philosophy bites

Stewart Sutherland on Hume on Design

Is there evidence of intelligent design in the Universe? In the Eighteenth Century David Hume presented a series of powerful arguments against the Argument from Design.  Stewart Sutherland, Provost of Gresham College,  outlines these arguments and demonstrates their continuing relevance.

Listen to Stewart Sutherland on Hume on Design

Onora O'Neill on Medical Consent

What do we mean by 'consent' in a medical context? Is it reasonable to ask for informed consent before performing medical procedures? Is consent even the most important issue? Onora O'Neill challenges some widely-held assumptions in this area in this latest interview for Philosophy Bites.

Listen to Onora O'Neill on Medical Consent

Transcript of Quentin Skinner on Hobbes on the State

Below is a transcript of Quentin Skinner interviewed by Nigel Warburton for the podcast Philosophy Bites. The introduction is by David Edmonds. You may use this transcript for personal research but not for any commercial purpose.

Interview © Quentin Skinner, 2007.

DE: If humans lived in a state of nature – in other words a condition in which there was no political organization, no political power – there would be catastrophic war and anarchy.  At least according to Thomas Hobbes.  The fame of Hobbes, who was writing in the context of turmoil and civil war in England, rests mainly on Leviathan, his book about the relationship between the citizen and the state.  Hobbes argued that we should cede the power to protect us to a mighty sovereign.   A leading authority – probably the leading authority – on the life and political theory of Thomas Hobbes is the Cambridge professor Quentin Skinner.

NW: Quentin Skinner welcome to Philosophy Bites

QS: Well very nice to talk to you

NW: Now the topic we want to talk to you about today is Hobbes’ theory of the state.  How would you characterize Hobbes’ Leviathan, his great work of 1651?

QS: Well, I think it is a theory of the state, essentially.  And the title of the book points to that.  Leviathan is the name of the state.  The state is the generic idea. But Leviathan as Hobbes likes to put it in a sexual metaphor is engendered, it’s brought into being.  So there is an act of christening.  And the name of the state is Leviathan and that’s why it’s the name of the book

Quentin Skinner on Hobbes on the State

What is the state and how should it be organised? Quentin Skinner sheds light on Thomas Hobbes' answers to these fundamental questions in political philosophy in this latest episode of Philosophy Bites.

Listen to Quentin Skinner on Hobbes

Read transcript of Quentin Skinner on Hobbes

Anthony Kenny on his New History of Philosophy

Anthony Kenny's four-volume history of philosophy, just published by OUP looks set to replace Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy. In this interview for Philosophy Bites he explains his approach and gives some interesting insights into the figures that have shaped the subject ranging from Plato to Derrida.

Listen to Anthony Kenny on his New History of Philosophy