This lecture discusses key ideas from the 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant's work of ethics, The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals.
Specifically it examines his discussion of what he calls "heteronomy" in moral theories other than his own. He examines empirical principles of morality, which include moral feeling and individual happiness, and ra ... Show More
Jul 3
Plutarch, On Tranquility - Life As Mixed Good And Bad - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient Middle Platonist philosopher and biographer Plutarch's essay On Tranquility This episode focuses specifically on the importance of recognizing that life will be a mix of good and bad things, rather than primarily good things, as s ... Show More
15m 38s
Jul 1
Plutarch, On Tranquility - Tranquility, Lifestyle, and Occupations - Sadler's Lectures
This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient Middle Platonist philosopher and biographer Plutarch's essay On Tranquility This episode focuses specifically on a mistake that a number of people make in thinking about what will produce happiness, tranquility, or contentment for ... Show More
16m 16s
Sep 2017
Kant's Categorical Imperative
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how, in the Enlightenment, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) sought to define the difference between right and wrong by applying reason, looking at the intention behind actions rather than at consequences. He was inspired to find moral laws by natural phil ... Show More
49m 29s
Jul 2011
2011 Lecture 2: Aristotle's Philosophy as Two Ways of Life
Second lecture in the 2011 John Locke Lecture Series. Philosophy is a demanding intellectual discipline, with many facets: logic, epistemology, philosophy of nature and science, metaphysics, ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of art, rhetoric, philosophy of language and min ... Show More
1 h
Jan 2022
Philosophical Tools for Living the Good Life
Most everyone wants to live a good, meaningful life, though we don't always know what that means and how to do it. Plenty of modern self-improvement programs claim to point people in the right direction, but many of the best answers were already offered more than two thousand yea ... Show More
1h 1m
Dec 2024
Philosophical Tools for Living the Good Life
Note: This is a rebroadcast.Most everyone wants to live a good, meaningful life, though we don’t always know what that means and how to do it. Plenty of modern self-improvement programs claim to point people in the right direction, but many of the best answers were already offere ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 2
Ep. 368: Hume on Reason in Ethics (Part One)
We talk a bit more about David Hume's An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751), and add some parts of A Treatise of Human Nature (1739): sec. 3 "Of the Influencing Motives of the Will" within the third part of Book II, "Of the Passions," and the first two sections of ... Show More
44m 56s