Philosophy in the News
- Going Public with It
Some like to quote Nietzsche and have tattoos of his aphorisms. But what if you don't understand him, or any other philosopher? Have attempts to simplify some seriously knotty ideas for broad public consumption damaged the real thing? (audio)
- Are Emotions Skin Deep?
Growing research on the effects of botox treatments on emotional perception may shed light on the nature of human emotion.
- Responsibility from the Margins
Philosopher David Shoemaker discusses themes from his recent book Responsibility from the Margins on the thorny issues surrounding the notion of responsibility as applied to persons whose agency is somehow compromised. (audio)
- Liberalism and the End of the World
Political liberalism has been an extraordinarily successful doctrine, freeing the individual from custom, tribe, and tradition. The self-interested, self-directing individual has triumphed. But that great achievement may have come at a heavy cost. Unacceptable levels of inequality and the rise of a new global meritocratic ruling class are two symptoms of a political system being lauded as the natural end point of history. (audio)
- The Age of Unbundlement
Since its publication in 2007 Charles Taylor's magnum opus A Secular Age has gathered great intellectual momentum. His analysis has never been more apt. It was well received to start with—but as the years have rolled on, the changes it charts have only grown in impact and reach in the western world. Charles Taylor revisits the two key things that we need to understand about the unbundled age. (audio)
- To Protect & Serve
What is wrong with the policing of minorities in the U.S? Ethicist John Kleinig discusses.
- Democracy?—Let’s Not and Say We Did
If you believe in liberal democracy as the best way to live together, strap yourself in for a bumpy ride. You may not have thought of democracy as essentially undemocratic, but John Milbank is no fan of the least-worst system. (audio)
- Lies, Passable Lies
Philosopher Rachel McKinnon argues against the prevailing idea that it is a norm of assertion that you need to know what you assert. She also argues that we can even blamelessly assert something that we know to be false. McKinnon discusses themes from her recent book The Norms of Assertion: Truth, Lies, and Warrant. (audio)
- Anger, Indignation and Human Rights
Political philosophy conjures big concepts of the ideal way to organise ourselves as a group—but the discussion can turn coldly technical and miss the very basis of the original question: how can we best live together? The conversation around human rights can fall to this malady and become overly legalistic or formalised—but talk of human dignity, equality, and good old-fashioned anger and indignation may bring the project back to its roots.
- Punishment and Illusion
If all our actions are determined by prior causes, that doesn't seem to leave much scope for punishment. Philosopher Gregg Caruso discusses the ins and outs of free will and punishment.
- Should Everybody Vote?
Conventional wisdom tells us yes. But maybe there is a better way. Philosopher Gary Gutting discusses the issue.
- Universal Norms
Our modern world understands the subtleties of a debate that's been running since the time of Plato and Aristotle: how the world is, and how it ought to be. The debate affects our perception of human rights—it sets ideal principle against practical politics. A discussion with philosopher and political scientist, Seyla Benhabib. (audio)
- The Neverending Story
Aquinas, Bonaventure, and the so-called “Latin Averroists” take up the question of whether the universe has always existed, and settle once and for all which comes first, the chicken or the egg. (audio)
- Metaphysics of Pregnancy
Philosopher Elselijn Kingma has been awarded a $1.35 million grant by the European Research Council for her work on the metaphysics of pregnancy.
- C’est La Vie Philosophique!
France's strange, wonderful love affair with philosophy.
- Rights Without Borders
Few contemporary debates have proven more divisive than the treatment of asylum seekers—and the participants often speak different languages: one is about hard politics; the other is about moral obligation. (audio)
- Hume’s Irreligious Core
An interview with philosopher Paul Russell.
- Process This Information (if You Can)
Your brain does not process information, retrieve knowledge or store memories. In short: your brain is not a computer Psychologist Robert Epstein thinks we must break free from the hopeless mind/brain-machine metaphor.
- Philosophy Students Do Better in School
A recent study demonstrates significant benefits of teaching young students philosophy.
- Making a Difference: Applied Ethics
Pioneering philosophers have used philosophy to operationalize moral goods by creating tools that tackle social problems in the real world.