Philosophy Bites

Edmonds and Warburton

David Edmonds (Uehiro Centre, Oxford University) and Nigel Warburton (freelance philosopher/writer) interview top philosophers on a wide range of topics. Two books based on the series have been published by Oxford University Press. We are currently self-funding - donations very welcome via our website http://www.philosophybites.com

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408 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes408

Newest first

Aug 23, 2021 · 20 min
Arash Abizadeh on Thomas Hobbes' Ethics
Thomas Hobbes is best known as author of Leviathan which is usually read today for its theory of political authority. Here Arash Abizadeh discusses Hobbes' ethics, the theory of what we are and what are obligations are to each.
May 18, 2021 · 18 min
Steven Nadler on Spinoza on Free Speech
Spinoza was famously heretical in his views. No surprise then that he defended free expression. Here Steven Nadler discusses Spinoza's views on this topic with Nigel Warburton.
Mar 8, 2021 · 19 min
Suki Finn on the Metaphysics of Nothing
What is the status of something that is an absence, like a hole? Suki Finn explores the metaphysics of nothing in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Suki is also the editor of a new book based on Philosophy Bites interviews with women philosophers selected from our archive Women of Ideas, to be published by Oxford University Press in April.
Feb 18, 2021 · 22 min
Peter Salmon on Derrida on Deconstruction
Jacques Derrida was a controversial philosopher whose writing could be fiendishly difficult to read. Nevertheless he had many followers. Here Pete Salmon, author of a recent biography of Derrida, manages to give a clear account of what Derrida meant by deconstruction. This episode was sponsored by St John's College. For more information about the college go to www.sjc.edu/podcast
Jan 10, 2021 · 24 min
David Bather Woods on Schopenhauer on Compassion
Arthur Schopenhauer is best known for the deep pessimism of his book The World as Will and Representation. Here we focus on a slightly less pessimistic aspect of his philosophy: his views on compassion. Very unusually for an early nineteenth century thinker, he was influenced here by his reading of Indian philosophy. David Bather Woods is the interviewee. We are very grateful for sponsorship for this episode from St John's College.
Dec 6, 2020 · 20 min
Samantha Rose Hill on Hannah Arendt on Pluralism
Hannah Arendt's experience of the Eichmann trial in 1961 led her to reflect on the nature of politics, truth, and plurality. Samantha Rose Hill, author of a biography of Arendt, discusses the context for this, and the key features of Arendt's views. We are grateful for support for this episode from St John's College - for more information about the college, including online options, go to sjc.edu/podcast
Nov 28, 2020 · 12 min
David Edmonds on Undercover Robot
David Edmonds has co-authored a children's book, Undercover Robot. Here in this bonus episode (originally released on the Thinking Books podcast) he discusses it with Nigel Warburton.
Nov 12, 2020 · 19 min
Steven Nadler on Spinoza on Death
Baruch Spinoza was perhaps most famous for his equation of God with Nature - a view that his contemporaries, probably correctly, took to be atheist. But what did he think about death? Steven Nadler, author of A Book Forged in Hell and Think Least of Death, discusses this aspect of his thought with Nigel Warburton.
Oct 4, 2020 · 21 min
Kate Manne on Misogyny and Male Entitlement
In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Cornell philosopher Kate Manne discusses the notions of misogyny, male entitlement, and the term that she coined 'himpathy' with Nigel Warburton.
Sep 16, 2020 · 27 min
Liam Bright on Verificationism
Verificationists believe that every meaningful statement is either true by definition or else empirically verifiable (or falsifiable). Anything which fails to pass this two-pronged test for meaningfulness is neither true nor false, but literally meaningless. Liam Bright discusses Verificationism and its links with the Vienna Circle with David Edmonds in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.
Jul 7, 2020 · 17 min
David Edmonds on Wittgenstein's Poker
For this special episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast (produced under lockdown) Nigel Warburton interviews David Edmonds about his bestselling book, written with David Edinow, Wittgenstein's Poker. It focuses on a heated argument between the two great Viennese philosophers Karl Popper and Ludwig Wittgenstein, and the differing accounts that were give of it by those who were there.
