Daniel Dennett on Free Will Worth Wanting

FromPhilosophy Bites

Start listening View podcast show

Daniel Dennett on Free Will Worth Wanting

FromPhilosophy Bites

ratings:

Length:

16 minutes

Released:

Aug 18, 2012

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

What is free will and why should we care about it? Daniel C. Dennett addresses these questions in a wide-ranging Philosophy Bites interview with Nigel Warburton. Philosophy Bites is made in association with The Institute of Philosophy.

Released:

Aug 18, 2012

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

top philosophers interviewed on bite-sized topics

Skip carousel

Simon Blackburn on Moral Relativism: Are moral choices simply relative, a matter of culture or taste? Are genuine moral disagreements possible? Should we just tolerate different ways that people choose to live? Nigel Warburton interviews Simon Blackburn on these important... by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Mary Warnock on Sartre's Existentialism: What is existentialism? Is it still relevant to us? Sartre believed that we are free to choose what we make of our lives. Was he right? In this interview for Philosophy Bites Mary Warnock gives her views on Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialism. by Philosophy Bites
12 min listen
Richard Bourke on Edmund Burke on Politics: The eighteenth century thinker and politician Edmund Burke was one of the founders of modern conservativism. In his Reflections on the Revolution in France he attacked the revolution. For this episode of Philosophy Bites Richard Bourke of Queen Mary,... by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Mary Warnock on Philosophy in Public Life: What can philosophers contribute to public life? Mary Warnock who sits in the House of Lords and has chaired two important commissions discusses how her training in philosophy prepared her for these roles. by Philosophy Bites
13 min listen
Simon Blackburn on Plato's Cave: What is the nature of reality? Is the world as it appears, or is there something timeless behind the world of appearances? Simon Blackburn discusses one of the most famous images in Philosophy: Plato's cave. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Onora O'Neill on Medical Consent: What do we mean by 'consent' in a medical context? Is it reasonable to ask for informed consent before performing medical procedures? Is consent even the most important issue. Onora O'Neill challenges some widely-held assumptions in this area in this... by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Mary Warnock on the Right to Have a Baby: In this bonus episode produced in association with The Open University, Mary Warnock, a philosopher who also sits in the House of Lords, addresses the question 'Do we have a right to have babies?' A transcript of this episode is available at... by Philosophy Bites
1 min listen
Richard Reeves on Mill's On Liberty: In this episode of Philosophy Bites Richard Reeves, author of a recent biography of John Stuart Mill sheds light on Mill's classic defence of individual freedom, On Liberty. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Quentin Skinner on Hobbes on the State: What is the state? How do individuals combine to lend legitimate authority to those who act on the state's behalf? These are fundamental questions in political philosophy that Thomas Hobbes addressed in the seventeenth century. In this interview... by Philosophy Bites
18 min listen
Matthew Kramer on Legal Rights: What precisely is a legal right? Matthew Kramer discusses this question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of Philosophy Bites. by Philosophy Bites
15 min listen
Richard Norman on Humanism: How can non-believers make sense of the world? How can there be morality without God? In this episode of Philosophy Bites philosopher Richard Norman explains how it is possible to lead a good life without religion. by Philosophy Bites
11 min listen
Stephen Law on The Problem of Evil: What is evil? Is it consistent with the existence of a benevolent God? In this interview Stephen Law gives an original take on this traditional philosophical problem. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
M.M. McCabe on Socratic Method: Philosophy began in earnest with Socrates. He asked impertinent questions. In this interview with M.M. McCabe, Philosophy Bites explores the nature of Socratic Method and Socrates' claim that the unexamined life is not worth living. by Philosophy Bites
13 min listen
David Papineau on Physicalism: Are all our thoughts simply physical events in our bodies? Can we give a purely physical account of the conscious human mind? David Papineau believes that we can. In this interview for Philosophy Bites he explains what physicalism is, why he... by Philosophy Bites
16 min listen
Janet Radcliffe Richards on Men and Women's Natures: Are men and women different by nature? And if so, what follows? Janet Radcliffe Richards, author of The Sceptical Feminist and Human Nature After Darwin, examines questions about human nature, focusing on John Stuart Mill's important book The... by Philosophy Bites
