Walter Veit

Walter Veit Podcast

Society EN ↓ 54 episodes

Dr. Walter Veit is a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Reading. This podcast features conversations, interviews, talks, and lectures about philosophy, science, as well as his own research. PODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUUApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walter-veit-podcast/id1716794567RSS: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/4364098/s/226484.rssYouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0j8uiNxfku6--y2dho5VPUX3gpyqdnD&si=osLPm4EHx9BLiURNYouTube Clips: http...

Author

Walter Veit

Episodes

What to do with a meaningless life? 19.02.2026 6:35

Since I’ll soon be a guest on Joseph Folley ’s Unsolicited Advice podcast and he is organizing a reading group on Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus this month, I figured it would be a great idea to revisit one of my earliest philosophy articles that I published in the Journal of Camus Studies. Veit, W. (2018). Existential Nihilism: The Only Really Serious Philosophic… Get full access to Walter Ve...

A Flaw of Analytic Philosophy 13.02.2026 12:11

Click on the video above if you want to listen to this essay in my German accent or simply scroll below to read it. A few weeks ago, I published an essay on Substack titled The End of Analytic Philosophy . In it, I agreed with Liam Kofi Bright that analytic philosophy has perhaps come close to becoming a degenerating research programme, leaving even many of its practitioners with a pessimistic out...

Why Effective Altruists (And Everyone Else) Should Become Nihilists 03.02.2026 11:01

This is a recording of my essay (of the same name) for my podcast/youtube channel. If you prefer to read it, please visit the original essay here: Get full access to Walter Veit at walterveit.substack.com/subscribe

What’s it like being a raven or a crow? 02.02.2026 7:40

This recording is based on an article Heather and I published in The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. I’ve copied the text here for convenience: Many of us as children may have wondered what’s going on inside the mind of an animal – what are they thinking and feeling? Most animal researchers study science because of their fascination with animals, but...

Panpsychism is a New Form of Creationism 26.01.2026 9:12

In a recent post, I criticized panpsychism for following the same mantra as creationists. Just as creationists could not believe in Darwinian evolution because it challenged their cherished beliefs in the divine and in our uniqueness within creation, panpsychists are hesitant to explain consciousness in terms of physical processes out of a fear that this would rob consciousness of its magical prop...

What is consciousness? 12.01.2026 8:39

You can read the essay here: https://walterveit.substack.com/p/what-is-consciousness Get full access to Walter Veit at walterveit.substack.com/subscribe

Possums and the Evolution of Consciousness 31.12.2025 8:16

For the written up essay, please visit: Get full access to Walter Veit at walterveit.substack.com/subscribe

Why Consciousness Science Needs Darwin 30.12.2025 8:29

This is the podcast version of my essay: https://walterveit.substack.com/p/why-consciousness-science-needs-darwin Get full access to Walter Veit at walterveit.substack.com/subscribe

#46 - Scaffolding Natural Selection (Part 2) 19.06.2025 1:04:56

This episode is on the following article, which you can access below: Veit, W. (2021). Scaffolding Natural Selection . Biological Theory . https://doi.org/10.1007/s13752-021-00387-6 [ Download ] Share PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: Apple Podcasts: RSS: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/4364098/s/226484.rss YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/play...

#45 - Scaffolding Natural Selection (Part 1) 10.06.2025 21:12

This episode is on the following article, which you can access below: Veit, W. (2021). Scaffolding Natural Selection . Biological Theory . https://doi.org/10.1007/s13752-021-00387-6 [ Download ] PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: Apple Podcasts: RSS: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/4364098/s/226484.rss YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?l...

#44 - Feminism and Enhancement 22.05.2025 40:23

This episode is on the following article, which you can access below: Veit, W. and Browning, H. (2024). Feminism and Enhancement . Routledge Handbook of Feminism and Technology . London: Routledge, pp. 37-55. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003275992-4 [ Download ] PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: Apple Podcasts: RSS: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/4364098...

#43 - Recognizing the Diversity of Cognitive Enhancements 21.05.2025 18:51

I’ve moved the hosting platform from spotify to substack. Veit, W., Earp, B.D., Faber, N., Bostrom, N., Caouette, J., Mannino, A., Caviola, L., Sandberg, A. & Savulescu, J. (2020). Recognizing the Diversity of Cognitive Enhancements. AJOB Neuroscience, 11(4), 250-253. PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: Apple Podcasts: RSS: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/...

#42 - ESEB Talk: Evolution of Multicellularity 20.11.2024 13:01

Here a talk I gave in 2019 at the European Society for Evolutionary Biology on the evolution of multicellularity. PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUU Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walter-veit-podcast/id1716794567 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/ed331d30/podcast/rss YouTube Full Episodes: https...

