Philosophy Bites Back

In recent years, some of the world's leading philosophers have held forth on their favorite topics on the immensely popular website philosophybites.com. To date, this remarkable site has had more than 12.5 million downloads, is the most popular philosophy podcast on iTunes, and is indeed listened to all over the globe. In 2010, the volume Philosophy Bites brought together the twenty-five best interviews from this hugely popular site.

Now, in Philosophy Bites Back, David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton once again offer a sparkling collection of thought-provoking interviews, with such philosophical luminaries as Sir Anthony Kenny, Peter Singer, Quentin Skinner, Sarah Bakewell, Susan James, and Richard Reeves. The result is a captivating, original tour through 2,500 years of Western thought, from Socrates to Derrida, from happiness and love in ancient Greece to truth and forgiveness in the twentieth century. In this volume, twenty-seven leading philosophers shed light on the ideas of some of history's greatest minds. For instance, Mary Warnock illuminates Sartre's existentialism as she considers the question: are we free to choose what we become or are we bound by human nature, by our history, by conventions? John Dunn examines John Locke's arguments in favor of religious toleration, arguments embraced by America's founding fathers. Clare Carlisle discusses Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling. And Melissa Lane explores Rousseau's contention that civilization is for the most part morally corrupting.

As these brief but absorbing interviews reveal, the most brilliant philosophers are often happy to convey their thoughts, simply and clearly, on the great ideas of philosophy. Publishers Weekly called the original Philosophy Bites "thoughtful and highly readable," concluding that "these bite-size dialogues add up to a surprisingly substantial whole."