philosophy bites: Recent Episodes
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Technological developments have transformed Artificial Intelligence in the last decade. Can ethics move quickly enough to keep apace of it? Peter Railton discusses some of the problems that arise when thinking about ethics and AI with Nigel Warburton in this...
Throughout history people have modified their bodies one way or another. But how much of this is morally acceptable? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, the philosopher Claire Chambers bucks the trend and makes a cases for the...
Peter Singer's positions on animals, human suffering, poverty, and much else besides are all underpinned by his consequentialism: he believes that the right thing to do is to maximise happiness. Here he explains what that means in practice, and in...
Is it immoral to act as a spy? We hear a great deal about the ethics of just wars, but very little about the ethics of spying. Here Cécile Fabre discusses some of the ethical implications of spying in its...
The Internet and digital technology have transformed our lives. Is it possible to preserve human dignity in the face of technological progress? Ro Khanna explains how he things this can be possible. Listen to Ro Khanna on Digital Dignity
Benjamin Lipscomb, in conversation with David Edmonds, discusses how four women philosophers, Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley and Iris Murdoch met in Oxford and went on to make significant contributions to philosophy. Listen to Benjamin Lipscomb on Four Women...
Many philosophers have argued that we pursue pleasure. But perhaps things aren't as simple as that. Perhaps sometimes we pursue pain or discomfort too. Paul Bloom explains. Listen to Paul Bloom on Psychological Hedonism
Seneca famously declared that anger is a useless emotion and suggested a variety of ways to avoid feeling it. Myisha Cherry in contrast, argues that rage can be a useful emotion, particularly rage against racial injustice. In discussion with Nigel...
Agnes Callard discusses the nature of complaint and its philosophical importance. Listen to Agnes Callard on Complaint
Thomas Hobbes is best known for his account of why we should accept political authority. But, argues Arash Abizadeh, that was Hobbes' solution to the problem of how we should live together in society that arises directly from his views...
Spinoza expert Steven Nadler discusses Spinoza's views on free speech in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Listen to Steven Nadler on Spinoza on Free Speech Listen to an earlier Philosophy Bites interview with Steven Nadler on Spinoza on...
What is the status of something that is an absence, like a hole? Suki Finn explores the metaphysics of nothing in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Suki is also the editor of a new book based on Philosophy...
We are delighted to announce that Suki Finn, lecturer in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, has selected and edited a collection of transcripts of Philosophy Bites interviews with women. This is to be published by Oxford University Press...
Jacques Derrida was a controversial philosopher, and his writing could be fiendishly difficult to read. He nevertheless attracted many followers and imitators. Here Peter Salmon, author of a recent biography of Derrida, explains Derrida's key concept: deconstruction. Listen to Pete...
Arthur Schopenhauer is best known for the pessimism of his The World as Will and Representation. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast we focus on a less pessimistic aspect of his thought: his views on compassion. Unusually for...
Hannah Arendt's experience of the Eichmann trial in 1961 and of the reaction to her book about this, Eichmann in Jerusalem, led her to think deeply about politics, truth, and plurality. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Samantha...
David Edmonds has co-authored (with Bertie Frasier) a brilliant children's book Undercover Robot: My First Year as a Human. Listen to David discussing this book with Nigel Warburton on this bonus episode of Philosophy Bites originally released on Nigel's Thinking...
Baruch Spinoza was famous for equating God with Nature - a view that many of his contemporaries, perhaps rightly, thought was a form of atheism. But what did he think about death? Spinoza expert Steven Nadler, author of A Book...
Cornell philosopher Kate Manne discusses misognyn, male entitlement, together with the notion of 'himpathy', a term she coined, in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Manne is the author of two recent highly influential books, Down Girl and Entitlement....
Verificationists believe that meaningful propositions are either true by definition (analytic) or else empirically verifiable or falsifiable. Propositions that fail to pass this two-pronged test for meaningfulness are literally meaningless. This approach, linked to the Vienna Circle, and popularised in...
For this second special lockdown episode of Philosophy Bites, Nigel Warburton interviewed David Edmonds about his bestseller Wittgenstein's Poker, which he wrote with John Eidinow. This brilliant book is an exploration of an event that occurred at the Moral Sciences...
For this, the first of two special lockdown episodes, David Edmonds interviews Nigel Warburton about his bestseller, A Little History of Philosophy. In the second episode Nigel interviews David about his bestseller, Wittgenstein's Poker. Listen to Nigel Warburton on A...
Frank Ramsey's biographer, the philosopher Cheryl Misak, discusses the relationship between Ramsey and Wittgenstein in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Ramsey was a brilliant thinker who made significant contributions to philosophy, mathematics, and economics, despite dying at the...
What can philosophers contribute to public life? Mary Warnock who was a member of the House of Lords chaired two important commissions - special education needs and on human fertilisation and embryology - discussed how her training in philosophy prepared...
The Philosophy Bites podcast is largely a labour of love. At present we have no sponsor. We are, however, extremely grateful to those who have chosen to support us via Patreon and Paypal - Paypal links are in the sidebar...
In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Philip Goff discusses Galileo's insights into the nature of matter. He goes on to defend his own view of consciousness, namely panpsychism. Goff thinks that matter is conscious. Listen to Philip Goff...
Political philosopher Elizabeth Anderson discusses why we we should spend more time discussing political ideas, even with those with whom we strongly disagree. Listen to Elizabeth Anderson on 'Let's Talk' Read a New Yorker profile of Elizabeth Anderson
We asked Seth Adelman (@sethadelman on Twitter) a longterm fan of Philosophy Bites who catalogued our backlist to select 10 episodes that are particularly relevant to our current situation. Seth writes: I think these are all appropriate for our time,...
What is free will? Do we have it? These are thorny questions that divide philosophers. Neuroscience seems to point in the direction of determinism. But Christian List thinks we do have free will. He explains why to David Edmonds. Listen...
