Christopher Shields on Personal Identity

FromPhilosophy Bites

Start listening View podcast show

Christopher Shields on Personal Identity

FromPhilosophy Bites

ratings:

Length:

22 minutes

Released:

Nov 3, 2008

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

What makes anyone the same person over time? In this interview for Philosophy Bites Christopher Shields addresses this question of personal identity, one which, as he points out, has perplexed philosophers since antiquity.

Released:

Nov 3, 2008

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

top philosophers interviewed on bite-sized topics

Skip carousel

Mary Warnock on Philosophy in Public Life: What can philosophers contribute to public life? Mary Warnock who sits in the House of Lords and has chaired two important commissions discusses how her training in philosophy prepared her for these roles. by Philosophy Bites
13 min listen
Stephen Law on The Problem of Evil: What is evil? Is it consistent with the existence of a benevolent God? In this interview Stephen Law gives an original take on this traditional philosophical problem. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Jonathan Wolff on Marx on Alienation: Karl Marx's theory of alienated labour is the topic of this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Jonathan Wolff, author of Why Read Marx Today? explains what Marx meant by alienation. He also sheds light on Marx's controversial description of what... by Philosophy Bites
15 min listen
John Broome on Weighing Lives: How do we weigh lives one against another? Governments frequently have to make life and death decisions that take in to account such issues as the quality of life compared to the length of a life. In this episode of Philosophy Bites John Broome... by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Julian Baggini on Thought Experiments: Philosophers often use elaborate thought experiments in their writing. Are these anything more than rhetorical flourishes? Or do they reveal important aspects of the questions under discussion. Julian Baggini, editor of The Philosophers' Magazine and... by Philosophy Bites
12 min listen
Quentin Skinner on Machiavelli's The Prince: Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince is one of the most notorious works of political philosophy ever written. Quentin Skinner sets it in its historical context and explains its key themes in this episode of Philosophy Bites. by Philosophy Bites
26 min listen
Richard Bourke on Edmund Burke on Politics: The eighteenth century thinker and politician Edmund Burke was one of the founders of modern conservativism. In his Reflections on the Revolution in France he attacked the revolution. For this episode of Philosophy Bites Richard Bourke of Queen Mary,... by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
David Papineau on Physicalism: Are all our thoughts simply physical events in our bodies? Can we give a purely physical account of the conscious human mind? David Papineau believes that we can. In this interview for Philosophy Bites he explains what physicalism is, why he... by Philosophy Bites
16 min listen
Simon Blackburn on Plato's Cave: What is the nature of reality? Is the world as it appears, or is there something timeless behind the world of appearances? Simon Blackburn discusses one of the most famous images in Philosophy: Plato's cave. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Mary Warnock on Sartre's Existentialism: What is existentialism? Is it still relevant to us? Sartre believed that we are free to choose what we make of our lives. Was he right? In this interview for Philosophy Bites Mary Warnock gives her views on Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialism. by Philosophy Bites
12 min listen
Thomas Pink on Free Will: We often blame people for what they do or fail to do. But that implies that they were free to choose whether or not to act in the way they did. At the same time science seems to reveal prior causes of all our actions. There seems little or no room for... by Philosophy Bites
18 min listen
John Cottingham on The Meaning of Life: What is the meaning of life? This is a basic question for all of us. There is also the possibility that life has no meaning whatsoever. In this interview John Cottingham explains his vision of the kinds of meaning that we can find in our lives. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Angie Hobbs on Plato on War: What causes human agression? For Plato's Socrates it comes from innate tendencies nurtured in the wrong way. And that's where war comes from. Angie Hobbs gives a fascinating introduction to this aspect of Plato's Republic in this episode of Philosophy... by Philosophy Bites
10 min listen
Quentin Skinner on Hobbes on the State: What is the state? How do individuals combine to lend legitimate authority to those who act on the state's behalf? These are fundamental questions in political philosophy that Thomas Hobbes addressed in the seventeenth century. In this interview... by Philosophy Bites
