The matrix, myths, and metaphysics Part 2

Is metaphysics still relevant? Or has the pre-eminence of science over the last centuries made such questioning obsolete?

Join provocative mathematician and investor Eric Weinstein, award-winning physicist Becky Parker and post-post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson as they discuss what role, if any, metaphysics should currently be playing in our society. Their discussions touch on issues such as the openness or not of science, as well as the underlying truth of reality.

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The matrix, myths, and metaphysics Part 1

Is metaphysics still relevant? Or has the pre-eminence of science over the last centuries made such questioning obsolete?

Join provocative mathematician and investor Eric Weinstein, award-winning physicist Becky Parker and post-post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson as they discuss what role, if any, metaphysics should currently be playing in our society. Their discussions touch on issues such as the openness or not of science, as well as the underlying truth of reality.

To witness such debates live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/

And visit our website for many more articles, videos, and podcasts like this one: https://iai.tv/

You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What should guide our actions?

We all have epiphanies. Yet most of us choose to ignore them, and trust in reason to determine our path in life. Join philosopher Sophie-Grace Chappell, who argues that we should allow our epiphanies to guide our actions.

Sophie-Grace Chappell is a Professor of Philosophy at the Open University who writes about ethics, politics, feminism and epistemology. She argues that we should allow our epiphanies to guide us.

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Is it bad if we are?

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From the evening news to the latest films and novels - we are attracted to crises and the trials and tribulations of life. The pandemic brought stories of human suffering, whether from illness, isolation or joblessness, which we readily consumed. But the healthiness of this fascination with misery is questionable, potentially leaving us with a distorted picture of the state of affairs and low expectations for our happiness. Is this focus on negative human experiences universal, a hangover from our evolutionary past and originally a survival technique? Or is it a symptom of a culture in decline? Should we seek to snap out of this pessimistic cultural focus and instead celebrate success stories and look positively to the future? 

Award-winning authors Elise Valmorbida and Meg Rosoff and philosopher and an honorary professor at UCL Nick Zangwill discuss the call of the catastrophe and calamity. Mary Ann Sieghart hosts.  

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How did consciousness come into existence?

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'Steven Pinker and Sam Harris have argued "the emergence of consciousness is simply incomprehensible". While recent neuroscientists have concluded "there is no convincing function to be found for consciousness". But if so, why are we conscious? Is consciousness an accurate description of what's happening to us, a sort of internal dashboard of the current state of affairs? Or is it a construction made to achieve certain outcomes?

Has evolution got something seriously wrong if consciousness is a mere by-product of being human? Do we need a new account of consciousness and how it fits into our model of the universe? Is it possible that consciousness itself is leading us astray?

Famed cognitive psychologist Donald Hoffman, celebrated psychiatrist and former literary scholar Iain McGilchrist, trailblazing evolutionary theorist and geneticist Eva Jablonka and pioneering philosopher of consciousness Michelle Montague lock horns over whether consciousness evolved. Robert Lawrence Kuhn hosts. 

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Do we need suffering to lead a meaningful life?

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From the plots of Hollywood movies to the roots of Christianity, many see value in adversity and suffering. Be it in character building boot camps or overcoming the trials of a difficult childhood or adult life. Yet the great majority of us do our very best to avoid suffering in our own lives.

Should we conclude that the value of adversity and suffering is an illusion? A hangover from Christianity that modernity needs to excise? Or is it a vital and critical element in building personality and enabling a meaningful, fulfilling and significant life?

Britain’s most beloved psychotherapist and author of “Fat is a Feminist Issue” Susie Orbach, renowned transhumanist Anders Sandberg, and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bristol Havi Carel explore the significance of suffering in modern society. Hosted by philosopher Julian Baggini.

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Is language capable of communicating experience?

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We think sharing experience is essential to being human. At an individual level, we share experiences to get to know others and understand them. Yet from the taste of an apple to giving birth, we know we cannot fully describe the experience to someone who has not already had it. Many now also maintain that it is impossible to communicate the experience of discrimination, and other cultures can only be understood by those who have experienced it. But even if it remains an impossible task - for language to truly bridge our separate realities - should it nevertheless remain something that is continually strived for?

Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University Kehinde Andrews, linguist and Associate Professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University John McWhorter, and Professor of philosophy and cognitive science at Yale University Laurie Ann Paul discuss whether or not language is capable of communicating lived experience. Mary-Jane Rubenstein hosts. 

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Can empirical observation lead us to the truth?

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From Newton to Darwin, Curie to Einstein, science has been built on empirical observation. Now the very idea of neutral observation is under threat. In a postmodern world it is claimed all observation is perspectival, everything we see influenced by what we already think. The founder of quantum mechanics, Heisenberg went further arguing that observing reality was not even possible. Are we at sea in a world of competing models? Or is it time to reassert the value of empirical observation, supported perhaps by machine learning and big data, as a means of choosing between incompatible theories?

Steve Fuller is an academic studying science and technology. Fuller has published prolifically on such topics as intelligent design, the sociology of academia, and transhumanism.

Angela Saini is an award-winning science journalist, author and broadcaster. She regularly presents science programmes for the BBC, and her writing has appeared in publications ranging from New Scientist, Wired and the Guardian.

Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and bestselling author. Best known for his 2012 book 'The Science Delusion' and the controversial, viral TED talk he gave which was banned by the organisation.

Peter Atkins is a chemist and Fellow of Lincoln College. He’s a Distinguished Supporter of Humanists UK, Atkins is outspoken in his opposition to religion.

Danielle Sands hosts.

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Is pantheism more radical than atheism?

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Pantheism is the radical belief that reality and god are one and the same thing. Why has it been so feared for 400 years? Philosopher and author of Strange Wonder, Mary-Jane Rubenstein shows how the idea threatens much more than just religion.

Mary-Jane Rubenstein is Professor of Religion at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, USA. Her book Worlds Without End: The Many Lives of the Universe examines cosmological models throughout history, from the world-views of the Ancient Greeks through to the well-respected multiverse theory in modern science. She links contemporary models of the universe to their forerunners and explores the reason for their recent resurgence. 

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Are 'facts' a tool for manipulation? Listen to find out!

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Facts and reason are essential if we are to make progress and create a better world. At least that's how it used to be. But now it seems everyone has their own 'facts'. Our political leaders have 'alternative' facts, but so, it is also claimed, do the liberal elite and the mainstream media. Meanwhile, reason has been derided by many as a typically male bludgeon to deny alternative views. Should we welcome the challenge to facts and reason as a progressive move undermining the authority of traditional Western hierarchies? Or is the undermining of facts and reason a singularly dangerous exercise?

Professor of Philosophy at the Open University Sophie-Grace Chappell, Professor of Philosophy at Stockholm University Anandi Hattiangadi and Professor of Philosophy at the New College of the Humanities Simon Blackburn dicuss the changing value of truth in contemporary society. Julian Baggini hosts.

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Can we be sure there is a physical reality? Our philosophers and scientists debate.

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 No-one who has ever stepped on a Lego brick could doubt the reality of physical objects. Yet from Heraclitus to George Berkeley, many philosophers claimed to have disproven the existence of things. Now even high-energy particle physicists are inclined to agree and describe material stuff as energy, or even as mathematical constructs. Could the world truly be made up of fields and processes, rather than physical stuff? Or is science trapped in a philosophical fantasy from which it needs to escape?

Chemist and Fellow of Lincoln College Peter Atkins, Philosopher of Science at the University of Bristol James Ladyman and author of A Field Guide to Reality Joanna Kavenna debate whether the everyday objects that surround us are an illusion. Julian Baggini hosts.

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Does nature always know best? Yuval Noah Harari and Slavoj Žižek debate.

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Most think of nature as good, while humans and human interventions are often seen as problematic and even on occasion evil. From eradicating e-numbers from our diets to refusing vaccines, many are motivated by the idea that nature knows best.

Yet malaria is natural, the malaria vaccine is not. Crop failure, hurricanes, tsunamis - all are deadly, and all natural. Human actions are essential to extend and save lives from natural calamity.

Is our attachment to nature undermining belief in ourselves? Should we have more faith in the human and less trust in nature? Or, are we right to be sceptical of human intervention and should we see the renewed reverence for nature as a positive return to an ancient and essential belief? Then again, should we accept that we are part of the natural world, and give up on the false distinction between real and artificial, natural and unnatural?

