Philosophy and the Human Situation - Audio
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Philosophy and philosophical enquiries are relevant in some shape or form to many aspects of everyday life, for example our treatment of the environment, the rapidity of today's technological progress, whether animals should have rights and if so how they should compare to ours. Philosophy also encompasses questions about the existence of God, how life is sustained on earth, and even at what point should the Government intrude on a person's freedom. This album introduces the study of philosophy and the human situation, and contains talks and debates from leading philosophical thinkers and teachers, past and present. This material forms part of The Open University course A211 Philosophy and the human situation.
Liberty and Offence
Philosophy professor Jonathan Wolff discusses 19th century classical liberal thinker John Stuart Mill’s famous ‘harm’ principle
Rousseau and Positive Freedom
Philosophy lecturer Derek Matravers explains 18th century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s line of thought in his great work, The Social Contract
Pro- and Anti-Regan Debate
Rosalind Hursthouse and Derek Matravers cover, in the form of a debate, the Regan argument developed by Tom Regan, animal rights professor.
Ethics, Animals, and the Environment
Oxford University Philosophy Professor Roger Crisp discusses specific moral questions concerning ethics, animals and the environment
Wonder
Influential philosopher of aesthetics Ronald Hepburn explains in his talk, ‘Wonder’, why wonder has haunted him over many decades
Who Is The Earth?
Moral philosopher Mary Midgley delivers a talk concerning differing and changing attitudes to our planet and our environmental responsibilities
Taking Stock
Bioethicist Janet Radcliffe Richards gives a talk entitled 'Taking Stock' focusing on the definition of philosophy and problems surrounding study of t...
Artificial Intelligence
Philosophy professor Tim Crane explains what he sees to be the main philosophical issues in the area of Artificial Intelligence
The New Argument from Design
Physics professor Russell Stannard re-examines the claim he made 10 years ago about the way the universe seems mysteriously to have been geared up for...