Philosophy For Our Times

This episode features an interview with Babette Babich, discussing Nietzsche's philosophy, particularly his ideas on the birth of tragedy and the technology trap.

Philosophy for Our Times hosts a live panel with philosopher James Tartaglia, journalist Myriam François, and writer Freya India to debate whether fun is essential rather than superficial, drawing on statistics showing drug use among young people has fallen by over a third since 2003 and only half of Americans report having fun regularly.

Ed introduces a panel debate on the split between analytic and continental philosophy.

Philosophy for Our Times hosts a talk by University of Chicago philosopher Martha Nussbaum, who argues for a new theory of animal justice she calls the capabilities approach.

Recorded at the How the Light Gets In festival in early 2025, the episode starts with a question about what universities are for.

This episode debates whether modern society's reliance on rewards and incentives for good behavior is harmful to human wellbeing and autonomy.

Historian Aviva Chomsky critically examines the Enlightenment, exploring its intersections with Eurocentrism, racism, colonial war, science, industry, and progress.

Terry Eagleton re-evaluates Karl Marx's ideas and their relevance to modern society.

A debate exploring how narratives shape our understanding of reality and can both help and trap us.

This interview with psychotherapist Susie Orbach explores the origins of psychotherapy, its role in modern society, and issues like AI in therapy and class disparities in mental health access.

This episode features an interview with philosopher Peter Singer, discussing his life, moral philosophy, and influential work like Animal Liberation.

A live debate exploring the relationship between price and value in economics and society.

A debate exploring the nature of novelty and originality in art, from cave paintings to AI.

This episode features a debate comparing Jean-Paul Sartre's and James Baldwin's philosophical views on whether humans can truly know the experience of others.

This episode explores the philosophy of geopolitics, examining historical and contemporary political philosophies that guide state decisions, with articles from experts like John Milbank and Slavoj Žižek.

Barry C.

A philosophical debate on the moral implications of Thanksgiving and the need to address historical injustices against indigenous peoples.

Philosopher Ben Ware discusses the philosophy of extinction, urging acceptance of extinction and living better in its face.

Fiona Ellis discusses the metaphysics of naturalism and its application to the question of life's meaning, proposing a middle ground between polarized philosophical approaches.

A philosophical talk exploring whether the natural and supernatural worlds are fundamentally opposed, featuring Professor Fiona Ellis defending a form of naturalism.

Stuart Hameroff argues that consciousness came first and triggered the origin of life, exploring the intersection of quantum mechanics and consciousness.

This episode explores the philosophy of horror, including dehumanization and why audiences crave horror, through articles and discussions.

Psychologist Paul Bloom explores why people have a desire to do bad things and why immoral thoughts shouldn't cause guilt.

A panel debate exploring the nature of self-discovery and whether there is a self to discover.

A debate on whether scientific methods can fully explain consciousness, featuring philosophers and scientists.

Continental philosopher Ben Ware discusses philosophical responses to extinction and humanity's role in it.

A debate exploring whether science can solve the problem of consciousness, featuring philosophers and scientists.

Slavoj Žižek discusses ideology through the anecdote of Niels Bohr's horseshoe, exploring concepts of belief and freedom.

An interview with Slavoj Žižek discussing quantum mechanics, experimental metaphysics, and his upcoming panel with Roger Penrose and Sabine Hossenfelder.

Slavoj Žižek discusses the war in Ukraine and broader societal issues in a philosophical lecture.

Philosopher Barry Smith discusses why philosophy has historically neglected senses like smell, touch, and taste, and his research on these overlooked senses.

This episode continues a debate on whether metaphysics is unavoidable in science and philosophy, featuring perspectives from Eric Weinstein, Becky Parker, and Hilary Lawson.

This episode features a debate between physicist Eric Weinstein, physicist Becky Parker, and philosopher Hilary Lawson on whether metaphysics is necessary or speculative nonsense in today's science-dominated world.