18 min listen
Chandran Kukathas on Hayek's Liberalism: Friedrich Hayek was a major figure in Twentieth Century economics and political philosophy, but his ideas are sometimes caricatured, not least because Margaret Thatcher approved of his work. Chandran Kukathas explains the key features of his... by Philosophy Bites
13 min listen
Peter Millican on Hume's Significance: David Hume is probably the greatest English-speaking philosopher to date. In this interview for Philosophy Bites. Peter Millican, a Hume specialist, explains why his philosophy was so important. by Philosophy Bites
15 min listen
Richard Reeves on Mill's On Liberty: In this episode of Philosophy Bites Richard Reeves, author of a recent biography of John Stuart Mill sheds light on Mill's classic defence of individual freedom, On Liberty. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Richard Norman on Humanism: How can non-believers make sense of the world? How can there be morality without God? In this episode of Philosophy Bites philosopher Richard Norman explains how it is possible to lead a good life without religion. by Philosophy Bites
11 min listen
Onora O'Neill on Medical Consent: What do we mean by 'consent' in a medical context? Is it reasonable to ask for informed consent before performing medical procedures? Is consent even the most important issue. Onora O'Neill challenges some widely-held assumptions in this area in this... by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Simon Blackburn on Moral Relativism: Are moral choices simply relative, a matter of culture or taste? Are genuine moral disagreements possible? Should we just tolerate different ways that people choose to live? Nigel Warburton interviews Simon Blackburn on these important... by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
John Dunn on Locke on Toleration: John Locke, writing in the Seventeenth Century, argued for religious toleration, though stopped short of toleration of atheists. In this episode of the podcast Philosophy Bites, Nigel Warburton interviews Locke expert John Dunn on this topic. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
G.A. Cohen on Inequality of Wealth: Can differences in income be morally justified? Should we expect rich people to give their money to the poor? G.A. Cohen, author of a book with the provocative title If You're An Egalitarian, How Come You're So Rich? addresses these questions in this... by Philosophy Bites
11 min listen
M.M. McCabe on Socratic Method: Philosophy began in earnest with Socrates. He asked impertinent questions. In this interview with M.M. McCabe, Philosophy Bites explores the nature of Socratic Method and Socrates' claim that the unexamined life is not worth living. by Philosophy Bites
13 min listen
Peter Singer on Human Use of Animals: In this bonus episode produced in association with the Open University as part of the Ethics Bites series, Peter Singer, perhaps the world's best known living philosopher, discusses how we treat animals. A transcript of this episode is available from... by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen
Tim Scanlon on Free Speech: In this bonus episode produced in association with the Open University, Tim Scanlon discusses the limits of free speech with Nigel Warburton. A transcript of this episode is available from www.open2.net/ethicsbites/ by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen
Raymond Tallis on Assisted Dying: Assisted dying, providing a patient with the means to kill themselves, is a highly controversial issue. For this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Raymond Tallis, who is both an eminent gerontologist and philosopher, discusses this topic and... by Philosophy Bites
1 min listen
Janet Radcliffe Richards on Men and Women's Natures: Are men and women different by nature? And if so, what follows? Janet Radcliffe Richards, author of The Sceptical Feminist and Human Nature After Darwin, examines questions about human nature, focusing on John Stuart Mill's important book The... by Philosophy Bites
20 min listen
Jennifer Hornsby on Human Agency: What goes on when someone does something deliberately? Jennifer Hornsby discusses this difficult philosophical question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of Philosophy Bites. by Philosophy Bites
11 min listen
Mary Warnock on the Right to Have a Baby: In this bonus episode produced in association with The Open University, Mary Warnock, a philosopher who also sits in the House of Lords, addresses the question 'Do we have a right to have babies?' A transcript of this episode is available at... by Philosophy Bites
1 min listen
Alex Neill - the Paradox of Tragedy: How can we enjoy watching tragedy when it is a genre that deals with suffering and pain? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Alex Neill explains what the paradox of tragedy is, and shows how he thinks it can be dissolved. He also... by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen

