Philosophy in a nutshell pt 5: Ubuntu

FromPhilosopher's Zone

Start listening View podcast show

Philosophy in a nutshell pt 5: Ubuntu

FromPhilosopher's Zone

ratings:

Length:

28 minutes

Released:

Nov 1, 2020

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Ubuntu is an African tradition of thought whose ethical orientation is captured in the well-known aphorism “I am, because we are”. But what gets lost when Ubuntu is framed as a philosophical discourse in the Western intellectual tradition? And where do we see its successes and failures in the reconstruction of post-colonial Africa?

Released:

Nov 1, 2020

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

The simplest questions often have the most complex answers. The Philosopher's Zone is your guide through the strange thickets of logic, metaphysics and ethics.

Skip carousel

Animals and the philosophy of friendship: Some of our best friends are animals. So where does that leave some humans we know? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Enid Blyton—the moral of the story: She might not be in vogue these days, but for one Cambridge philosopher Enid Blyton is serious moral business. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Extended minds, predictive processes, and Andy Clark: Andy Clark is a big name in what’s known as embodied and extended cognition. The theory positions the mind beyond the brain. If accurate, his ideas will have radical practical consequences well beyond the philosophy of mind. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Fuelling free will: Alfred Mele spent four years and four million dollars trying to get to the bottom of free will. He learnt that it was like petrol. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
The value of thought experiments: Drop those test tubes, take off your lab coat, pull up a comfy chair and think your way to scientific truth. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
A tale of two universes: Philosophy and modern physics: a case of the irrelevant versus the impractical? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Getting stuck: The midlife mess: Your midlife crisis: it’s more than you think. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Ethics and absolutes in the classroom: The trouble with morality is that reasonable people keep disagreeing on what’s right and wrong. The science, as they say, isn’t settled. So that being the case, how can we argue for fixed moral standards to which everyone should sign up? And how should we by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Bots, bankers and big brother: Would you trust a killer robot more than a banker? This philosopher does, and has his reasons. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Envy has its reasons: One of the seven deadly sins—which is sometimes excusable. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
The Reformation: What's not to like?: Is it just a coincidence that the five-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation falls on the same year that Britain is trying to 'Brexit'? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Philosophy for children: the why and the how: Children are natural philosophers — so why don’t we routinely teach them how to do philosophy? Some issues around that debate were aired at a recent public panel hosted by the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia. by Philosopher's Zone
49 min listen
Proof and beauty: Mathematicians routinely refer to complex proofs in aesthetic terms, citing their 'elegance' or 'beauty'. This has partly to do with the social aspect of such proofs—far from being a hermetic or exclusively cerebral practice, mathematics has never strayed by Philosopher's Zone
26 min listen
On the way: John Kaag is a philosopher who travelled to the Swiss Alps with the aim of putting into practice some of Nietzsche's recommendations for "becoming who you are". In his memoir Hiking With Nietzsche, what he finds is that following in the footsteps of the g by Philosopher's Zone
31 min listen
Autonomy, self, and substances: Substance abuse lets you say ‘it wasn’t me’. Then who was it? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Devotion, democracy and Duterte: Is religious language incompatible with democratic politics, as philosopher Richard Rorty believed? Not in the Philippines, where religion and democracy are working together as close allies—with troubling implications for justice and human rights. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
The philosophy of parenting—part 2: Brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and those weird second cousins you never talk to… how might we define family—and why it matters. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Thinking small: Understanding the human condition has been the province of many disciplines, but you wouldn’t necessarily expect microbiology to be among them. Think again! by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Morals and the market: Neoliberalism and human rights are often portrayed as standing in opposition to each other, but they can actually be seen as close philosophical cousins. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Carlo Rovelli and his quantum problem: Carlo Rovelli on the desperate need for some conceptual engineering to dig quantum thinking out of a deep black hole. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Existentialism and crisis: Existentialism entered the popular consciousness after World War 2, and for many it still has a mid-century ring to it. But how does it look look today, especially in an age where the unfolding environmental crisis calls for something more than radical hu by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Awesome ethics and the art of mushroom blading: Forget the meaning of life; an ethical definition of awesome is far more important. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
African philosophy and the West: How do you articulate African philosophy in a Western academic environment? And what gets lost in the project of “translating” the former into the categories of the latter? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Public health and the open society: Karl Popper's idea of "the open society" promoted values of inclusivity, transparency and democratic freedom. Today, some fear that the open society is under threat, with negative consequences for a lot of things we've come to take for granted - including by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
On Evil: 'Evil' is one of those words that seem to convey moral clarity—we all feel we know evil when we see it. But there was once a time when 'evil' simply referred to mundane mischance or wrongdoing; its transformation into something almost metaphysical is a relatively recent turn. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
The beauty imperative: What does it mean when beauty moves from aesthetic choice to ethical ideal? The age-old belief that true beauty lies within is ever harder to sustain today. It was once sidelined as a 'women’s issue' but beauty is now taking its place as a subject for serious philosophical scrutiny. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
The shadow of eugenics: Eugenics is a science that seems to belong back in the darkest days of the 20th century. But today, 'newgenics' has people worried, as reproductive technologies make it more possible to filter out certain genetic disorders. Does this colour our notion of what constitutes a 'desirable' or 'undesirable' human subject? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Stones rolling and the joy of ordinary objects: The structure of the universe is written in stone—maybe. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
The fate of the Common Good: The idea of the common good drove some of the most important social developments of the 20th century. Today, nations seem to be losing faith in the idea. by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen
Who are you?: The question of exactly what constitutes identity is an old and much-contested one. Is personhood located in a community? A culture? A race? Or is it something singular and immanent, located somewhere in the deepest recesses of the individual? by Philosopher's Zone
25 min listen