20 min listen
Chandran Kukathas on Hayek's Liberalism: Friedrich Hayek was a major figure in Twentieth Century economics and political philosophy, but his ideas are sometimes caricatured, not least because Margaret Thatcher approved of his work. Chandran Kukathas explains the key features of his... by Philosophy Bites
13 min listen
Angie Hobbs on Plato on War: What causes human agression? For Plato's Socrates it comes from innate tendencies nurtured in the wrong way. And that's where war comes from. Angie Hobbs gives a fascinating introduction to this aspect of Plato's Republic in this episode of Philosophy... by Philosophy Bites
10 min listen
John Dunn on Locke on Toleration: John Locke, writing in the Seventeenth Century, argued for religious toleration, though stopped short of toleration of atheists. In this episode of the podcast Philosophy Bites, Nigel Warburton interviews Locke expert John Dunn on this topic. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Jonathan Wolff on Marx on Alienation: Karl Marx's theory of alienated labour is the topic of this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Jonathan Wolff, author of Why Read Marx Today? explains what Marx meant by alienation. He also sheds light on Marx's controversial description of what... by Philosophy Bites
15 min listen
Donna Dickenson on Body Shopping: Do you own your body? If not, who does? These are important questions in an age in which there is extensive trade in body parts. Donna Dickenson, author of Body Shopping, discusses this issue with Nigel Warburton in this episode of Philosophy Bites. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
John Cottingham on The Meaning of Life: What is the meaning of life? This is a basic question for all of us. There is also the possibility that life has no meaning whatsoever. In this interview John Cottingham explains his vision of the kinds of meaning that we can find in our lives. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Clare Carlisle on Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling: Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling retells and interprets the story of Abraham and Isaac. In Kierkegaard's hands the story becomes a model for the human predicament. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Clare Carlisle provides an... by Philosophy Bites
13 min listen
Julian Baggini on Thought Experiments: Philosophers often use elaborate thought experiments in their writing. Are these anything more than rhetorical flourishes? Or do they reveal important aspects of the questions under discussion. Julian Baggini, editor of The Philosophers' Magazine and... by Philosophy Bites
12 min listen
Adrian Moore on Kant's Metaphysics: Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason is a notoriously difficult work. In this interview for Philosophy Bites A.W. Moore of Oxford University gives a succinct account of this complex and influential attempt to clarify the limits of human understanding. by Philosophy Bites
20 min listen
Peter Singer on Human Use of Animals: In this bonus episode produced in association with the Open University as part of the Ethics Bites series, Peter Singer, perhaps the world's best known living philosopher, discusses how we treat animals. A transcript of this episode is available from... by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen
Michael Sandel on Genetic Enhancement in Sport: In this bonus episode of Philosophy Bites made in association with the Open University, Michael Sandel addresses the question of whether we should allow genetic enhancement of athletes. Drawing on themes from his recent book, The Case Against... by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen
Alex Neill - the Paradox of Tragedy: How can we enjoy watching tragedy when it is a genre that deals with suffering and pain? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Alex Neill explains what the paradox of tragedy is, and shows how he thinks it can be dissolved. He also... by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen
Thomas Pink on Free Will: We often blame people for what they do or fail to do. But that implies that they were free to choose whether or not to act in the way they did. At the same time science seems to reveal prior causes of all our actions. There seems little or no room for... by Philosophy Bites
18 min listen
G.A. Cohen on Inequality of Wealth: Can differences in income be morally justified? Should we expect rich people to give their money to the poor? G.A. Cohen, author of a book with the provocative title If You're An Egalitarian, How Come You're So Rich? addresses these questions in this... by Philosophy Bites
11 min listen
Quentin Skinner on Machiavelli's The Prince: Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince is one of the most notorious works of political philosophy ever written. Quentin Skinner sets it in its historical context and explains its key themes in this episode of Philosophy Bites. by Philosophy Bites
26 min listen