World-famous intellectual Yuval Noah Harari and firebrand philosopher Slavoj Žižek debate whether nature is friend or foe. Hosted by scientist Güneş Taylor.

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Are we living in a simulation?

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Modern technology has ushered in a new era of augmented reality - one so sophisticated that some argue within a century we will be unable to distinguish the 'real' from the 'virtual'. Yet with increasing concerns that virtual reality is simply a flawed escapism, could we imagine ourselves living meaningful lives inside a virtual world? World-renowned philosopher and cognitive scientist David Chalmers outlines his highly original take on the matter.

David Chalmers is an Australian philosopher and cognitive scientist who specialises in the philosophy of mind, language and more recently, virtual reality. He is a Professor of Philosophy and Neural Science at New York University, as well as co-director of NYU's Center for Mind, Brain and Consciousness.

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Should we follow our philosophical conclusions wherever they take us? Or is there a hard wall of common sense that we are beholden to?

Listen to some of today's leading philosophers in science and metaphysics as they talk it out!

Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at New York University as well as the Founder/Director of the John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics. Michael Della Rocca is Professor of Philosophy at Yale University and a famous disciple of the pre-Socratic philosopher Parmenides. Kathleen Higgins is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin, specialising in aesthetics, philosophy of music, nineteenth and twentieth-century continental philosophy, and philosophy of emotion.

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Is government responsible for people's happiness? Paul Dolan tells us how to reach happiness and how public policy could get involved.

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From ancient philosophers to modern scientists we have been perplexed by happiness. In this interview, Professor of Behavioural Science at the LSE, Paul Dolan, discusses what happiness is and whether it should affect public policy. He engages with purpose vs happiness and how we, as a society, can find ways to promote happiness via public policy.

Paul Dolan's main research interests are human behaviour and happiness, and the relationships between them, particularly as they apply to policy. He is author of the bestselling books Happiness by Design and Happy Ever After. He is also host of the Duck / Rabbit podcast about the polarisation problem in our society.

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Should we see nature as a divine source, or will doing so lead to self-annihilation?

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From Greece’s Gaia to the Hindu Prithvi, many cultures have seen the Earth as a divine being. Christianity and Western culture however removed god from nature deriding such outlooks as 'pagan'. The earth was recast as a resource for humans, to be conquered, settled and tamed. Now it seems the tides may be changing again. Rivers and rainforests are being given legal rights and some philosophers go further arguing that the planets of the solar system should too. Nature it would seem is the new god.

Might re-embracing Mother Earth be just what we need to prevent environmental catastrophe and destruction of society? Or is the return to the gods of nature a dangerous step that undermines human goals and values and threatens a return to superstition and fate?

Psychedelic philosopher Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, internationally-renowned climate scientist Tim Palmer, and author-broadcaster-podcaster Melanie Challenger test each other's beliefs about nature and god. Hosted by philosopher Hilary Lawson

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How our brains lie to us and science follows.

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With a background in psychiatry, neuroimaging, and philosophy, Iain McGilchrist has a unique perspective on the world, the mind, and everything in between. Here, he discusses his new book, The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World.

Iain McGilchrist is psychiatrist, writer, and former Oxford literary scholar. He is committed to the idea that the mind and brain can be understood only by seeing them in the broadest possible context, a notion which is fundamental to his two most famous works: The Master and his Emissary, and The Matter With Things

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Is rationality productive or is it a method for manipulation?

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Rationality, once revered, has had a bad press. Increasingly derided as the rhetorical bluster of the educated elite, typically powerful and male. And seen as the prejudiced claim of those who are sure they are right. Yet in its absence public debate becomes ever more rancorous and tribal.

Do we need less emotion, more calm, and more rational conversation and debate? Should we see rationality as a method for positive change? Or is rationality a rhetorical delusion, a means of dressing up privilege and power, which should be seen for what it is, a defence of the vested interests it seeks to hide?

Eminent philosopher of mind and psychology Sophie Archer, ground breaking Oxford logician Timothy Williamson and trailblazing cultural critic Nina Power put reason and emotion to the test. Hosted by Mary Ann Sieghart.

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Should we be scared of AI?

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Joanna Bryson discusses how she became interested in the ways different species use intelligence, how the typical tropes in science fiction misunderstand AI and the problem of anthropomorphism. In this interview, Bryson discusses the most pressing ethical challenges concerning the future of artificial intelligence and whether or not we can stabilize democracy when we have so much information about each other. She also touches on how the problems that arise with AI aren't always to do with the technology itself but with the social conditions that often produce it.