More Episodes from Philosophy Bites

Skip carousel

David Edmonds on the Life and Philosophy of Derek Parfit: 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. by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
Yascha Mounk on the Identity Trap: 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. by Philosophy Bites
31 min listen
Mark Rowe on J.L.Austin: 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... by Philosophy Bites
23 min listen
James Klagge on Wittgenstein: 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. by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
David Chalmers on Technophiloosphy and the Extended Mind by Philosophy Bites
18 min listen
Agnes Callard on Sex: What happens when people have sexual desires for one another? 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... by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen
Michael Lamb on Augustine on Hope: 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. by Philosophy Bites
19 min listen
Seth Lazar on Political Philosophy in the Age of AI: 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... by Philosophy Bites
22 min listen
Hannah Dawson on Mary Wollstonecraft: 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). by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
Scott Hershovitz on Law and Morality: 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. by Philosophy Bites
27 min listen
Carissa Veliz on Digital Ethics: Digital ethics is a new field. But what is it, what is its scope? In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast , author of Privacy is Power and editor of The Oxford Handbook of Digital Ethics, discusses these topics with Nigel Warburton.... by Philosophy Bites
23 min listen
Theron Pummer on the Rules of Rescue: 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... by Philosophy Bites
23 min listen
William MacAskill on Longtermism: 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. by Philosophy Bites
22 min listen
Kieran Setiya on Loneliness: 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 with Nigel Warburton. by Philosophy Bites
19 min listen
Edith Hall on Aristotle's Way: 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. by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen
L.A. Paul on Transformative Experience: 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. by Philosophy Bites
18 min listen
Josiah Ober on the Civic Bargain: How do you solve the question of collective self-government by citizens? 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... by Philosophy Bites
20 min listen
Skye Cleary on Authenticity: 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. by Philosophy Bites
17 min listen
Peter Railton on AI and Ethics: 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 by Philosophy Bites
25 min listen
Clare Chambers on the Unmodified Body: 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? thinks so. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she spells out why. The... by Philosophy Bites
23 min listen
Peter Singer on Consequentialism: 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... by Philosophy Bites
22 min listen
Cecile Fabre on the Ethics of Spying: 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... by Philosophy Bites
25 min listen
Ro Khanna on Digital Dignity: 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... by Philosophy Bites
19 min listen
Benjamin Lipscomb on 4 Women Philosophers: 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... by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
Paul Bloom on Psychological Hedonism,: 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. by Philosophy Bites
20 min listen
Myisha Cherry on Rage: 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,... by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
Agnes Callard on Complaint: We all do it. But is there anything philosophically interesting about complaining? thinks there is. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast she discusses complaint with Nigel Warburton. by Philosophy Bites
26 min listen
Arash Abizadeh on Thomas Hobbes' Ethics: Thomas Hobbes is best known as author of Leviathan which is usually read today for its theory of political authority. Here discusses Hobbes' ethics, the theory of what we are and what are obligations are to each. by Philosophy Bites
21 min listen
Steven Nadler on Spinoza on Free Speech: Spinoza was famously heretical in his views. No surprise then that he defended free expression. Here discusses Spinoza's views on this topic with Nigel Warburton. by Philosophy Bites
18 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

