Paul Snowdon on Persons and Animals

We are the kind of creature that cares whether or not we matter and how. What follows from this? Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of Mattering, discuses this with David Edmonds. 

Buddhist philosophy rejects the idea of the self. How then can there be any moral responsibility? Monima Chadha, Professor of Indian Philosophy at Oxford University, explains. This episode was supported by the Ideas Workshop, part of the Open Society Foundations 

Predictions aren't quite what they seem to be, according to Carissa Véliz, author of the book Prophecy. They often are intended to persuade you of the inevitability of a certain outcome, and may be self-fulfilling to some degree. Yet they look like simple factual claims about wha ... Show More

Part 8.3. Criticisms of Locke's view of personal identity; if personal identity is dependent on memory then how does forgetting personal history and the concept of false memory change Locke's view of personal identity. 

<p>There is a reason we are called human beings rather than human doings. This week, Dr. Michael Brown and former NFL player and cofounder of GameChange Paul McDonald offer their perspectives on robust rhythms of self-exploration.</p> 

Having stated that marriage and death “are nearly the same thing,” John Locke instead dedicated his life to knowledge, thought, and peace in one of England’s most turbulent times. From humble beginnings to the halls of power, John Locke’s philosophical ideas constructed the moder ... Show More

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of the concept of the individual. The Renaissance gave birth to the concept of the individual. Shakespeare defined this individual in language which accepted the primacy of the male gender: “What a piece of work is a man! How noble in r ... Show More

Today’s article explains, in a very elegant manner, how universal consciousness can indeed present as individual alters, simultaneously. With the help of a few real life examples, a powerful metaphor takes shape, allowing us to visualize how dissociation fundamentally occurs, and ... Show More

Philosopher John Locke believed that we have no innate ideas; our minds are blank slates upon which experience writes. Modern geneticists argue that we are nothing but the stage on which a play written by our genes is performed. The nature versus nurture debate is one of the olde ... Show More

Identity is more than how you look or sound, or where you live