The Global Philosopher

Updated Tuesday 6th February 2018

The BBC, in partnership with The Open University, invite you to join the Global Philosophy Facebook Club to explore, share and discuss the philosophical questions underlying some of the biggest issues of the moment. You can also watch episodes from the BBC Radio 4 online series “The Global Philosopher”, presented by Prof Michael Sandel. The programmes use pioneering technology allowing people from all over the world to join one another in a digital space to discuss and look for answers to some of the topical philosophical questions that lie behind political stories of the moment. There is also the opportunity to register to take part in upcoming programmes.

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The Global Philosopher Broadcasts

Professor Michael Sandel explores the philosophical questions underlying some of the biggest issues of the moment with 60 participants from over 30 countries by streaming and recording the discussion using a state-of-the-art digital studio. The topics so far explored are listed below, including the latest debate on the subject of Free Speech:

Should there be any limits to free speech?
Do those on top deserve their success?
Should the rich world pay for climate change?
Should borders matter?

The Global Philosopher broadcasts

The Global Philosophy Facebook Club

Join the Facebook Club to explore, share and discuss the philosophical questions underlying some of the biggest issues of the moment.

Join the Facebook group

The Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
Choose your own philosophy adventure

'Castle, Forest, Island, Sea' is a choose-your-own-adventure story that explores key questions in philosophy. Where will your chosen path lead you?

Take part now ❯Choose your own philosophy adventure

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Free speech

It’s not just what you say, it’s why you say it and why your audience is listening. Sounds complicated? Learn more about free speech

Listen now ❯Free speech

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Introducing philosophy

Ever wondered what it would be like to study philosophy? This free course, Introducing philosophy, will introduce you to the teaching methods employed and the types of activities and assignments you would be asked to undertake should you wish to study philosophy and the human situation.

Learn more ❯Introducing philosophy

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Freedom of speech

Should there be limits to freedom of speech? Professor of Philosophy, Derek Matravers, explores this idea.

Read now ❯Freedom of speech

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‘Irrational emotions’ and their cognitive impenetrability

Raamy Majeed considers ‘irrational’ and ‘recalcitrant’ emotions and the various theories attached to these cognitive and emotional responses.

Read now ❯‘Irrational emotions’ and their cognitive impenetrability

mike1550 under CC0 licence under Creative-Commons license
To restore or not to restore?

What philosophical issues arise during the restoration of historical sites? Professor Derek Matravers considers the arguments for and against repairing, restoring and reconstructing buildings of ruin.

Read now ❯To restore or not to restore?

Our Qualifications:

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BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities (Philosophy)

This is one of several specialist routes available in our BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities (R14). The degree starts by developing your understanding of the world we live in through a variety of perspectives, periods and subjects – including art history, classical studies, creative writing, English language, English literature, history, modern languages, music, philosophy and religious studies. You will then take two specialist philosophy modules, discovering more about the ideas of philosophers past and present and learning to tackle the big questions of philosophy yourself. You will explore a range of debates in ethics and political philosophy, as well as questions about the nature of the self, the existence of God, and the limits of human knowledge.

Read more ❯BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities (Philosophy)

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BA (Honours) Politics, Philosophy and Economics

Politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) are central to understanding how modern societies are organised and governed, and studying them together gives you a combination of skills that's in high demand across the private, public and non-profit sectors. While the original PPE has been described as 'the degree that runs Britain', this combination is better viewed as the study of how this and other countries are run, what motivates and constrains their rulers and residents, and how social order and prosperity are best understood and promoted. All three disciplines are presented in up-to-date form, covering alternative as well as 'mainstream' approaches and firmly rooted in the real world.

Learn more ❯BA (Honours) Politics, Philosophy and Economics

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MA in Philosophy

Studying the MA in Philosophy will hone your ability to think clearly and logically, and develop your writing, research and analytical skills. You will study texts from different periods and philosophical perspectives, including works by Plato, Friedrich Nietzsche, Michel Foucault and Hannah Arendt; and you will investigate contemporary debates on environmental aesthetics, consciousness, global justice, emotion, and morality in politics. Finally, you will undertake a substantial piece of independent research, writing a dissertation on a topic of your choice.

Our Modules:

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Exploring Philosophy

Does God exist? Why should I act morally? Can I trust science? Should I obey laws I disagree with? Discover how philosophers have offered radically diverging answers to these and other questions.

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Key questions in philosophy

This broad-ranging module investigates five different topics in philosophy: truth in fiction, the justice of war, reason and action, life and death, knowledge and reason. Each topic is approached through a set of key questions that are significant, accessible and engaging. Why do people seek out art that makes them cry? Can a war be fought justly? Can organisations be held responsible for what they do? What might it mean to say that life is sacred? Is science rational? The study materials will enable you to examine these questions in some depth while leaving space for independent study and reflection.

Read more ❯Key questions in philosophy

Professor Derek Matravers - Professor of Philosophy at The Open University

Derek Matravers is Professor of Philosophy who specialises in the philosophy of art, although he has recently started a project in justice and the philosophy of war. Derek is particularly interested in the fate of cultural heritage in war zones, and what we can do to protect it. HE have been at the Open University since 1994, and have written on many of the courses.

Derek enjoys working with the BBC, and has been an academic consultant on many series. He is particularly pleased to be working on the ‘Global Philosopher’, as it ties into his interests in thinking about how philosophy can make the world a better place.

Find out more about Derek Matravers

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Originally published: Wednesday, 22nd November 2017
Last updated on: Tuesday, 6th February 2018

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Image 'Michael Sandel giving a talk to people on screens all around him' - Copyright: The BBC
Image 'Choose your own philosophy adventure launch image' - The Open University under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
Image 'Speaking at Hyde Park Corner' - Copyright: BBC
Image 'Introducing philosophy' - Copyright: Used with permission
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Image 'Art image of varying colours to represent emotions' - Umutonor under CC0 licence under Creative-Commons license
Image 'Carcassonne Castle, France ' - mike1550 under CC0 licence under Creative-Commons license
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Image 'The Global Philosopher' - Copyright: The BBC
Image 'Derek Matravers' - Copyright: Derek Matravers

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