Philosophy For Our Times

What makes you 'you'? If scientists made a digital replica of your mind, would this new 'you' be conscious? And what does this all mean for what it means to exist?

Whole-brain emulation (often called “mind uploading” in science fiction) refers to the possible future ability to scan a human brain in such detail that a digital replica could be created, capable of functioning, and perhaps even experiencing the world, like the original. While we are far away from this now (the current record is a fruit fly) an increasing number of neuroscientists and entrepreneurs are betting that we may be closer than most think. What is happening in the world of computational neuroscience, and will the world be ready for it?

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Is materialism mistaken in its understanding of consciousness? How can dividing experience into the phenomenal and the transcendent provide a new angle from which to view consciousness? Have you ever wondered what philosophical jazz sounds like?

The world's greatest minds have struggled over the question of consciousness for centuries. Idealism, the idea that reality is the product of the mind, was a popular idea in the 19th century. But over the last hundred years, materialism became the dominant metaphysics. With faith in materialism starting to wane, philosopher James Tartaglia breaks down the consciousness misconceptions and discusses why he believes that idealism is making a comeback. 

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Is this the end of Britain's two-party system? How has Reform brought together seemingly contradictory left- and right-wing ideas? Why do they think that we should get used to climate change instead of trying to fix it?

The world has seemingly grown tired of liberal ideas, and the populist right is in the ascendant. They are winning elections, leading polls, and gaining political influence everywhere from the US to Italy, Argentina, France, Germany, and the UK. Join the next most powerful man in Reform UK after Nigel Farage, Deputy Leader Richard Tice, as he argues that the renewal of right-wing thinking and common-sense ideas will continue to reshape and transform global politics for the next century.  

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Does philosophy still matter in today's world? If so, why are students less and less interested in studying in it?

In a special episode from the IAI archives, Mary Midgley addresses the declining interest in philosophy among young people. Instead of an outdated discipline for old people with too much time on their hands, Midgley argues that philosophy is more important than ever if we wish to understand the world around us, beyond the narrow spheres of the traditional sciences.

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Why has gender identity become such a controversial talking point in modern politics?

Judith Butler, pioneering gender theorist whose changed the way we think about gender and sexuality, explores the topic of their most recent book, Who's Afraid of Gender? (March 2024). Butler offers a compelling and powerful diagnosis of the anxieties and fears that make up today's wars over gender. In this talk, Butler will explore how, despite 'gender' being the most fraught issue of our times, there is still cause for hope. This timely and timeless intervention continues to imagine new possibilities for freedom and solidarity. 

Judith Butler is Distinguished Professor in the Graduate School and formerly the Maxine Elliot Chair in the Department of Comparative Literature and the Program of Critical Theory at the University of California, Berkeley. They are most well-known for their ground-breaking book Gender Trouble (1990) and their theory of performativity.

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