Erratic Thinking was a radio show and podcast that each week discussed contemporary philosophical issues with prominent philosophers. It was broadcast in 2010, but there are plans to update the website and do a new series of the show in the future.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Hegel and Nietzsche

For our last show we have possibly our most ambitious and difficult topic. Dr Dom Smith is joining me to discuss the contrasting thoughts and methods of two of the most important and influential thinkers in western philosophy; G. W. F Hegel and Friedrich Nietzsche. Both of these thinkers can be seen to be picking up the critical project that Kant started, but both in radically different ways. In his, notoriously convoluted, texts Hegel attempts to build up an understanding of reality that allows for dialectical progress towards the ends of absolute knowledge and a perfectly rational society. Nietzsche on the other hand in his much more poetic and comedic style attempts to undermine the whole schema of modern western society progressing towards a point. In order to get a grip on the two thinkers' ideas in our short show we compare there contrasting conceptions of the master/slave relation.

To listen to/download the show go to the following link:

Hegel and Nietzsche Show

So, that was the last show; thank you to everyone who listened, thank you to everyone who took part and thank you to the shows producer Max King.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Foucault and Power

Michel Foucault was one of the most important philosophers/social theorists of the twentieth century. In this weeks Erratic Thinking we will be discussing how he conceives of power relations within society; how he advocates a move away from a conception of power in terms of sovereignty to a conception of power as all pervasive and totalizing within society.

Joining me to discuss Foucaut's conception of power and how it impacts on other areas of philosophy and social theory is special guest presenter Ivan Korolev and Lecturer of Social History at Edinburgh University Dr Louise Jackson.

You can download/listen to the show by clicking on the link below:

Foucault and Power Show

If you want know any more about the subject Dr Jackson has kindly recommended the following reading:

Foucault, M. (1977) Discipline and Punish: the Birth of the Prison

Foucault, M. (1980) 'The Eye of Power' in C. Gordon ed. Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writing by Michel Foucault

Foucault, M. (1978) The History of Sexuality, Vol. 1

Also if you have access to a University of Edinburgh 'EASE' account you might also find the following documetry on Fouacult's life interesting:

The Late Show: Michael Foucault: Beyond Good and Evil
(broadcast 29/06/93 at 23.15 - 23.55pm)

Ivan has also recommended this more lighthearted approach to thought on Foucault's life:

Kung Foucault

Next week is the last Erratic Thinking of the current series (and possibly ever); on it I will be comparing Hegel and Nietzsche's contrasting philosophical techniques and asking whether they start two irreconcilable methods of philosophy, joining me to discuss the issue will be Dr Dom Smith of Dundee University. If you have any questions for Dr Smith leave them below, if not you can listen live next Friday at 12 30 (freshair.org.uk) or download it, as always, from here.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Free Will and Neuroscience

On this weeks show we have Dr Tillmann Vierkant discussing the implications of Libet's famous and peculiar neuroscience experiment.

The experiment seemed to show that our brains instigate action before we consciously decide to act. If this is right it seems to show that our concious decisions actually have no power, and therefore, we do not have free will. If that doesn't sound right to you or it just confuses you listen to the show to find out more.

You can download the show by clicking on the title of this post or the link below:

Free Will and Neuroscience Show

Next week special guest presenter Ivan Korolev and I will be talking to Dr Louise Jackson about Foucault and his conception of power relations in society, if you have any questions for Dr Jackson leave them below.  You can listen live next Friday at 12 30 (freshair.org.uk), or download it, as always, from here.