Forum for Philosophy

Michael Burns/ Madhu Krishnan/ John Narayan Listen to the recording here A revolutionary thinker who drew upon influences from philosophy, political theory, and psychoanalysis, Fanon is best known for his fierce championing of Algerian liberation and his reflections on the psychological impact of colonialism and imperialism. Now that the philosophical value of Fanon’s work is finally being recognised, we should also ask […]

Michael Burns/ Madhu Krishnan/ John Narayan   Listen to the recording here   A revolutionary thinker who drew upon influences from philosophy, political theory, and psychoanalysis, Fanon is best known for his fierce championing of Algerian liberation and his reflections on the psychological impact of colonialism and imperialism. Now that the philosophical value of Fanon’s work is … Continued

Maeve Cooke/ Kimberley Hutchings Listen to the recording here Does political violence ever achieve its long-term goals or does it simply perpetuate violence? Are some types of political violence more rational, ethical, or justifiable than others? Is there always a clear line between resistance and political violence? In an era in which international relations have been transformed by globalization and […]

Maeve Cooke/ Kimberley Hutchings Listen to the recording here Does political violence ever achieve its long-term goals or does it simply perpetuate violence? Are some types of political violence more rational, ethical, or justifiable than others? Is there always a clear line between resistance and political violence? In an era in which international relations have … Continued

Beatrix Campbell/ Peter Hallward/ Edward Kanterian Listen to the recording here Winston Churchill famously described democracy as ‘the worst form of government except for all the others that have been tried’. While not exactly a resounding endorsement, something like this sentiment is strongly held by most people in Western societies. Those who challenge it are branded ‘extremists’ or ‘ideologues’, with […]

Beatrix Campbell/ Peter Hallward/ Edward Kanterian Listen to the recording here Winston Churchill famously described democracy as ‘the worst form of government except for all the others that have been tried’. While not exactly a resounding endorsement, something like this sentiment is strongly held by most people in Western societies. Those who challenge it are … Continued

Kevin Foster/ Sara Mitri/ Maureen O’Malley Listen to the podcast here What are microbial societies? In what ways do they resemble human societies and in what ways do they differ? Can the same ideas that explain cooperation in larger animals also explain cooperation in microbes? And what can we learn from microbes about what it is to be human? In this panel […]

Kevin Foster/ Sara Mitri/ Maureen O’Malley Listen to the podcast here What are microbial societies? In what ways do they resemble human societies and in what ways do they differ? Can the same ideas that explain cooperation in larger animals also explain cooperation in microbes? And what can we learn from microbes about what it is to … Continued

Larissa Condradt/ Elli Leadbeater/ Christian List Listen to the podcast here Swarms of bees make decisions as a ‘democratic’ collective, voting on various possible nest sites through waggle dances. Does this phenomenon amount to a form of ‘collective intelligence’? Do we also find collective intelligence in humans? And what might humans be able to learn from bees about the best ways to […]

Larissa Condradt/ Elli Leadbeater/ Christian List Listen to the podcast here Swarms of bees make decisions as a ‘democratic’ collective, voting on various possible nest sites through waggle dances. Does this phenomenon amount to a form of ‘collective intelligence’? Do we also find collective intelligence in humans? And what might humans be able to learn from bees … Continued