Philosophy For Our Times

Žižek: "Trump did what The Left couldn't"

As we look around at the state of the modern world, it's very easy to get disheartened - and that's putting it lightly! From pointless wars and endless suffering to the decline of social bonds and trustworthy institutions, there really is a lot to get you down. Fortunately, maverick philosopher Slavoj Žižek is on the case, arguing that all is not lost - though we must act quickly.

Sl...

Video games are changing how we think. Many are so realistic that some argue they are becoming reality. In this talk by philosopher James Tartaglia, he uncovers the relationship between games and reality.

James Tartaglia is Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at Keele University. His latest book is Inner Space Philosophy: Why the Next Stage of Human Development Should Be Philosophical, Explained Radically (Suitable fo...

How literature helps us to understand morality, totalitarian politics, and the life of Jesus Christ.

Join the team at the IAI for four articles about great, classic literature, covering world-renowned authors such as George Orwell, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Clarice Lispector, to name but a few.

These articles were written by Michael Marder, Emrah Atasoy, John Givens, and Dana Dragunoiu.

Michael Marder is Ikerbasque Research Professo...

In this IAI Studio interview, philosopher and science writer Peter Godfrey-Smith explores the evolution of consciousness and the enduring mystery of the mind–body problem. Drawing on his work with octopuses and other animals, he argues that consciousness emerged gradually through increasingly complex forms of sensory-motor interaction, rather than as a sudden leap. Using cephalopods as a case study, he shows how minds can ...

Human nature and the possibility of utopia

The idea of utopia - of a perfect society devoid of suffering and inequality - is planted firmly in the human imagination and psyche. From pre-biblical times to Thomas More and communism and beyond, widely disparate groups have attempted to plan or create a utopia.

But is it achievable? And if not, why not?

Join unconventional psychologist Paul Bloom as he makes the case for the impo...

Why more is less

We're surrounded by choice - an endless sea of possible paths we might take. However, does the overwhelming range of choices leave us better off or worse? In general, we tend to think that more is better, but Barry Schwartz, author of the ground-breaking book 'The Paradox of Choice', argues that this view is mistaken. More can lead us to be psychologically overloaded, unsatisfied, and tyrannised by the burd...

Our culture prizes logic and rationality, if not above all else, as two of the most fundamental social traits. But are we missing out by overlooking the irrational? Can logic explain everything, or what is it missing? And is it possible to live (and enjoy) a life led by logic?

Logic, in philosophy and beyond, seems to always to be self-evidently right. Join our three eminent panellists as they variously challenge this assum...

We tend to believe consciousness is purely mental. And since Descartes' "I think therefore I am", we've privileged the mind as the centrepiece of thought and consciousness. But such a view is mistaken argues award-winning neuroscientist Antonio Damasio.

Feelings, long dismissed as secondary to thinking, are where consciousness begins, and are deeply rooted in the body and its physical processes. Join Damasio as he presents ...

What can JD Vance's arguments with Pope Francis teach us about selfishness, altruism, and the morality of the modern world?

Join the team at the IAI for four articles about egoism, self-sacrifice, and everything in between, analysing a range of subjects, including: Friedrich Nietzsche and his rivalry with former maestro Arthur Schopenhauer; the 10 Commandments and their relationship to jealousy; why God might be "stupid, in...

The mindful body with Ellen Langer

Can mindfulness be contagious?

Ellen Langer's research certainly seems to suggest that's the case. As Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and the author of 'The Mindful Body', Ellen has racked up decades of experience and numerous awards during her investigations into the impact of mindful living.

In this interview, Ellen discusses the transformative power of mindfulness in our dai...

The good, the bad, and the beautiful

What is beauty? Why are we so drawn to it? And should we be - or is it a distraction?

The philosophy of aesthetics and beauty has a long and fascinating history. Over the millennia, while we mostly agree on the essential nature of this ephemeral thing, "beauty", we disagree on the reasons why it is important, on its very definition, and sometimes if we should value it at all. Join our fou...

Once values such as justice and equality were agreed upon by all. Now they are identified by some as vehicles to entrench or overturn power. On the left, 'justice' as a means to sustain and impose privilege, 'truth' as an attempt to claim enduring authority. On the right, 'diversity' and 'equality' as means to undermine the status quo in favour of a new elite. The danger is apparent to many. Without agreed values, society ...

The economy is a vital part of the way we understand our lives and our politics more generally. But after years of growth, development, and progress, on the surface everything is rosy. But as Nobel Laureate Angus Deaton argues, behind the big picture many people have been left behind by the modern economy, and this is precisely because of the blindspots of modern economics. Join Deaton as he explores the ways economics nee...

The journey in search of the destination

Does life have a purpose? Is that what gives life meaning? Or is it the journey that matters the most?

Join our four speakers - Nietzschean philosopher Babette Babich, clinical psychologist Frank Tallis, existentialist philosopher Jonathan Webber, and linguist philosopher Sandra Laugier - as they explore the different facets of this question. Setting ourselves goals in life seems both...

Nietzsche, the birth of tragedy, and the technology trap with Babette Babich

Babette Babich discusses Nietzsche, the importance of tragedy, and the danger of technology interfering with our judgement. Babette Babich is a world renowned Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University in New York. In this in-depth interview, she looks to Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy to explain our love of suffering and towards the trials and tr...

The essential philosophy of fun

Do we need to have fun or is it an unnecessary excess? Are we living in an age of fun's decline, what with the moralism and strictures of Gen Z, or is there something else going on?

On this panel, our three guests - philosopher James Tartaglia, film-maker Myriam François, and writer Freya India - dive into the idea of fun: its philosophy, from Plato to the modern day; its politics, what with G...

There is an old Soviet joke, ‘Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man. Communism is its exact opposite.’ On the surface, neoliberalism, with its emphasis on free markets, competition and privatisation, is as far removed as possible from the Soviet Union. But behind the policies, could they be guided by the same false utopianism? Abby Innes, professor of Political Economy at the LSE, argues that the utopianism that gui...

Something for nothing

Do rewards and incentives damage our humanity?

In much of our personal and professional lives, we receive rewards for good behaviour and carrying out our responsibilities. But, evidence now suggests there are risks to this approach. Studies show rewards can damage wellbeing, fostering dependence and undermining our own sense of control. And neuroscientists have shown those more prone to seeking reward h...

The spectre of the Enlightenment

What the Enlightenment a net positive or a net negative? Or is that the wrong question, and should we look at it simply as a historical period?

Join Professor of History Aviva Chomsky as she dissects one of the most important periods in modern history from the lens of a critical historian. The Enlightenment was not just a period that produced thoughts and ideas - it was an excuse and a reorde...