Never-never land

here are some questions that philosophers return to again and again, like kittens eternally batting their paws against the murky goldfish bowl of existence. They’re determined to capture the luminous shapes beyond the glass. Does God exist? Are mathematical objects real? What is the relationship of language to the world? But these half-glimpsed truths always remain frustratingly out of reach.

AC Grayling, professor of philosophy and one of the UK’s pre-eminent public intellectuals, tackles. Is there such a thing as a universal ethical system, one that all rational people can agree on, regardless of their cultural background? If so, can we use it to solve the existential threat of climate change, address the challenges from emergent technologies such as artificial intelligence, and resolve the ongoing social issues around race, gender, inequality and justice?