Why do audiences across the world love to be scared at the cinema? Why do we have such strong attachments to those who have left this Earth? What can horror tell us about ourselves? Join the team at the IAI for a reading of three Halloween-themed articles, written by historian Thomas Laqueur, and philosophers Noël Carroll and David Livingstone Smit…

Our human shadow Many have had the experience of an urge to do something wrong just for the hell of it. From walking on grass we're told to keep off to fantasies of violence towards someone we find a minor annoyance. Join Yale psychologist Paul Bloom as he invites us to see the clever, creative and beautiful side of our impulses toward evil. Paul B…

In search of ourselves Is the 'self' a useful category, philosophically, psychologically, in our everyday lives? What might it help us do? And where do we find ourselves? Join our mixed panel of speakers as they approach this question from their different points of view - Australian philosopher and cognitive scientist David Chalmers, English explor…

Mind, matter, and everything - PART TWO Can science ever solve the problem of consciousness? Do our methods look for answers in all the wrong places? Join Sean Carroll, Ellen Langer, and Tamar Gendler as they debate the possibility of science providing answers to the hardest problem of all - the problem of subjective experience. Jack Symes hosts. S…

Are we sliding towards our own extinction? How can we find hope amidst the despair of the modern world? Join philosopher Ben Ware as he analyzes the various apocalyptic narratives that have existed throughout history, dissecting everything from antinatalism to the romantic poets. Ben is Co-Director of the Centre for Philosophy and Art at King’s Col…

Mind, matter, and everything - PART ONE Can science ever solve the problem of consciousness? Do our methods look for answers in all the wrong places? Join Sean Carroll, Ellen Langer, and Tamar Gendler as they debate the possibility of science providing answers to the hardest problem of all - the problem of subjective experience. Jack Symes hosts. S…

Heaven in disorder What is the relationship between atheism and faith? How do we relate to 'the big other', and how does this influence how we think about God, nature and ourselves. Join Slavoj Žižek for his glorious finish to a fantastic talk. Slavoj is a Slovenian Marxist-Lacanian philosopher and author, known for his incisive, radical, and humou…

Heaven in disorder What is the concept of 'the self'? How does it relate to how we understand freedom, democracy and ideology?Join Slavoj Zizek as he explores the ideas that underpin how we understand the world. Slavoj is a Slovenian Marxist-Lacanian philosopher and author, known for his incisive, radical, and humourous takes on the global politica…

Being conscious We think we have this thing, consciousness, whether we share it with the entire earth or with only our species, but yet its definition has evaded the efforts of leading philosophers and neuroscientists alike for decades. Do you think you know what consciousness is? Does it exist out there in the world or only in our thoughts? Join l…

Being conscious We think we have this thing, consciousness, whether we share it with the entire earth or with only our species, but yet its definition has evaded the efforts of leading philosophers and neuroscientists alike for decades. Do you think you know what consciousness is? Does it exist out there in the world or only in our thoughts? Join l…

How will our scientists know if they are looking at complex phenomena from the wrong perspective? Have we taken the wrong approach to understanding the quantum world? Join Slavoj Žižek for an exclusive interview as he discusses the current state of quantum physics and questions the accuracy of our research into all things subatomic. Slavoj is a Slo…

Heaven in disorder What does the future hold for capitalism and our society? Where will our modern ideals, perspectives, and philosophies lead us? Join Slavoj Zizek as he explores the current state of the world, focusing on the decay of our social and political institutions and ideologies. Slavoj is a Slovenian Marxist-Lacanian philosopher and auth…

Heaven in disorder What does Russia's war in Ukraine reveal about our modern world? Is there an inconvenient truth hidden behind our reactions to the conflict? Join Slavoj Zizek as he explores the current state of the world, focusing on the decay of our social and political institutions and ideologies. Slavoj is a Slovenian Marxist-Lacanian philoso…

The puzzle of perception with Barry C. Smith Has philosophy ignored taste, smell, and touch to its detriment? What can we learn from these senses, and why are they important? What do they have to tell us about being human? Join philosopher Barry C. Smith as he gives an introduction to his most recent subject matter: the philosophy of the senses, be…

The matrix, myths, and metaphysics Part 2 Is metaphysics still relevant? Or has the pre-eminence of science over the last centuries made such questioning obsolete? Join provocative mathematician and investor Eric Weinstein, award-winning physicist Becky Parker and post-post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson as they discuss what role, if any, metaph…

The matrix, myths, and metaphysics Part 1 Is metaphysics still relevant? Or has the pre-eminence of science over the last centuries made such questioning obsolete? Join provocative mathematician and investor Eric Weinstein, award-winning physicist Becky Parker and post-post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson as they discuss what role, if any, metaph…

PART 3 of Does life have meaning Series: How do we find meaning (and happiness) in the contemporary age? Nihilism, the abandonment of all fundamental beliefs, may appear a hopeless outlook. Yet perhaps it also has potential. Join philosopher Nolen Gertz as he explores the history of nihilism to give us a complex image of it as something we can lear…