The Public Philosopher

The Public Philosopher episodes:

• 08.26.2019

  Will AI make thinking obsolete?

  Would you choose an algorithm rather than a human to mark your exam papers? Would you welcome a translation app that replaced foreign language learning? Would you trust a marriage prediction app to choose your life partner? Professor Michael Sandel...

  
• 10.29.2018

  Public Philosopher - Citizens of Nowhere?

  Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel comes to St Paul's Cathedral to take on some of the hardest questions raised by the public discontent that characterises much of global politics today. With the help of a live audience, he asks whether globalisation...

  
• 02.06.2018

  Global Philosopher: Should there be any limits to free speech?

  Sixty people from around the world join Professor Michael Sandel in a digital studio at Harvard to discuss free speech. Free speech is a cornerstone of democracy and freedom of expression is regarded as a fundamental human right. But even...

  
• 03.08.2017

  Would life be better if robots did all the work?

  Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel asks if life would be better if robots did all the work. Professor Sandel skilfully and entertainingly uses live audiences to help address important ethical and philosophical questions. He has travelled across the world and brought...

  
• 07.28.2016

  The Global Philosopher: Should the Rich World Pay for Climate Change?

  Sixty people from thirty countries join Michael Sandel in a digital studio at Harvard to discuss the philosophical issues underlying the world's response to climate change. The developed world has caused climate change, belting out greenhouse gases as it became...

  
• 03.29.2016

  The Global Philosopher: Should Borders Matter?

  Michael Sandel explores the philosophical justifications made for national borders. Using a pioneering state-of-the-art studio at the Harvard Business School, Professor Sandel is joined by 60 participants from over 30 countries in a truly global digital space. Is there...

  
• 01.20.2015

  Why Democracy?

  Harvard professor Michael Sandel is Radio 4's 'Public Philosopher', guiding audiences through complex moral philosophical dilemmas. For the BBC's Democracy Day, Professor Sandel recorded this special edition of The Public Philosopher inside the Palace of Westminster, challenging his audience of...

  
• 05.27.2014

  National Guilt

  Imagine a country guilty of past crimes. What obligations do its current citizens have to make amends? In this edition of The Public Philosopher, Michael Sandel poses that question to an audience in Japan. The discussion involves students from Japan...

  
• 05.20.2014

  Why Vote?

  Should it be compulsory to vote? Should we fine people who don't vote? Should we pay people to vote? This is the week that the UK goes to the polls - amid ongoing concerns about the level of democratic participation....

  
• 05.13.2014

  Morality and the State

  Should governments try to influence private morality? Michael Sandel, The Public Philosopher, is back with a new series. In this first programme he is at the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands, one of the world's most permissive countries. It...

  
• 03.26.2013

  Is rape worse than other violent crime?

  Is rape a worse crime than other forms of violent assault? Should verbal sexual harassment be banned? These are two questions put by Harvard's Michael Sandel - BBC Radio 4's 'Public Philosopher' - who takes the programme to an audience...

  
• 10.30.2012

  Welfare

  The eminent American political philosopher Michael Sandel is Radio 4's "Public Philosopher." Now, as America prepares for its Presidential elections, he is going on the road in America with a unique mission to challenge ordinary voters and lay bare the...

  
• 10.23.2012

  Immigration

  The eminent Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel is Radio 4's "Public Philosopher." Now, as America prepares for its Presidential elections, he and Radio 4 are going on the road in America with a unique mission to lay bare the deeper...

  
• 04.17.2012

  Should we bribe people to be healthy?

  The eminent Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel brings his trademark style to a discussion on a current issue, questioning the thinking underlying a current controversy This week, he takes a provocative look at the controversial subject of incentivising good health....

  
• 04.10.2012

  Should a banker be paid more than a nurse?

  The eminent Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel brings his trademark style to a discussion on a topical issue, questioning the thinking underlying a current controversy. This week, he digs deep into the morality of high pay and bankers' bonuses. ...

  
• 04.03.2012

  Should universities give preference to applicants from poor backgrounds?

  "We're going to engage in an experiment ....an experiment in public philosophy. We sometimes think that philosophy is remote, abstract and distant from the world we actually inhabit. I think otherwise". So says the eminent Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel...