Philosopher's Zone

Most of us are a little anxious these days - and for good reason, as advances in technology and the rising intensity of climate change are set to cause massive upheavals on our planet. But this week we're hearing a 'post-humanist' perspective on global issues that's positive without being blindly optimistic, and critical without giving in to despair.

It's a well-rehearsed argument that systemic, structural racism has more significant bearing on the lives and opportunities of racialised minorities than the attitudes of individual racists. But systemic racism is harder to shift, being deeply entangled in the structures of capitalism and democratic liberalism - even the enlightened 'diversity' programs of such liberal institutions as universities and businesses can be put to the service of perpetuating racial regimes.

There has never been as much art around as there is today - digital tools are incredibly cheap, artistic production and distribution can bypass the traditional institutional gatekeepers of galleries, museums and curated spaces. And yet, there's a sense today in which art is devalued currency, and the potential for art to bring people together is being eroded. This week we're talking art, politics and what we lose when we stop loving culture.

The question of identity, and whether each of us is best understood as an individual or a member of a collective, has vexed philosophers for centuries. This week we're getting into it with a thinker who's also a leading light in the teaching of philosophy in schools.

Of course, education has a point - but establishing exactly what that point is, can be a surprisingly difficult task. Do we educate children in order to foster autonomy and independent thinking, or to teach respect for certain norms, values and hierarchies? Is education about creative thinking and developing curiosity about the world, or is it about getting ready for the job market? Plenty of tension to explore this week, in a panel discussion on the aims of education.