Philosophy For Our Times
Bringing you the latest talks and debates from the world’s leading thinkers, we host weekly episodes on today’s biggest ideas. Philosophy for our Times is a free weekly philosophy podcast unpacking society, culture, politics, science and arts. Subscribe today to never miss an episode.
The end of materialism | Àlex Gómez-Marín
17 Feb 2026
Alex Gómez-Marín is a controversial figure in contemporary neuroscience, known for challenging the materialist framework that dominates scientific accounts of consciousness. He argues that Near
The relationship between mind and matter | Slavoj Žižek, Alenka Zupančič and Carlo Rovelli
10 Feb 2026
The self and the world We tend to think of ourselves as observers of the world and experience as something different from the material stuff that makes up reality. Yet at the same time as human
Freedom and Fate
27 Jan 2026
An individual "is responsible for everything he does," claimed Sartre. And from criminal justice to creative expression, free will and responsibility are central to our culture and our personal
The search for higher states of consciousness | Philosopher Jessica Frazier
13 Jan 2026
Are we living in the moment? Are we really free? How can we transcend the constant anxieties of our mind? Throughout history, certain people in the West and the East have claimed that the human mind
Should we be transgressive? The limits and potential of transgressiveness | Catherine Liu, Rowan Williams, Josh Cohen
6 Jan 2026
The good, the bad, and the transgressive Is the transgression of norms and rules what brings history forward and allows for creativity and change? OR is the fetishization of transgression an
Perversity and the limits of rational | Psychologist Paul Bloom
30 Dec 2025
What is rationality? Why is it or is it not important? And where does perversity fit in? Join psychologist Paul Bloom in this interview where he discusses his research on these themes and defends his
Why liberalism has failed | John Gray on civilisation, morality, and the illusion of progress
16 Dec 2025
Why is the world moving away from liberalism and towards conservatism? One of Britain’s most provocative thinkers, John Gray is a political philosopher known for dismantling liberalism and exposing
Analytic or Continental philosophy | Christoph Schuringa, Genia Schönbaumsfeld, Babette Babich
9 Dec 2025
The future of European thought What is analytic philosophy and what is continental philosophy? And, perhaps most importantly, does this distinction make any sense? The division between these two
How Words Warp Reality | Nick Enfield
4 Dec 2025
Language shapes how we think, remember, and reason. But does it help us to uncover the fundamental nature of reality? Join the author of Language vs. Reality and linguistic anthropologist, Nick
Consciousness and psychedelics: In conversation with Rupert Sheldrake
28 Nov 2025
Philosophers cannot stop talking about consciousness - what are its limits? What is it made of? What does it allow us? This podcast is part of that conversation, but from a more experimental
The philosophy of religion and love with Alain de Botton and Alex O'Connor
25 Nov 2025
Why we worship without knowing it What should be included within the remit of philosophy? Religion? Love? Hair? Join well-known public speakers and writers Alain de Botton and Alex O'Connor as they
Mazes of the mind: The philosophy of neuroscience | Iain McGilchrist, Colin Blakemore, Bryan Appleyard
12 Nov 2025
Over the past decades, neuroscience has blossomed, positioning itself as a kind of master discipline over everything else. For who understands the brain surely understands all of human activity and
In search of nothing | David Deutsch, Amanda Gefter, Lee Smolin
6 Nov 2025
What is nothing? Can it be defined, either philosophically or scientifically? Or will the exploration of nothing bring, ultimately, to nothing? The philosophical exploration of nothingness is an
Halloween SPECIAL | The philosophy of the apocalypse
31 Oct 2025
Why are we fascinated by apocalyptic stories? Join the team at the IAI for a reading of four Halloween-themed articles, written by historian and philosopher Natalie Lawrence, professor of political
The importance of giving up | Adam Phillips
28 Oct 2025
Einstein was called “slow” at school, J. K. Rowling collected a dozen rejections, and Walt Disney was once fired for “lacking imagination.” We love stories of perseverance—but what’s the
Slavoj Žižek on the madness of reality
20 Oct 2025
Slavoj Žižek is back in a new interview where he takes us through his thoughts on the role of philosophy, the future of sex, his fear and love of AI and, as always, so much more. Tune in to hear
How to fathom timelessness | Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes
14 Oct 2025
What should time mean to us? Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a philosopher of mind who specialises in the thought of Alfred North Whitehead, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Benedict de Spinoza, and in fields
After postmodernism | Hilary Lawson, Robin van den Akker, Abby Innes, Sophie Scott-Brown
10 Oct 2025
Hugely influential in the latter decades of the 20th century, postmodernism transformed many academic disciplines and culture at large. Associated with an attack on objective truth and the uniqueness
The language of the unconsciouos: Pyschoanalysis and AI | Alenka Zupančič
6 Oct 2025
As ChatGPT and AI increase their presence in our lives, have we interrogated enough what this means for, and about, our collective psyche? In one of the most original critiques of ChatGPT, Slovenian
The Known, The Strange And The New | John Ellis, Robert Rowland-Smith, Janne Teller
7 Feb 2017
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) From Aristotle to Einstein humans have tried to make sense of the
Dreaming The Future | Natalie Bennett, Phillip Blond, Roger Scruton
24 Jan 2017
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) We all want a better world, and we seemingly make progress, with more
Thinking Dangerously, Living Differently | Angie Hobbs, Adrian Moore, Mark Vernon
17 Jan 2017
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) Philosophy as therapy is an ancient idea. Endorsed by Wittgenstein and
Sisters and Sisterhood | Myriam Francois, Margaret Heffernan, Kimberlé Crenshaw
10 Jan 2017
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) More women MPs, more women CEOs, women it would seem are on the move.
