Faculty of Philosophy

Oxford is one of the world's great centres for philosophy. More than one hundred and fifty professional philosophers work in the University and its colleges, between them covering a vast range of subjects within philosophy. Many are international leaders in their fields. The Faculty of Philosophy is one of the largest departments of philosophy in the world, and is widely recognized to be amongst the best. Its reputation draws many distinguished visiting philosophers; each year around fifty philosophers from around the world give lectures or seminars in Oxford. Almost every major philosopher speaks in Oxford at some time. Each year, more than five hundred undergraduates are admitted to study philosophy in Oxford, always in combination with another subject. The Faculty also has more than a hundred graduate students, who are either taking a taught graduate degree or working for a doctorate. Oxford is a collegiate university, and every registered student becomes a member of one of the colleges. In this way, he or she has access, not only to the very extensive libraries and facilities of the University, but also to the varied and more intimate life of a college. Colleges offer their students excellent libraries and facilities of their own. Teaching at Oxford is by lectures and seminars, and by tutorials or supervisions. Courses of lectures and seminars are offered on a very large range of topics, for both undergraduates and graduates. Tutorials are a special feature of Oxford; undergraduates receive regular and frequent tutorials either individually or in pairs from members of the Faculty. All graduate students also receive frequent individual supervisions. Oxford University dates from the 12th Century or before. The first colleges were founded in the 13th Century. The ancient buildings remain, mingled with magnificent architecture from subsequent centuries, to make Oxford one of the most inspiring and beautiful cities in the world. Within this setting, Oxford remains at the forefront of philosophy.