More Episodes from Philosophy Bites

Skip carousel

David Edmonds on the Life and Philosophy of Derek Parfit: David Edmonds discusses the life and work of Derek Parfit who died in 2017 in this episode of the Bio Bites strand of Philosophy. David is the author of a recent biography of Parfit. by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
Yascha Mounk on the Identity Trap: Yascha Mounk discusses some of the ways in which focussing on gender, racial, and sexual identities can distort political argument and be counterproductive for oppressed minorities. by Philosophy Bites
31 min listen
Mark Rowe on J.L.Austin: J.L.Austin was the best known exponent of what came to be known as Ordinary Language Philosophy. He was also a war hero. In this episode of the Bio Bites strand of the Philosophy Bites podcast David Edmonds discusses Austin's life and work with his... by Philosophy Bites
23 min listen
James Klagge on Wittgenstein: In this episode James Klagge discusses the life and times of Ludwig Wittgenstein with David Edmonds. This is part of our mini series on the biographies of philosophers, Bio Bites. by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
David Chalmers on Technophiloosphy and the Extended Mind by Philosophy Bites
18 min listen
Agnes Callard on Sex: What happens when people have sexual desires for one another? from the University of Chicago discusses sex, eroticism, and much more in conversation with Nigel Warburton. Not surprisingly, this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast involves... by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen
Michael Lamb on Augustine on Hope: Augustine is usually described as a pessimist with a bleak view of human evil and corruption. Michael Lamb thinks that is a simplistic reading. Augustine has interesting things to say about hope as a virtue. by Philosophy Bites
19 min listen
Seth Lazar on Political Philosophy in the Age of AI: AI has changed our lives already and looks set to have a huge impact. How should we adapt our thinking about political philosophy in the light of this? The philosopher Seth Lazar explores this question in conversation with Nigel Warburton in this... by Philosophy Bites
22 min listen
Hannah Dawson on Mary Wollstonecraft: In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Nigel Warburton interviews Hannah Dawson (editor of The Penguin Book of Feminist Writing) on Mary Wollstonecraft and her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
Scott Hershovitz on Law and Morality: What is the relationship between law and morality? How do they differ? Scott Hershovitz discusses these questions with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. by Philosophy Bites
27 min listen
Carissa Veliz on Digital Ethics: Digital ethics is a new field. But what is it, what is its scope? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast , author of Privacy is Power and editor of The Oxford Handbook of Digital Ethics, discusses these topics with Nigel Warburton.... by Philosophy Bites
23 min listen
Theron Pummer on the Rules of Rescue: You might not have an obligation to risk your life saving other people, but if you do, you should go for saving the greatest number. That's more or less what Theon Pummer believes. Listen to him discussing the morality of rescue with David Edmonds in... by Philosophy Bites
23 min listen
William MacAskill on Longtermism: In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast David Edmonds interviews Will MacAskill on the controversial idea that we ought to give the interests of future people substantial weight when deciding what we ought to do now. by Philosophy Bites
22 min listen
Kieran Setiya on Loneliness: What is loneliness and why is it harmful? How does it differ from just being on your own? In the latest episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, Kieran Setiya discusses this important with Nigel Warburton. by Philosophy Bites
19 min listen
Edith Hall on Aristotle's Way: How should we live? This is the basic question for all of us. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Edith Hall, author of the book Aristotle's Way, gives a sympathetic answer to Aristotle's take on this question. by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen
L.A. Paul on Transformative Experience: We have all had transformative experiences. But do they have philosophical relevance? Laurie Paul believes they do. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she discusses this fascinating topic with Nigel Warburton. by Philosophy Bites
18 min listen
Josiah Ober on the Civic Bargain: How do you solve the question of collective self-government by citizens? discusses a fundamental problem of democratic societies: how we come to agree on courses of action when we commit to living within a democracy. His argument is that we need to... by Philosophy Bites
20 min listen
Skye Cleary on Authenticity: Skye Cleary approaches questions of human authenticity throught he lens of French Existentialism, and particularly through Simone de Beauvoir's thought. She is in conversation with Nigel Warburton. by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen
Peter Railton on AI and Ethics: Developments in AI are coming very quickly. But it's not easy to work out how to deal with the ethical questions that AI generates. Peter Railton discusses AI and Ethics with Nigel Warburton for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast by Philosophy Bites
25 min listen
Clare Chambers on the Unmodified Body: We all make some modifications to our bodies. But often this is in response to social pressures. So is there something to say for the largely unmodified body? thinks so. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she spells out why. The... by Philosophy Bites
23 min listen
Peter Singer on Consequentialism: Peter Singer is probably the most famous living philosopher. He recently won the million-dollar Berggruen Prize and promptly gave all that money to charity. His positions on this, on animals, poverty, altruism, and much else besides are... by Philosophy Bites
22 min listen
Cecile Fabre on the Ethics of Spying: Spying raises many ethical issues, but these are rarely discussed - at least by philosophers. Cécile Fabre, author of a recent book on the topic, Spying Through a Glass Darkly, discusses some of these issues with Nigel Warburton in this episode of... by Philosophy Bites
25 min listen
Ro Khanna on Digital Dignity: In this digital age, how can we organise society and the public sphere in ways that will preserve the sense of individual dignity? Ro Khanna, Congressman for Silicon Valley, and author of Dignity in a Digital Age, discusses this important topic with... by Philosophy Bites
19 min listen
Benjamin Lipscomb on 4 Women Philosophers: In Oxford during the Second World War four women philosophers came to prominence. Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Iris Murdoch, and Mary Midgley were friends and met to discuss their ideas, particulary about ethics. Benjamin Lipscomb, author of a... by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
Paul Bloom on Psychological Hedonism,: Do we seek pleasure and avoid pain? The moral psychologist Paul Bloom believes psychological hedonism gives an inaccurate picture of what motivates us. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he discusses pain and pleasure with Nigel Warburton. by Philosophy Bites
20 min listen
Myisha Cherry on Rage: Stoic philosophers described anger as a temporary madness and argued that we should eliminate it wherever possible. More recently Martha Nussbaum has argued for keeping anger out of political debates. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast,... by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
Agnes Callard on Complaint: We all do it. But is there anything philosophically interesting about complaining? thinks there is. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she discusses complaint with Nigel Warburton. by Philosophy Bites
26 min listen
Arash Abizadeh on Thomas Hobbes' Ethics: Thomas Hobbes is best known as author of Leviathan which is usually read today for its theory of political authority. Here discusses Hobbes' ethics, the theory of what we are and what are obligations are to each. by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
Steven Nadler on Spinoza on Free Speech: Spinoza was famously heretical in his views. No surprise then that he defended free expression. Here discusses Spinoza's views on this topic with Nigel Warburton. by Philosophy Bites
18 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

