Philosophy For Our Times

Do your beliefs control you? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesOnce faith was revered. Now in a secular age, it is seen by many as an irrational dedication to an unproven belief. Yet science, Marxism, and liberalism, all rely on core beliefs that are unprovable. And to live without belief in anything at all would be considered empty and meaningless.Should we accept that an element of faith is required whatever our perspective, and embrace the comfort and purpose that stems from unqualified belief? Or is this to undermine the very idea of knowledge and progress, heralding a world where evidence means nothing and only rhetoric matters?Former Director of Human Rights NGO Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti, groundbreaking physicist Carlo Rovelli, Consciousness expert Philip Goff, and world leader in relativity and cosmology George Ellis discuss the necessity and danger of belief. Isabel Hilton 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=how-dangerous-are-your-beliefsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How much should we trust our leaders? Listen to find out!Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesGreat leaders promise to change the world. They claim to have the vision and the values to transform our lives. But rarely do they deliver. Again and again the promises are not kept, the transformation fails to arrive, and instead there is incompetence, deceit and duplicity.Are leaders a singularly useless and malevolent bunch? Or could it be that the hypocrisy is in fact ours, demanding ethical standards we do not apply to ourselves and which none can live up to, and expecting leaders implausibly to solve intractable problems once and for all? Would we be better to stop vilifying our politicians and leaders and focus on the complexity and challenge of finding the best solutions, or is it simply the case that absolute power corrupts absolutely and we should redouble our oversight to ensure they remain in check?In Association with Havas.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=leadership, hypocrisy and powerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is consciousness all in the brain after all? Listen to find out!Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesHave you ever made a decision and wondered why you made it? Or wondered where your morality comes from? Renowned philosopher of mind and founder of Neurophilosophy Patricia Churchland takes us on a journey into the brain, the nature and data of morality and the origins of nonconscious decision-making.Patricia Churchland is a the distinguished founder of neurophilosophy. A pioneer of eliminative materialism, Patricia heralds a radically different way to understand the brain, arguing that ideas like pure morality and reason will eventually be abandoned in favour of a purely scientific view of the human mind.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-neuroscience-of-consciousnessSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is there more?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesMany despise the arrival of a post-truth world and fear politicians who blatantly manipulate facts and peddle falsehoods. But does this rely on assuming that truth is objective and falsehoods can be simply identified? Does the demise of truth mark the end of centuries of progress? Or is truth a construct of the powerful and post-truth a revolution against elites?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-world-beyond-what-we-seeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When did we become MORE THAN...? And why?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesMany think fur coats immoral yet are happy to wear leather shoes. We fiercely protect tigers and pandas from extinction, while thousands of vital insect species get notably less attention and concern. Many claim to be concerned about the welfare of animals. But it is the cute and the charismatic that come first. The others are largely an after thought.Should we end this hypocrisy by treating animal species equally, however difficult this might be? Should biodiversity be an end in itself and the basis for intervention? Or are we right to make distinctions based on the value we attach to the species along with the accident of human desire, fashion and aesthetics?Philosopher, cultural critic and author of Aping Mankind Ray Tallis, writer, poet and podcaster Melanie Challenger, farmer, author, politician Jamie Blackett and Professor of Sociology at Kingston University Kay Peggs debate the hypocrisy of the way we treat animals. Myriam Francois hosts.In association with Future Normal.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=humans-and-other-animalsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who are we really? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesNYU Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah details his journey and life's work, from why identity is such an important issue to how his experiences have differed across countries, and to the impact he wants his writing to have.Kwame Anthony Appiah is Professor of Philosophy and Law at New York University and author of 'The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity and Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers.'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-philosophy-of-who-we-areSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We keep looking for something more... for a reason.Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesPilgrimage is undergoing a revival across Europe. But why are so many non-religious people drawn to spiritual journeys? Author of Ways To Go Beyond Rupert Sheldrake asks why we are attracted to holy places.Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist, author and parapsychology researcher, best known for his hypothesis of morphic resonance. He is a critic of New Atheism, and has also challenged the idea that the laws of nature are fixed and unchanging.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=spirituality-for-the-non-religiousSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can we crack to key to happiness once and for all? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesMost of us think of suffering as a necessary feature of life. But what if that's just a lie we tell ourselves because we can't imagine the alternative? In this interview, David Pearce explores the practical possibilities of biomedically engineering a world of intelligent bliss.David Pearce is an eminent figure within the transhumanist movement, and co-founder of Humanity+, an international organisation which advocates for the technological enhancement of the human species. He envisions a future completely free of suffering for both humans and non-human animals, a pain-free paradise in which all thought, feeling, and experience is sublimated into what he calls "gradients of bliss". The abolition of suffering is for David an ethical necessity, elaborated in his manifesto, The Hedonistic Imperative.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-philosopher's-guide-to-being-happySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Graham Harman, a philosopher of object-oriented ontology, joins cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman, known for his work on perception, and philosopher Mazviita Chirimuuta, who specializes in the philosophy of mind. They dive into the captivating question of whether our perceptions truly reflect reality or are merely evolutionary adaptations. Topics include the perception paradox influenced by synesthesia, the indirect nature of accessing reality, and the limitations of human cognition. They also discuss the diverse perceptions of non-human entities, inviting a reevaluation of consciousness.

What even is "expertise"? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesWe turn to experts for guidance in uncertain times, but what happens when the experts disagree? Should we just wait until they figure it out, or disregard evidence and go with our gut? Professor of Philosophy at Stockholm University Anandi Hattiangadi investigates the logical labyrinth of expertise.Anandi Hattiangadi is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Stockholm, with interests in the philosophy of mind and language, epistemology, and meta-ethics. She is a core part of the interdisciplinary program 'Knowledge Resistance: Causes, Consequences, and Cures'.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 logical-labyrinth-of-expertiseSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.