TrueSciPhi

Podcast Profile: Interviews with Philosophers

Site • RSS • Apple Podcasts
5 episodes
2008
Median: 31 minutes
Collection: Philosophy

Description (podcaster-provided):

Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

This podcast presents short interviews with philosophers affiliated with the University of Oxford, offering accessible introductions to major areas of philosophical inquiry through the perspectives of established scholars. Across the conversations, listeners are oriented to what philosophers mean by key terms, how particular fields developed, and why certain questions remain persistent.

A recurring theme is foundational theory: discussion ranges from metaphysics—its scope, origins, and classic problems—to the nature of reason and rationality, including how people should think and what it means to ask a “normative” question. Ethical inquiry is another central strand, approached both historically and in contemporary form. On the one hand, the podcast revisits influential traditions such as Aristotelian ethics, emphasizing how ancient frameworks continue to shape moral philosophy. On the other, it explores applied ethics, especially issues arising from modern biosciences and debates about human enhancement, highlighting the practical implications of philosophical analysis for real-world decision-making.

The interviews also extend into forward-looking and interdisciplinary topics, including global catastrophic risks and questions raised by speculative ideas such as simulation theory. Together, these discussions illustrate philosophy’s reach from abstract conceptual investigation to urgent policy-relevant concerns, while keeping the focus on clarifying arguments, framing enduring problems, and explaining how philosophers approach them.