Melissa Lane on Plato, Rule, and Office

Mary Midgley didn't begin publishing until she was 59 years old, but nevertheless made a significant impact and had a distinctive approach. In this episode of Philosophy Bites Ellie Robson discusses some of her key ideas about our relationship with other animals. 

Many people think philosophical discucssion is a luxury in times of conflict, but the Palestinian philosopher Sari Nusseibeh is more optimistic. In this episode of Philosophy Bites, recorded in early 2025, he explains why. 

Democracy is about acting as a group, but, surprisingly, Robert Talisse argues that what it needs to function well is a degree of solitude for citizens. In-group and out-group dynamics mean that individuals become vulnerable to being pushed towards more extreme views than they wo ... Show More

De Sade's status as a literary philosopher and his relationship to materialist philosophy is expertly analysed, along with several pertinent readings from his works. 

Should we follow our philosophical conclusions wherever they take us? Or is there a hard wall of common sense that we are beholden to?Listen to some of today's leading philosophers in science and metaphysics as they talk it out!Tim Maudlin is Professor of Philosophy at New York U ... Show More

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

In Plato’s ideal state, the wisest amongst the populous would be selected to rule. These rulers, who could see beyond the shadows to glimpse the light of truth, would be trusted to make choices to the benefit of all. The gender of these leaders, said Plato, was not to matter – de ... Show More

This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher Plato's work, The Republic, in particular book 1. Specifically it examines the early discussion between Socrates and Cephalus, in which they are thinking about the relationship between wealth, good character, and happi ... Show More

The Last Days of SocratesA Philosophy book by Plato that is divided between 4 partsEuthyphroTakes place just before Socrate's trial is about to beginThe ApologyPlato uses his dialogues to tell the story of the trial of Socrates as he energetically defends himself against the char ... Show More

David Hume, Essays Moral, Political, and Literary - The Epicurean by Lectures on classic and contemporary philosophical texts and thinkers by Gregory B. Sadler 

Nietzsche, the birth of tragedy, and the technology trap with Babette BabichDo life's struggles make the search for meaning a hopeless endeavour?Join renowned, continental philosopher Babette Babich as she explains the Nietzschean path to finding purpose, arguing that we must emb ... Show More