Joanna Bryson is professor at Hertie School in Berlin. She works on Artificial Intelligence, ethics and collaborative cognition. She advises governments, corporations, and other agencies globally, particularly on AI policy.

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Will science ever come on top?

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 In a survey of academic philosophers 85% identified as atheists. In Europe established religion has been in decline for a century; even in the States attendance is falling. Yet globally religion remains a potent force, and predictions of its demise have not materialised. Amongst those who have abandoned established religion new forms of spirituality, such as mindfulness and yoga are on the rise. Does religion, in all its many forms, provide a psychological support for humans that makes it essential - without which there is only the void?

Scientist, author, and parapsychology researcher Rupert Sheldrake, Hegelian psychoanalyst Slavoj Zizek and Professor of History at University of Madison-Wisconsin Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen discuss whether the persistence of religion is an extended but ultimately temporary phenomenon. Wes Alwan hosts.

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Can you be an atheism 'expert'? And if you are, what do you have to say? Listen to find out.

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The first decade of the 21st century saw an extraordinary rise in confident atheism. Now the whirlwind has settled, what does the future of belief look like? In this talk philosopher and author of Atheism: A Very Short Introduction, Julian Baggini explores the new landscape of atheism. 

Julian Baggini is a British philosopher, journalist and author of over 20 philosophical books. Since graduating with a PhD from University College London in 1997, he has co-founded The Philosopher's Magazine and been a regular contributor to both national and international newspapers. 

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Are scientific metaphors a real description of reality? A discussion between our scientists and philosophers.

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From string theory to the Big Bang, black holes to dark matter, our big scientific theories are increasingly conveyed through metaphor. Yet from Newton to the latest theories, science is largely founded on mathematics.

Could Newton have chosen to call forces 'spirits' and Einstein have called fields 'matrices'? And if so would our understanding of reality have been profoundly different?

Fellow at the Francis Crick Institute Güneş Taylor, scientist and author Rupert Sheldrake, chemist and author of popular works of science Peter Atkins and post-postmodern philosopher Hilary Lawson debate whether scientific metaphors can be considered real descriptions of an underlying universe. Joanna Kavenna hosts.

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The case for nihilism, demons of materialism, and jazz?! Join us for a fascinating discussion.

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On this week’s episode we are joined by Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at Keele University, James Tartaglia, to discuss the meaning of life and common misconceptions surrounding nihilism. We dive into a fascinating conversation about the role of materialism in our contemporary experience of the world, and James puts forward an appealing argument for the return to idealism, while encouraging us to chuck out determinism. To top it all, he shares how and why he combines jazz music with philosophy in his personal life.

James Tartaglia is a British philosopher and the author of Philosophy in a Meaningless Life and Philosophy in a Technological World: Gods and Titans. James also leads a Jazz-Philosophy fusion band called 'Continuum of Selves'.

This interview was recorded at our philosophy and music festival HowTheLightGetsIn. If you want to check out the video footage click here.

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Should the origins of ideas matter as much as their substance? Our experts discuss.

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There has always been dispute over which ideas are most significant. But at least there used to be broad agreement about the hallmarks of quality and the great works in each field. Now, from literature to the social sciences, there are claims that previous standards were structures of prejudice and oppression, and calls are heard for greater inclusion.

How do we navigate this new space where there is so little agreement on merit? Should we abandon the notion of 'great works' altogether, or would this threaten the very survival of our culture and much that we hold to be valuable?

Literary theorist Stanley Fish, author of How I Live Now, Meg Rosoff, journalist and editor of MsAfropolitan, Minna Salami and writer and essayist Janne Teller rethink what makes a great work of art. Hosted by BBC Parliamentary Correspondent, Sean Curran.

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Have you heard of Descartes' 'demon'? How can a mythical creature inform scientific progress? What is real?

Listen in to find out!

Join award-winning science historian Jimena Canales in this studio interview as she discusses the process of discovery and the nature of the unknown in science.

Jimena Canales is a pioneering historian of science and an expert in 19th and 20th century history of the physical sciences. She is currently Vice-President of the Board of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS).

