A recently launched weekly podcast by Professor Simon Kirchin examines events in the news from a philosophical point of view.
Titled Philosophy Takes on the News, each episode features Professor Kirchin and his guests talking about events such as the war in Ukraine, ocean justice, the morality of jokes, and social justice after a global pandemic.
Now on his fourth episode, Professor Kirchin’s guests have included philosophers Julian Baggini, Sophie-Grace Chappell, Helen Frowe, Gerald Lang, Graeme A. Forbes, Vittorio Bufacchi and Philip Goff, as well as self-described stand-up comedian and aspiring philosopher Andy White.
The podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon and Listen Notes, with further information here.
Professor Kirchin said: ‘Even though it’s still early days, the response and feedback to the series has been great, with far more downloads than I was expecting at this stage and listeners from across the world.
‘I hope that we can provide an alternative and, when appropriate, humorous view of world events through the lens of philosophy. Philosophers have a lot to offer as we all seek to make sense to the events in the news. Plus they like a good argument as much as anyone.’
Professor Kirchin has been a member of Kent’s Department of Philosophy since 2003. His research interests centre on moral and political philosophy. He is also interested in philosophy and comedy, particularly topics such as the limits (if any) of free speech when it comes to comedy and humour, and what makes things funny.
