Philosophical Theology
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin discusses the philosophical theology views of Thomas Aquinas, Gottfried Leibniz, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Professor Toulmin relates an amusing comment from Wittgenstein, who once said when som..
Philosophy Over Time
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about philosophy since the time of Socrates. He notes that one constant about philosophy since the days of the ancient Greeks has been its concern with thinking carefully about how to live..
Philosophy and Science
Philosopher W.V. Quine talks about what philosophy means to him and what philosophers do. He states that philosophy is very closely related to science and that there isn't a clear boundary between them.
Philosophy of Ethics (Part One), The
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin argues that neither Immanuel Kant nor Jeremy Bentham believed that there's an absolute moral formula that can be applied in all cases.
Philosophy of Ethics (Part Two), The
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin elaborates on his thoughts regarding Kant, Bentham and ethics. Professor Toulmin points out that when Kant wrote general treatises on the philosophy of ethics, his intent was not to provide ax..
Philosophy, Justice, and the Meaning of Life
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum explains that Greek philosophers tried to convince people to consult them with their problems, rather than going to astrologers and magicians. Professor Nussbaum notes that philosophy can play..
Physician-Assisted Suicide
Philosopher Michael Sandel criticizes the argument that the Supreme Court should adopt a neutral position that does not prevent individuals from opting for physician-assisted suicide. Professor Sandel talks about the opp..
Plato, Artistotle and Scientific Theory
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin talks about Plato's preference for theories that take a mathematical form. Professor Toulmin adds that this preference was carried over to modern times, so that a discipline like psychology mi..
Pragmatism, Language and Reality
Philosopher Richard Rorty explores the link between language and reality, suggesting that no one language is any closer to reality than any other. Whether it's the language of poetry, the language of physics, the languag..
Quantum Mechanics
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about the challenge philosophers face in trying to interpret scientific functions --such as quantum mechanics-- when the effects are observable, but the function itself is not.