Ways To Go Beyond he explores states of altered consciousness and their implication on the mind. Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a philosopher of mind, described as "a psychedelic Nietzsche". He is a Research Fellow and Associate Lecturer in University of Exeter's Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology Department, who specialises in altered states of sentience.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=in-conversation-with-rupert-sheldrakeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is the brain just a computer? Are AI conscious? Or could they be? Our experts debate.Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The idea of the brain as a computer is everywhere. So much so we have forgotten it is a model and not the reality. It’s a metaphor that has lead some to believe that in the future they'll be uploaded to the digital ether and thereby achieve immortality. It’s also a metaphor that garners billions of dollars in research funding every year. Yet researchers argue that when we dig down into our grey matter our biology is anything but algorithmic. And increasingly, critics contend that the model of the brain as computer is sending scientists (and their resources) nowhere fast.Is our attraction to the idea of the brain as computer an accident of current human technology? Can we find a better metaphor that might lead to a new paradigm? Is there something about computers that has indeed identified the very same processes that are operating in our brains, or is it a profound mistake to imagine the organic can be reduced to technology?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=models-metaphors-and-mindsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Has science become the philosophical belief of our time? Leading scientists and philosophers discuss.Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesIn less than a lifetime, the first half of the twentieth century brought a series of life changing inventions. In combination with the all encompassing new stories of physics, science, once a branch of philosophy, became the philosophical belief of our time. Some claimed philosophy was over.Yet in the last half century, technology has become more contentious and big scientific theory has seemingly stalled. Might philosophy once again find itself centre stage at a time when knowledge and progress are in question? Or is science still the only credible way to improve our circumstances and make sense of the world?Co-founder and editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine, Julian Baggini, chemist Peter Atkins, Crick Institute Researcher Güneş Taylor, and consciousness philosopher Philip Goff argue over life, the universe and everything. Hosted by researcher and author, Melanie Challenger.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=when-science-meets-philosophySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.