More Episodes from Philosopher's Zone

Skip carousel

Hegel, nature and the Anthropocene: Modernity has us in a terrible bind. We know that our Western habits of growth and consumption are destroying the planet, and that we need to stop exploiting the natural world for our benefit. But at the same time, our very identity as modern humans is grounded in the notion of endless growth, self-determination and the domination of nature. The work of the 18th century German philosopher GWF Hegel provides a fascinating diagnosis of our condition. Can it also offer a cure? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
The phenomenology of love: There’s a venerable philosophical tradition devoted to explaining what love is, and it stretches back to the ancient Greeks. What philosophy hasn’t had so much to say about is the phenomenology of love – the question of what love feels like. This week we’re getting inside the experience. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism and fun: You don’t have to be stupid to be a conspiracy theorist. Many people who buy into paranoid fantasies about stolen Presidential elections and sinister global Jewish cabals are perfectly sane, well-educated individuals. So why do they fall for these myths? This week we consider the possibility that the attraction is primarily aesthetic, and that the experience is fun. As for why the perennial focus on Jews: the answer can be found in a peculiar tension between philosophical monism and the worldview of the TV series Curb Your Enthusiasm. by Philosopher's Zone
39 min listen
Adoption and moral obligation: There are an estimated 16.2 million documented orphans worldwide. It’s a problem of crisis proportions, which makes it perhaps strange that so many of us consider adoption as more of a last resort than a first-order obligation – to be considered only if the path to having genetically-related children is blocked. This week we’re looking at the justifications for genetic preference in families, and asking how these justifications stack up against the moral duty to adopt. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Identity politics: Identity politics is grounded in the appeal to a stable, unified self and the authority of testimony. But this week we’re asking whether that foundation is solid, and if deconstructing it might allow for a more flexible approach to social justice. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Beauty: aesthetic or moral ideal?: These days, beauty is a moral imperative, an ideal to live by, and one according to which we judge ourselves and others. As a result, we increasingly shape our identities around our bodies – and not just our actual bodies with their lumps and bumps, but our imaginary future bodies: thin, smooth and firm. Gradually our notion of the good life comes to be centred on physical appearance, and this causes a range of harms which until now, philosophers have not taken seriously enough. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Rupture and hope: In a world shaken by war, pandemic and climate crisis, hope is a precious resource. It can be fragile, fleeting and hard to find. But what exactly does hope mean? It has clear Christian overtones, and a venerable theological tradition behind it. This week we're talking about the ways in which the theological informs the secular, and exploring how hope plays out in the political arena. We also hear a personal story of rupture and trauma, and a perspective on hope that accommodates the tunnel as well as the light at the end. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Sex, death and chilli sauce: In order to come to terms with death, we need to come to terms with sex – but this can involve a double bind for women. Is the age-old association of women with death and sexuality helpful or harmful? And what does this all have to do with chilli sauce? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Philosophy and myth: Since the Enlightenment, philosophy has come to regard myth as something of an embarrassment – and today, we often tend to view “myth” as synonymous with “falsehood”, or at least as a throwback to pre-rational, superstitious human culture. Myths are also held to be suspect in political theory, where the memory of "blood and soil" Nazi ideology is still fresh. Is there a role for myth in secular democratic politics, and in modern philosophy? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
The predicament of existence: Most of us agree that pain is part of life, that none of us can escape it, and that death comes for all of us in the end. And yet many of us feel that life is worth it; that the pleasure of life outweighs the suffering. Anti-natalist philosophy takes a different view. The anti-natalist believes that pain outweighs pleasure, so much so that it's morally wrong to bring a child into the world. What follows from this? Should we not only abstain from procreation but seek to stop non-human animals from doing the same? What about the innate biological drive to reproduce? And are happy people the victims of false consciousness? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Moral beauty and art: Movies and TV series increasingly feature leading characters that are morally repugnant, and yet we respond positively to their charisma. Why do we like them so much on screen? And is our emotional investment in their stories indicative of moral failure on our own part? This week we're exploring ideas of moral beauty, moral ugliness, and the strange ways in which artists - even in apparently morally neutral fields like architecture - can play with our notions of good and evil. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Philosophers in love: Philosophy can sometimes be an exercise in abstract, "pure" reason, unsullied by the demands of the body or the contingencies of history. But this week we're placing history and corporeality front and centre, with a look at the intimate lives of four eminent philosophers, and asking how their private entanglements shaped their public work. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
