Nigel Warburton joined the Open University in 1994. He was previously a lecturer at Nottingham University. He is best known for his introductory Philosophy books: Philosophy: The Basics, Thinking from A to Z, Philosophy: The Classics, Philosophy: Basic Readings, Freedom: An Introduction with Readings, and The Art Question, all of which are published by Routledge. His main research area is the aesthetics of photography, which was the subject of his PhD thesis (Cambridge, 1989) and of a number of articles. He has edited one book about Bill Brandt and contributed to several others on this photographer. He has also published in the area of applied ethics. He is currently writing a major philosophy textbook. He was included in the book New British Philosophy (ed. Baggini, Routledge, 2002) and he is a founder member of the Humanist Philosophers Group. His most recent books are a biography of the modernist architect Ernö Goldfinger, a book on study skills in philosophy, Philosophy: The Essential Study Guide, another on The Basics of Essay Writing, and Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press). Nigel also has a monthly column 'Everyday Philosophy' in Prospect Magazine. This is also available as a podcast from iTunes or from the Prospect blog 'First Drafts'. Nigel also blogs regularly for the Index on Censorship weblog. Philosophy Bites - a series of over 100 interviews with contemporary philosophers - is now available as an iPhone App. Philosophy: The Classics was released as a podcast app in July 2010. Bio-Ethics Bites and Multiculturalism Bites (both with David Edmonds) present interviews with leading thinkers on ethical questions surrounding new technology and medicine, and the debate about multiculturalism. Nigel is also the interviewer for the podcast Social Science Bites, a series of interviews with leading social scientists that he makes with David Edmonds.
Nigel has given talks on his research in aesthetics, photography and architecture, to audiences in a wide range of institutions including Tate Modern (where he regularly teaches courses on aesthetics), Tate Britain, the Barbican Art Gallery, The Victoria and Albert Museum (Bill Brandt Centenary Conference), the Architectural Association (Ernö Goldfinger Centenary Conference), Birmingham Library, The Photographers' Gallery and the Goldfinger House, as well as to various university Philosophy departments. He also regularly speaks to conferences of A level Philosophy and Religious students. Nigel is a member of the Speakers for Schools network.
Nigel is an Honorary Associate Research Fellow of the Institute of Philosophy, which is at the School of Advanced Studies, London University. The fellowship is for the year 2011-2012. Nigel is also a Senior Research Associate of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, Oxford University. He is a member of the Princeton University Press European Advisory Board.
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Contact details:
Department of Philosophy
Faculty of Arts
The Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