#41 - Eric Schliesser: On Synthetic Philosophy 19.11.2024 1:08:34

Today's episode gave me a chance to talk to Eric Schliesser on his work and especially his article on what he described as synthetic philosophy. His website can be found here: https://www.uva.nl/en/profile/s/c/e.s.schliesser/e.s.schliesser.html PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUU Apple Podcasts: https://podcas...

#40 - Cory Clark: Is there Political Bias and Censorship in Science? 18.11.2024 1:25:51

Today I'm talking to Cory Clark - a behavioral scientist interested in how social motivations influence human judgment and empirical beliefs. Check her website and research out here: https://www.coryjclark.com/ PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUU Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walter-vei...

#39 - Why is Health? 17.11.2024 15:34

Today's episode features a talk I gave in Sydney in 2023. PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUU Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walter-veit-podcast/id1716794567 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/ed331d30/podcast/rss YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0j8uiNxfku6--y2dho5VPUX3...

#38 - Elizabeth Paul: Animal Consciousness and Welfare 16.11.2024 1:34:25

In today's episode I talk to Liz Paul, who is a leading researcher in animal emotions and welfare. https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Liz-Paul-a2f9a5b6-a5bf-4ea3-a8a2-9ff2ea09bf19/ PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUU Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walter-veit-podcast/id1716794567 RS...

#37 - Carolyn A Ristau: A Biography of Donald Griffin - Discoverer of Bat Echolocation 15.11.2024 1:28:54

Today, I talk to Dr. Carolyn A. Ristau is a Cognitive Ethologist who had the privilege of working in Donald R. Griffin’s Rockefeller University lab. Those were the times when he was ardently working to develop the new field of Cognitive Ethology he had just created, while also enthusiastically continuing his studies of avian migration and bat echolocation. Carolyn Ristau was impressed by his ideas...

#36 - Toward an Ethological Science of Animal Consciousness 14.11.2024 19:52

Today's episode features a talk I gave in 2012 at the Joint Brazilian Annual Ethological/Latin American Ethological Conference. PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUU Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walter-veit-podcast/id1716794567 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/ed331d30/podcast/rss YouTube Full E...

#35 - Guest Podcast Sentientist Conversations "Animal Consciousness" 13.11.2024 1:48:18

This podcast episode originally aired on the Sentientism Podcast on 16 Jun 2023. Link to original video: https://youtu.be/aEDtTl8sPPQ?si=lQfGN5biB2lgtz6A Republished with permission. PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUU Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walter-veit-podcast/id1716794567 RSS:...

#34 - Guest Podcast Episode: The NonSequitur Show Genetic Engineering Dr Sy Garte & Walter Veit 12.11.2024 1:23:49

This podcast episode originally aired on The NonSequitur Show on June 22, 2018. Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wgcwBGbEDQ&list=PLV0j8uiNxfktd9d66oXHeaUg5bWs18v8J&ab_channel=TheNonSequiturShow Republished with permission. PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUU Apple Podcasts: http...

#33 - Guest Podcast Sentientist Conversations "Maybe moral systems are harmful!" + Deleted Scenes 11.11.2024 1:35:17

This podcast episode originally aired on the Sentientism Podcast on 20 Apr 2021. Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxSGItuaSn4&list=PLV0j8uiNxfktd9d66oXHeaUg5bWs18v8J&index=3&ab_channel=Sentientism Republished with permission. PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUU Apple Podcasts...

#32 - AI Conversation: A Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness 05.10.2024 9:47

Testing out new AI features to create a fake conversation using my book: Veit, W. (2023). A Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness . New York: Routledge . https://www.routledge.com/A-Philosophy-for-the-Science-of-Animal-Consciousness/Veit/p/book/9781032343617 PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUU...

#31 - AI Discussion: Procreative Beneficence and Genetic Enhancement 02.10.2024 12:34

AI Podcast Discussion of my first paper: Veit, W. (2018). Procreative Beneficence and Genetic Enhancement . KRITERION – Journal of Philosophy 32(1), 75-92. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11026.89289 [ Download ] PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqqdfxirnlUU Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wal...

#30 - Modeling Morality - PART 2 02.10.2024 21:55

In today's episode I'll read and discuss the following paper: Veit, W. (2019). Modeling Morality. In L. Magnani, A. Nepomuceno, F. Salguero, C. Barés and M. Fontane (eds), Model-Based Reasoning in Science and Technology, Springer, 83-102. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32722-4_6 PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://walterveit.com/podcast/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/24OwJWeaWyJqq...