Philip Pettit returns to the podcast to discuss his latest work The Birth of Ethics. We set of the challenge of resolving the seeming paradox of ethical truth in a naturalistic universe:  In a world explained by science with 'nothing spooky' going on, how, and why, would morality emerge? (Part one of two.)

 

Philip Pettit is Professor of Politics and Human Values at Princeton University.  He holds a joint position as Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy at the Australian National University, Canberra. 

 

Born and raised in Ireland, he was a lecturer in University College, Dublin, a Research Fellow at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bradford, before moving in 1983 to the Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University; there he held a professorial position jointly in Social and Political Theory and Philosophy until 2002. 

He works in moral and political theory.  His recent single-authored books include The Common Mind, Republicanism, A Theory of Freedom, Rules, Reasons and Norms, Made with Words: Hobbes on Mind, Society and Politics; On the People's Terms: A Republican Theory and Model of Democracy,  Just Freedom: A Moral Compass for a Complex World, and The Robust Demands of the Good: Ethics with Attachment, Virtue and Respect. 

 

Professor Pettit holds honorary professorships in Philosophy at Sydney University and Queen's University, Belfast and has been awarded honorary degrees by the National University of Ireland (Dublin), the University of Crete, Lund University, Universite de Montreal, Queen's University, Belfast and the University of Athens.