Philosophy For Our Times

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesFor much of human history, nature was our god. Yet now science and technology, which once we used to tame nature, are increasingly seen as plundering the planet and wrecking the climate. Were the ancients right, and nature the source of all things and that which we should guard most closely? Or should we instead renew our belief in progress and human ingenuity to solve our current problems? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, David King, Sister Jayanti and Natalie Bennett tackle modern crises with ancient gods.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=modern-crises-and-ancient-godsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesEver since the discovery of DNA, we have fanstasised about creating new species of animals, or even 'improved' humans. But it is only in the last few years that a new gene editing technology, CRISPR, has made this a reality. Many claim it is already unstoppable, that we will always demand solutions to diseases if they are possible. Is CRISPR the key to improving health and defeating ageing? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Natalie Kofler, Steve Fuller and Angela Saini ask if we are now the masters of the universe.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=masters-of-the-worldSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesShould we seek to eradicate offence? Last year Ireland voted to get rid of its blasphemy laws, and most applauded the new right to offend the Catholic Church. Yet to avoid giving offence, student campuses are introducing no-platforming and safe spaces. Should we seek to eradicate offence to create a more tolerant and equal society? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, David Aaronovitch and Joanna Williams pull no punches. Please be aware that, due to the nature of this debate, this podcast may contain language that some listeners may find offensive.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-right-to-offendSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesIn a world obsessed with Trump, alternative facts have not had a great press. But it is a century and more since Nietzsche claimed 'there are no facts, only interpretations' - and fifty years since Thomas Kuhn argued that facts were theory dependent. Is an insistence on 'the facts' the dogmatic prejudice of believers in their particular truth? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Barry Barnes, Joanna Kavenna and John Ellis explore the prejudice of facts.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-prejudice-of-factsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesSeeing is believing, yet cognitive scientists seem to have uncovered these views as incorrect. Evolution led us to perceive what is best for survival and it turns out this has little to do with what we call 'reality'. Is reality then a creative construct that helps us to live but doesn't reflect the world? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, cognitive psychologist and author Donald Hoffman, philosopher Maria Baghramian and post-realist Hilary Lawson embark on a radical rethink of reality.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-reality-illusionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesThe brutal mechanism of natural selection gave rise to all life on our planet. Or so the Darwinian story goes. But from mice to great whales, it now appears that animals inherit socially acquired characteristics. Is the theory of natural selection a Victorian relic, about to be replaced by a new science of cultural evolution? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, philosopher of science Massimo Pigliucci, psychologist and primatologist Zanna Clay and professor of philosophy Tim Lewens ask if there is more to evolution than we might think.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=evolution-after-darwinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Saul Kripke, a pioneer in philosophy of language, and Timothy Williamson, an expert in logic and metaphysics, delve into the critical role of language in philosophy. Kripke shares how proper-name theory sparked his journey into this realm, while Williamson highlights how language errors can lead to flawed metaphysics. They also explore the influence of physics on philosophical discussions about time. With humor, they reflect on the future of analytic philosophy, suggesting its expansion beyond Anglo-American roots.

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesMany philosophers have concluded that morality is a subjective human invention. Should we then simply encourage and argue for acts we support and do without morality altogether? Or is the authority of morality the tenuous thread that holds society together? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Justin Smith, Jason Alexander McKenzie and Barry C. Smith question the necessity of morality.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-necessity-of-morality See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesWe admire achievers, from James Watt to Mandela, Marie Curie to Emmeline Pankhurst. Yet many spend their lives waiting for weekends and holidays. And does not play, both as sex, drugs and rock and roll, and as creative and physical endeavour provide us with the most memorable events in life? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Helen Lederer, Julian Baggini and Susan Neiman debate what it's all for.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=what's-it-all-forSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesTalk of other universes has become fashionable amongst physicists and string theory alike. Should we recognise ours as the only universe and give up on others as fantasy science? Or is slipping through a worm hole into another universe a credible reality rather than a Hollywood fairytale? In this episode of Philosophy for our Times, Cumrun Vafa, Mary-Jane Rubenstein and John Ellis go in search for the meaning of the multiverse.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-meaning-of-the-multiverseSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.