All episodes

Title	Description	People	Date
2. Overview, Theory of Ideas, and Faculty Psychology	Second lecture in Peter Millican's series on Hume's Central Principles.	Peter Millican	14 August, 2012
1. Historical Background, and His 'Chief Argument'	First lecture on David Hume's Central Principles; focusing on the historical background and Hume's Chief Argument.	Peter Millican	14 August, 2012
5. Of the Sceptical and Other Systems of Philosophy	Accompanying slides for Lectures 5a to 5c of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise of Human Nature Book One.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
4. Of Knowledge and Probability	Accompanying slides for Lectures 4a to 4f of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise of Human Nature Book One.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
3. Abstract Ideas, Space and Time	Accompanying slides for Lectures 3a to 3c of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise of Human Nature Book One.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
1. Introduction, Hume's Theory of Ideas and the Faculties	Accompanying Slides for Lectures 1a to 1c of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
5c. Of the Ancient and Modern Philosophies	Third and Final part of Lecture 5 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of the Skeptical and Other Systems of Philosophy.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
5b. Of Skepticism with Regard to the Senses	Second part of Lecture 5 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of the Skeptical and Other Systems of Philosophy.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
5a. Of Skepticism with Regard to Reason	First part of Lecture 5 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of the Skeptical and Other Systems of Philosophy.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
4f. The Point of Hume's Analysis of Causation	Sixth part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
4e. Understanding Hume on Causation	Fifth part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
4d. Of the Necessary Connection	Fourth part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
4c. Belief and Probability	Third part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
4b. The Argument Concerning Induction	Second part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
4a. Relations, and a Detour to the Causal Maxim	First part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
3b. Space and Time	Second part of Lecture 3 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Abstract Ideas, Space and Time.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
3a. Hume's Theory of General (or Abstract) Ideas	First part of Lecture 3 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Abstract Ideas, Space and Time.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
2. Hume's Theory of Relations	Lecture 2 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
1c. Hume's Faculty Psychology	Third part of lecture one of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
1b. The Theory of Ideas	Second part of lecture one of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
1a. Hume's Theory of Ideas and the Faculties	First part of lecture one of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One.	Peter Millican	1 August, 2012
8. Faith and Pascal's Wager	Eighth and final lecture in the Philosophy of Religion lecture series.	TJ Mawson	2 May, 2012
7. Arguments against the Existence of God - The Problem of Evil	Seventh lecture in the Philosophy of Religion lecture series.	TJ Mawson	2 May, 2012
6. Arguments for the Existence of God - Religious Experience and Miracles	Sixth lecture in the Philosophy of Religion lecture series.	TJ Mawson	2 May, 2012
5. Arguments for the Existence of God -The Design Argument	Fifth lecture in the Philosophy of Religion lecture series.	TJ Mawson	2 May, 2012
4. Arguments for the Existence of God - The Ontological and Cosmological Arguments	Fourth lecture in the Philosophy of Religion lecture series.	TJ Mawson	2 May, 2012
3. The Accidental Properties of God	Third lecture in the Philosophy of Religion lecture series.	TJ Mawson	2 May, 2012
2. The Essential Properties of God (continued)	Second lecture in the Philosophy of Religion lecture series.	TJ Mawson	2 May, 2012
1. The Essential Properties of God	First lecture in the Philosophy of Religion Lecture series.	TJ Mawson	2 May, 2012
Overview of the Philosophy of Religion Lecture Series (Handout)	Introductory document for the Philosophy of Religion lecture series.	TJ Mawson	2 May, 2012
A Platonic Theory of Truthmaking	Berman (St Louis Univ.) lays out and defends a platonic explanation of non-modal and modal truths using Forms as their truthmakers. He argues that this platonic theory is parsimonious, naturalistic, and ontologically serious.	Scott Berman	6 March, 2012
Objective and Subjective Powers and Dispositions	Kistler (Sorbonne) introduces a distinction between powers and dispositions: A 'multi-track disposition' manifests itself in different ways Mi in different triggering circumstances Ti.	Max Kistler	6 March, 2012
