Philosophy For Our Times

Are we sliding towards our own extinction? How can we find hope amidst the despair of the modern world? Join philosopher Ben Ware as he analyzes the various apocalyptic narratives that have existed throughout history, dissecting everything from antinatalism to the romantic poets. Ben is Co-Director of the Centre for Philosophy and Art at King’s College London where he is also a Senior Research Fel...

Mind, matter, and everything - PART ONE Can science ever solve the problem of consciousness? Do our methods look for answers in all the wrong places? Join Sean Carroll, Ellen Langer, and Tamar Gendler as they debate the possibility of science providing answers to the hardest problem of all - the problem of subjective experience. Jack Symes hosts. Sean Carroll is Homewood Professor of Natural Philo...

Heaven in disorder What is the relationship between atheism and faith? How do we relate to 'the big other', and how does this influence how we think about God, nature and ourselves. Join Slavoj Žižek for his glorious finish to a fantastic talk. Slavoj is a Slovenian Marxist-Lacanian philosopher and author, known for his incisive, radical, and humourous takes on the global political landscape. He r...

Heaven in disorder What is the concept of 'the self'? How does it relate to how we understand freedom, democracy and ideology? Join Slavoj Zizek as he explores the ideas that underpin how we understand the world. Slavoj is a Slovenian Marxist-Lacanian philosopher and author, known for his incisive, radical, and humourous takes on the global political landscape. He rarely holds back when giving his...

Being conscious We think we have this thing, consciousness, whether we share it with the entire earth or with only our species, but yet its definition has evaded the efforts of leading philosophers and neuroscientists alike for decades. Do you think you know what consciousness is? Does it exist out there in the world or only in our thoughts? Join leading neuroscientist and philosopher Iain Mcgilch...

Being conscious We think we have this thing, consciousness, whether we share it with the entire earth or with only our species, but yet its definition has evaded the efforts of leading philosophers and neuroscientists alike for decades. Do you think you know what consciousness is? Does it exist out there in the world or only in our thoughts? Join leading neuroscientist and philosopher Iain Mcgilch...

How will our scientists know if they are looking at complex phenomena from the wrong perspective? Have we taken the wrong approach to understanding the quantum world? Join Slavoj Žižek for an exclusive interview as he discusses the current state of quantum physics and questions the accuracy of our research into all things subatomic. Slavoj is a Slovenian Marxist-Lacanian philosopher and author, kn...

Heaven in disorder What does the future hold for capitalism and our society? Where will our modern ideals, perspectives, and philosophies lead us? Join Slavoj Zizek as he explores the current state of the world, focusing on the decay of our social and political institutions and ideologies. Slavoj is a Slovenian Marxist-Lacanian philosopher and author, known for his incisive, radical, and humourous...

Heaven in disorder What does Russia's war in Ukraine reveal about our modern world? Is there an inconvenient truth hidden behind our reactions to the conflict? Join Slavoj Zizek as he explores the current state of the world, focusing on the decay of our social and political institutions and ideologies. Slavoj is a Slovenian Marxist-Lacanian philosopher and author, known for his incisive, radical,...

The puzzle of perception with Barry C. Smith Has philosophy ignored taste, smell, and touch to its detriment? What can we learn from these senses, and why are they important? What do they have to tell us about being human? Join philosopher Barry C. Smith as he gives an introduction to his most recent subject matter: the philosophy of the senses, beyond sight and sound. Barry (also a wine connoisse...

The matrix, myths, and metaphysics Part 2 Is metaphysics still relevant? Or has the pre-eminence of science over the last centuries made such questioning obsolete? Join provocative mathematician and investor Eric Weinstein, award-winning physicist Becky Parker and post-post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson as they discuss what role, if any, metaphysics should currently be playing in our society....

The matrix, myths, and metaphysics Part 1 Is metaphysics still relevant? Or has the pre-eminence of science over the last centuries made such questioning obsolete? Join provocative mathematician and investor Eric Weinstein, award-winning physicist Becky Parker and post-post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson as they discuss what role, if any, metaphysics should currently be playing in our society....

