philosophy bites

Michael Sandel on Justice

Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel in conversation with Nigel Warburton outlines 3 answers to the question 'What is Justice?', Jeremy Bentham's, Immanuel Kant's, and Aristotle's.

Listen to Michael Sandel on Justice

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy.

Previous interviews with Michael Sandel:

Michael Sandel on Genetic Enhancement in Sport (part of the Open University Ethics Bites series)

Michael Sandel on What Shouldn't Be Sold

In the UK BBC4 will be showing a number of programmes featuring Michael Sandel from the end of January 2011 onwards as part of their Justice season. These include the documentary, co-funded by the Open University and the BBC, A Citizen's Guide to the 21st Century.

You can also still listen to Michael Sandel's 2009 Reith lectures 'A New Citizenship' and watch his Justice lectures on YouTube:

 

 

Thomas Pogge on Global Justice and Health

Thomas Pogge of Yale University discusses how richer countries can provide pharmaceutical products to poorer ones at reasonable prices and why they should do this as a matter of justice.

Listen to Thomas Pogge on Global Justice and Health

View a related video of Thomas Pogge speaking about Global Justice

Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute of Philosophy

G.A. Cohen (1941 - 2009)

G.A. Cohen, the political philosopher, died early this morning of a suspected stroke. Read more about this on Normblog.

Listen to a Philosophy Bites interview G.A. Cohen on Inequality, Dec. 2007

Anne Phillips on Political Representation

Participatory democracy is impractical, so most democracies are representative democracies. But should the representatives reflect the variety of those they represent? In particular, should there be roughly half women in a representative democracy? Anne Phillips of the LSE believes that there should be far more women acting as political representatives than there are at present. In this interview for Philosophy Bites she explains why.

Listen to Anne Phillips on Political Representation

Listen to Anne Phillips on Multiculturalism (an earlier Philosophy Bites interview)

Raymond Geuss on Real Politics

Raymond Geuss wants political philosophers to focus on real politics. In this interview  for Philosophy Bites  he explains why he believes philosophers such as Robert Nozick and John Rawls were fundamentally misguided in the way they approached political philosophy. Geuss is in conversation with Nigel Warburton. The introduction is by David Edmonds.

Listen to Raymond Geuss on Real Politics

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Quentin Skinner on Machiavelli's The Prince

In this episode of the podcast Philosophy Bites Quentin Skinner discusses Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince, one of the most notorious works of political philosophy. Skinner sets the book in its historical context and explains its key themes.

Listen to Quentin Skinner on Machiavelli's The Prince

Matthew Kramer on Legal Rights

What precisely is a legal right. Matthew Kramer of Churchill College, Cambridge, addresses this question in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this episode of Philosophy Bites.

Listen to Matthew Kramer on Legal Rights

Melissa Lane on Rousseau on Modern Society

Modern soceity is synonymous with progress, isn't it? Not according to the eighteenth century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He argued that civilization is for the most part morally corrupting. Melissa Lane explains his position in this episode of Philosophy Bites.

Listen to Melissa Lane on Rousseau on Civilization

John Broome on Weighing Lives

How can human lives be weighed one against each other? Is this even possible? John Broome who has a background in economics as well as in philosophy, discusses how governments should allocate scarce resources or make life and death decisions in this episode of Philosophy Bites.

Listen to John Broome on Weighing Lives

Will Kymlicka on Minority Rights

Should minority groups such as recent immigrants be given rights that other citizens don't have? Will Kymlicka believes that they should. The difficulty of reconciling apparently preferential treatment with a policy of equality is a central one for anyone committed to multiculturalism. He addresses this important issue in this episode of Philosophy Bites.

Listen to Will Kymlicka on Minority Rights

Previously on Philosophy Bites:

Anne Phillips on Multiculturalism

Kwame Anthony Appiah on Cosmopolitanism