Limitations of Power	Bird (Bristol) warns against overextending the case for a powers ontology, arguing that it cannot answer typical questions outside fundamental metaphysics, for example concerning the analysis of causal statements.	Alexander Bird	15 February, 2012
Mutual Manifestations and Martin's Two Triangles	Mumford (Nottingham) argues that although superior to a stimulus-response model, Martin's mutual manifestation model must be amended to resemble less mereological composition and more causation.	Stephen Mumford	15 February, 2012
Identity, Individuality and Discernibility	Ladyman (Bristol) explains the recent debates about the Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles and results about weak discernibility. He considers their implications for structuralism and the light they shed on ontological dependence.	James Ladyman	15 February, 2012
Relational vs. Constituent Ontologies	Van Inwagen (Notre Dame) argues that relational ontologies (denying properties can be constituents of particulars) are preferable to constituent ontologies (holding properties are constituents of the particulars that have them).	Peter Van Inwagen	15 February, 2012
Is causation a relation?	Jacobs (St. Louis Univ.) explores the view that between a substance and its power, on one hand, and the result of the substance manifesting its power, there is no relation at all. Thus, causal, relational truths have non-relational ontological grounds.	Jonathan Jacobs	15 February, 2012
Neuroscience Can Tell Us About Morality	What can science tell us about morality? Many philosophers would say, 'nothing at all'. Facts don't imply values, they say. you need further argument to move from facts about us and about the world to conclusions about what we ought to do.	Patricia Churchland	3 February, 2012
Brain Chemistry and Moral Decision-Making	Answers to moral questions, it seems, depend on how much serotonin there is flowing through your brain. In the future might we be able to alter people's moral behaviour with concoctions of chemicals?	Molly Crocket	4 January, 2012
Responsibility	If someone caught me shoplifting, and I was later diagnosed with kleptomania, should I be held responsible? Should I be blamed?	Hanna Pickard	1 December, 2011
Selling Organs	Everyday people die in hospitals because there aren't enough organs available for transplant. In most countries of the world - though not all - it is illegal to sell organs.	Tim Lewens	1 November, 2011
Bio-Ethics Bites	Demand for health care is infinite, but money is finite. So how should we distribute resources? Whom should we help, and why?	Jonathan Wolf	3 October, 2011
Trust	Radically new techniques are opening up exciting possibilities for those working in health care - for psychiatrists, doctors, surgeons; the option to clone human beings, to give just one example.	Onora O'Neill	1 September, 2011
4. Arguments from Harm	James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, discusses arguments that claim citizens of rich countries are responsible for harming poor people in other countries.	James Grant	8 August, 2011
3. Arguments from Distributive Justice	James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, discusses the debate over whether distributive justice requires that well-off people do something about poverty in other countries.	James Grant	8 August, 2011
2. Arguments from Beneficence, Part 2	James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, discusses objections to the belief that well-off people have extremely demanding obligations to poor people in other countries.	James Grant	8 August, 2011
1. Arguments from Beneficence, Part 1	James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at Oxford University, introduces some of the key concepts in philosophical debates about global poverty.	James Grant	8 August, 2011
Status Quo Bias	Suppose a genetic engineering breakthrough made it simple, safe and cheap to increase people's intelligence.	Nick Bostrom	1 August, 2011
4. Metaphor and Art	James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, discusses the use of metaphor to describe music and other artworks.	James Grant	4 July, 2011
3. Speaking in Metaphor	James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, discusses the question of how we succeed in communicating to others with metaphor. He also examines the question of whether all metaphors can be paraphrased.	James Grant	4 July, 2011
2. How Metaphors Mean	James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, discusses different theories about what gives metaphors the special meaning or content they have.	James Grant	4 July, 2011
1. What Metaphors Mean	James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, introduces some of the key concepts in discussions of metaphor in the philosophy of language.	James Grant	4 July, 2011
Life and Death	If a patient decides she doesn't want to live any longer, should she be allowed to die? Should she be allowed to kill herself?	Peter Singer	4 July, 2011
Euthydemus part 12 - 304b 6 - end	Track 12 - 304b 6 - end - Hempel comments to Pratt.	Christopher Kirwan	21 June, 2011