The Future of Human Enhancement | Anders Sandberg, Richard Morgan, Nicky Ashwell
3 Jan 2017
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) Designer babies and human enhancement were once confined to fiction. Now
Owning our Bodies | Anne Phillips, John Harris, Brooke Magnanti
20 Dec 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) If we have rights and ownership of anything it is surely of our own
When Time Stands Still | Lee Smolin, Michael Duff, Eleanor Knox
13 Dec 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) We structure our lives on the flow of time. Yet physicists since
The Good, Bad, & Controversial | Naomi Goulder, Brendan O'Neill, Sameer Rahim, Sam Roddick
6 Dec 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) We all want to do the right thing. But from suicide bombers to Catholic
Dancing With The Devil | Simon Baron-Cohen, Rebecca Roache, Peter Dews
29 Nov 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) We think we've grown out of the belief in evil. It's not in our genes
Is objective news an illusion? | John Lloyd, Hilary Lawson, Jonathan Calvert
22 Nov 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) We want news to accurately reflect the real world. But in an age when
Missing Evidence | Tara Shears, Rupert Sheldrake, Massimo Pigliucci
17 Nov 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) We think science is based on facts and evidence. But from gravity to
How Men And Women Think | Gina Rippon, Simon Baron-Cohen, Helena Cronin
10 Nov 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) Many neuroscientists believe disorders of the mind will be solved when
March Of The Machines | Roger Penrose, Nigel Shadbolt, Warren Ellis
3 Nov 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) Evil artificial intelligences are luckily confined to fiction. Yet
Love Incorporated | Catherine Hakim, Mark Salter, Richard Coles
27 Oct 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) As Romeo and Juliet showed, love is a wild and unpredictable force even
The Dark Side of the Universe | Erik Verlinde, Michael Duff, Massimo Pigliucci
20 Oct 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) Nearly twenty years have passed since scientists first proposed a
Eternal Tales | Stanley Fish, Joanna Kavenna, Barry Smith
13 Oct 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) While the world turns we think ideas, right or wrong, are eternal. Yet
Everything We Know Is Wrong | Lawrence Krauss, Kenneth Cukier, Steve Fuller
6 Oct 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) At a time of uncertainty and doubt, we often suppose that science alone
The Crisis of the West | Gita Sahgal, Philip Collins, Kwasi Kwarteng
29 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) Western values have been extraordinarily successful. Yet now we seem on
Doing Right And Feeling Good | Anders Sandberg, Simon Baron-Cohen, Peter Dews
22 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) We think empathising with others is the route to a better world. But
Playing Dice With The Universe | Chiara Marletto, Michael Duff, Peter Cameron
15 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) 'God does not play dice with the universe' Einstein famously argued. Yet
The Dance Of Life | David Chalmers, Susana Martinez-Conde, Peter Hacker
13 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) Our life is made up of experiences. But what experience is remains a
Capitalism And Anarchy | Aaron Bastani, Stephen King, Deirdre McCloskey
8 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) Few take anarchism and the abandonment of organised government as a
Unnatural Laws | Nancy Cartwright, John Ellis, Rupert Sheldrake
7 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) From Newton's laws to E=mc2, we think we have uncovered the secrets of
The People's Champion | Owen Jones, Michael Howard, Phillip Blond
7 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) We believe democracy leads to a fairer world. Yet almost all governments
Rethinking Capital | Paul Krugman, Stephen Dorrell, Alex Callinicos
6 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) As China and Russia adopt their own variants, the reign of capitalism
Time, Space And Being | Michela Massimi, Julian Barbour, Huw Price
5 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) We think space and time are the structure of the universe. Yet Einstein
The Word And The World | Paul Boghossian, Joanna Kavenna, Ray Monk
4 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) The power of words is a wonder, and language perhaps our greatest skill.
In Search Of The Self | Simon Blackburn, Mary Midgley, Colin Blakemore
3 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) There is no self, no 'I', only a flickering illusion. So claim many
Mind, Myth And Madness | Richard Bentall, Simon Baron-Cohen, Dinesh Bhugra
2 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) From schizophrenia to depression we assume our psychiatric diagnoses are
Matter And Mind | Markus Gabriel, Ray Brassier, Eva Jablonka
1 Sep 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) Neuroscience has enabled us to explain how the brain affects the body.
After the End of Truth | John Searle, Hilary Lawson, Hannah Dawson
31 Aug 2016
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes (https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes) A generation raised on Foucault and Derrida has learned to distrust