The ethics of uterus transplantation: If a woman wants to experience pregnancy but can't, the answer could be a uterus transplant. The technology is promising, if still very new — but how ethically sound is it? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Extremism: Extremism is a slippery concept. Its connotations are perjorative but at a glance, it can be difficult to see what differentiates extremism from more acceptable forms of fringe belief such as radicalism. Is it possible to be an extremist in the name of a morally worthy cause? and how should we deal with extremists in our midst? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Trans-national adoption and "blending in": At the end of the Korean War in 1953, the government launched an adoption program for orphans, most of whom went to white families in the USA and western Europe. Since then, an estimated 200,000 South Korean children have been adopted to Western countries. This week’s guest has conducted field research to explore their experience of the “trans-racial adoption paradox”: the feeling of belonging culturally while embodying difference, and the challenges faced by adopted people of colour navigating predominantly white communities and social worlds. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Efficiency, productivity, excess: These days we’re constantly pushed to be more efficient – at work, of course, but also in our leisure pursuits and even while we sleep (“hacking your sleep cycle” to extract maximum benefit from the nocturnal hours is a staple of wellness magazine articles). How did we get here? And how can we get back to a state that’s less pressured, a state governed by principles other than accumulation and profit? by Philosopher's Zone
41 min listen
Consciousness and contemplation: What is consciousness? Why do we have it? How can the physical stuff of the world give rise to something as mysterious as first-person experience? Philosophy, science and contemplative traditions have all struggled with these questions - and this week, we're talking about a new Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies that brings these disciplines together. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Art and climate: Our current climate crisis is, as much as anything else, a crisis of communication. Artists have a unique opportunity to step in and deliver environmental messages in a way that speaks to the emotions and the gut. And in doing this, they're reconfiguring the conceptual map of what art is supposed to be. Can a public sleepover in a town hall to raise awareness of disaster preparedness be called “art”? And what role do mystery and aesthetics play in this sort of work? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
China, Confucius and the courtyard: For more than three millennia, most buildings in China were configured around a central courtyard. This week’s guest believes that the courtyard helps us to understand Chinese society and culture, as well as Confucian philosophy. Today, with increasing numbers of people living in urban apartment buildings, the courtyard has become something of a period piece. What does this tell us about Chinese thought and identity in the modern world? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Stuff: Many of us these days are buried beneath an avalanche of stuff – everyday objects that seem to proliferate in the cupboard while our back is turned. Our obsession with material technology infects our view of human history, as many anthropologists judge the progress of past civilisations on the basis of how much stuff they generated, or “failed” to generate. And the production of stuff threatens our future, with the looming catastrophe of climate change and the growing tide of microplastics. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
What we talk about when we talk about race: The 19th century notion of race as something rooted in biology and genetics is a well-debunked idea whose time has passed. But the more recent liberal conception of race as a social construct fails to acknowledge the ways in which race is lived in and through the body (something the COVID pandemic has thrown into sharp relief). by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
The death of analytic philosophy?: With profound challenges posed by feminism, postcolonialism and critical race theory, could the long-heralded demise of analytic philosophy finally be on the horizon? And what exactly do we mean when we talk about analytic philosophy anyway – is it a science, a tradition or little more than a style? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Restlessness: Feeling a little distracted lately? Most of us are, and not just lately. We tend to view withering attention spans and the compulsion to seek change for its own sake as curses of the social media era, but restless dissatisfaction has been the subject of philosophical inquiry for centuries. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Structural injustice and individual responsibility: Who is responsible for structural injustice? The answer is “practically everybody” - but that can be just another way of saying “effectively nobody”. So what responsibility do individuals bear for structural injustice? And how can this responsibility be acted upon, without falling into practices of blaming and shaming? by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Derrida and difficulty: In the late 1960s Michel Foucault, on being asked to grade an undergraduate dissertation written by Jacques Derrida, remarked “Well, it’s either an F or an A+” The philosophy community’s verdict on Derrida has changed little in the decades since. This week we’re talking with the author of a new biography of this enigmatic philosopher. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

