The Philosopher's Arms

Pints and Philosophical Problems with Matthew Sweet. In this series, Matthew asks whether the sun will rise tomorrow, whether one person should be poisoned to save five others and whether a female tennis champion deserves the same prize money as her male counterpart. This week, should we take a pill that would make us less racist and less aggressive? In the snug with Matthew is philosopher Julian Savulescu.

Welcome to the Philosopher's Arms. A place where moral dilemmas, philosophical ideas and the real world meet for a chat and a drink. Matthew Sweet presents with a live audience.

Where do we get our sense of justice and fairness from? Is it hardwired in us? Are we nakedly self-interested creatures, or are we, at least partially, altruistic? These are questions philosophers - from Plato to Hobbes, from Rousseau to David Hume - have pondered for hundreds of years. And a famous game invented by economists- called The Ultimatum Game - may help provide some of the answers. All this is up for discussion and debate this week in The Philosopher's Arms. Welcome to the Philosopher's Arms - a place where philosophical ideas, logical dilemmas and the real world meet for a chat and a drink. Each week Matthew Sweet takes a thought experiment with philosophical pedigree and asks why it matters in the everyday world. En route we'll learn about the thinking of such luminaries as Aristotle, Hume, Kant and John Stuart Mill. And all recorded in a pub in front of a live audience, ready to tap their glasses and demand clarity. Questions we might confront along the way include: should the government put Prozac in the water supply? How should I treat my daughter if it turns out she's a robot? And is there anything morally wrong with having sex with a supermarket chicken? These will lead us into discussions about the treatment of mental illness, the structure of financial markets, and subjects as varied as happiness, infidelity and homosexuality. Our assumptions and intuitions will be challenged and, perhaps, undermined. Producer: David Edmonds.

Welcome to the Philosopher's Arms - a place where moral dilemmas, philosophical ideas and the real world meet for a chat and a drink. Each week Matthew Sweet takes a dilemma with real philosophical pedigree and sees how it matters in the everyday world. This week Matthew discovers that his adopted daughter is a robot. Should he treat her any differently from before? She's indistinguishable from a human so should she have the same status as a human? Philosopher Barry Smith, Autism mentor Robyn Steward; Artificial Intelligence creator Murray Shanahan and all join Matthew for a drink and a bit of advice. Each week in the Philosphers Arms Matthew is joined joined by a cast of philosophers and attendant experts to show how the dilemma's we face in real life connect us to some of the trickiest philosophical problems ever thought up. En route we'll learn about the thinking of such luminaries as Kant, Hume, Aristotle and Wittgenstein. All recorded in a pub in front of a live audience ready to tap their glasses and demand clarity and ask - what's this all got to do with me? So questions such as should the government put prozac in the water supply? And my daughter is a robot, how should I treat her? Lead us into dilemmas, problems and issues from the treatment of mental illness to the structure of financial markets, from animal rights to homosexuality. And they will challenge a few of the assumptions and intuitions about life that we carry round with us. Producer James Cook.

Welcome to the Philosopher's Arms - a very special pub where moral dilemmas, philosophical ideas and the real world meet for a chat and a drink. Each week Matthew Sweet takes a dilemma with real philosophical pedigree and sees how it matters in the everyday world. This week he's been offered an Experience Machine. It's a device that guarantees the sensation of a happy and fulfilled life. But it's not real. Should Matthew plug in? David Willets, Jo Wolf and David Geaney join him for a drink to explain the big thinkers behind this idea and debate the nature of happiness, drugs, reality and the role of government. Each week in the Philosphers Arms Matthew is joined by a cast of philosophers and attendant experts to show how the dilemmas we face in real life connect us to some of the trickiest philosophical problems ever thought up. En route we'll learn about the thinking of such luminaries as Kant, Hume, Aristotle and Wittgenstein. All recorded in a pub in front of a live audience ready to tap their glasses and demand clarity and ask - what's this all got to do with me? So questions such as should the government put prozac in the water supply? And my daughter is a robot, how should I treat her? Lead us into dilemmas, problems and issues from the treatment of mental illness to the structure of financial markets, from animal rights to homosexuality. And they will challenge a few of the assumptions and intuitions about life that we carry round with us. Producer David Edmonds.

Keith Fyans, anarchist advocating community self-governance. Suzanne Karstedt, criminologist with empirical work on obedience and law-change effects. Massimo Renzo, philosopher on duty to obey, consent and civil disobedience. They debate why people follow laws, everyday rule-breaking, civil disobedience versus exemptions, and whether communities can replace state authority.

James Nielsen, a lawyer who drafts government bills and wrestles with real-world cutoffs. Joseph Melia, a philosopher tracing the sorites paradox and debates over vagueness. They explore baldness and heap puzzles, legal definitions like lap-dancing and raves, age cutoffs in law, and contrasts between precision, fuzzy logic, and ordinary language.

Brad LaHaw, a practising painter who remakes and prints artworks, and Nigel Warburton, a philosopher of aesthetics, debate reproduction, authorship and how origin shapes value. They explore appearance versus reality, cases like Duchamp and Hitler, branding and neuroscience studies on expectation. Short, lively conversations about whether copies can equal or surpass originals.

Kit Davis, anthropologist giving historical and cultural context on slavery and race. Miranda Fricker, philosopher of ethics and epistemology analyzing blame, moral luck, and historical responsibility. They probe whether we should judge past figures, how moral standards shift, the role of ideology in slavery, apologies and reparations, and what future generations might condemn.

Peter Mabbutt, hypnotherapist who demonstrates hypnosis to explore control. Gemma Calvert, neuroscientist and neuromarketing director, on subconscious influences and brain imaging. Wayne Martin, philosopher specializing in free will and moral responsibility, on historical and conceptual frameworks. They discuss trance, brain predictors of choice, legal responsibility, willpower, and how relationships shape self-governance.