Philosophy For Our Times

Are we all hypocrites? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Most of us want to be good and be seen to be good. But aren't these goals contradictory? Isn't the desire to be seen to good a means of placing ourselves higher than others and wishing to gain status and position as a result? Should we conclude that the attempt to be seen to b...

Might consciousness operate in an entirely different sphere, outside of the world of space and time?  Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We imagine ourselves as existing within time and space. Yet, we only ever experience the present moment. It is all we have. And within the present moment there is no direct experience of past or future....

Sci-fi dream or reality? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes The practice of putting electrodes in the pleasure centres of the brain - otherwise known as 'wireheading' - has been a sci-fi dream for decades. Oxford professor and transhumanist Anders Sandberg, explores the history and modern impact of the idea. Anders takes us...

What would you feel if you found out you are bad? Why? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In our largely secular world, most think there is no afterlife, no reward or punishment in the hereafter. Yet most still wish to act morally and even ascetically, delaying or refusing gratification in favour of some higher ideal. Even though, without God...

Sounds impossible? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Are the laws of nature nothing more than habits that natural systems have learned to repeat over time? While it might sound impossible, Rupert Sheldrake will be explaining the phenomenon in this episode. Rupert Sheldrake is a scientist, author, and parapsychology researc...

Can we hold multiple truths at once? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Many still remain convinced that their own views and opinions are not just culturally relative but are true and accurate accounts of the way things are. Should we conclude that all forms of relativism are a mistake and insist on the importance and need...

Don't look up? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In this interview, philosopher Santiago Zabala details why the greatest emergency is the absence of emergency itself, the problem with freedom and our perception of postmodernism, and why we need to take warnings of emergencies far more seriously. There are thousands of big ideas to discover at...

Are we cheating ourselves? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes In our post truth age it seems that we can collect beliefs on a whim or a tribal fashion. And many are happy to hold contradictory views to suit their temporary desires. Is this a dangerous approach that threatens not only the coherence of our own outlook but the stability and succe...

Do your beliefs control you? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Once faith was revered. Now in a secular age, it is seen by many as an irrational dedication to an unproven belief. Yet science, Marxism, and liberalism, all rely on core beliefs that are unprovable. And to live without belief in anything at all would be considered empty and meani...

How much should we trust our leaders? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Great leaders promise to change the world. They claim to have the vision and the values to transform our lives. But rarely do they deliver. Again and again the promises are not kept, the transformation fails to arrive, and instead there is incompetence...

Is consciousness all in the brain after all? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Have you ever made a decision and wondered why you made it? Or wondered where your morality comes from? Renowned philosopher of mind and founder of Neurophilosophy Patricia Churchland takes us on a journey into the brain, the nature and data of...

Is there more? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Many despise the arrival of a post-truth world and fear politicians who blatantly manipulate facts and peddle falsehoods. But does this rely on assuming that truth is objective and falsehoods can be simply identified? Does the demise of truth mark the end of centuries of progress? Or is truth a...

When did we become MORE THAN...? And why? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Many think fur coats immoral yet are happy to wear leather shoes. We fiercely protect tigers and pandas from extinction, while thousands of vital insect species get notably less attention and concern. Many claim to be concerned about the welfare of animals. But it is...

Who are we really? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes NYU Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah details his journey and life's work, from why identity is such an important issue to how his experiences have differed across countries, and to the impact he wants his writing to have. Kwame Anthony Appiah is Professor of Philosophy and Law at New York U...

We keep looking for something more... for a reason. Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Pilgrimage is undergoing a revival across Europe. But why are so many non-religious people drawn to spiritual journeys? Author of Ways To Go Beyond Rupert Sheldrake asks why we are attracted to holy places. Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist, author and parapsy...

Can we crack to key to happiness once and for all? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Most of us think of suffering as a necessary feature of life. But what if that's just a lie we tell ourselves because we can't imagine the alternative? In this interview, David Pearce explores the practical possibilities of biomedically engineering a world of...

Is your experience of this episode even real? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We are working toward a true account of the universe, and the world we see around us is an accurate picture of reality. Or so most of us believe. At the same time we think we, along with our experience, are a product of evolution. Yet evolution is driven by surviv...

What even is "expertise"? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes We turn to experts for guidance in uncertain times, but what happens when the experts disagree? Should we just wait until they figure it out, or disregard evidence and go with our gut? Professor of Philosophy at Stockholm University Anandi Hattiangadi investigates the logical labyrin...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes If we put barriers up to silence 'unpleasant' ideas, what's to stop the silencing of any discussion? Professional sceptic and bestselling author of 'Giving the Devil his Due' Michael Shermer explores the dangerous possibility of a world without free speech. Michael Shermer is the founder of The Skeptics Socie...

Is it possible to tell the truth? Or is it time to accept that lying has a central role in all social discourse?  Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes On today’s episode The Times journalist David Aaronovitch, author of Freedom In the Age of Alternative Facts Santiago Zabala, and philosophy of the mind specialist Åsa Wikforss lock horn...

Could they possibly be connected? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Many have argued that Western civilisation was born in Ancient Greece by combing art, democracy, religion and science. Fewer have explored the role that psychedelic experiences played in building these traditions as we know them.  On today’s episode w...

Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes A decade ago scientists enabled a monkey to control a robot on the other side of the world with its mind. Now the technique has been extended to enable paraplegics to move robotic arms with their thoughts, and Elon Musk claims to be launching mind control technology this year.  Today we’re asking whether...

There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and course waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers Today we release the fifth and final episode of Beyond Us, a mini-series made in association with Essentia Foundation , which explores four concepts that define the modern world: knowledge, competition, language and growth. In each of the pr...

Are humans any good at making decisions? Listen to find out! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Are we motivated by reason? Or are humans evolved to make social and emotional decisions, relying on the value and importance of crowd responses? On today’s episode we’re asking whether the best strategy for survival is emotion or reason. Joini...

Listen to hear about Daniel Dennett's journey to becoming a philosopher! Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here:  https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes Award winning author Daniel Dennett is one of the best known living philosophers of today. Shooting to notoriety as one of the 'four horsemen' in the New Atheist movement, he has written with acclaim on topics ranging from free will, con...