Best Skye Edmonds Podcasts (2025)

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Ellie Robson on Mary Midgley on Animals 16:05

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3d ago16:05

16:05

Mary Midgley didn't begin publishing until she was 59 years old, but nevertheless made a significant impact and had a distinctive approach. In this episode of Philosophy Bites Ellie Robson discusses some of her key ideas about our relationship with other animals.

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Sari Nusseibeh on Philosophy and Conflict 24:23

3d ago24:23

24:23

Many people think philosophical discucssion is a luxury in times of conflict, but the Palestinian philosopher Sari Nusseibeh is more optimistic. In this episode of Philosophy Bites, recorded in early 2025, he explains why.

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Robert Talisse on Civic Solitude 17:42

21d ago17:42

17:42

Democracy is about acting as a group, but, surprisingly, Robert Talisse argues that what it needs to function well is a degree of solitude for citizens. In-group and out-group dynamics mean that individuals become vulnerable to being pushed towards more extreme views than they would otherwise hold. There is, Talisse, maintains, a need to balance ti…

1
Hanno Sauer on The World History of Morality 24:33

1M ago24:33

24:33

How did morality evolve? Why do different cultures have such a similar set of moral norms and values? Hanno Sauer gives an evolutionary story that explains the genealogy of morality through human co-operation.

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Takeshi Morisato on Japanese Philosophy 18:05

2M ago18:05

18:05

Most Western philosophers are deeply ignorant of Japanese philosophy. Takeshi Morisato who was brought up in Japan, and who has studied both continental and analytic Western traditions provides and introduction to some of the key strands in Japanese philosophy.

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Melissa Lane on Plato, Rule, and Office 15:04

2M ago15:04

15:04

Melissa Lane, a classics scholar as well as a philosopher, discusses some key features of Plato's political philosophy and shows its continuing relevance.

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Agnes Callard on Lessons from Socrates 22:14

4M ago22:14

22:14

Does Socrates still have something to teach us? Agnes Callard thinks he has. Here she discusses the great Athenian and his continuing relevance with David Edmonds.

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Emily Herring on Henri Bergson 18:00

5M ago18:00

18:00

Henri Bergson was once one of the most living famous philosophers. Now he is less well known. Emily Herring, his biographer, discusses this and some of his key ideas in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Nigel Warburton is the interviewer.

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Lyndsey Stonebridge on the Life and Mind of Hannah Arendt 22:21

7M ago22:21

22:21

For this episode in the Bio Bites strand of the Philosphy Bites podcast Nigel Warburton interviews Lyndsey Stonebridge, author of a recent book about Hannah Arendt, We Are Free To Change the World, about how her thought was affected by her circumstances as an emigré fleeing Nazism.

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Ofra Magidor on Epistemicism and Moral Vagueness 29:57

7M ago29:57

29:57

Sometimes, there is vagueness about whether it is morally permissible (or even in some situations required) to perform a certain act—moral vagueness. What is the source of moral vagueness? Ofra Magidor discusses this topic with Nigel Warburton. This episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast has been made in association with Vagueness & Ethics, a res…

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Robert Williams on Decision Making Under Indeterminacy 16:25

7M ago16:25

16:25

How can we make decisions under conditions of indeterminacy? Robert Williams discusses this challenging issue with Nigel Warburton. This episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast has been made in association with Vagueness & Ethics, a research project funded by the European Commission (grant agreement number 101028625 — H2020-MSCA-IF-2020) and led by…

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Peter Godfrey Smith on Understanding Minds 18:00

8M ago18:00

18:00

Peter Godfrey Smith is famous for his work on understanding the minds of other animals, particularly octopuses. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he discusses animal minds with Nigel Warburton.

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Richard Bourke on Hegel's Philosophy of History 19:46

9M ago19:46

19:46

Hegel is a notoriously difficult philosopher to understand. Here Richard Bourke gives a clear route through his key ideas about history and how it unfolds in conversation with Nigel Warburton.

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Jonathan Birch on the Edge of Sentience 28:03

10M ago28:03

28:03

Recent zoological research has shown us that a wide range of animals are likely to have sentience. We don't know for sure. There is sufficient evidence to think that it is likely that, for example, lobsters can feel pain. What should we do in the light of this? Jonathan Birch of the LSE, author of The Edge of Sentience, discusses this important que…

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Cheryl Misak on Frank Ramsey's Life and Thought 17:17

11M ago17:17

17:17

The Cambridge philosopher Frank Ramsey died aged 26, but in a short brilliant life he made significant contributions to philosphy and economics. Here in the Bio Bites strand of Philosophy Bites David Edmonds discusses Ramsey's life and thought with his biographer Cheryl Misak.

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Elizabeth Harman on Moral Heroes 14:50

1y ago14:50

14:50

Moral heroes are usually thought of as people who go beyond what is obligatory. Elizabeth Harman discusses whether sometimes we ought to act as moral heroes. She is in conversation with David Edmonds for this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

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Walter Sinnott Armstrong on AI and Morality 13:58

1y ago13:58

13:58

Can AI help us make difficult moral decisions? Walter Sinnott Armstrong explores this idea in conversation with David Edmonds in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

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David Edmonds on the Life and Philosophy of Derek Parfit 20:32

1+ y ago20:32

20:32

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.

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Yascha Mounk on the Identity Trap 30:52

1+ y ago30:52

30:52

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.

1
Mark Rowe on J.L.Austin 22:58

1+ y ago22:58

22:58

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 biographer Mark Rowe.

