Greek Philosophy series to celebrate the work of the late Alan Saunders. Can philosophy be practical and compassionate? This week Martha Nussbaum, from the University of Chicago, talks about desire and Hellenistic ethics.

To mark the sad passing of Alan Saunders we bring you tributes from key thinkers and highlights from Alan’s rich Philosopher's Zone archive.

Lecture three in the ‘Thinking out loud’ series of lectures on philosophy and society presented by the University of Western Sydney in collaboration with the State Library of New South Wales, Fordham University Press and ABC RN.

‘Thinking Out Loud’ is a series of three lectures on Philosophy & Society, presented by the University of Western Sydney in collaboration with the State Library of NSW, Fordham University Press in the States and ABC RN.

What is the ideology that propels scientists to go to so much trouble? Think, for example, of the hazards involved in a voyage from Europe to our part of the world in the 18th century. Why would you go to all that effort just to observe the transit of Venus? This week, with the next transit just a few days away, we explore the philosophy of northern astronomy in the southern hemisphere with Simon Schaffer, professor of the history of science at the University of Cambridge.

This week, we look at the convergence – or perhaps not – of two philosophies: Buddhism and modern science.  Buddhism has attempted to redefine itself in relation to neuroscience . A case in point is the ‘dialogue’ between Buddhism and neuroscience promoted by the Dalai Lama and his Western followers.   But before talking of a possible convergence between neuroscience and Buddhism, do we need to acknowledge the divergences?

You might think that, if anybody owns your genes, it’s you, but if you know anything about your genes it will be because of professional gene testing. And in cases of a genetically transmitted disorder, should genetic counsellors breach patient confidentiality to disclose the results of genetic tests to relatives who are likely to be affected by the same disorder?  Is genetic information personal information, which belongs to the patient being tested, or does it belong to all the patient’s genetic relations?

What was Shakespeare’s religion and what did he think about personal identity?  Did he believe that the personal identity we have is had because we are this living body rather than that?  How does commitment to religious faith or to marriage affect your identity?  And should we think of Shakespeare not just as an inventor of characters but as a thinker?

Ethnic groups across the planet are beginning to act like corporations that own a 'natural' copyright in their 'culture' and 'cultural products' which they protect, often by recourse to the law, and on which they capitalise in much the same way as do incorporated businesses in the private sector.

The Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik argues that he killed to do good for his country. Adolf Eichmann, one of the major organisers of the Holocaust, displayed neither guilt nor hatred, claiming he bore no responsibility because he was simply 'doing his job'. It was for him that the phrase ‘the banality of evil’ was coined. Ivan Milat, however, had a life-long history of behavioural disturbance and a propensity for sadistic violence. So how do we understand the problem? Is it just a lack of empathy or is there more than this to the problem of evil?