Philosophy Bites

Where does our oil come from? Does it matter? Leif Wenar , author of the recent book Blood Oil , argues that Western democracies are compromising themselves by buying either directly or indirectly from vicious tyrants. 

In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Katrin Flikschuh addresses the question 'What sort of philosophy is going on in Africa?'

Some eminent physicists, including Stephen Hawking, have been sceptical of the value of philosophy to physics. Carlo Rovell i, a theoretical physicist with a strong interest in philosophy, disagrees. Here he discusses the relationship between philosophy and physics with Nigel Warburton.

What sort of conclusions can we legitimately draw from the experiments that support evidence-based medicine? John Worrall questions some of the received opinion on this topic in this interview with David Edmonds for Philosophy Bites . 

We take for granted the fact that we can combine concepts to give new thoughts, and understand the thoughts too. How do we do that? Joshua D. Greene discusses this question in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

What is the nature of the self? What is reality? How should we live? These are fundamental philosophical questions. Graham Priest discusses how such questions have been discussed in the Buddhist tradition for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

To what degree is reality something created by us? Jesse Prinz explores this fascinating question in conversation with Nigel Warburton . 

How can you tell science from non-science? Karl Popper argued that the falsifiability of a hypothesis is the mark of science. Massimo Pigliucci is not so sure about that.     

What is a duty and what sort of obligation does it put us on? David Owens  explores the nature of duty in this episode of the Philosophy Bites  podcast. If you enjoy  Philosophy Bites , please consider supporting us via Patreon .

We are a highly social species: we need human contact. But do we have a right to it? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites  podcast Kimberley Brownlee  suggests that this is an ingredient in a minimally decent human life...

The philosopher Peter Singer is famous for his attack on speciesism, the alleged prejudice that many exhibit in favour of human interests when compared with the interests of other animals. Here  Shelly Kagan  outlines Singer's position and takes issue with it. In the process he makes some interesting points about prejudices in general.

Michel Foucault's work explores a wide range of topics; it includes histories of both punishment and sex. He also wrote more abstractly about philosophical topics. One theme to which he kept returning, whatever the topic, was the nature of our knowledge. Susan James  discusses this thread in his work in this episode of the Philosophy Bites  podcast.

How do you choose which course of action is best? It seems reasonable that if A is better than B, and B is better than C, A must be better than C. But is it? Larry Temkin  challenges this idea, known as the axiom of transitivity.

How should we live? is a basic philosophical question. The Stoics had some answers. But are they relevant today? William B. Irvine  thinks so. Listen to his conversation with Nigel Warburton  on this episode of the Philosophy Bites  podcast.

What is power? Steven Lukes  argues for a three-dimensional account of this concept in this episode of the Philosophy Bites  podcast.

The historian and writer Theodore Zeldin  gives his personal take on the relation betwen philosophy and history in this episode of the Philosophy Bites  podcast. 

What part do emotions play in our appreciation of art? Jesse Prinz  explores the sense of wonder at artworks in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

What is a conspiracy? Why do conspiracies - real or imagined -  matter to philsophy? Cassim Quaassam  explores these questions in conversation with  Nigel Warburton

Are all truths relative? That's an attractive idea for many people. Tim Williamson , Wykeham Professor of Logic at Oxford University discusses why and attempts to immunise us against sloppy thinking in this area.

How does your view of the self affect your attitude to your own death? Shaun Nichols discusses this question in this episode of the Philosophy Bites  podcast.

Warning: this episode on the philosophy of swearing includes swearing. Rebecca Roache discusses swearing and whether there are good arguments for refraining from it. 

We're all irrational some of the time, probably more of the time than we are ready to acknowledge.   Lisa Bortolotti  discusses the nature of irrationality with Nigel Warburton  in this episode of the Philosophy Bites  podcast. 

There are many ways to deceive with words, some of which don't involve lying. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Jonathan Webber  considers whether it matters or not if you lie. 

Albert Camus described suicide as the 'one really serious philosophical problem'. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites  podcast Simon Critchley  discusses suicide with Nigel Warburton .

Many philosophers argue in favour of the welfare of animals because of their capacity for feeling pain. Harvard philosopher  Christine Korsgaard  is unusual in using Kantian arguments to defend the status of animals as ends in themselves. She discusses her approach with Nigel Warburton  in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.