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Are you ready for a different kind of 'trip'?

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We have a very special episode for you today, a truly fascinating (and at times even funky) philosophical discussion.

From Silicon Valley to the treatment of depression, psychedelics have entered the mainstream. And with them come new political, economic and philosophical horizons. Join us as scientist Rupert Sheldrake and philosopher Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes discuss the past, present and future of the mind.

Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist whose research led to the theory of morphic resonance and nature's memory. In his book Ways To Go Beyond he explores states of altered consciousness and their implication on the mind.

Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a philosopher of mind, described as "a psychedelic Nietzsche". He is a Research Fellow and Associate Lecturer in University of Exeter's Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology Department, who specialises in altered states of sentience.

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Is the brain just a computer? Are AI conscious? Or could they be? Our experts debate.

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 The idea of the brain as a computer is everywhere. So much so we have forgotten it is a model and not the reality. It’s a metaphor that has lead some to believe that in the future they'll be uploaded to the digital ether and thereby achieve immortality. It’s also a metaphor that garners billions of dollars in research funding every year. Yet researchers argue that when we dig down into our grey matter our biology is anything but algorithmic. And increasingly, critics contend that the model of the brain as computer is sending scientists (and their resources) nowhere fast.

Is our attraction to the idea of the brain as computer an accident of current human technology? Can we find a better metaphor that might lead to a new paradigm? Is there something about computers that has indeed identified the very same processes that are operating in our brains, or is it a profound mistake to imagine the organic can be reduced to technology?

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Has science become the philosophical belief of our time? Leading scientists and philosophers discuss.

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In less than a lifetime, the first half of the twentieth century brought a series of life changing inventions. In combination with the all encompassing new stories of physics, science, once a branch of philosophy, became the philosophical belief of our time. Some claimed philosophy was over.

Yet in the last half century, technology has become more contentious and big scientific theory has seemingly stalled. Might philosophy once again find itself centre stage at a time when knowledge and progress are in question? Or is science still the only credible way to improve our circumstances and make sense of the world?

Co-founder and editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine, Julian Baggini, chemist Peter Atkins, Crick Institute Researcher Güneş Taylor, and consciousness philosopher Philip Goff argue over life, the universe and everything. Hosted by researcher and author, Melanie Challenger.

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Can science accommodate human subjectivity? Sabine Hossenfelder responds.

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In this interview, leading physicist and author, Sabine Hossenfelder, discusses the relationship between physics and philosophy. She examines the scientific community’s desire to find a unified theory of everything, and contemplates how science can accommodate human subjectivity. She also considers the role of physics in helping us tackle major philosophical issues involving time, free will, and consciousness.

Sabine Hossenfelder is a theoretical physicist who specialises in the foundations of physics. She is a Research Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies where she leads the group on Superfluid Dark Matter.

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Is our obsession with data healthy or dangerous? Our specialists discuss.

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 Look to the science' was the call from politicians and the public alike throughout the pandemic. As if science has a single definitive view, and the data one interpretation. Yet science is full of competing and sometimes contradictory views particularly at the edge of current understanding. And increasingly scientists see themselves as operating with models of reality. Ultimate final accounts being perhaps more typical of religion than the exploratory and sceptical approach at the core of science.

Should we abandon the idea that science provides absolute answers? Should scientists and politicians avoid giving the impression that there is a single definitive account? Or do we need to cut through the complexity of competing outlooks and commit to a truth in order to drive action and change?

Pioneering American physicist Lisa Randall, renowned philosopher of science Tim Maudlin and legendary cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman argue over the fundamental nature of science. Biologist Güneş Taylor hosts.

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Does philosophy really have an impact on our daily life? Timothy Williamson explains.

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In this interview, professor of Logic at the University of Oxford, Timothy Williamson examines how common sense can sometimes not be fully self-consistent and can even lead us into certain logical paradoxes. The philosopher discusses in what ways philosophy is comparable to the natural sciences and how language is ill-equipped to describe people's experiences of reality. In this discussion, Williamson also touches on the arbitrariness of disciplinary boundaries when it comes to understanding life's fundamental questions.

Timothy Williamson is the Wykeham Professor of Logic at the University of Oxford and a fellow of New College, Oxford. His main research areas are philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, epistemology and metaphysics. He is the author of the widely translated Knowledge and Its Limits and The Philosophy of Philosophy.

