The idea that unconscious biological forces drive our beliefs and actions would seem to pose a real threat to our free will. We like to think that we make choices on the basis of our own conscious deliberations. But isn’t all that thinking things over irrelevant if our final decision was already written in our genetic code? And doesn’t the whole edifice of personal responsibility collapse if we accept that “my genes made me do it”?
ReadFour new videos exploring the ideas – and foods – in The Virtues of the Table.
Read“In ‘A very British populism’, a thoughtful exploration of British culture and politics, philosopher and writer Julian Baggini argues that the same springs of populism that fuel the far right elsewhere in Europe exist in Britain. He warns against the complacency of the ‘it could never happen here’ mindset; whether in the form of a ‘softer-edged’ UKIP, or a more sinister movement, populism could be at our doorstep.”
ReadOrganised religion has lost its central place in most European countries, but it has not necessarily been replaced by atheism. The confused majority is “spiritual but not religious”, hungry for alternatives to the perceived materialism of modern life. “The more we’re distracted by stuff,” suggests Father Stephen, “the more we’re also attracted by what we’re missing.” We suspected that there might be aspects of monastic life that those who share this yearning can learn from, without having to take on board its religious commitments and beliefs…
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“In this entertaining, educative and gracefully written book, Julian Baggini explores the question of the nature of the self and in what sense it persists through time. … This is one of the best, most readable and most stimulating introductions yet written about this intriguing topic. Enjoy, and profit.” AC Grayling in the FT.
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