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James Klagge on Wittgenstein 20:50

1+ y ago20:50

20:50

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.

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David Chalmers on Technophiloosphy and the Extended Mind 18:28

1+ y ago18:28

18:28

1
Agnes Callard on Sex 17:18

1+ y ago17:18

17:18

What happens when people have sexual desires for one another? Agnes Callard 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 mention of sex.

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Michael Lamb on Augustine on Hope 19:06

2y ago19:06

19:06

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.

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Seth Lazar on Political Philosophy in the Age of AI 22:29

2y ago22:29

22:29

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 episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

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Hannah Dawson on Mary Wollstonecraft 20:34

2y ago20:34

20:34

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).

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Scott Hershovitz on Law and Morality 26:34

2y ago26:34

26:34

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.

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Carissa Veliz on Digital Ethics 23:17

2y ago23:17

23:17

Digital ethics is a new field. But what is it, what is its scope? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Carissa Véliz, author of Privacy is Power and editor of The Oxford Handbook of Digital Ethics, discusses these topics with Nigel Warburton. Philosophy Bites is brought to you by the team of David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton. We've been …

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Theron Pummer on the Rules of Rescue 23:00

2+ y ago23:00

23:00

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 this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast

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William MacAskill on Longtermism 22:23

2+ y ago22:23

22:23

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.

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Kieran Setiya on Loneliness 18:31

2+ y ago18:31

18:31

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 topic with Nigel Warburton.

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Edith Hall on Aristotle's Way 17:14

2+ y ago17:14

17:14

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.

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L.A. Paul on Transformative Experience 18:27

3y ago18:27

18:27

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.

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Josiah Ober on the Civic Bargain 20:06

3y ago20:06

20:06

How do you solve the question of collective self-government by citizens? Josiah Ober 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 become civic friends, a concept he explains in the conversation.…

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Skye Cleary on Authenticity 16:54

3y ago16:54

16:54

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.

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Peter Railton on AI and Ethics 25:18

3y ago25:18

25:18

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

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Clare Chambers on the Unmodified Body 22:47

3y ago22:47

22:47

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? Clare Chambers thinks so. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she spells out why. The interviewer is David Edmonds.

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Peter Singer on Consequentialism 22:16

3+ y ago22:16

22:16

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 underpinned by his consequentialism. Here, in conversation with Nigel Warburton he explains his consequentialism …

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Cecile Fabre on the Ethics of Spying 24:51

3+ y ago24:51

24:51

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 the Philosophy Bites podcast. This episode is sponsored by The New European newspaper.…

1
Ro Khanna on Digital Dignity 18:59

3+ y ago18:59

18:59

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 Nigel Warburton.

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Benjamin Lipscomb on 4 Women Philosophers 20:55

3+ y ago20:55

20:55

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 recent book about them, The Women Are Up To Something, speaks to David Edmonds in this episode of th…

1
Paul Bloom on Psychological Hedonism, 20:23

3+ y ago20:23

20:23

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.

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Myisha Cherry on Rage 21:21

4y ago21:21

21:21

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, in contrast, Myisha Cherry makes the case for rage in some specific circumstances. She discusses rag…

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Agnes Callard on Complaint 26:12

4y ago26:12

26:12

We all do it. But is there anything philosophically interesting about complaining? Agnes Callard thinks there is. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she discusses complaint with Nigel Warburton.

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Arash Abizadeh on Thomas Hobbes' Ethics 20:50

4y ago20:50

20:50

Thomas Hobbes is best known as author of Leviathan which is usually read today for its theory of political authority. Here Arash Abizadeh discusses Hobbes' ethics, the theory of what we are and what are obligations are to each.

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Steven Nadler on Spinoza on Free Speech 18:23

4+ y ago18:23

18:23

Spinoza was famously heretical in his views. No surprise then that he defended free expression. Here Steven Nadler discusses Spinoza's views on this topic with Nigel Warburton.

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Suki Finn on the Metaphysics of Nothing 19:18

4+ y ago19:18

19:18

What is the status of something that is an absence, like a hole? Suki Finn explores the metaphysics of nothing in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Suki is also the editor of a new book based on Philosophy Bites interviews with women philosophers selected from our archive Women of Ideas, to be published by Oxford University Press in Apr…

1
Peter Salmon on Derrida on Deconstruction 22:34

4+ y ago22:34

22:34

Jacques Derrida was a controversial philosopher whose writing could be fiendishly difficult to read. Nevertheless he had many followers. Here Pete Salmon, author of a recent biography of Derrida, manages to give a clear account of what Derrida meant by deconstruction. This episode was sponsored by St John's College. For more information about the c…

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David Bather Woods on Schopenhauer on Compassion 24:06

4+ y ago24:06

24:06

Arthur Schopenhauer is best known for the deep pessimism of his book The World as Will and Representation. Here we focus on a slightly less pessimistic aspect of his philosophy: his views on compassion. Very unusually for an early nineteenth century thinker, he was influenced here by his reading of Indian philosophy. David Bather Woods is the inter…

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Samantha Rose Hill on Hannah Arendt on Pluralism 20:41

4+ y ago20:41

20:41

Hannah Arendt's experience of the Eichmann trial in 1961 led her to reflect on the nature of politics, truth, and plurality. Samantha Rose Hill, author of a biography of Arendt, discusses the context for this, and the key features of Arendt's views. We are grateful for support for this episode from St John's College - for more information about the…