H.L.A Hart and Legal Philosophy

H.L.A Hart and Legal Philosophy

Earlier today, the Philosophy Bites podcast sat down with Law Professor Nicola Lacey to discuss H.L.A Hart’s legal philosophy, particularly his legal positivism. 

Here is a description of the podcast: 

Nicola Lacey, author of a biography of the legal philosopher H.L.A. Hart, discusses his legal positivism with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. 

Listen to Nicola Lacey on H.L.A. Hart on Legal Positivism

An earlier interview with Nicola Lacey on Criminal Responsibility

Scanlon and Obama on Inequality

Scanlon and Obama on Inequality

Recently, President Obama has stated that income inequality, and inequality of opportunity, is the “defining challenge of our time.”  As debates about the minimum wage start to gain traction in American politics, it appears that inequality may  be a major issue in 2014.  Last month, Harvard philosopher Tim Scanlon sat down with the philosophy bites podcast to discuss the morality of inequality in the context of political philosphy.

Here is a description of the podcast which asks “what is wrong with inequality?”: 

Why do so many people object to inequality? Is there something intrinsically wrong with it? Is it wrong because it has bad consequences? Or is there nothing wrong with it? Harvard philosopher Tim Scanlon discusses these questions with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.

Morality of Environmentalism

Morality of Environmentalism

Recently, the Philosophy Bites podcast discussed “Green Virtues” with NYU Law and Philosophy Professor Dale Jamieson. Here is description of the interview: 

How should we live? This is a basic philosophical question, but at at time when human beings’ actions are devastating the environment, we need to cultivate specific virtues, green virtues. Dale Jamieson outlines some of these virtues in this episode of thePhilosophy Bites podcast.

Philosophy, Law, and Battery

Philosophy, Law, and Battery

The Philosophy Bites podcast recently interviewed Georgetown law professor John Mikhail about what battery can teach us about moral philosophy.  Here is a description of the podcast:

Hitting someone without their consent, spitting at someone, or throwing a ball hard at their head: these are all examples of what in Tort Law is called battery. John Mikhail thinks that  our judgments that people who commit battery are blameworthy reveals someting important about morality and its sources.