Philosophy For Our Times

For most scientists, the mind is little more than a machine. With the rise of AI, some now claim that computers may themselves become conscious. For acclaimed neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and philosopher Iain McGilchrist, this is a profound mistake. The attempt to explain the mind in purely mechanistic terms reflects the flawed assumptions of materialism and reductionism – both symptoms of a civilisation dangerously dominated by left-hemisphere thinking. To understand mind and matter, he argues, we need to restore the right hemisphere to its rightful primacy and move beyond materialism.
Iain McGilchrist is a distinguished British neuroscientist, psychiatrist and philosopher. A former Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, Iain McGilchrist also worked as a consulting psychiatrist, and is known for his influential work on the relationship between the structure of our brains, human cultures and our understanding of the world.
Oliver Adelson is Philosophy Desk Lead at the Institute of Art and Ideas. He is also Head of Speaker Booking for the IAI's HowTheLightGetsIn Festival.
Don't hesitate to email us at podcast@iai.tv with your thoughts or questions on the episode!
To witness such talks live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/
And visit our website for many more articles, videos, and podcasts like this one: https://iai.tv/
You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is anxiety something to be embraced, rather than fixed? Why are more and more of us feeling the 'soul's itch'? How we can start living more meaningfully?
Anxiety is often understood as a problem to fix. But Sarah Wilson argues that it can be a vital signal - a "soul's itch" calling us to deeper attunement with our moral purpose. In this talk, Sarah describes how technological acceleration, neoliberal society and disconnection from nature can cause us to miss these signs, and how we can live more defiantly and meaningfully.
Sarah Wilson is multi-New York Times bestselling author, social philosopher and philanthropist. She edited Cosmopolitan Australia at 29 and founded the global I Quit Sugar movement.
Don't hesitate to email us at podcast@iai.tv with your thoughts or questions on the episode!
To witness such talks live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/
And visit our website for many more articles, videos, and podcasts like this one: https://iai.tv/
You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is beauty a reliable indicator of scientific truth? Or is it merely a distraction?
Some of the best scientists throughout history have equated beauty with truth. But is this a mistake? Join pioneering physicist Lisa Randall to discuss the allure and dangers of equating beautiful advances with scientific achievement. Specifically, the talk will cover the subjective nature of beauty, and instances where beauty succeeded and where it failed, bringing in notions of symmetry and symmetry breaking.
One of the most daring theoretical physicists alive today, Lisa Randall is the Frank B. Baird, Jr. Professor of Science at Harvard University. Randall's books Warped Passages and Knocking on Heaven's Door have both been on the New York Times 100 notable books lists
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is this the end of liberalism, or just another temporary crisis? If it is the end, what will follow it? And where did it all go wrong?
Since the end of WWII, the Western world has been governed by liberal principles. But as faith in liberalism fades, many are asking: what deeper vision should guide our societies going forward? Join Blue Labour founder Maurice Glasman and author of Tyranny Inc., Sohrab Ahmari, as they diagnose the roots of the current crisis and explore possibilities for what lies beyond the faltering liberal world order. Both Glasman and Ahmari's diverging visions call for ideas and morality to lead politics, not the other way around.
Don't hesitate to email us at podcast@iai.tv with your thoughts or questions on the episode!
To witness such talks live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/
And visit our website for many more articles, videos, and podcasts like this one: https://iai.tv/
You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does originality mean in the age of AI? Why should artists resist the temptation to fear AI? What role will human creativity play in the future we're building?
Jaron Lanier, a visionary computer scientist, artist, composer, futurist, and writer, discusses his latest artistic ventures and the importance of originality in art. Lanier shares insights into how technology intersects with creativity, the challenges of maintaining authenticity in a digital age, and the evolving role of the artist in shaping the future. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the most forward-thinking minds of our time as he reflects on the future of art and innovation.
Don't hesitate to email us at podcast@iai.tv with your thoughts or questions on the episode!
To witness such talks live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/
And visit our website for many more articles, videos, and podcasts like this one: https://iai.tv/
You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.