Jonathan Dancy on Moral Particularism: Is morality a matter of applying general principles? Jonathan Dancy, a moral particularist, thinks not. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he defends moral particularism in conversation with Nigel Warburton. Philosophy Bites is made in... by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
The Information Theory of Biology & Origins of Life with Sara Imari Walker (Big Biology Podcast Crossover) by COMPLEXITY: Physics of Life
67 min listen
Steven Lukes on Power: What is power? Steven Lukes argues for a three-dimensional account of this concept in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Daniel Dennett on Tools to Transform our Thinking: Daniel Dennett is one of the world’s most original and provocative thinkers. A philosopher and cognitive scientist, he is known as one of the ‘Four Horseman of New Atheism’ along with Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and the late Christopher Hitchens. On M... by Intelligence Squared
85 min listen
BI 164 Gary Lupyan: How Language Affects Thought: Support the show to get full episodes and join the Discord community. Check out my free video series about whats missing in AI and Neuroscience Gary Lupyan runs the Lupyan Lab at University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he studies how la by Brain Inspired
92 min listen
Manuel Heras Escribano, "The Philosophy of Affordances" (Palgrave MacMillan, 2019): Ecological psychology is one of a number of contemporary theories that explains the mind in terms of embodiment and environmental situatedness, rather than inner symbol manipulation by brains... by New Books in Philosophy
64 min listen
Harry Brighouse on the Costs of Raising a Child: In this podcast, University of Wisconsin–Madison philosophy professor Harry Brighouse discusses how to think about the costs of raising a child beyond traditional measures, illustrating what philosophers can do for social scientists who... by Poverty Research & Policy
16 min listen
Christopher Hookway, “The Pragmatic Maxim: Essays on Peirce and Pragmatism” (Oxford UP, 2012): Charles Sanders Peirce was the founder of the philosophical tradition known as pragmatism. He is also the proponent of a distinctive variety of pragmatism that has at its core a logical rule that has come to be known as “the pragmatic maxim. by New Books in Philosophy
67 min listen
Cheryl Misak on Frank Ramsey and Ludwig Wittgenstein: has recently published a biography of , the great Cambridge thinker who died at the age of only 26, but who nevertheless made a significant impact in several different fields including philosophy, mathematics, and economics. In this episode of the... by Philosophy Bites
20 min listen
The amphibian omnivore’s dilemma: Plasticity-led evolution in spadefoot tadpoles (Ep 78) by Big Biology
63 min listen
The Psychology of Language, with Morten Christiansen and Nick Chater by Intelligence Squared
42 min listen
Rationally Speaking #35 - What is Philosophy of Science Good for?: What role does philosophy play in science? Plus Massimo and Julia's picks: "The End of Discovery: Are We Approaching the Boundaries of the Knowable?" and "10 Important Differences Between Brains and Computers" by Rationally Speaking Podcast
49 min listen
Cultural Evolution Goes Mainstream - Considering “This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution”: In this episode, Dr. Keith Witt and I discuss evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson’s latest book, This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution, where he challenges mainstream science to broaden its inquiry to include cultural and conscio... by The Daily Evolver
57 min listen
Parasites! Who’s Inhabiting Your Gut? - Evan Brand #160: Our bodies are a walking ecosystem that we share with trillions of microbes. While the majority of these microbes are native and beneficial, you might be surprised to learn that many of us are harboring parasites that can be the root cause of symptoms... by ReWild Yourself
