Philosophy Tube

Let’s explain one of the most famous types of philosophical ethical theory, and how it helps us find what morality consists in.

‘Problematic’ is a contentious term: some people think it’s just an ‘SJW Buzzword,’ but it’s actually an academic loanword with some good uses!

What are human rights? Wesley Hohfeld’s philosophical analysis is the tool we use to understand legal and moral duties to one another.

Time for some postcolonial philosophy: let’s look at the concepts of race and racism and how they fit into law and politics.

Following on from our analysis of race and racism in politics and law, here’s a discussion of the racialization of Muslims in Western societies.

Time for some Nietzsche! What is Nihilism, what is an übermensch, and what does it mean to say “God is Dead?” This is the backdrop to the Will to Power!

John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty” is huge in politics and criminal law: but what are the limits of freedom? And how does the history of the British Empire in India come into it?

What does philosophy have to say about photography and Instagram? Does art and aesthetics come into it?

Philosophy and economics! Part 1 of my series on Karl Marx. We talk about capitalism, exploitation, labour, and the working class.

More economic philosophy from Karl Marx, talking about the problems of capitalism, Alienation, labour, and business.

What is Cultural Marxism? What is the conspiracy theory around the Frankfurt school; how is it linked to right wing white nationalism and political correctness?

How will information technology affect capitalism and the future of economics? How did Thatcher and Reagan pave the way for David Cameron, Hillary Clinton, and the politics of today?

Rand is “Capitalism’s pet philosopher,” so let’s look at Objectivism, which she described in Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.

When countries go to war, or assign healthcare budgets, or Superman destroys Metropolis, is the collateral damage morally Ok?

What do Pokémon battles say about economics and philosophy? Is MewTwo a Marxist?

Male, female, cis, trans – what is gender? What makes up your gender identity? Existentialism, Society, Genetics?

A simple explanation of Immanuel Kant’s famous philosophy on how we experience and understand the world.

What's the meaning of ideas like knowledge and intelligence? What’s the Gettier problem? What do octopuses have to do with it?

How might the Internet, virtual reality, and technology affect art? Will new media make galleries obsolete? Are Da Vincis, Michelangelos, and Van Goghs still valuable as digital reproductions?

A simple introduction to Kant’s Categorical Imperative and his deontological approach to ethics

Is it right to go #BernieorBust, or should Bernie fans vote Clinton for President to try and avoid Donald Trump? How does the philosophy of Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill fit into US politics? When nobody on the ballot represents you in a democracy, how should you vote?

Britain has a referendum on whether to remain part of the European Union or to Brexit, and there’s some very important philosophy to be done about sovereignty, racism, nationhood, and immigration.

What does ethics have to say about art? Is Kill la Kill worse for all its boobs and butts? Is Star Trek worse for its political content? Are Nazi propaganda films worse for being about Hitler?

Marvel Comics & philosophy! Professor X might be a liberal but what if Magneto’s revolutionary politics is the path to peace? How do we challenge structural violence and systemic oppression?

10 philosophers you need to know if you want to engage with the world today - we're talking politics, race, trans rights, ethics metaphysics, art, culture, and more!

When Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn or Bernie Sanders of the Democrats are called “unelectable,” what’s the real political, moral, and philosophical ideology behind “electability?”

What is bias? How does your brain affect free will, argument, and thinking? Let's look at "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahnemann - if we want to study philosophy we need to know a bit about brains, biology, and psychology too!

With the economy changing a lot of artists and creators are relying on crowdfunding to pay the bills - so what philosophical issues does that throw up about the value of art, creativity, and Marxism? And the ethics of economic systems that increase medical and legal costs?

Is it morally okay to have babies? Anti-natalists like philosopher David Benatar would argue that nonexistence avoids pain, unlike existence, but is he correct? What does that mean for reproductive rights?

Let's look at the philosophy of colour! (Or color, if you're American.) Is colour wavelengths of light? Mental perceptions? How do anthropology, linguistics, and the Pirahã tribe of the Amazon come into it? What does Wittgenstein say? Do trees falling in empty forests make a sound? Also, who cares?

I talk about philosophy, history, economics, and why we need diversity in education! You can't just look at Europe, you need a global focus! The philosophers Karl Marx and Søren Kierkegaard might have some recommendations...

The Presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump has revealed something interesting about politics. The ideas of philosopher (and Nazi) Carl Schmitt, and the black activist Kwame Ture, can help us understand how the right-wing and left-wing criticise liberalism…

Every November we remember war, the army, and military history, often with poppies. But philosopher Benedict Anderson would say it’s a reflection of aggressive nationalism. How can we remember war in a way that fosters peace? How can we use our own patriotism, politics, and history responsibly?

Samuel Beckett’s absurdist masterpiece “Waiting for Godot” is one of the most famous pieces of 20th Century Theatre – but what are the philosophical questions it raises? How does the story of its creation tie in with Albert Camus, and the Nazi invasion of France?

What is the purpose of education; what good does learning aim at? Is it just training people to enter the workforce and employment market, or to be citizens, or something else? Especially philosophy, can you get a job with it? Does that question miss the point? Here's some vague thoughts about it all...

Do people and countries with money have a duty to aid those in poverty? How are human rights affected by capitalism? What about reparations for colonialism and slavery? And isn't this a very bourgeois way of thinking anyway?

CHRISTMAS! There’ll be lots of presents given this December, but should you really give gifts? Why not just give cash? Let’s look at the economics and philosophy of altruism and category errors.

A very important idea in political philosophy from Giorgio Agamben - what is the State of Exception? How do governments use it?