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What do memes really mean? Listen to find out!

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Memes are everywhere. But the term was coined only a few decades ago by Richard Dawkins to describe ideas and cultural behaviour that can be passed on from one individual to another. He argued that memes are a stage in evolution, and just as humans are carriers for genes, we are also carriers for memes. We don't so much choose our memes as they choose us. Its critics however argue that meme theory upends all human agency and thought. Is meme theory an exciting new framework that moves evolution forward to account for concepts and culture? Or is the very idea of a meme a misguided and reductionist account of what it is to be human?  

Post-postmodern philosopher Hilary Lawson, Professor of Ethics and Technology at Hertie School Joanna Bryson and Professor of Philosophy at City College of New York Massimo Pigliucci discuss whether or not it is useful to think about sharing mimetic information like genetic information. Gunes Taylor hosts.

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All the questions.

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What exists? Why is there anything at all? Are there realities beyond physics? What is consciousness, personal or cosmic? Robert Lawrence Kuhn, host of the long-running 'Closer to Truth' television series and acclaimed website, has spent over 20 years interviewing the greatest thinkers and exploring the deepest questions. In this talk, he uncovers the common thread running through the most profound mysteries of existence and human sentience.

Robert Lawrence Kuhn is the creator, writer, host and executive producer of Closer To Truth. He has written or edited over 30 books, including The Mystery of Existence: Why is there Anything At All? And Closer to Truth: Challenging Current Belief.

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Is our obsession with enhancing ourselves leading to the end of humankind? Luke Robert Mason explains.

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The transhumanist dream, the merging of humans with machines, may soon be a reality. Elon Musk's NeuraLink is developing quickly, and before long, with the rise of more forms of human biotechnology, we may find that more and more of us are becoming half-human, half-machine.

Futures theorist Luke Robert Mason is a researcher, filmmaker and digital media artist. He has been a frequent contributor to BBC Click Radio, The Guardian, Discovery Channel, VICE Motherboard, Wired Magazine and Futurism.com.

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Has contemporary culture abandoned the quest for the sublime? Our experts try to find out.

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From Rembrandt to Rothko, Mozart to Wagner, art and music have the capacity to give us a feeling of the sublime and transcendent wonder. Yet in contemporary culture the sublime is rare and for the most part not even desired. Few would claim that watching the WAP video or Takashi Murakami's art are gateways to the sublime.

What really is the sublime and where can we find it in the 21st century?

Thought-provoking author Olivia Fane, journalist and social critic Minna Salami, radical biologist Rupert Sheldrake and award-winning novelist Joanna Kavenna interrogate our awe at what lies beyond, and how it does - and doesn't - manifest today. Mark Salter hosts.

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Is the real world unreachable due to the mediation of language? Or has the linguistic turn in philosophy and academia gone too far?

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Join post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson, professor of logic Michael Potter and philosopher of language John Searle as they discuss what debates over language add or takeaway from the discipline of philosophy. The three philosophers do not shy away from metaphysics and the potential of removing meaning from our understanding of the world.

Listen to learn more about the linguistic turn and its implications.

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Is metaphysics back in fashion? Or is philosophy getting increasingly lost?

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The twentieth century began with a revolutionary new approach to philosophy. The great arguments about the nature of reality and human experience were deemed empty and meaningless. A new philosophical broom, in the form of analytic philosophy, claimed to sweep away vacuous grand theories and replace them with hard logic and analysis and a close attention to the meaning of the words. Yet, a hundred years on metaphysics is back. Theories of consciousness and the character of reality are once again the topic of debate.

Should we welcome this return to stories about the ultimate character of the world? Or do they risk being empty, conveying little other than the prejudices and desires of their authors? Are grand metaphysical theories about the nature of reality and consciousness vital topics of debate or a set of fairy tales?

Legendary Neurophilosophy pioneer Patricia Churchland, Closure theorist Hilary Lawson and analytic philosopher Galen Strawson lock horns over the future of metaphysics.

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How does panpsychism clash with fundamental physics? Does it? Can we find a theory that supports science AND philosophy to finally explain consciousness?

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In this episode Philip Goff responds to recent critiques of panpsychism by theoretical physicists Sean Carroll and Sabine Hossenfelder, and then explores some implications for the science of consciousness.

