I hope this group can be an outlet for those, on any OU course, to discuss and debate their thoughts and findings on all things philosophy. This includes, but is not exclusive to, sciences and history.
Talk freely about political ideology, religious opinion, social issues, and your favourite thinkers and authors. Read a mind-altering book recently? Recommend it.
Note: this is group for disussion and/or debate. If there is clearly no mutuality in your want for rational pursuasion through propositions supported by evidence, then do not turn a discussion into defamation. Likewise, if you post in this group, you hereby acknowledge that you are susceptible to new ideas, and must not attack those who do not share your values and/or opinions. That is not to say you cannot disagree, so much as you must do so with calm, rational argument; supported by evidence.
Nigel goes up to Oxford
Nigel Warburton makes difficult philosophical concepts easy with his Little History of Philosophy at the Oxford Literary Festival on Weds 28th March. The Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the Open University follows humanity’s quest for answers to some of the big questions: what is reality and how should I live? Warburton, author of several popular ...
Aye think, therefore I am
For more information visit
Nigel Warburton heads over the border for Glasgow’s ‘Aye Write’ Book Festival on Wednesday, March 14 and A Little History of Philosophy. The Open University Senior Lecturer’s book introduces the great thinkers in Western philosophy, exploring their most compelling ideas about the world and how best to live in it. From Socrates to ...
Speeding tortoise drives YouTube traffic
The combined version of 60-Second Adventures in Thought, a quirky look at philosophy narrated by comedian David Mitchell has had half a million views since it was posted in November.
The animation explains how, theoretically, Greek hero Achilles should never be able to beat a tortoise in a race and a cat cannot be both alive and dead – unlike atomic particles.
Also examined is the Grandfather Paradox – can a time traveller shoot his own grandfather to alter history, or confirm it?
David Mitchell tells us the Grandfather Paradox is: "a mainstay of physics, philosophy and the Back to the Future trilogy!”
Up to mid-December there had been 8.1 million views of the OU YouTube channel and it keeps growing.
The success of 60-Second Adventures in Thought follows the also very popular animated History of English in 60 Seconds series narrated by Clive Anderson posted in the summer which has also become a combined version..
Adventures in Thought and History of English as well as other great videos are also downloadable on iTunes U.
- View 60-Second Adventures in Thought
- View History of English combined version
- Link to iTunes U
Thoughts on speeding tortoises, dead cats and time travel have helped boost video views of The Open University’s dedicated YouTube channel. The combined version of 60-Second Adventures in Thought, a quirky look at philosophy narrated by comedian David Mitchell has had half a million views since it was posted in November. The animation explains how, theoretically, Greek ...
Interview with OU Senior Lecturer on Introductions to Philosophy
Ever thought about studying philosophy and wondered where to begin? Take a look at thebrowser.com interview with OU Senior Lecturer Nigel Warburton for some useful information and reading list.
OU's Nigel Warburton has taught philosopy at The Open University since 1994. He is best known for his introductory philosophy books and for his podcast series, Philosophy Bites.
Links to OU modules:
Philosophy and Psychological Studies
Politics, Philosopy and Economics
MA in Philosophy
Ever thought about studying philosophy and wondered where to begin? Take a look at thebrowser.com interview with OU Senior Lecturer Nigel Warburton for some useful information and reading list. OU's Nigel Warburton has taught philosopy at The Open University since 1994. He is best known for his introductory philosophy books and for his podcast series, ...
How to Live: The Age of the Internet, with OU Senior Lecturer Nigel Warburton
As part of the Gower Street Lecture Series organised by Waterstones, OU Senior Lecturer and philosopher Nigel Warburton, author of A Little History of Philosophy and pod-caster for Philosophy Bites will be in conversation with Eva Hoffman, author of Time and Michael Foley author of The Age of Absurdity. They will be discussing that age old Philosophical enquiry, ‘How To Live’ in this modern age of hyper fast technologies and instant communications, and asking: are we happy?
Time: 7pm
Venue: Darwin Lecture Theatre, UCL, Darwin Building, Malet Place, WC1E 7JG
Tickets: £8 / £5 students, available in-store at the customer order desk or online (follow this link)
About the Author
Nigel Warburton is a philosopher, currently Senior Lecturer at the Open University. He is best known as a populariser of philosophy, being author of a number of books of this genre, but he has also written academic works in esthetics and applied ethics. He regularly teaches courses on philosophy and art at Tate Modern and writes a monthly column 'Everyday Philosophy' for Prospect magazine. He runs a popular philosophy weblog Virtual Philosopher and with David Edmonds regularly podcasts interviews with top philosophers on a range of subjects at Philosophy Bites.
About the Book
Philosophy begins with questions about the nature of reality and how we should live. These were the concerns of Socrates, who spent his days in the ancient Athenian marketplace asking awkward questions, disconcerting the people he met by showing them how little they genuinely understood.
This engaging book introduces the great thinkers in Western philosophy and explores their most compelling ideas about the world and how best to live in it. In forty brief chapters, Nigel Warburton guides us on a chronological tour of the major ideas in the history of philosophy. He provides interesting and often quirky stories of the lives and deaths of thought-provoking philosophers from Socrates, who chose to die by hemlock poisoning rather than live on without the freedom to think for himself, to Peter Singer, who asks the disquieting philosophical and ethical questions that haunt our own times. Warburton not only makes philosophy accessible, he offers inspiration to think, argue, reason, and ask in the tradition of Socrates. A Little History of Philosophy presents the grand sweep of humanity's search for philosophical understanding and invites all to join in the discussion.
How to Live: The Age of the Internet, with OU Senior Lecturer Nigel Warburton
As part of the Gower Street Lecture Series organised by Waterstones, OU Senior Lecturer and philosopher Nigel Warburton, author of A Little History of Philosophy and pod-caster for Philosophy Bites will be in conversation with Eva Hoffman, author of Time and Michael Foley author of The Age of Absurdity. They will be discussing that age old Philosophical enquiry, ...
The History of Philosophy in Less Than an Hour - Interview with OU Senior Lecturer
Philosophy Now Assistant Editor, Grant Bartley, talks to OU Senior Lecturer Nigel Warburton, author of A Little History of Philosophy, and Jane O’Grady, who teaches History of Philosophy at the London School of Philosophy and taught on the OU summer school Philosopy course, about what they like best in the history of Western philosophy. To listen to the podcast, visit the Philosophy Now website.
Links to associated OU modules:
BA (Honours) Philosophy and Psychological Studies.
BA (Honours) Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
Philosophy Now Assistant Editor, Grant Bartley, talks to OU Senior Lecturer Nigel Warburton, author of A Little History of Philosophy, and Jane O’Grady, who teaches History of Philosophy at the London School of Philosophy and taught on the OU summer school Philosopy course, about what they like best in the history of Western philosophy. To listen to the ...
The London rioting.
I've written a blog...
http://cmdouse.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/aiming-to-defame-rioting-and-the...
...which discusses the root causes of the recent social outcry.
"What kind of imbecile, who is supposedly tasked with safe-housing civilized society, turns around and blames the cake that he baked, for being horridly burned. This is an article about a blameless government; who, as a method of understanding, calls it’s own society it serves: mindless criminals."
It's fairly heavy-handed, but this issue is an important one. Various systematic failures are to blame here, and they will continue to create these situations until they are mended.
What do you guys think? Do you think this has been handled logically and impartially? What do you make of the overt distaste spoken by the people in charge?
Feel free to talk freely and discuss as you like!
I've written a blog... http://cmdouse.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/aiming-to-defame-rioting-and-the... ...which discusses the root causes of the recent social outcry. "What kind of imbecile, who is supposedly tasked with safe-housing civilized society, turns around and blames the cake that he baked, for being horridly burned. This is an article about a blameless government; ...
Sam Harris "Who Says Science Has Nothing To Say About Morality?"
Sam Harris Who Says Science Has Nothing To Say About Morality?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm2Jrr0tRXk
Endorsed by the ever-vigilant Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris (in the words of Ian McEwan) "breathes intellectual fire" as he talks about that age old philosophical conundrum.
Rest assured, however, this is no re-hash of old Greek ideas about the nature of human ethics. This is a cutting edge scientific look at the nature of human morality, through fMRI and neurology.
Although scientific in backround, Sam Harris doesn't just dabble in the numerical empirical; he goes enormous lengths to re-define morality at the very core of it's meaning. He does this beautifully.
So, let your own ideas of morality aside and prepare to have them redefined!
I should say, although I won't digress, The Moral Landscape is Sam Harris' new book, which can be found here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moral-Landscape-Sam-Harris/dp/0593064860/ref=sr_...
Sam Harris Who Says Science Has Nothing To Say About Morality? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm2Jrr0tRXk Endorsed by the ever-vigilant Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris (in the words of Ian McEwan) "breathes intellectual fire" as he talks about that age old philosophical conundrum. Rest assured, however, this is no re-hash of old Greek ideas about the nature of human ...
A. C. Grayling and "The Good Book"
I recently wrote about the reception of A. C. Graylings incredible new secular 'satire' (if you, like many do, wish to divorce the entire situation from any sense of reality).
You can find my blog-post here: http://cmdouse.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/an-atheists-bible-graylings-bloo...
Since when was it wrong to be paid for contributing to the intellectual sustainability of society?
I shan’t be talking about Grayling’s educational vocation in this article, but I should like to think about the reception of his secular bible; a book which has been hideously misunderstood, under the stupendously invalid pretence of it being an atheists bible.
Who here has read, or has bought, The Good Book. What are your thoughts? What do you make of the defamation of Grayling regarding his super-group university? If you have written about this subject, or wish to simply comment, I'd love to hear.
I recently wrote about the reception of A. C. Graylings incredible new secular 'satire' (if you, like many do, wish to divorce the entire situation from any sense of reality). You can find my blog-post here: http://cmdouse.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/an-atheists-bible-graylings-bloo... Since when was it wrong to be paid for contributing to the intellectual sustainability of society? I ...
