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Coping when life is hard: Can philosophy help?
All human lives, even very comfortable ones, involve some degree of suffering and hardship. We face personal losses and traumas, and confront a world that seems full of injustice, misery and absurdity. Can philosophy help us to cope? Two recent books - Kieran Setiya's "Life is Hard" and Luc Bovens's "Coping" - argue that it can. In this panel event,…
Find out more »Philosophy Live: ‘Time’s Arrow’
About the lecture The asymmetry between the past and the future is called the Arrow of Time. For example, the events of the past year have shaped all of us, but the future years are ours to shape. We all perceive the Arrow: we remember the start of the pandemic, but we don't "remember" or even know when it will end…
Find out more »Philosophy Live: Dementia and decision-making
How should we make decisions with – or on behalf of – those with dementia? Many of us will face this important question: over 850,000 people in the UK currently have dementia, and many more will be involved in their care. One of the great strengths of the LSE is its work in decision-theory – but how should we apply…
Find out more »The politics and philosophy of AI
As artificial intelligence (AI) moves beyond the realm of science fiction, it is already having a profound impact on our economies, societies and politics. To make sense of the transformative power and disruptive potential of AI, we are joined by thinkers at the cutting edge of the technological frontier for an in-depth discussion of its multifaceted impact. Meet our…
Find out more »Voter education: the challenge of the century
THIS EVENT IS PART OF THE LSE PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES. As authoritarianism and political violence threaten democracies throughout the world at levels not seen since the 1930s, attacks on free and fair elections are rife. Democracy is about choice, and achieving a legitimate democratic system of government relies on making representative social choices. Join us to find out about VoteDemocracy,…
Find out more »Philosophy Live: Taylor Swift and philosophy
THIS EVENT IS PART OF THE LSE PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES. Taylor Swift's music connects with philosophy in many places: What is love? What is the value of negative emotions like anger, heartbreak and grief? Is there a moral obligation to speak out against injustice? What does it take to count as a "philosopher"? A new edited book, Taylor Swift and…
Find out more »The Open Society as an enemy: populism, Popper and pessimism post-1989
THIS EVENT IS PART OF THE LSE PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES. Across the world, populist agendas on both the left and right threaten to undermine fundamental principles that underpin liberal democracies, so that what were previously seen as virtues of the ‘Open Society’ are now, by many people, seen as vices, dangers, or threats. As global citizens, we are implicated…
Find out more »The edge of sentience: risk and precaution in humans, other animals, and AI
THIS EVENT IS PART OF THE LSE PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES. Can octopuses feel pain and pleasure? What about crabs, shrimps, insects or spiders? How do we tell whether a person unresponsive after severe brain injury might be suffering? When does a fetus in the womb start to have conscious experiences? Could there even be rudimentary feelings in miniature models…
Find out more »Dangerous guesswork in economic policy
Join us to hear former colleague and CPNSS Research Associate Max Steuer talk about his new book, Dangerous Guesswork In Economic Policy. The book is about the need for, and the benefits of, drawing on specialist skills in formulating economic policy. Some issues can be addressed through common sense and first-hand experience. Few matters involving use of resources in the NHS,…
Find out more »Has neoliberalism failed? Reflections on Western society
In this timely event, Samuel Gregg will delve into the origins of the term "neoliberalism," its contested usefulness in contemporary discourse, and whether intellectuals such as F. A. Hayek and Milton Friedman fit the "neoliberal" label. He will critically engage various contemporary criticisms of neoliberalism, which includes but is not exclusive to economist Joseph Stiglitz, who argues that neoliberalism…
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