Thinking the country: What constitutes a "philosophical" conversation? You might reasonably expect such a conversation to be conceptual, exploring abstract notions of self, time, being, ethics and so on. For indigenous Australian philosophers, the conversation gets real very f by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Thinking the country: What constitutes a "philosophical" conversation? You might reasonably expect such a conversation to be conceptual, exploring abstract notions of self, time, being, ethics and so on. For indigenous Australian philosophers, the conversation gets real very fast. by Philosopher's Zone
28 min listen
Jim Holt | Metaphysics, the Philosophy of Science, and Why the World Exists: In Episode 41 of , Demetri Kofinas speaks with Jim Holt about the philosophy of science, ethics, and metaphysics. Jim Holt is on a quest to understand the fundamental nature and meaning of our universe. What is infinity? Is time real? Why does the... by Hidden Forces
63 min listen
Eugenie Scott: Decrypting Pseudoscience: <p> Our very special guest on <i>Point of Inquiry<i> this week is Eugenie Scott, the former director of the National Center for Science Education who has been waging and winning battles against creationism and pseudoscience for... by Point of Inquiry
38 min listen
Episode 12: Could Feminism (Again) Provide an Argument for More Conservatives?, Alice Dreger: Could the French postmodern philosopher, Michel Foucault or American Gender theorist, Judith Butler provide us with arguments for the value of viewpoint diversity? For increasing the number of conservative faculty members on college campuses? by Heterodox Out Loud
12 min listen
Frauds of the left, Siblings: Laurie Taylor examines the intellectual credibility of key thinkers of the new left. by Thinking Allowed
28 min listen
We Should Want Immortality | John Martin Fischer by Brain in a Vat
52 min listen
Living a Moral Life: For centuries the human race has been grappling with how to live a moral life. In this conversation we hear from scholars who think deeply about moral philosophy and helping others. by Aspen Ideas to Go
73 min listen
Episode 5: Why We Should Care About Ideological Diversity in The Academy, Musa al-Gharbi: In this episode of Heterodox Out Loud, Sociologist Musa Al-Gharbi makes the case as to why ideological diversity in social research and pedagogy is an important cause to fight for - even for those who may be skeptical of its benefits. by Heterodox Out Loud
31 min listen
What is Difference of Opinion- Ikhtilaf in simple terms?: It is often argued that difference of opinion causes division, sectarianism, partisanship and conflict within societies. - However, Ikhtilaf or difference of opinion between Muslims has existed as long as Islam itself. by Connecting the global ummah
82 min listen
Rethinking Identity with Kwame Anthony Appiah: There’s a reason we keep revisiting identity on WITHpod. From Brittney Cooper to Alex Wagner to Michael Tesler to Amy Chua and on, it’s a topic worth circling back to because it’s one of the most fundamental axes of conflict in our society today. Identities themselves are as old as we as a species are, but the concept of identity is relatively recent. Our ideas of identities are shifting and changing the more we learn about others. And sometimes, it can take full on social movements, protests, riots and bloodshed for new identities to become part of the conversation. Why is that? What do we mean when we say something is an "identity", or talk about "identity politics"? We take a step back with Kwame Anthony Appiah to examine the origins of the identities we use to define ourselves – and why it might be time to rethink our ideas of who we are. Email us at WITHpod@gmail.com Tweet using #WITHpod Read more at nbcnews.com/whyisthishappening by Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast
56 min listen
185. A conversation with Stephen Meyer on the Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries that Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe (and why Shermer remains skeptical): Beginning in the late 19th century, many intellectuals began to insist that scientific knowledge conflicts with traditional theistic belief — that science and belief in God are “at war.” Philosopher of science Stephen Meyer challenges this view... by The Michael Shermer Show
118 min listen
Christian B. Miller, “The Character Gap: How Good Are We?” (Oxford UP, 2018): My guest today is Christian Miller. Christian is A. C. Reid Professor of Philosophy at Wake Forest University. He is a moral philosopher specializing on character, with special interest in the empirical study of the virtues and vices. by New Books in Philosophy
62 min listen
Kathleen Stock: the debate about sex, gender and equality: Stephen Sackur speaks to philosopher and author Kathleen Stock by HARDtalk
24 min listen
The Unchosen Ones | William Costello: William Costello is an expert on incels, a rising star in the field of evolutionary psychology, and the latest protégé of Dr. David Buss. In this conversation, we discuss incel violence, demographics, mythology, perception vs. reality, and solutions... by Species
80 min listen
What Isn't The Meaning of Life (Part 1) by On The Very Idea - A Philosophy Podcast
22 min listen
Killingsworth (Review day!): Review/Killingsworth Welcome to MR the podcast about the ideas, people and movements who have shaped rhetorical history. Today we’re going to be talking about what are perhaps some old ideas, but from a fresh angle. What if the way we thought... by Mere Rhetoric
9 min listen
Craig Biddle on Philosophy and Objectivism by The Great Antidote
55 min listen
The Art of Insubordination with Todd Kashdan by The Evolving Leader
53 min listen
Ep. 58 - The Psychology of Postmodernism | Dr. Stephen Hicks: You Contradicted Yourself: Now What? by Patterson in Pursuit
58 min listen
Nicholas Christakis | Evolutionary Origins of Ethics, Morality, and a Good Society: In Episode 82 of , Demetri Kofinas speaks with Dr. Nicholas Christakis about the evolutionary origins of ethics, morality, and a good society. A renowned sociologist and physician, Dr. Christakis was named to Time Magazine’s 2009 list of the 100... by Hidden Forces
68 min listen
152. How to Leverage Human Design as a Leader and CEO: You may have heard this from friends or while scrolling through social media- the power of human design, but what exactly is it? Human design is a map or manual that indicates the uniqueness of a person and helps to guide you to live in sync with who... by CEO School
43 min listen
Is There a Purpose to History? by Free Thoughts
54 min listen
Stoic Compatibilism with Prof. Christopher Gill by Practical Stoicism
44 min listen
The Philosophers: Stoic revival by The Gray Area with Sean Illing
65 min listen
Conspiracy: did aliens build the pyramids?: In our new series delving into historical conspiracy theories, Joyce Tyldesley explores the origins of the theory that Ancient Egypt’s iconic monuments were built by creatures from out of this world by History Extra podcast
25 min listen
Be A User, Not A Loser by The Daily Stoic
3 min listen
Michael Quinn Dudley, "The Shakespeare Authorship Question and Philosophy" (Cambridge Scholars, 2023): An interview with Michael Quinn Dudley by New Books in Early Modern History
56 min listen
Michael Quinn Dudley, "The Shakespeare Authorship Question and Philosophy" (Cambridge Scholars, 2023): An interview with Michael Quinn Dudley by New Books in Literary Studies
56 min listen
What’s Wrong with Conservatism: A Conversation with Dr. Charles Kesler: Why, even after electoral triumphs, have conservatives had such a hard time governing? You think this question only applies to today? Twenty years ago, as part of the American Enterprise Institute’s Bradley lecture series, Dr. Charles Kesler gave an... by The American Mind
46 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Christopher Shields on Personal Identity

Christopher Shields on Personal Identity

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Philosophy Bites

Related podcast episodes