Welcome to a special Episode 160 – a conversation / debate between Jack Symes and Philip Goff.

Philip Goff and Jack Symes have known each other since 2011, when Philip taught Jack's very first philosophy lecture. In the years since, they've both arrived at views that sit awkwardly between God and atheism – but in very different ways.

Philip defends a God of limited powers and a form of Christianity rooted in Eastern Orthodox theology. Jack argues that God is just the world. In this conversation, they put their views head to head.

They discuss the ontological argument (which Philip loves and Jack accepts begrudgingly), the problem of evil, and Philip's recent mystical experience. They also explore negative religious experiences, panpsychism, whether the self is an illusion, and why neither of them are traditional theists.

This is a conversation between two friends who disagree about almost everything – and enjoy every minute of it.

Links

Philip Goff:

YouTube

Twitter

Website

SubStack

Why? The Purpose of the Universe (book)

Galileo's Error: A New Science of Consciousness (book)

This episode brings together Jack and Rowan Williams, the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury and one of the world's most distinguished theologians.

As they explore the intersection of faith, politics, and ethics, they confront Christian nationalism, the morality of war, the value of animal life, and the nature of God. A sweeping philosophical and theological exchange!

We hope you enjoy the show.

Links

Solidarity: The Work of Recognition, Rowan Williams

Do We Have the Right to Die?, Lady Hale and Rowan Williams

This episode brings together two leading voices in philosophy of religion: William Lane Craig, one of the world's foremost Christian apologists, and Alex O'Connor, one of today's most prominent atheist thinkers.

As they confront the arguments for and against belief in God, they seek to break the long-standing impasse between God and atheism.

Hosted by Jonny Thomson and Jack Symes – we hope you enjoy the show!

Links

Unbelievable? Premier Christian Radio (YouTube)

Alex O'Connor (YouTube)

"Hey, it's Jack here – I'm still out in the van writing up my travel book. The wind and rain coming down hard in France, as you might hear in the background.

We're recording an old-school show and another interview at the end of the month, which we're really excited to produce and share. In the meantime, I'm happy to release a one-to-one conversation with me and John Nelson – author of Jesus' Physical Appearance and host at Premier Unbelievable.

We explore why the biblical writers include no description of Jesus' body, what that absence might mean, and how Jesus' appearance has been imagined, altered, and politicised across history. Along the way, we discuss Jesus' clothing, Stoic and Cynic influences, animals and incarnation, modern Christian culture, the politics of Jesus' image, and a few of the more intriguing Christian conspiracy theories. I hope you enjoy the show!"

Links

Jesus' Physical Appearance (book)

Behind The Gospels (substack)

Biblical Time Machine (podcast)

Hey everyone, it's Jack here. I'm still out in the camper van writing a travel book – I'm really excited to share more on this soon.

At the same time, we've been producing live events and YouTube videos – so there's been a lot going on. We'll be sharing audio from the live shows soon, as well as recording an old school Panpsycast episode at the end of May.

In the meantime, I'm excited to share another conversation I've had for the new YouTube channel with Jonny Thomson on the philosophy of Epicurus.

I confront Jonny on my verdict that Epicurus is the worst philosopher ever; and he does a tremendous job of telling me why I'm wrong.

It's a great conversation, which i'm excited for you to hear it. So without further ado: here it is!

Links

Jonny Thomson, The Art of Enough (pre-order now!)

Jonny Thomson, Mini Philosophy

Philosophy Minis (Instagram)

Philosophy Minis (TikTok)

Jack Symes, YouTube

Hey, it's Jack here – I'm currently in the snowy hills of Switzerland, recording this from the back of my campervan, so forgive the audio quality. (It won't be like this beyond the introduction.)

I've been busy producing new content for YouTube, with some exciting conversations coming your way – one of which, was with Ed Winters, which I'm excited to share with you today.

We had a really interesting discussion about some of the internal tensions within vegan philosophy. We agree on a lot – but, as you'll hear, our main disagreements concern the moral status of non-animals (which Ed rejects) and whether veganism should involve avoiding products tied to slave labour (which he also rejects).

You can watch the conversation on YouTube now – just search Dr Jack Symes – or sit back and listen here. Thanks again for your support – I hope you enjoy the show.

Links

Earthling Ed, Website

Jack Symes, YouTube

The meaning of life is, as Albert Camus put it, the most urgent question in philosophy – the one on which everything else depends. Yet, when Western philosophy looks to answer this question, it paces up and down the same old libraries – the same shelves filled with the same assumptions about what counts as a self, a good life, and what happens after death.

African philosophy of religion has been neglected in this area. Not because it has nothing to say – but because we haven't been listening. Today, we'll be exploring this tradition – that is, African philosophy – on the meaning of life with Dr Aribiah David Attoe, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Dr Attoe has published several books – including The Question of Life's Meaning: An African Perspective, and African Perspectives to the Question of Life's Meaning – as well as numerous articles and special journal issues on today's topic, bringing these globally neglected traditions into dialogue with mainstream philosophy.

In this episode, we'll explore what it means to live meaningfully with others – not merely alongside them. We'll ask how harmony differs from conformity, and whether communal ideals can protect outsiders. And, most importantly, we'll confront life and death head-on: whether it's possible to find meaning, and – if not – how we should live in a meaningless world.

This episode is produced in partnership with The Global Philosophy of Religion Project at University of Birmingham, funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

Links

Aribiah David Attoe, Publications

Global Philosophy of Religion Project 2

The meaning of life is, as Albert Camus put it, the most urgent question in philosophy – the one on which everything else depends. Yet, when Western philosophy looks to answer this question, it paces up and down the same old libraries – the same shelves filled with the same assumptions about what counts as a self, a good life, and what happens after death.

African philosophy of religion has been neglected in this area. Not because it has nothing to say – but because we haven't been listening. Today, we'll be exploring this tradition – that is, African philosophy – on the meaning of life with Dr Aribiah David Attoe, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Dr Attoe has published several books – including The Question of Life's Meaning: An African Perspective, and African Perspectives to the Question of Life's Meaning – as well as numerous articles and special journal issues on today's topic, bringing these globally neglected traditions into dialogue with mainstream philosophy.

In this episode, we'll explore what it means to live meaningfully with others – not merely alongside them. We'll ask how harmony differs from conformity, and whether communal ideals can protect outsiders. And, most importantly, we'll confront life and death head-on: whether it's possible to find meaning, and – if not – how we should live in a meaningless world.

___

This episode is produced in partnership with The Global Philosophy of Religion Project at University of Birmingham, funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

Links

Aribiah David Attoe, Publications

Global Philosophy of Religion Project 2