Podcasts by The Public Philosopher

Will AI make thinking obsolete? from 2019-08-26T08:45

Would you choose an algorithm rather than a human to mark your exam papers? Would you welcome a translation app that replaced foreign language learning? Would you trust a marriage prediction app...

Public Philosopher - Citizens of Nowhere? from 2018-10-29T13:15

Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel comes to St Paul's Cathedral to take on some of the hardest questions raised by the public discontent that characterises much of global politics today. With th...

Global Philosopher: Should there be any limits to free speech? from 2018-02-06T10:15

Sixty people from around the world join Professor Michael Sandel in a digital studio at Harvard to discuss free speech. Free speech is a cornerstone of democracy and freedom of expression is reg...

Would life be better if robots did all the work? from 2017-03-08T19:03

Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel asks if life would be better if robots did all the work. Professor Sandel skilfully and entertainingly uses live audiences to help address important ethical an...

The Global Philosopher: Should the Rich World Pay for Climate Change? from 2016-07-28T13:53

Sixty people from thirty countries join Michael Sandel in a digital studio at Harvard to discuss the philosophical issues underlying the world's response to climate change.

The developed w...

The Global Philosopher: Should Borders Matter? from 2016-03-29T12:31

Michael Sandel explores the philosophical justifications made for national borders. Using a pioneering state-of-the-art studio at the Harvard Business School, Professor Sandel is joined by 60 pa...

Why Democracy? from 2015-01-20T07:54

Harvard professor Michael Sandel is Radio 4's 'Public Philosopher', guiding audiences through complex moral philosophical dilemmas. For the BBC's Democracy Day, Professor Sandel recorded this sp...

National Guilt from 2014-05-27T08:30

Imagine a country guilty of past crimes. What obligations do its current citizens have to make amends? In this edition of The Public Philosopher, Michael Sandel poses that question to an audienc...

Why Vote? from 2014-05-20T08:30

Should it be compulsory to vote? Should we fine people who don't vote? Should we pay people to vote? This is the week that the UK goes to the polls - amid ongoing concerns about the level of dem...

Morality and the State from 2014-05-13T08:30

Should governments try to influence private morality? Michael Sandel, The Public Philosopher, is back with a new series. In this first programme he is at the University of Utrecht in The Netherl...

Is rape worse than other violent crime? from 2013-03-26T11:15

Is rape a worse crime than other forms of violent assault? Should verbal sexual harassment be banned? These are two questions put by Harvard's Michael Sandel - BBC Radio 4's 'Public Philosopher'...

Welfare from 2012-10-30T09:30

The eminent American political philosopher Michael Sandel is Radio 4's "Public Philosopher." Now, as America prepares for its Presidential elections, he is going on the road in America with a un...

Immigration from 2012-10-23T08:30

The eminent Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel is Radio 4's "Public Philosopher." Now, as America prepares for its Presidential elections, he and Radio 4 are going on the road in Ameri...

Should we bribe people to be healthy? from 2012-04-17T08:30

The eminent Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel brings his trademark style to a discussion on a current issue, questioning the thinking underlying a current controversy This week, he ta...

Should a banker be paid more than a nurse? from 2012-04-10T08:30

The eminent Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel brings his trademark style to a discussion on a topical issue, questioning the thinking underlying a current controversy. This week, he d...

Should universities give preference to applicants from poor backgrounds? from 2012-04-03T08:30

"We're going to engage in an experiment ....an experiment in public philosophy. We sometimes think that philosophy is remote, abstract and distant from the world we actually inhabit. I think oth...