Philosophy For Our Times

What can African philosophers teach us about history, the modern world, and the good life? And can their ideas and teachings cross cultural boundaries? Join the IAI team for a reading of three articles about African philosophy, written by professor of communication Omedi Ochieng and professor of political theory Katrin Flikschuh. From the apparent divide between the philosophies of Africa and the...

Land, ownership and hypocrisy with Peter Singer, Dale Turner, Tommy J. Curry and Janne Teller Since Magna Carta, the right to property is seen as universal, yet this principle often favours the strong. While nations like Ukraine are supported in reclaiming invaded land, Indigenous peoples in North America—who lost 99% of their land after European invasion—face severe inequalities and little restit...

Philosophy at the end of the world Is humanity looking at its demise in the face? Has it always been? And how can philosophy help us? Join philosopher Ben Ware, Co-Director of the Centre for Philosophy and Art at King’s College London, as he interrogates how to philosophically, and humanly, confront the end of the world. Ware traces the idea of extinction across many authors - philosophers, writer...

The metaphysics of naturalism - PART TWO Have we completely abandoned the idea of the supernatural? Could there still be important truths that lie outside of the natural world? Join philosopher Fiona Ellis as she explains her version of naturalism, arguing that there is still some middle ground to be found between the world of the natural and the realm of the supernatural. Fiona is professor of Ph...

The metaphysics of naturalism - PART ONE Have we completely abandoned the idea of the supernatural? Could there still be important truths that lie outside of the natural world? Join philosopher Fiona Ellis as she explains her version of naturalism, arguing that there is still some middle ground to be found between the world of the natural and the realm of the supernatural. Fiona is professor of Ph...

Consciousness predates life Did consciousness exist before life? Could such a counter-intuitive idea, in fact, be the answer to the hard problem of consciousness? Join anaesthesiologist Stuart Hameroff as he puts forward his theory that consciousness came before the origin of life on Earth, using quantum mechanics and his research with Sir Roger Penrose to support his claim. Stuart is a professor...

Why do audiences across the world love to be scared at the cinema? Why do we have such strong attachments to those who have left this Earth? What can horror tell us about ourselves? Join the team at the IAI for a reading of three Halloween-themed articles, written by historian Thomas Laqueur, and philosophers Noël Carroll and David Livingstone Smith. From the importance of funeral practices to the...

Our human shadow Many have had the experience of an urge to do something wrong just for the hell of it. From walking on grass we're told to keep off to fantasies of violence towards someone we find a minor annoyance. Join Yale psychologist Paul Bloom as he invites us to see the clever, creative and beautiful side of our impulses toward evil. Paul Bloom is a trailblazing Canadian American psycholog...

In search of ourselves Is the 'self' a useful category, philosophically, psychologically, in our everyday lives? What might it help us do? And where do we find ourselves? Join our mixed panel of speakers as they approach this question from their different points of view - Australian philosopher and cognitive scientist David Chalmers, English explorer and survivalist Ed Stafford and novelist Joanna...

Mind, matter, and everything - PART TWO 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...

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...