The World Tonight
THE WORLD TONIGHT – BBC RADIO FOUR. Talked about destruction of temple at Palmyra on last night’s programme.
ReadAuthor: Julian Baggini
Freedom Regained interview
How much personal responsibility do we have for our actions? Does free will truly exist? Drawing on conclusions from his new book, ‘Freedom Regained’, writer Julian Baggini considers these questions with Ali Millar, at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
ReadWhy we are so horrified by the razing of Palmyra
I’m not suggesting that we should prioritise the preservation of artefacts over the saving of human lives. If I had to choose, I’m sure I’d pull a person from a burning building before a Picasso. But that does not mean to care about the destruction of our heritage is to care about things more than we do people. Rather, it is to care about people as more than just biological things.
ReadCan generosity go too far?
Bristol’s Maitreya Social would seem to be the ideal location to talk to Pater Singer, author of Animal Liberation and one the the world’s most famous moral philosophers. Vegetarian and organic, it is impeccably ethical. You can even settle your bill with Bristol Pounds, the local currency designed to keep wealth out of the hands of multinational businesses and big banks. But according to my guest’s austere utilitarian principles, there is no justification for spending £10.95 on a summer vegetable gallette when people on the other side of the world are dying of malnutrition.
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