Deakinstruction

At a time when we could all use a bit more hope, here's Prof. Robert Stern (University of Sheffield) delivering last year's Max Charlesworth Lecture: "Hope Without God: Is Hope a Secular Virtue?"

The role of 'peoples' in global affairs is more pervasive and contested than ever, from issues of indigenous sovereignty to Brexit. But as Dr John Morss, Senior Lecturer in Law at Deakin tells A/Prof Patrick Stokes in this wide-ranging discussion, 'peoples' is itself a very contestable idea.

Mindfulness is big business these days. But how did a Buddhist practice become so prevalent in contemporary Western life, and just how far has contemporary mindfulness strayed from its Buddhist origins? To find out, A/Prof Patrick Stokes chats with Dr Leesa Davis, lecturer in philosophy at Deakin and author of Advaita Vedanta and Zen Buddhism: Deconstructive Modes of Spiritual Inquiry (2010).

Moderated by Dr Sean Bowden. Speakers: Prof Aaron Russell, Deakin University Prof Joy Damousi, University of Melbourne, President, Australian Academy of the Humanities Prof David Lowe, Deakin University. Prof Robert Stern, University of Sheffield, former President, British Philosophical Association. Dr Miriam Bankovsky, La Trobe University. Dr Emily Potter, Deakin University.

Philosophy has a bad reputation for being stuck in the ivory tower. But just how can you take philosophy down into the marketplace – and what will you find when you get there? On this episode, Dr Valery Vinogradovs shares his experience with public philosophy.

When we think about the ethics and politics of food we tend to think in terms of animal welfare or environmental degradation. But as Deakin’s Dr Christopher Mayes argues in his new book Unsettling Food Politics, there's much more to the politics and ethics of agriculture and food production.

In the wake of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, the issue of indigenous sovereignty has become more visible in Australian life. What role does 'recognition' play in these struggles for sovereignty? Should indigenous groups seek to be recognised by the states and societies they find themselves confronting? Or is seeking recognition itself a form of subjugation? Professor Yin Paradies spoke on this topic at a recent PHI seminar event. 

We're told we now live in a 'post-truth' era. But are we? What does that mean? Is being 'post-truth' even possible? And if that's really where we are, how do we get out? Deakin's Dr Cathy Legg offers some pragmatist responses to the 'post-truth' era, as well as telling us what it's like working as a philosopher in the tech industry. Read Cathy's paper "The Solution to Poor Opinions is More Opinions"