Storytellers: Doris Lessing: Doris Lessing (1919-2013) was notorious for her attraction to controversy both in and outside of her novels. Her works spoke to difficult issues of feminism and racism coming out of colonial Africa. by Womanica
7 min listen
Who Owns Seeds?: It's easy to take seeds for granted, to assume that there will always be more corn or wheat or rice to plant. But as monocropping and agribusiness continue to dominate modern farming, are we losing genetic diversity, cultural history, and the nutritional value of our food? We speak to farmers, botanists and indigenous people about how they are reclaiming our seeds. by To The Best Of Our Knowledge
52 min listen
Farah Nayeri, "Takedown: Art and Power in the Digital Age" (Astra Publishing, 2022): An interview with Farah Nayeri by New Books in Critical Theory
69 min listen
Aaron G. Jakes, "Egypt's Occupation: Colonial Economism and the Crises of Capitalism" (Stanford UP, 2020): An interview with Aaron G. Jakes by New Books in Critical Theory
100 min listen
Patricia Hill Collins, "Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory" (Duke UP, 2019): An interview with Patricia Hill Collins by New Books in Philosophy
64 min listen
Peggy Guggenheim: Learn more about the woman at the center of 20th century modern art by Everything Everywhere Daily
12 min listen
#21 IBS & Psoriasis - When The Body Seeks Safety by The Healing Point Podcast
30 min listen
The U.S. Almost Out Of Afghanistan. What Happens There Next?: The U.S. military will be fully out of the country by August 31. The Taliban already control more than half of it. by Consider This from NPR
14 min listen
Nadine Gordimer, Athol Fugard and Elie Wiesel: Messengers of Humanity: These three writers used the power of their pens to expose and explore man's inhumanity to man. You'll hear the presentations they gave at the Academy of Achievement's International Summits. South African novelist and anti-Apartheid activist Nadine Gordimer was the author of "Burger's Daughter" and "July's People", and she received the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature. Playwright Athol Fugard, also South African and an outspoken critic of Apartheid, received the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2011. His most famous plays include "Master Harold and the Boys" and "The Blood Knot". The third writer we'll hear from is Elie Wiesel, the legendary Auschwitz survivor who wrote many novels and non-fiction books about the horrors of the Holocaust, but always with a sense of hope for humankind. He was also an unrelenting advocate for human rights around the world, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. All thre by What It Takes®
42 min listen
How Can I Control my Temper?: We are beginning a series of posts with questions and answers. In this first post, we hear three questions from children. The session takes place on August 16, 2007 during the Stonehill College retreat during the U.S. Tour. by Thich Nhat Hanh Dharma Talks
5 min listen
Katy Hessel: The Rule Breakers by Incredible Women
29 min listen
How Not to Feel Like You Suck at Meditation | Bonus Meditation with Joseph Goldstein by Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris
10 min listen
Ep. 645: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds with Dr. Kelly Turner: Radical remission by Fit 2 Love Podcast with JJ Flizanes
53 min listen
Latest On Boosters; 'Trusted Messengers' Lead Vaccine Outreach: Public health experts say the most effective vaccine outreach comes from local voices who people know and trust. by Consider This from NPR
12 min listen
A Short History of Humans: Uncovering the causes of development, prosperity and inequality over the span of human history. by Dan Snow's History Hit
34 min listen