Moral Status	A stone on the beach, we assume, has no moral status. We can kick or hammer the stone, and we have done the stone no harm. Typical adult human beings do have moral status. We shouldn't, without a very good reason, kick a man or woman.	Jeff McMahan	31 May, 2011
Designer Babies	The term 'designer baby' is usually used in a pejorative sense - to conjure up some dystopian Brave New World. There are already ways to affect what kind of children you have - most obviously by choosing the partner to have them with.	Julian Savulescu	31 May, 2011
Euthydemus part 11 - 300e 1 - 304b 5	Track 11 - 300e 1 - 304b 5 - Hempel is enmeshed.	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Euthydemus part 10 - 296e 4 - 300d 9	Track 10 - 296e 4 - 300d 9 - The same: Identity and predication.	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Euthydemus part 9 - 293b 1- 296e 3	Track 9 - 293b 1- 296e 3 - Hempel, the sophists, Clemons: Being competent (epistemon; have ability=epistasthai).	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Euthydemus part 8 - 290e 1-293a 9	Track 8 - 290e1-293a9 - Hempel reports to Pratt, and then the encounter resumes.	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Euthydemus part 7 - 288b 3 - 290d 8	Track 7 288b 3 - 290d 8 - Hempel resumes with Valerie: Which mastery (episteme) is best?	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Euthydemus part 6 - 285a 2-288b 2	Track 6 - 285a2-288 b2 - More with Clemons: Falsehood is impossible.	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Euthydemus part 5 - 282d 4 - 285a 1	Track 5 - 282d 4 - 285a 1 - the sophists tackle Hempel; Clemons is nettled.	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Euthydemus part 4 - 278e2-282d3	Track 4 - 278e2-282d3 - Hempel questions Valerie: Intelligence (sophia) alone is really good.	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Euthydemus part 3 - 275b 5 - 278e 1	Track 3 - 275b 5 - 278e 1 The sophists set to work on Valerie: Is learning possible?	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Euthydemus part 2 - 272d 7 - 275b 4	Track 2 272d 7 - 275b 4 - Hempel inquires into the sophists' profession.	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Euthydemus part 1 - 271a 1 - 272d. 6	Track 1 -271a 1 - 272d. 6 - Pratt asks Hempel about the sophists.	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Euthydemus introduction (PDF)	Introductory document on the Euthydemus dialogue series.	Christopher Kirwan	24 May, 2011
Designing Biotechnology	James King, Lead Designer, Science Practice Ltd. gives a talk on Synthetic Biology - a new approach to genetics which applies engineering principles to biology in the hope of creating medicines, fuels, foods and other useful products.	James King	24 May, 2011
The discipline of reason: The paralogisms and Antinomies of Pure Reason.	Lecture 8/8. Reason, properly disciplined, draws permissible inferences from the resulting concepts of the understanding. The outcome is knowledge.	Dan Robinson	16 March, 2011
The "Self" and the Synthetic Unity of Apperception	Lecture 7/8. Kant argues that: "The synthetic unity of consciousness is... an objective condition of all knowledge.	Dan Robinson	16 March, 2011
Concepts, judgement and the Transcendental Deduction of the Categories	Lecture 6/8. Empiricists have no explanation for how we move from "mere forms of thought" to objective concepts. The conditions necessary for the knowledge of an object require a priori categories as the enabling conditions of all human understanding.	Dan Robinson	16 March, 2011
Idealisms and their refutations	Lecture 5/8. The very possibility of self-awareness (an "inner sense" with content) requires an awareness of an external world by way of "outer sense". Only through awareness of stable elements in the external world is self-consciousness possible.	Dan Robinson	16 March, 2011
How are a priori synthetic judgements possible?	Lecture 4/8. Kant claims that, "our sense representation is not a representation of things in themselves, but of the way in which they appear to us.	Dan Robinson	16 March, 2011
Space, time and the "Analogies of Experiences"	Lecture 3/8. Kant's so-called "Copernican" revolution in metaphysics begins with the recognition of the observer's contribution to the observation.	Dan Robinson	16 March, 2011
The broader philosophical context	Lecture 2/8. The significant advances in physics in the 17th century stood in vivid contrast to the stagnation of traditional metaphysics, but why should metaphysics be conceived as a "science" in the first place?	Dan Robinson	16 March, 2011
Just what is Kant's "project"?	Lecture 1/8. Both sense and reason are limited. Kant must identify the proper mission and domain of each, as well as the manner in which their separate functions come to be integrated in what is finally the inter-subjectively settled knowledge of science.	Dan Robinson	16 March, 2011
8. Defining Art	James Grant, lecturer in philosophy, University of Oxford gives his eight and final lecture in the Aesthetics series on Defining Art.	James Grant	15 March, 2011
