Closer To Truth

Michael Ruse on Evolution, Human Exceptionalism, and Philosophy of Biology

 
What does evolution imply about human nature and human value?
In this conversation, Michael Ruse explores the philosophy of biology, the mechanistic view of life, human exceptionalism, and the relationship between evolution and meaning. Discussing themes from his book A Philosopher Looks at Human Beings, Ruse examines whether the world is best understood as an organism or a machine, how Darwin transformed our understanding of humanity, and whether values can exist within a mechanistic picture of nature.
Michael Ruse was a philosopher of science specializing in the philosophy of biology, evolution, science and religion, and the creation–evolution controversy. He taught at Florida State University.
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Thomas Hertog on the Origin of Time

How did the universe begin—and what determines the laws of physics we observe?
In this conversation, Thomas Hertog discusses On the Origin of Time: Stephen Hawking’s Final Theory, presenting a new approach to cosmology developed through years of collaboration with Stephen Hawking. Exploring quantum cosmology, the multiverse, fine-tuning, and the “no-boundary” proposal, Hertog argues for a profoundly evolutionary picture of the cosmos and our place within it.Thomas Hertog is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Leuven. His research focuses on the quantum nature of the big bang and the origins of the universe.Order Thomas Hertog's book: https://bit.ly/3ZZal1d
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David Chalmers on Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy

Can virtual worlds be genuinely real?
In this conversation, David Chalmers explores the philosophical implications of virtual reality, simulation theory, and digital existence. Discussing themes from his book Reality+, Chalmers examines whether we could be living in a simulation, whether virtual worlds can contain real meaning and value, and how emerging digital realities challenge our understanding of consciousness, knowledge, and existence.Chalmers' book, Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy, is available for purchase: https://bookshop.org/books/reality-virtual-worlds-and-the-problems-of-philosophy/9780393635805
David Chalmers is Professor of Philosophy at New York University and Co-Director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness. His work focuses on consciousness, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, epistemology, and the foundations of cognitive science.
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Anil Seth on a New Science of Consciousness

In this conversation, Anil Seth discusses a new scientific approach to consciousness — moving beyond the traditional “hard problem” toward explaining the actual properties of conscious experience. Robert Lawrence Kuhn and Seth explore phenomenology, neural correlates of consciousness, predictive perception, conscious selfhood, and why measuring consciousness may be essential for understanding it.
Anil Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex and Co-Director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science. His research brings together neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, computer science, mathematics, and psychiatry to investigate the biological basis of consciousness.Seth's book, Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, is available for purchase in the UK and the US: https://amzn.to/3jI9ss7
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Why Philosophy of Evolutionary Biology?

Why do we need philosophy to understand evolution?
Robert Lawrence Kuhn explores the philosophy of evolutionary biology — not just how evolution works, but what its core concepts really mean. Through conversations with Elliott Sober, Richard Dawkins, Samir Okasha, John Dupré, Dennis Noble, and Michael Ruse, this episode examines natural selection, common ancestry, challenges to evolutionary theory, and the deeper implications of evolution for science, religion, and human identity.
Featuring interviews with Elliott Sober, Richard Dawkins, Samir Okasha, John Dupré, Dennis Noble, and Michael Ruse.Subscribe to Closer To Truth: 
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Arnold Zuboff on Why You Are Every Conscious Being

What if the boundaries between you and every other conscious being are an illusion? Philosopher Arnold Zuboff makes the case for Universalism — the radical view that first-person immediacy, not any particular body or origin, is what makes an experience yours. And if that's right, then you exist wherever consciousness exists.Arnold Zuboff is an American philosopher known for his work on personal identity, consciousness, and probability. He took his PhD at Princeton in 2009 under Thomas Nagel and spent most of his academic career at University College London. Subscribe to Closer To Truth:https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community:• Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ • Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com • Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ • Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/

Rebecca Newberger Goldstein on The Mattering Instinct

Philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein introduces the idea of the “mattering instinct”—the deep human drive to see our lives as significant. In this conversation, she explores how our longing to matter may arise from the very material reality we often try to transcend.
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein is an award-winning philosopher, writer, and public intellectual. She is the author of 10 books of acclaimed fiction and non-fiction — including 36 Arguments for the Existence of God, Betraying Spinoza, and her landmark new work The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us. She holds a PhD in philosophy of science from Princeton University and has taught at Yale, Columbia, NYU, Dartmouth, and Harvard. She is a MacArthur Fellow and recipient of the 2014 National Humanities Medal, presented by President Obama in 2015.
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What Is The Far Future Of Intelligence

What might intelligence become—not just in centuries, but across millions or even billions of years?
Robert explores the deepest questions about the far future of intelligence in the universe. While we often think in terms of decades, extending our perspective to vast cosmic timescales challenges our assumptions about meaning, purpose, and what may ultimately be real. If the future holds clues, how far can we reasonably speculate, and what might we discover about intelligence itself?Featuring interviews with Freeman Dyson, Lawrence Krauss, Raymond Kurzweil, Frank Tipler, Robin Collins, and Paul Davies.Get access to over 5,000 videos by signing up for a free Closer To Truth membership: https://closertotruth.com/register/

Roman Yampolskiy on How Dangerous Is Artificial Intelligence

We may be creating something a million times smarter than all of humanity combined — and we have no plan for what happens next. AI safety pioneer Roman Yampolskiy lays out the risks, the arguments, and whether any solution exists. Roman V. Yampolskiy is a tenured Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Louisville's Speed School of Engineering, where he founded and directs the Cyber Security Lab. Widely credited with coining the term "AI safety" in 2011, he is the author of AI: Unexplainable, Unpredictable, Uncontrollable.Get access to over 5,000 videos by signing up for a free Closer To Truth membership: https://closertotruth.com/register/

Michael James on What the World Is According to Sri Ramana

Is the world we experience truly real, or is it more like a dream we haven't yet woken up from? Michael James, a leading scholar and translator of the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, explores how Ramana's philosophy challenges our most basic assumptions about the self, the world, and the nature of reality. Michael James has spent nearly 50 years studying, practicing, and translating the works of Sri Ramana Maharshi. He studied under Sri Sadhu Om, a direct disciple of Ramana, and is the author of Atma-Vidya: The Science of Knowing Oneself. He is regarded as a leading authority on Ramana's primary sources and experiential practice.Make a donation to Closer To Truth to help us continue exploring the world's deepest questions without the need for paywalls: https://shorturl.at/OnyRq