Philosophy For Our Times

Can we free ourselves from stale ideas about consciousness?

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Some argue that the reality we perceive is a controlled hallucination. Others claim that science is about to crack the ancient problem of the self once and for all. Distinguished philosopher and panpsychist Philip Goff argues that neither of these are true, and explains why we need a new theory altogether.

Philip Goff is a renowned philosopher of consciousness at Durham University. His unique research focuses on integrating consciousness into our scientific worldview.

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Should we think of morality in terms of objective truth or social consensus?

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Once the fashion of a postmodern age, moral relativism has always had its detractors, many of them religious. But now a new breed of atheist celebrity thinkers, from Sam Harris to Peter Singer, are making claims for the existence of absolute moral truths. Critics argue that like authoritarian moralists of the past, they use so-called 'objective' morality to shore up to their own prejudices and silence dissent.

Firebrand philosopher Slavoj Žižek, bestselling author of Zed Joanna Kavenna, and philosopher and author of Truth Simon Blackburn debate objective morality in a postmodern age. Hosted by Professor and Chair of Jurisprudence at the University of Oxford, Ruth Chang.

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Is it time to abandon the search for reality?

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Nietzsche famously declared 'God is dead' in the late nineteenth century. Outspoken critic of philosophical realism Hilary Lawson observes that today we have replaced God with ‘reality’. He urges us to abandon this elusive and unattainable concept, offering an alternative view which embraces observation and reason while abandoning reality for good.

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Is human-like AI a pipe dream?

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A future with human-like AI is no longer limited to the pages of sci-fi, it’s now the dream of Big Tech too. But is this just a pipe dream? Join philosopher of perception Mazviita Chirimuuta as she argues that human-like AI is and will remain a fantasy. 

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Is it time for the English-speaking world to move on from analytic philosophy?

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Focusing on logic and the meaning of words, analytic philosophy sought to put philosophy on a scientific footing. Yet a century on and critics argue the core questions about the relationship between language and the world have been largely abandoned as insoluble, while the focus on logic and the aping of science is out of sync with the contemporary environment.

Should we see analytic philosophy as the high point of an enlightenment scientism that has been in retreat almost since its inception and which is no longer relevant? Or can it be revived by applying its focus on rationality and the logic of words to the divisive and emotional disputes that beset current culture?

Distinguished philosopher of language and the senses Barry Smith, Wittgensteinian expert Maria Balaska and maverick post-post modern philosopher Hilary Lawson lock horns over whether philosophy's fixation on language has held us back. Rufus Duits hosts. 

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Should we see art as a means of getting closer to the essence of what it is to be alive?

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Art is most often seen as an adornment to everyday life. An entertainment, a delightful distraction perhaps, but not an uncovering of the essential character of the world. To uncover reality, we instead focus on accurate description and the discovery of facts. Yet these descriptions frequently do not settle the matter and can often lead to conflict and dispute, and all the while we are no closer to agreement on the essential nature of reality. 

Could we successfully refocus culture so that art was the primary means of making sense of ourselves and our reality? Or is this an empty romantic illusion that would leave us poorer, less productive and less able to fend for ourselves in the world?

Critically acclaimed writer Janne Teller, musical comedian and writer Isy Suttie, British philosopher James Tartaglia and Pulitzer prize poet Paul Muldoon as they debate whether art can uncover the essence of the world. Hosted by acclaimed author, Joanna Kavenna.

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Is knowing oneself even possible? Listen to find out.

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From the self-help industry to the contemporary focus on mental health, the ancient Greek maxim 'Know Thyself', is very much in fashion. But many would argue it is an impossible dream. We can't catch sight of ourselves, and the attempt to do so often leaves us lost and confused. What's more, from the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy to drug addicts who's lives are in ruin, individuals can be well aware of their failings but unable or unwilling to change.

Pioneer of modern understanding of ancient myths Betty Sue Flowers, Award winning journalist Anil Ananthaswamy, renowned psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist and Professor of Philosophy Bence Nanay are joined by our host, Professor of Religion and Science Mary Jane Rubenstein to ask if we can ever truly know ourselves.

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Should we all engage in a radical cull? Listen to find out.

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We are attached to things. Our dwellings are packed with items we rarely throw out. Things have traditionally given us comfort but they also give us status. The wealthy often collect things for no other purpose than to own them. But in an age when the great majority of us have too much, when cupboards are full of clothes we do not wear, shelves with books we do not read, is it not time to end this obsession? Might the status of the future come from being free of objects and clutter, focusing instead on experience and the natural world? Or are things our only link with the past, and a necessary part of who we are?

Behavioural scientist Paul Dolan, senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University Steve Taylor and British broadcaster and anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota debate the status of things. Eliane Glaser hosts.

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Must we give up on our current ideas of the self and identity? Listen to find out!

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We laugh at the medieval view that disease is due to an imbalance in the four humours. Instead we see infectious illness as an attack by something external. But this can't be the whole story. After all, not everyone got Covid or suffered from it equally.

There are mounting challenges to the standard attack-defence account of disease. Critics argue It relies on our being able to distinguish self and non-self and there is no such mechanism. Instead they argue radical collective and ecological frameworks provide a better and more effective account.

Can the new paradigms of danger theory or adaptation help crack disease? Might immunology proves to be the key to the deep philosophical question of what makes us who we are?

Quantum biologist JohnJoe McFadden, distinguished immunologist Ane Ogbe and Professor of Paediatric Immunology Petter Brodin debate the self and the non-self. Gunes Taylor hosts.  

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What are the moral limits today?

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We think we should be concerned for the well being of farm animals and those used in experiments. But where should we draw the line? Mosquitoes? Plants? Rivers? Join philosopher and bestselling author Peter Godfrey-Smith as he argues we should draw new limits for our moral consideration.

Peter Godfrey-Smith is professor in the School of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Sydney. His main research interests are in the philosophy of biology and the philosophy of mind.

He is the author of numerous highly-acclaimed, including 'Other Minds: The Octopus, The Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness.'

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