The simplest questions often have the most complex answers. The Philosopher's Zone is your guide through the strange thickets of logic, metaphysics and ethics.
313 Available Episodes (313 Total)Average duration: 00:28:02
Apr 19, 2023
The anti-philosophers
00:28:26
One of the curious things about the history of philosophy is that it periodically throws up thinkers who question the whole business of… doing philosophy. How should we situate these paradoxical figures? Is it possible to be a philosopher if you're arguing that philosophy is an impossible project?
Apr 12, 2023
De-extinction, pt 2
00:28:27
The project of bringing extinct animals back into being is sexy, hi-tech and could confer significant environmental benefits - but at what cost? Some argue that resurrecting extinct species could actually work against the conservation of threatened species that currently exist. Why worry about their possible extinction, if we can just bring them back?
Apr 05, 2023
De-extinction, pt 1
00:28:27
Gene technology has brought us to the point where it's theoretically possible to bring back extinct animals from the "species grave". But the science is not straightforward - and neither is the philosophy.
Mar 30, 2023
Art and hate speech
00:28:26
This week we're exploring the idea that art can say things, and do things, and mean different things according to shifting historical circumstances - and that those sayings, doings and meanings aren't always benign or harmless. How should we respond to morally problematic art - particularly the kind of art that can function as hate speech?
Mar 22, 2023
Women and the canon
00:30:00
Women have always been philosophers, often highly regarded by their male contemporaries. So why are women philosophers often regarded today as second-tier thinkers? And what happens when we try to uncover their histories?
Mar 16, 2023
Data privacy and informed consent
00:30:00
Ninety-four per cent of Australians do not read privacy policies that apply to them – because who has the time? But the amount of data we all create and share has dramatic implications for privacy and safety. Informed consent is taken very seriously in the medical community, is it time for companies using AI and Big Data to follow suit?
Mar 08, 2023
Women philosophers in antiquity
00:30:00
If you don't know much about women philosophers in the ancient Graeco-Roman world, you have a good excuse. They're known to have existed, but hardly any of their works have survived, and historical accounts of their lives tend to come from biographies written by men. This week we try to unravel the mystery.
Mar 05, 2023
Moral creativity
00:30:00
This week we're exploring the concept of moral creativity - a virtue that can be useful when it comes to negotiating the grey areas in our modern moral universe.
Feb 23, 2023
Tradition, modernity and crisis in Ukraine
00:30:00
How can learning flourish in a time of war? Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in January 2022, thousands of scholars have fled or been displaced, while nearly 200 institutions of higher education have been damaged or destroyed. This week we explore the possibilities for supporting and restoring the academy, and the role of Ukrainian intellectual traditions in resistance.
Feb 16, 2023
The lessons of failure
00:30:00
As much as we dislike thinking about it, failure is deeply embedded within everything we do and everything we are. From our politics to our bodies, the salient feature is that it all falls apart sooner or later. Failure has inspired a million depressing songs and poems - but it's also fertile ground for philosophy, and for some unexpectedly positive reflections.
Apr 19 | 00:28:26
The anti-philosophers
Apr 12 | 00:28:27
De-extinction, pt 2
Apr 05 | 00:28:27
De-extinction, pt 1
Mar 30 | 00:28:26
Art and hate speech
Mar 22 | 00:30:00
Women and the canon
Mar 16 | 00:30:00
Data privacy and informed consent
Mar 08 | 00:30:00
Women philosophers in antiquity
Mar 05 | 00:30:00
Moral creativity
Feb 23 | 00:30:00
Tradition, modernity and crisis in Ukraine
Feb 16 | 00:30:00
The lessons of failure
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