Philosophy For Our Times

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The world is awash with debt. Economists argue it is essential to growth and that repayment is a legal and moral obligation. Yet from Payday lending to the debts of Greece and the Third World many see debt as unfair and unjust. Should we be less dependent on debt? Is it a trap that maintains wealth and povert...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes With technological advancements in the world of computer science and robotics, sci-fi sex robots such as Ava from Ex Machina, and Joi from Blade Runner 2049, are coming closer and closer to becoming real. Would sex robots be a disaster for healthy sexual relationships? Or might they actually help us? In this...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes There was a time when gold money had real value. Yet now it floats free, a fantasy made real by our belief. Are there alternative fantasies that we could create to generate different and perhaps better realities? Or is there something special about the fantasy of money that makes it irreplaceable? Guardian co...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Over 40 years have passed since string theory was first developed: what questions have been answered? Philosopher James Ladyman examines one of our strangest endeavours. "Challenging and provocative" TLS There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Weapons of mass destruction, the NSA, and Watergate: many have felt cheated by the lies of the powerful. Yet we all twist the truth to keep people happy and deceive in order to protect. Is lying oddly essential? Should we accept lying as part of personal and public life? Or is there always more beauty in trut...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The goal of feminism seemed simple: equal rights for both sexes. Yet tabloid controversy is raging now Beyonce, GaGa and Sandberg have claimed the label. Can female sexuality be a vehicle for female power? And is feminism recast as female power a desirable goal or a threat to the original ideals? Sociologist...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Being a real man used to be about courage, grit, and determination. But in an age of increased empathy and softness the story is getting blurred. Is the 'real man' a fantasy we should be pleased to see relegated to history along with Marlboro ads, or are these qualities that women still want and society needs...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Only 3 percent of mammals are monogamous. The faithful few include beavers, wolves, bats, and, of course, humans. Why is monogamy so rare? And how did we come to practise it? UCL anthropologist Kit Opie takes you on journey back to the beginning of human relationships. Music: Apache Force by Little Glass Men...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Disillusioned with the mainstream, Sophie Walker joined and now leads the Women's Equality Party. Here she asks: is radical thinking enough to change society? Music: Apache Force by Little Glass Men available under an Attribution Creative Commons License There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We all want a better world and most see morality as helping to choose the right actions. Yet we can't know for sure the outcome of any action. Is morality therefore curiously independent of outcomes? Does this leave it without foundation or function? Or do good and bad have no place in this world at all? Cent...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes What is the strange allure of opiate addiction? Author and former prison psychiatrist Theodore Dalrymple argues his personal take on the problems poppies pose. "A modern master" - Guardian Music: Apache Force by Little Glass Men available under an Attribution Creative Commons License There are thousands of bi...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From the existence of the self to the nature of free will, many philosophers have dedicated their lives to the problems of the mind. But now some neuroscientists claim to have settled these raging debates. Is it possible we have discovered a science to replace philosophy and we can finally make real progress?...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Aristotle said that we "acquire a particular quality by acting a certain way" - he believed that you could fake it 'til you make it. But is this a reductive understanding of confidence? Are we right to desire confidence, or should we reimagine our understanding of it? WIRED editor and author Rowland Manthorpe...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes What could secular Buddhist philosophy bring to a dissatisfied West? Buddhist teacher and author Stephen Batchelor gives ancient wisdom a 21st century home. Music: Apache Force by Little Glass Men available under an Attribution Creative Commons License. There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv –...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The headlines of new discoveries about the universe continue, but are we approaching our limits? Mathematician and broadcaster Marcus du Sautoy explores. Music: Apache Force by Little Glass Men available under an Attribution Creative Commons License There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – vid...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We effortlessly use language to describe the world. Yet the puzzle of how language achieves this has stumped philosophers for a century. Are we simply missing the right theory? Or is something more profound at stake if language does not in fact provide descriptions of the world at all. 2017 Lebowitz Prize-win...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We think information provides facts about the world around us. Yet some in quantum physics now claim that information is primary, more fundamental than matter. Could information provide the ultimate constituents of the world? Or is this a delusion borne from the specific and passing vocabulary of a digital ag...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes How can we rethink society to halt existential crises as rapidly as the threats can occur? Director of the Centre for Effective Altruism Sebastian Farquhar outlines his solution. There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more:&n...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes From writing to art, the intense to the light hearted, imagination transports us to untold fantasy worlds. Yet Picasso claimed "everything you can imagine is real". Should we dismiss this as the overblown claims of a celebrity artist, or might what we take to be reality actually be a product of the power of i...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Has Westminster made progress to equality? Cameron told Shadow Secretary for Business Angela Eagle to “Calm down dear”; here she forecasts the future of sexism in politics. Music: Apache Force by Little Glass Men and Enter the World of Paradise by D SMILEZ available under an Attribution Creative Commons Licen...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Far flung destinations are often home to those seeking to 'find themselves'. Encouraged perhaps by Socrates’ maxim for an ethical life: 'know thyself'. But do any of us ever arrive? Is the self a real and stable enough 'thing' that it can be known? Or can we never catch sight of ourselves in the mirror? Anthr...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Can the threat of terror be fought with compassion? Conservative politician and Spectator's 'Backbencher of the year' Charlotte Leslie issues a rallying cry for the politics of love. Music: Apache Force by Little Glass Men and Enter the World of Paradise by D SMILEZ available under an Attribution Creative Com...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Is statistical and scientific ignorance undermining the fight against sexism? Darwinian philosopher Helena Cronin argues sex difference should be accepted not ignored. Music: Apache Force by Little Glass Men and Enter the World of Paradise by D SMILEZ available under an Attribution Creative Commons License Th...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The shaming exposes and social media scandals of today can seem as backwards as the stocks or the pillory. Yet the fear of shame can bring the powerful to heel. What is our curious shame about shame? Might shaming be our best tool for change? Or should we always be fearful of the tyranny of the mob? Comedian...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The first female to enter the Radio Hall of Fame, MBE recipient Annie Nightingale is the BBC's longest serving DJ. Join the "first lady of radio" as she discusses 50 years at the forefront of Britain's shifting music scene. Music: Apache Force by Little Glass Men available under an Attribution Creative Common...