Philip Goff is a philosopher of consciousness at Durham University. His research focuses on integrating consciousness into our scientific worldview. His 2019 book Galileo's Error sets out his defence of panpsychism rooted in an analysis of the work of Arthur Eddington and Bertrand Russell.

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How do we make decisions regarding our children in an impossibly complicated digital world?

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Technology is changing parenthood. From children raised by smartphones, to making choices about gene-editing and enhancement, Melanie Challenger asks what it means to be a parent in a technological age.

Melanie Challenger is a researcher on the history of humanity and the natural world, and on environmental philosophy. Her latest book, How to Be Animal: A New History of What It Means to Be Human was published by Canongate in 2021.

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Is the abandonment of ritual a contemporary mistake? Listen to what our experts have to say.

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From greetings and introductions, to love and relationships, church services and dances, formality and ritual were once a central part of our lives. But form and ritual have been in retreat for more than a century. Many now see formality as outdated, an unnecessary sign of deference, and welcome a less constrained, more open culture.

Historian of ideas Hannah Dawson pulls no punches debating philosopher of religion Linda Woodhead and distinguished art critic Noel Carroll on the place of formality and ritual in the modern world. Writer and broadcaster Myriam Francois hosts.

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How wrong was Descartes exactly? Listen to find out!

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Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Anil Seth explores the ultimate mystery of our consciousness experience. In this interview, Seth discusses the misconceptions surrounding the difference between consciousness and intelligence, the link between consciousness and self-consciousness and why consciousness can be seen as similar to a controlled hallucination. Seth also considers whether or not he thinks science will ultimately dissolve the sense of mystery surrounding what consciousness really is.

Anil Seth is a Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex and author of Being You: A New Science of Consciousness. He is also Co-Director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science and Editor-in-Chief of Neuroscience of Consciousness. He is also a regular contributor to the New Scientist, The Guardian, and BBC, and writes the blog NeuroBanter.

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Can morality lead society down dangerous roads? Listen to how our speakers deconstruct our idea of right and wrong.

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Many would argue that for at least a century we have been moving away from the moral certainties of traditional Christianity. Yet, a new form of moral certainty is now reappearing, with much of our culture seemingly gripped by a focus on virtue and a tightly policed sense of right and wrong.

Should we welcome this return to virtue and embrace a moralism that will purge society of its newly found sins? Or are these certainties a new prejudice and the intolerant assertion of tribal attachments? Is our culture morally bankrupt in need of greater virtue, or could we be in the early stages of a Salem witch trial?

Chief Executive of The RSA and former head of the No. 10 Policy Unit Matthew Taylor, ethicist Rebecca Roache and philosopher and Closure theorist Hilary Lawson ask whether it's time to move beyond our fixation on morality is misguided. Author Danielle Sands hosts.

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Free will? Nah...

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Do we have free will? Are we exercising our agency or following our predetermined destiny? How would we structure our society if we believed that individuals are not responsible for their actions? Or maybe we already do?

In this interview analytic philosopher Galen Strawson discusses free will, ultimate moral responsibility and the thin veneer of our own rationality. Strawson probes at how the narratives we require in order to have an idea of the 'self' allow us to follow misguided illusions.

Galen John Strawson is an acclaimed British analytic philosopher and literary critic who works primarily on philosophy of mind and metaphysics. His work covers free will, panpsychism, the mind-body problem, and the self. He has been a consultant editor at The Times Literary Supplement for many years, and a regular book reviewer for The Observer, The Sunday Times, The Independent, the Financial Times and The Guardian. He is the son of philosopher P. F. Strawson.

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Does life have meaning or is it time to embrace nihilism? Listen to find out!

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Humans have always sought meaning beyond themselves in stories about the gods and the “beyond”. Yet today contemporary culture and thought has left many alone with only human, and contradictory, perspectives on the universe. In the absence of something beyond ourselves some would argue we have also lost meaning and purpose.

Do we need the transcendental to give our lives meaning? Can we conjure a 21st century form of the transcendental in the philosophical mysteries of life and the universe? Or should we ring out a Nietzschean cheer at the death of god and focus our attention on creating our own, human meanings that have lasting value and importance?

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Can AI really help us reach our human potential? How reliant should we be on technology?

