Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
In this series of podcasts Marianne Talbot uses some famous arguments in the history of philosophy to examine philosophy as a discipline. By harnessing participants’ intuitions on both sides of the various arguments she encourages her audience actually to do philosophy. In listening to these podcasts you can yourself learn how to do philosophy, not by listening to someone else do it, but by starting to do it for yourself.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ philosophical methodology: logic, identifying/evaluating arguments • Descartes’ cogito • freedom vs equality (Wilt Chamberlain) • deontology and utilitarianism • Gettier problems, knowledge • possible worlds/unactualised possibles • objective fact in science • audience Q&AThis podcast introduces complete beginners to philosophy by using well-known arguments and thought experiments to show how philosophers reason and how listeners can practice doing philosophy themselves. Across the series, the host treats philosophy as an activity: identifying the structure of arguments, testing premises against intuitions, and weighing competing conclusions rather than memorizing positions.
A central theme is philosophical methodology. Listeners are guided through how to spot claims and supporting reasons, how to assess whether an argument is valid or persuasive, and how classic examples—such as Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am”—function as tools for analysis. From there, the content broadens into core areas of the discipline. Ethical and political discussions use thought experiments to explore tensions between values like freedom and equality, and compare leading moral frameworks such as deontology and utilitarianism.
The podcast also covers foundational questions about knowledge and reality. It examines challenges to traditional accounts of knowledge through Gettier-style cases, and engages metaphysical debates about possible worlds and whether “unactualized possibilities” should be taken as real. Another strand focuses on philosophy of science, probing what “objective facts” are supposed to be and what kind of facts can underpin scientific theories.
The series concludes with a session addressing audience questions, clarifying and extending the themes and arguments developed throughout.
| Episodes: |
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Questions and Answers Session 2014-Nov-11 82 minutes |
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The Philosophy of Science 2014-Nov-11 75 minutes |
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Epistemology and Metaphysics 2014-Nov-11 77 minutes |
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Moral and Political Philosophy 2014-Nov-11 90 minutes |
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Logic and Argument: the Methodology of Philosophy 2014-Nov-11 83 minutes |