142 min listen
Jing Tsu, "Kingdom of Characters: The Language Revolution That Made China Modern" (Riverhead Books, 2022): An interview with Jing Tsu by New Books in Science, Technology, and Society
39 min listen
Phenomenology, 4E Cog-Sci & Awe (Shaun Gallagher): Anagoge Podcast is now over 1 year old! Thank you everyone for listening. Shaun Gallagher is the Lillian and Morrie Moss Professor of Excellence in Philosophy at the University of Memphis. He is a founding editor and continues as a... by Anagoge Podcast
97 min listen
Colin McGinn on Descartes on Innate Knowledge: Descartes believed that we can have knowledge that was independent of experience. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Colin McGinn makes a case for there being some such knowledge. Philosophy Bites is made in association with the Institute... by Philosophy Bites
15 min listen
EP 176 Gregg Henriques Part 1: Addressing the Enlightenment Gap: Jim talks with Gregg Henriques about his book A New Synthesis for Solving the Problem of Psychology: Addressing the Enlightenment Gap. by The Jim Rutt Show
98 min listen
601: Sensorimotor Neuroscientist Studying the Cerebellum's Role in Motor Control - Dr. Amanda Therrien: Dr. Amanda Therrien is an Institute Scientist and Director of the Sensorimotor Learning Laboratory at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI). As a sensorimotor neuroscientist, Amanda studies how the brain integrates incoming sensory information... by People Behind the Science Podcast - Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
41 min listen
The Amazon in us (Ep 83) by Big Biology
62 min listen
Daniel Everett on the Nature of Languag: Since John Locke declared the child's mind a blank slate, philosophers have long debated the degree to which language-learning is innate. Are there are universal grammatical features that all languages share? Daniel Everett, who has spent many years... by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Episode 170 - Milk: Mammals are famous for their ability to produce milk, a special substance that is essential for providing newborns with the ingredients they need for healthy development. As it turns out, mammals aren’t the only ones. Milk-like substances have evolve... by The Common Descent Podcast
132 min listen
Pamela H. Smith, "From Lived Experience to the Written Word: Reconstructing Practical Knowledge in the Early Modern World" (U Chicago Press, 2022): An interview with Pamela H. Smith by New Books in the History of Science
62 min listen
Behavioural Ecology: Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss behavioural ecology. by In Our Time: Science
46 min listen
Gesturing Reduces Effect of a Classic Optical Illusion, Study Finds: Sometimes our eyes can deceive us, as shown by a perception-bending optical illusion involving a pair of lines, or sticks, of equal length. One stick, framed by open fins at each end, appears longer to our eyes than an equally long stick framed by closed... by Under the Cortex
12 min listen
BS 162 "Rethinking Consciousness" with Michael Graziano: Neuroscientist Michael Graziano discusses his new book by Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone
64 min listen
Mouse on a hill: The structure and function of agency (Ep 65) by Big Biology
68 min listen
EP118 Matt Ridley on How Innovation Works: Matt Ridley talks to Jim about his latest book, How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom... by The Jim Rutt Show
64 min listen
#280 - The Four Realms of Existence: A Dialogue with Joseph LeDoux by Converging Dialogues
102 min listen
AT#680 - Travel to the Canary Islands: Canary Islands by Amateur Traveler Travel Podcast
49 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Daniel Dennett on Free Will Worth Wanting

Daniel Dennett on Free Will Worth Wanting

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Philosophy Bites

Related podcast episodes