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We all know that the world of AI is rapidly changing. What is less obvious are the ways in which we change with it. In this talk, complex systems expert and pioneer of the world’s first empathic technology, Fotini Markopoulou, explores how we co-evolve with our technologies, and what this means as we build a new world of AI and emotion technology.

Fotini G. Markopoulou-Kalamara is a Greek theoretical physicist interested in quantum gravity, foundational mathematics and quantum mechanics and a design engineer working on embodied cognition technologies. Markopoulou is co-founder and CEO of Empathic Technologies.

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Can language ever truly capture reality? Is there anything unsayable? Listen to what the experts have to say.

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"What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence", famously claimed the philosopher Wittgenstein. He primarily had in mind the relationship between language and the world, and more generally the very idea of metaphysics. Yet, a century after Wittgenstein's conclusion, many continue to wildly speculate about the ultimate meaning and nature of reality using our all-to-human language.

Have we ignored Wittgenstein's clear message that we cannot know how language and our theories relate to the world? Are all our lofty descriptions about the nature of reality and metaphysics simply nonsense? Or was Wittgenstein wrong, and can we continue in our human quest to uncover the essential character of reality and our relationship to it?

Author of the bestselling Zed Joanna Kavenna, philosopher and neuroscientist Ray Tallis, and post-realist philosopher and author of Closure, Hilary Lawson lock horns over how we understand the world. Hosted by author and research fellow at the University of Hertfordshire, Maria Balaska.

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How much should we really value altruism?

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From charity-givers, to those who sacrifice themselves in war for others, we see altrusim and selflessness as virtues to be applauded. Those who take no heed of their own interests are highly praised in Western culture. But many point to a danger. Studies show that altruism gone awry leads to tolerating abusive partners, eating disorders and depression. And critics argue that some of history's most horrific episodes rose from appeals to altruistic tendencies. Forced sterlizations in the West were justified as "better for all the world". Should we see unhampered altruism not only as futile, but actively dangerous?

Join Professor of Humanities and Applied Psychology at New York University, Carol Gilligan, feminist icon and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Lodz, Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, and Research Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University, Richard Wrangham as they debate the dangers of altruism. Robert Lawrence Kuhn hosts.

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Have you ever wondered how animals, robots and even aliens think? Listen to find out!

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How do non-human minds think? Acclaimed science writer Philip Ball provides a whistle-stop tour of the kinds of minds that might exist in the universe and how these might be similar to and different from our own.

Philip Ball is a science writer and broadcaster. He is the former editor of the journal Nature and a prolific author of popular science books. Ball’s 2004 book Critical Mass won the Aventis Prize, and in the same year, he presented Small Worlds, a three-part series on nanotechnology for BBC Radio 4.

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Is there a universal moral code? Or are we lying to ourselves? Listen to find out.

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Absolute moral claims are making a resurgence along with demands for action in response. Yet at the same time many proclaim the value and importance of upholding diverse cultural outlooks with sometimes radically different moral codes.

To avoid this hypocrisy should we give up belief in a universal moral code, and see morality, as Nietzsche argued, as the product of a monotheistic culture which over the centuries has often led to violence and warfare? Or should we reassert confidence in our moral framework and deny alternative accounts? Is a 'universal moral code' a guise for the tyranny of western, Christian ethics, or is it the cornerstone of a fair and just society in any culture and at any time?

Infamous anarcho-capitalist David Friedman, leading analytic philosopher Timothy Williamson and morality specialist Maria Baghramian dig into the true nature of morality. Robert Rowland Smith hosts.

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Is it time to shift our perception of the universe? Listen to what the experts have to say.

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Since the 1970s we have understood the world through the lens of the Standard Model and its account of the forces and particles that make up the universe. But a series of deep puzzles have emerged. And now, even more significantly, a new force has been discovered throwing the whole theory into question.

Can the Standard Model be modified to answer the increasing number of challenges it faces? Or is the Standard Model fatally flawed - and time for the next great paradigm shift to a radically different account of the universe? Alternatively, should we conclude that all theories have limitations and not worry about the flaws, however profound they might be?

CERN research scientist Sam Henry, renowned author and theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, and distinguished philosopher of science Bjørn Ekeberg discuss whether it is time to move past the standard model of particle physics. Acclaimed science writer Philip Ball hosts. 

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