logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
20m 31s

Metaphysics and science: do we need both...

Iai
About this episode

The matrix, myths, and metaphysics Part 1

Is metaphysics still relevant? Or has the pre-eminence of science over the last centuries made such questioning obsolete?

Join provocative mathematician and investor Eric Weinstein, award-winning physicist Becky Parker and post-post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson as they discuss what role, if any, metaphysics should currently be playing in our society. Their discussions touch on issues such as the openness or not of science, as well as the underlying truth of reality.


To witness such debates 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.

Up next
Nov 12
Mazes of the mind: The philosophy of neuroscience | Iain McGilchrist, Colin Blakemore, Bryan Appleyard
Over the past decades, neuroscience has blossomed, positioning itself as a kind of master discipline over everything else. For who understands the brain surely understands all of human activity and creation? Or not?Neuroscience's reach has extended past its scientific remit and i ... Show More
47m 58s
Nov 6
In search of nothing | David Deutsch, Amanda Gefter, Lee Smolin
What is nothing? Can it be defined, either philosophically or scientifically? Or will the exploration of nothing bring, ultimately, to nothing?The philosophical exploration of nothingness is an ancient one, from the mysterious number zero through theological understandings of the ... Show More
1 h
Oct 31
Halloween SPECIAL | The philosophy of the apocalypse
Why are we fascinated by apocalyptic stories?Join the team at the IAI for a reading of four Halloween-themed articles, written by historian and philosopher Natalie Lawrence, professor of political philosophy Matthew Festenstein, and professor of comparative literature Florian Mus ... Show More
44m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 24
Nick Spencer, "The Landscapes of Science and Religion: What Are We Disagreeing About?" (Oxford UP, 2025)
The relationship between science and religion has long been a heated debate and is becoming an ever more popular topic. The scientific capacity to manipulate and change humans and their environment through genetic engineering, life extension, and AI is going to take a huge leap f ... Show More
38m 48s
Oct 2023
Episode 123, 'The Building Blocks of Reality' with Donnchadh O'Conaill (Part I - Substance)
<p class="">What is the underlying nature of reality? For Thales, the essence of the world was water; for the Stoics, it was Logos; for Heraclitus, the universe consisted, fundamentally, of fire, life-energy, or the 'thinking faculty'. The search for the building blocks of our wo ... Show More
41m 39s
Jun 2025
Episode 144, Steven Pinker x Richard Dawkins: Live in London (Part I - The Future of Humanity)
Welcome to Episode 144 (Part I of II), where Richard Dawkins interviews Steven Pinker on the past and future of humanity. This is a live recording from our recent show – The Future of Humanity – held on 3 June 2025 at London's Royal Institution Theatre. The event was a conversati ... Show More
1h 4m
Sep 24
Part Two: The Rise of Cancel Culture, Distrust in Science & Misinformation: Dr. Steven Pinker Reveals The Hidden Psychology That Threatens Society.
The Rising Risks of Cancel Culture & The Psychology & Language That Built It! In this explosive episode of Mayim Bialik's Breakdown, Dr. Steven Pinker (renowned Harvard psychologist and author of When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows) joins Mayim Bialik and Jonathan Cohen for a ... Show More
54m 41s
Jan 2025
Alex O'Connor Explores the Mysteries of God
Alex O’Connor ( @CosmicSkeptic ), known for his nuanced critiques of religion and discussions on morality, reflects on why the Bible captivates him as an atheist, the historical resonance of Jesus, and the philosophical limits of materialism. Alex recently participated in a Jubil ... Show More
1h 11m
Feb 2025
#400 — The Politics of Information
<p>Sam Harris speaks with Helen Lewis about the culture wars. They discuss the role of journalists, DEI, political polarization, feminism, transgender activism, gender roles, the Rotherham scandal, Islam and jihadism, Elon Musk and X, the future of the Democratic Party, and other ... Show More
36m 48s
Oct 15
S2E1: Near Death Experiences and the Continuum of Consciousness
<p>In this season premiere, we chase one of humanity’s oldest and most urgent questions: <em>does consciousness survive death?</em> From ancient Sumerian tablets to cutting-edge neuroscience, Near-Death Experiences appear again and again — shaping our visions of the afterlife and ... Show More
59m 14s
Oct 2023
Dan Dennett Looks Back on His Career
<p>Get tickets for our event: <a href= "https://www.skeptic.com/event" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">skeptic.com/event</a></p> <p>Daniel Dennett, preeminent philosopher and cognitive scientist, has spent his career considering the thorniest, most fundamental mysteries of the mi ... Show More
1h 28m
Jan 2024
262 | Eric Schwitzgebel on the Weirdness of the World
<p>Scientists and philosophers sometimes advocate pretty outrageous-sounding ideas about the fundamental nature of reality. (Arguably I have been guilty of this.) It shouldn't be surprising that reality, in regimes far away from our everyday experience, fails to conform to common ... Show More
1h 20m