7. Musical Expression	James Grant, lecturer in philosophy, University of Oxford gives his seventh lecture in the Aesthetics series on the expression of emotion in music.	James Grant	15 March, 2011
6. Literary Interpretation	James Grant, lecturer in philosophy, University of Oxford gives his sixth lecture in the Aesthetics series on the interpretation of literature.	James Grant	15 March, 2011
5. Kant's Critique of Judgement: Lecture 2	James Grant, lecturer in philosophy, University of Oxford concludes his discussion of Kant's Critique of Judgement in the fifth lecture of the Aesthetics series.	James Grant	15 March, 2011
4. Kant's Critique of Judgement: Lecture 1	James Grant, lecturer in philosophy, University of Oxford gives his fourth lecture in the Aesthetics series on Kant's Critique of Judgement.	James Grant	15 March, 2011
3. Hume and the Standard of Taste	James Grant, lecturer in philosophy, University of Oxford gives his third lecture in the Aesthetics series on Hume and the Standard of Taste.	James Grant	15 March, 2011
2. Aristotle's Poetics	James Grant, lecturer in philosophy, University of Oxford gives his second lecture in the Aesthetics series on Aristotle's Poetics.	James Grant	15 March, 2011
1. Plato's Philosophy of Art	James Grant, lecturer in philosop-hy, University of Oxford gives his first lecture in the Aesthetics series on Plato's philosophy of Art.	James Grant	15 March, 2011
General Philosophy Lecture 8	PDF slides from Peter Millican's General Philosophy lecture 8.	Peter Millican	1 December, 2010
8.4 Persons, Humans and Brains	Part 8.4. The final part of this series. Explores the distinction between mind and body and whether this makes a difference to the idea of personal identity.	Peter Millican	1 December, 2010
8.3 Problems for Locke's View of Personal Identity	Part 8.3. Criticisms of Locke's view of personal identity; if personal identity is dependent on memory then how does forgetting personal history and the concept of false memory change Locke's view of personal identity.	Peter Millican	1 December, 2010
8.2 John Locke on Personal Identity	Part 8.2. Looks at John Locke's view of personal identity; how consciousness and 'personal history' distinguish personal identity and the idea of memory as crucial for personal identity.	Peter Millican	1 December, 2010
8.1 Introduction to Personal Identity	Part 8.1. Introduces the concept of personal identity, what is it to be a person, whether someone is the same person over time and Leibniz's law of sameness.	Peter Millican	1 December, 2010
General Philosophy Lecture 7	PDF slides from Peter Millican's General Philosophy lecture 7.	Peter Millican	1 December, 2010
7.4 Making Sense of Free Will and Moral Responsibility	Part 7.4. A brief explanation of Hume's argument for sentimentalism and Robert Kane's views on free will and determinism.	Peter Millican	1 December, 2010
7.3 Hume on Liberty and Necessity	Part 7.3. Looks at Hume's views on liberty and its relationship to causal necessity; that we have free will but it is causally determined.	Peter Millican	1 December, 2010
7.2 Different Concepts of Freedom	Part 7.2. Looks at Hobbes' and Hume's views of free will and the three concepts of freedom, and considers the idea of moral responsibility as dependent on free will.	Peter Millican	1 December, 2010
7.1 Free Will, Determinism and Choice	Part 7.1. Explores the problem of free will and the ideas of moral responsibility, determinism and choice; the need for a concept of freedom to allow free choice, the problems associated with this and asking whether we really have freedom of choice.	Peter Millican	1 December, 2010
6.4 Making Sense of Perception	Part 6.4. A brief overview of contemporary accounts of perception; including phenomenalism (that objects are logical constructions from sense data) and direct realism (that we perceive objects and the external world directly).	Peter Millican	30 November, 2010
General Philosophy Lecture 6	PDF slides from Peter Millican's General Philosophy lecture 6.	Peter Millican	30 November, 2010
6.3 Abstraction and Idealism	Part 6.3. Criticisms of the resemblance theory of perception and an introduction to idealism - that perceptions of the external world are all within the mind as ideas.	Peter Millican	30 November, 2010
6.2 Problems with Resemblance	Part 6.2. Explores Berkeley's and Locke's arguments concerning the resemblance of qualities and objects; that the perceived qualities of objects exist only in the mind or whether secondary qualities are intrinsically part of the object.	Peter Millican	30 November, 2010
6.1 Introduction to Primary and Secondary Qualities	Part 6.1. Introduces the problem of perception (and the distinction between the world and what we perceive), along with the concepts of primary and secondary qualities.	Peter Millican	30 November, 2010

Faculty of Philosophy

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Science and Religious Conflict Conference

Philosophy Special Lectures

General Philosophy

Nietzsche on Mind and Nature

Philosophy - Ethics of the New Biosciences

John Locke Lectures in Philosophy

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