Susan James on Spinoza on the Passions
What are the passions and what role do they play in human life? These fundamental questions fascinated Baruch de Spinoza who in his book Ethics gave a highly original account of what it is to be human...
2 Dec 200717min
Henry Hardy on Isaiah Berlin's Pluralism
Is there a common currency in which we can compare the various ways in which people choose to live? Isaiah Berlin thought not. He argued that fundamental values may be incommensurable. In this episode...
25 Nov 200712min
Myles Burnyeat on Aristotle on Happiness
What is happiness? Is it a matter of blissful mental states subjectively experienced, or is it, as Aristotle believed, more about a successful life? In this episode of Philosophy Bites Myles Burnyeat ...
18 Nov 200712min
Alain de Botton on Philosophy Within and Outside the Academy
What is philosophy? Does academic philosophy squeeze the life out of some of the most important questions we can ask? Alain de Botton, author of the bestseller The Consolations of Philosophy, discusse...
11 Nov 200713min
Angie Hobbs on Plato on Erotic Love
Plato's Symposium is the most famous philosophical discussion of love, its joys, risks and pleasures. In this episode of Philosophy Bites Angie Hobbs gives a lively account of what Plato thought about...
4 Nov 200715min
Stewart Sutherland on Hume on Design
Is there evidence of intelligent design in the Universe? In the Eighteenth Century David Hume presented a series of powerful arguments against the Argument from Design. In this interview for Philosoph...
28 Okt 200711min
Onora O'Neill on Medical Consent
What do we mean by 'consent' in a medical context? Is it reasonable to ask for informed consent before performing medical procedures? Is consent even the most important issue. Onora O'Neill challenges...
21 Okt 200713min
Quentin Skinner on Hobbes on the State
What is the state? How do individuals combine to lend legitimate authority to those who act on the state's behalf? These are fundamental questions in political philosophy that Thomas Hobbes addressed ...
15 Okt 200717min
