Forum for Philosophy

Alexander Bird/ Laura Fortunato/ Marcus Munafò Listen here or on YouTube The hallmark of good science is often supposed to be experiments that produce the same results when repeated. But over the last number of years, scientists have replicated a number of established, high-profile experiments and produced different results. Does it point to serious flaws … Continued

Edward Harcourt / Kathryn Hughes / Deborah Levy Listen here or on YouTube At the Philosophers’ Book Club, we select a work of fiction or non-fiction and our panel discusses its philosophical themes. For this inaugural gathering, we’ll be reading Deborah Levy’s new memoir, The Cost of Living. ‘Levy explicitly recuperates De Beauvoir’s position, not only by engaging closely with The […]

Edward Harcourt / Kathryn Hughes / Deborah Levy Listen here or on YouTube At the Philosophers’ Book Club, we select a work of fiction or non-fiction and our panel discusses its philosophical themes. For this inaugural gathering, we’ll be reading Deborah Levy’s new memoir, The Cost of Living. ‘Levy explicitly recuperates De Beauvoir’s position, not … Continued

Jo Grady/ Martin O’Neill/ Waseem Yaqoob Listen here or on YouTube Workers of the world, unite! We discuss the history, politics, and ethics of strikes, and their place in the labour movement. Why do they happen and what makes for a successful strike? What justifies workers in withdrawing their labour to push bosses for improved pay and conditions? Speakers Jo […]

Jo Grady/ Martin O’Neill/ Waseem Yaqoob Listen here or on YouTube Workers of the world, unite! We discuss the history, politics, and ethics of strikes, and their place in the labour movement. Why do they happen and what makes for a successful strike? What justifies workers in withdrawing their labour to push bosses for improved … Continued

Christine Battersby/ Christopher Janaway/ Christopher Ryan Listen here or on YouTube Schopenhauer’s work prefigured important developments in philosophy, psychology, and political thought. On the two-hundredth anniversary of the publication of his The World as Will and Representation, we examine the life and work of Arthur Schopenhauer. How can we better understand his relationship with Eastern philosophy? How can his work help us […]

Christine Battersby/ Christopher Janaway/ Christopher Ryan Listen here or on YouTube Schopenhauer’s work prefigured important developments in philosophy, psychology, and political thought. On the two-hundredth anniversary of the publication of his The World as Will and Representation, we examine the life and work of Arthur Schopenhauer. How can we better understand his relationship with Eastern philosophy? How … Continued

Karine Bonneval/ Paco Calvo/ Tom Greaves Listen here or on YouTube Philosophers have long assumed that plants are inferior to humans and animals: static, inert, and unreflective. But recent scientific advances suggest that we may have underestimated plants. They can process information, solve problems, and communicate. We explore what plants can teach us about intelligence and agency, and ask whether […]

Karine Bonneval/ Paco Calvo/ Tom Greaves Listen here or on YouTube Philosophers have long assumed that plants are inferior to humans and animals: static, inert, and unreflective. But recent scientific advances suggest that we may have underestimated plants. They can process information, solve problems, and communicate. We explore what plants can teach us about intelligence … Continued

Jo Applin/ Tina Chanter/ Sophie Russell Listen here or on YouTube Disgust is deceptively simple: physical repulsion to something revolting or potentially contagious. Behind this straightforward exterior, however, lies the ‘rich universe of the disgusting’ (William Ian Miller). Within this universe dwell questions about ugliness and beauty, the animal and the civilized, even life and death. We delve deep into disgust […]