Jun 24, 2020 · 15 min
Nigel Warburton on A Little History of Philosophy
For this first of two special lockdown episodes of Philosophy Bites we interviewed each other. Here David Edmonds interviews Nigel Warburton about his bestseller A Little History of Philosophy. In the companion episode Nigel interviews David about his bestseller Wittgenstein's Poker.
May 30, 2020 · 19 min
Cheryl Misak on Frank Ramsey and Ludwig Wittgenstein
Cheryl Misak has recently published a biography of F.P. Ramsey, the great Cambridge thinker who died at the age of only 26, but who nevertheless made a significant impact in several different fields including philosophy, mathematics, and economics. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she discusses Ramsey's interactions with Wittgenstein. The two thinkers had very different personal styles and their philosophies reflect this.
May 9, 2020 · 18 min
Philip Goff on Galileo and Consciousness
Philip Goff discusses some of Galileo's insights into the nature of matter. He then goes on to discuss his own view about consciousness, panpsychism. Goff believes that matter is conscious at some level.
Apr 19, 2020 · 20 min
Elizabeth Anderson on 'Let's Talk'
In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, recorded before the Covid-19 lockdowns, the political philosopher Elizabeth Anderson explains why we need to be prepared to talk more, even with people with whom we strongly disagree.
Feb 5, 2020 · 23 min
Christian List on Free Will
What is free will? Do we have it? These are difficult questions. Neuroscience seems to point in the direction of determinism. But Christian List suggests that there might still be room for genuine free will.
Oct 21, 2019 · 19 min
Emily Thomas on Wildly Implausible Metaphysics
Some philosophers have drawn very strange conclusions about the nature of reality. Despite this Emily Thomas believes that their work may still be worth studying. They usually have had good reasons for what they concluded. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she discusses several wildly implausible metaphysical theories with Nigel Warburton. We are grateful for support from the Marc Sanders Foundation and from our Patreon donors.
Sep 21, 2019 · 20 min
James Wilson on Real World Ethics
Are thought experiments the best way of doing practical ethics? Not according to James Wilson. He thinks we need the rich detail of real cases or complex imaginary cases not a simplified version of reality to make sense of the moral problems we face. We are grateful for support for this episode from the Marc Sanders Foundation and from our supporters on Patreon.
Jul 8, 2019 · 17 min
Kate Kirkpatrick on the life and work of Simone de Beauvoir
In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, Kate Kirkpatrick, author of a new biography of Beauvoir, Becoming Beauvoir, discusses the relationship between the life and work of Simone de Beauvoir. Beauvoir is often portrayed as applying Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialism to the condition of women. Is this a fair assessment? We are grateful for support from the Marc Sanders Foundation.
May 21, 2019 · 30 min
Kathleen Stock on What is a Woman?
'What is a woman?' has become a contentious question with practical implications. The philosopher Kathleen Stock gives an account of the category 'woman' and how we should think about it. She gives a different answer to this question which Amia Srinivassan addressed in a previous Philosophy Bites interview on this topic.

Philosophy Bites

Arash Abizadeh on Thomas Hobbes' Ethics

Steven Nadler on Spinoza on Free Speech

Suki Finn on the Metaphysics of Nothing

Peter Salmon on Derrida on Deconstruction

David Bather Woods on Schopenhauer on Compassion

Samantha Rose Hill on Hannah Arendt on Pluralism

David Edmonds on Undercover Robot

Steven Nadler on Spinoza on Death

Kate Manne on Misogyny and Male Entitlement

Liam Bright on Verificationism

David Edmonds on Wittgenstein's Poker

Nigel Warburton on A Little History of Philosophy

Cheryl Misak on Frank Ramsey and Ludwig Wittgenstein

Philip Goff on Galileo and Consciousness

Elizabeth Anderson on 'Let's Talk'

Christian List on Free Will

Emily Thomas on Wildly Implausible Metaphysics

James Wilson on Real World Ethics

Kate Kirkpatrick on the life and work of Simone de Beauvoir

Kathleen Stock on What is a Woman?