Co-Opted And Weaponized, 'Cancel Culture' Is Just Today's 'Politically Correct': Like 'politically correct' decades ago, 'cancelling' started as a progressive term was co-opted and weaponized to attack the left. by Consider This from NPR
13 min listen
Scott Barry Kaufman | Transcend: is a cognitive psychologist, author, and podcast host. In this podcast, we discuss the work of Abraham Maslow, the possible heights of human potential, and his new book Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization. This episode is sponsored... by And Then It Hit Me with Cory Allen
57 min listen
4. Naomi Klein: Writer and activist Naomi Klein on the advice she would give her younger self. by Young Again
29 min listen
1193 | Tom Bilyeu: “Become So Good that They Can’t Ignore You.” by The Quote of the Day Show | Daily Motivational Talks
10 min listen
40 — '2001 – A Space Odyssey' 1/2 — Pink Upholstery in Cartesian Space by About Buildings + Cities
68 min listen
Gardening for kids’ wellbeing: We chatted to children’s gardening author and NHS patient advisor, Annabelle Padwick, about how gardening helps young people overcome mental health challenges. by BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Podcast
34 min listen
Episode 352: Jenny Odell: Jenny Odell is a multidisciplinary artist and the author of "How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy" by Longform
60 min listen
448: Srdja Popovic | Blueprint for Revolution: Srdja Popovic joins us to talk about how we can all make life Hell for dictators and their lackeys as outlined in his book Blueprint for Revolution. by The Jordan Harbinger Show
61 min listen
Apple unveils credit card, streaming plans, and more by The Vergecast
72 min listen
Music Reconstructed: Jason Moran, Jazz and the Harlem Hellfighters – w/ Charles L. Hughes: This is a special four-part series where historian Charles L. Hughes introduces us to musicians who are exploring the sounds, songs and stories of the Jim Crow era. In this installment, Jazz pianist Jason Moran discusses his acclaimed musical... by Teaching Hard History
22 min listen
How Bestselling Author Hugh Howey Writes: Prolific, bestselling, multi-genre author Hugh Howey took me on a walk through the writer’s process. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. ... by The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
30 min listen
Brain and Behavior with Nicole Vignola: In this episode, we spoke with Nicole Vignola, who is a cognitive neuroscientist, author and speaker committed to making neuroscience tangible for the masses. With 12 years of coaching experience, Nicole has a BSc in Neuroscience from the University... by The Brain Health Revolution Podcast
75 min listen
Decolonizing the Mind: Colonization in Africa was much more than a land grab. It was a project to replace — and even erase — local cultures. To label them inferior. Music, arts, literature and of course language. In other words, it permeated everything. So how do you undo that? How do you unlearn what you’ve been forced to learn? by To The Best Of Our Knowledge
52 min listen
Connecting Health and Learning Part I: The Science: How do our biological systems work together to respond to chronic stress? What do these responses mean for early learning and lifelong health? And when we say that early experiences matter, what do we mean by early? by The Brain Architects
39 min listen
Clara A. B. Joseph, "Christianity in India: The Anti-Colonial Turn" (Routledge, 2020): An interview with Clara A. B. Joseph by New Books in Indian Religions
39 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Philosophy in a nutshell pt 5: Ubuntu

Philosophy in a nutshell pt 5: Ubuntu

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Philosopher's Zone

Related podcast episodes