Mary Warnock on Philosophy in Public Life

FromPhilosophy Bites

Start listening View podcast show

Mary Warnock on Philosophy in Public Life

FromPhilosophy Bites

ratings:

Length:

13 minutes

Released:

Jun 2, 2007

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

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.

Released:

Jun 2, 2007

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

top philosophers interviewed on bite-sized topics

Skip carousel

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Matthew Kramer on Legal Rights: What precisely is a legal right? Matthew Kramer discusses this question with Nigel Warburton in this episode of Philosophy Bites. 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
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
Will Kymlicka on Minority Rights: Should minority groups such as recent immigrants or those who have suffered historic injustice be given rights that other citizens don't have? Will Kymlicka believes they should. Listen to his arguments in defence of this position in this episode of... by Philosophy Bites
16 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
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
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
Melissa Lane on Rousseau on Modern Society: Modern society is for most people synonymous with progress. Not for the eighteenth century thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau believed that civilization corrupts us in certain ways. Melissa Lane explains Rousseau's views on progress in this... by Philosophy Bites
17 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
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
Alexander Nehamas on Friendship: Alexander Nehamas explores the value of friendship in this interview with Nigel Warburton for the Philosophy Bites podcast. by Philosophy Bites
13 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
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
Anne Phillips on Political Representation: Political representation in a democracy doesn't necessarily reflect the variety of people within a society. Most noticeably, there is a much lower percentage of women acting as representatives than there is in the wider population. Does this matter?... by Philosophy Bites
18 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
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
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
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
Anthony Kenny on Aquinas' Ethics: Thomas Aquinas, the thirteenth century Dominican is the subject of this episode of Philosophy Bites. Anthony Kenny explains the key features of Aquinas' ethics in conversation with Nigel Warburton. by Philosophy Bites
14 min listen
Clare Carlisle on Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling: Soren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling retells and interprets the story of Abraham and Isaac. In Kierkegaard's hands the story becomes a model for the human predicament. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast Clare Carlisle provides an... by Philosophy Bites
13 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
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

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

68. Lori Banks | The Gift of Science: The way she sees it, when Lori Banks was in line for spiritual gifts, she was given the aptitude for understanding amino acid structures and figuring out how to manipulate microbial systems. The gift has led her to her work in microbiology and virology a... by Language of God
54 min listen
Ep. 16 - You Are Already Meditating In Every Moment, Global Meditation Teacher: Mariana Orkenyi, Communal-LA: Esteemed global meditation teacher and founder of Communal LA, Mariana Orkenyi, joins Lacy on this episode of the EXPANDED Podcast. Mariana shares how she found her path to teaching meditation, building Communal LA and her multicultural background, world by EXPANDED Podcast by To Be Magnetic™
89 min listen
Christ vs. Secularism: The Ethics of the Day | Fr. Ezra Sullivan, O.P.: This lecture was given on February 23rd, 2024, at… by The Thomistic Institute
51 min listen
Who is King Yama? by Bright On Buddhism
12 min listen
Marvin Olasky on Compassionate Conservatism: Listen to Dr. Marvin Olasky discuss the principles of compassionate conservatism and the needed reformation of American journalism. Visit to join our online community and access exclusive book deals and other perks. Go to to learn about the new... by Westminster Seminary Press
27 min listen
Answering the Internet’s Most Asked Questions About Priests: Fr. Mike is at the library of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, and he’s answering the most asked questions about priests and the priesthood—according to the internet. by The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast
9 min listen
48 Ways to Wisdom: Mishnah (6:6:15): The oral Torah is vast, comprehensive, and multi-layered. One of its layers is known as Mishnah. What is Mishnah, how was it organized and codified, and why does it prepare us for wisdom? In this Ethics Podcast we learn all about Mishnah and it’s indis... by The Ethics Podcast - With Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe
25 min listen
Bliss & The Yoga Of Ordinary Living: The Vimalakirti Sutra – Ep. 268: Spiritual disciplines often seen remote from the realities of our daily lives. Yet there is a Mahayana Scripture which presents a model of enlightened practice in the midst of urban living, the Vimalakirti Sutra. This teaches a nondualistic wisdom and re by Bob Thurman Podcast: Buddhas Have More Fun!
45 min listen
M. Kirloskar-Steinbach and L. Kalmanson, "A Practical Guide to World Philosophies: Selves, Worlds, and Ways of Knowing" (Bloomsbury, 2021): An interview with Monika Kirloskar-Steinbach and Leah Kalmanson by New Books in Philosophy
66 min listen
How I Lead with Priesthood Blessings | An Interview With Mike Novakovich: Mike Novakovich currently serves as elders quorum president in his ward in Orem, Utah. He has served in the bishopric, as a gospel doctrine teacher "more times than I have fingers on my hand", and has taught Seminary and Institute for many years. by Leading Saints Podcast
61 min listen
WOF 120: Evangelization and the Need for Community: In this week’s episode Bishop Barron discusses an intrinsic aspect of evangelization; community. Not only is there an intrinsic need of mankind to have a community, which the Church teaches is part of man’s nature, but also the need to have a... by The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture
25 min listen
Stephen Nichols on Luther’s Leadership: Listen to Dr. Nichols discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Martin Luther’s leadership style. Visit to join our online community and access exclusive book deals and other perks. Go to to learn about the new online degrees at Westminster... by Westminster Seminary Press
20 min listen
Young Buddhist Vignettes by Buddhist Geeks
29 min listen
#56 Wounded Healers: Angel Acosta by Sounds of SAND
54 min listen
Out of the Fog: You Are Enough with Laurie McCammon: Ready to get to the root cause of scarcity? Author Laurie McCammon shares her message. by Out of the Fog with Karen Hager
56 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Mary Warnock on Philosophy in Public Life

Mary Warnock on Philosophy in Public Life

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Philosophy Bites

Related podcast episodes