Is a Jaffa Cake a cake or a biscuit? A tough question for Matthew Sweet and the drinkers at The Philosopher's Arms, a pub offering both beer and philosophy. Among those helping him resolve this important conundrum are a Cambridge professor of p

Hypocrisy

Feb 28th, 2017 28m 7s

What's wrong with hypocrisy? The Philosopher's Arms, everyone's favourite abstract pub, is back with a pint and a philosophical conundrum. This week, presenter Matthew Sweet is joined at at the bar by philosopher Lisa Bortolotti and political s

Future People

Dec 21st, 2015 27m 58s

The Philosopher's Arms, presented by Matthew Sweet, asks what sort of people should we bring into the world. In the pub this week are, among others, Oxford University professor Jeff McMahan and disability studies expert Tom Shakespeare.

Hate Speech

Dec 14th, 2015 27m 59s

The Philosopher's Arms, presented by Matthew Sweet, asks whether speech can harm. Helping us come to an answer, we have a philosopher, cartoonist and a man who was arrested for hate speech.

Weakness of Will

Dec 8th, 2015 27m 52s

The Philosopher's Arms asks how we can, at the same time, both want and not want a cream cake. In the pub we have a philosopher, neuroscientists and champion dieter. And a lot of sugar.

Lying and Misleading

Nov 30th, 2015 27m 48s

The Philosopher's Arms, presented by Matthew Sweet, asks whether there's a moral difference between lying and misleading. In the pub, to help us reach an answer, we have a philosopher, psychologist and political spin-doctor.

Sex Equality

Oct 6th, 2014 27m 59s

Pints and philosophical problems with Matthew Sweet. Each week the programme examines a knotty philosophical issue: this week, sex equality and pay. Should we expect women to make up 50% of senior positions and, if they do not, is that evidence

Induction

Sep 22nd, 2014 27m 45s

Pints and Philosophical Problems with Matthew Sweet. This week, the problem of induction: are we justified in predicting the future on the basis of what's happened in the past? How do we know that the sun will rise tomorrow? In the snug with Ma

Trolleyology

Sep 15th, 2014 27m 58s

Pints and Philosophical Problems with Matthew Sweet. This week, trolleyology: how should you decide between two morally troubling courses of action? This is a question which affects both soldiers in the heat of action and decision-makers in the

Enhancement

Sep 8th, 2014 27m 48s

Pints and Philosophical Problems with Matthew Sweet. In this series, Matthew asks whether the sun will rise tomorrow, whether one person should be poisoned to save five others and whether a female tennis champion deserves the same prize money a

Moral Disgust

Aug 16th, 2013 28m

Welcome to the Philosopher's Arms. A place where moral dilemmas, philosophical ideas and the real world meet for a chat and a drink. Matthew Sweet presents with a live audience.

The Ultimatum Game

Aug 16th, 2013 27m 33s

Where do we get our sense of justice and fairness from? Is it hardwired in us? Are we nakedly self-interested creatures, or are we, at least partially, altruistic? These are questions philosophers - from Plato to Hobbes, from Rousseau to David

A Robot Daughter

Aug 16th, 2013 27m 54s

Welcome to the Philosopher's Arms - a place where moral dilemmas, philosophical ideas and the real world meet for a chat and a drink. Each week Matthew Sweet takes a dilemma with real philosophical pedigree and sees how it matters in the everyd

The Experience Machine

Aug 16th, 2013 27m 42s

Welcome to the Philosopher's Arms - a very special pub where moral dilemmas, philosophical ideas and the real world meet for a chat and a drink. Each week Matthew Sweet takes a dilemma with real philosophical pedigree and sees how it matters in

Morality and the Law

Aug 16th, 2013 28m 2s

Welcome to the Philosopher's Arms - a place where philosophical ideas, logical dilemmas and the real world meet for a chat and a drink. Each week presenter Matthew Sweet takes a puzzle with philosophical pedi

Sorites' Heap

Aug 16th, 2013 27m 51s

What Makes a Fake a Fake?

Aug 16th, 2013 27m 33s

Moral Blame

Aug 16th, 2013 27m 49s

Pints and philosophical puzzles with Matthew Sweet. Each week Matthew goes to the pub to discuss a knotty conundrum with an audience and a panel of experts. Free will, exploitation, sex, sexism, blame and shame are just some of the topics to be

Free Will

Aug 16th, 2013 27m 50s

Matthew Sweet is in the pub, discussing a knotty conundrum with an invited audience and a panel of experts. Today it's whether or not we have free will, with philosopher Wayne Martin of the University of Essex and neuroscientist Gemma Calvert,

Exploitation

Aug 16th, 2013 27m 48s

Pints and philosophical puzzles with Matthew Sweet. Each week Matthew goes to the pub to discuss a knotty conundrum with an audience and a panel of experts. Free will, sex, sexism, blame and shame are just some of the topics to be mulled over i