PART 3 of  Does life have meaning Series: How do we find meaning (and happiness) in the contemporary age? Nihilism, the abandonment of all fundamental beliefs, may appear a hopeless outlook. Yet perhaps it also has potential. Join philosopher Nolen Gertz as he explores the history of nihilism to give us a complex image of it as something we can learn to live with in our technological age.&nbs...

PART 3 of  Does life have meaning Series: How do we find meaning (and happiness) in the contemporary age? Nihilism, the abandonment of all fundamental beliefs, may appear a hopeless outlook. Yet perhaps it also has potential. Join philosopher Nolen Gertz as he explores the history of nihilism to give us a complex image of it as something we can learn to live with in our technological age.&nbs...

PART 2 of  Does life have meaning Series: How do we find meaning (and happiness) in the contemporary age? In the so-called 'happiest' countries in the world, the uncomfortable reality of high rates of depression, suicidality, chronic pain, and social isolation are obscured by the conflation of happiness with capitalist conformity. In this intriguing talk, Rob Boddice challenges the tenets of...

PART 1 of Does life have meaning Series: How do we find meaning (and happiness) in the contemporary age? Humans have a special need for meaning in their life. A life without meaning, many would agree, has no value. But what does meaning actually mean? And how can we ensure our life is full of it? Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science John Vervaeke has dedicated much of his research precise...

Can art vanquish evil? In a largely secular culture what are we to make of evil? In a rational and relativistic climate without superstitutions, have we lost a cultural space in which to engage with evil? Should we abandon the notion altogether as anachronistic or is it essential in the fight for a better world? Filmmaker Mike Figgis, Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith, Sean Holmes, and ph...

Can art vanquish evil? In a largely secular culture what are we to make of evil? In a rational and relativistic climate without superstitutions, have we lost a cultural space in which to engage with evil? Should we abandon the notion altogether as anachronistic or is it essential in the fight for a better world? Filmmaker Mike Figgis, Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith, Sean Holmes, and ph...

Contemporary life is defined by excess. There must always be more, but there is never enough... Is the pursuit of happiness a terrible mistake? Join firebrand philosopher, Slavoj Žižek, as he argues the joys of excess are flimsy and futile and asks whether we can ever find a way out. Slavoj Žižek is a world-renowned philosopher, cultural critic and public intellectual. He is international director...

What should guide our actions? We all have epiphanies. Yet most of us choose to ignore them, and trust in reason to determine our path in life. Join philosopher Sophie-Grace Chappell, who argues that we should allow our epiphanies to guide our actions. Sophie-Grace Chappell is a Professor of Philosophy at the Open University who writes about ethics, politics, feminism and epistemology. She argues...

What should guide our actions? We all have epiphanies. Yet most of us choose to ignore them, and trust in reason to determine our path in life. Join philosopher Sophie-Grace Chappell, who argues that we should allow our epiphanies to guide our actions. Sophie-Grace Chappell is a Professor of Philosophy at the Open University who writes about ethics, politics, feminism and epistemology. She argues...

Should we follow our philosophical conclusions wherever they take us? Or is there a hard wall of common sense that we are beholden to? Listen to some of today's leading philosophers in science and metaphysics as they talk it out! Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at New York University as well as the Founder/Director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. Michael Della Roc...

Have you heard of Descartes' 'demon'? How can a mythical creature inform scientific progress? What is real? Listen in to find out! Join award-winning science historian Jimena Canales in this studio interview as she discusses the process of discovery and the nature of the unknown in science. Jimena Canales is a pioneering historian of science and an expert in 19th and 20th century history of the ph...

Is the real world unreachable due to the mediation of language? Or has the linguistic turn in philosophy and academia gone too far? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Join post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson, professor of logic Michael Potter and philosopher of language John Searle as they discuss what debates over language add or takeaway from t...

How much should we really value altruism? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From charity-givers, to those who sacrifice themselves in war for others, we see altrusim and selflessness as virtues to be applauded. Those who take no heed of their own interests are highly praised in Western culture. But many point to a danger. Studies show that altruism...