Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
The Portgual Street Philosophy Podcast is the official podcast of the LSE SU Philosophy Society. Each episode, we take a deep dive into a particular philosophy topic, in conversation with leading experts on the subject. By having focused explorations of these topics, we hope to provide accessible introductions and a pathway into the philosophical literature for interested students of all backgrounds.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Expert interviews on philosophy of science and rationality • quantum mechanics interpretations • probability and formal epistemology • decision theory under uncertainty • instrumental rationality • philosophy of religion arguments • sensory experience metaphysics • animal sentience • mathematical philosophy • ethics/pandemic policy tradeoffsThis podcast is the official show of the LSE Students’ Union Philosophy Society and features long-form conversations with academic experts aimed at giving accessible introductions to philosophical questions and routes into the relevant literature. Across its episodes, it consistently treats philosophy as a tool for clarifying concepts, evaluating arguments, and connecting abstract theory to real intellectual and practical problems.
A major through-line is rationality under uncertainty. The show explores how probability should be understood—contrasting subjective and objective approaches and examining formal constraints such as the Kolmogorov axioms—as well as how probabilistic credences relate to rational agency. It also examines decision theory as both a descriptive and normative enterprise, covering expected utility theory, representation theorems associated with von Neumann–Morgenstern and Savage, and the tension between idealized models and the limits of real-world reasoning. Related discussions address instrumental rationality, coherence requirements on preferences and attitudes, and classic argumentative strategies about consistency (including debates over “money pump” style reasoning), alongside issues like unawareness and severe uncertainty.
Another recurring theme is the philosophy of science and foundations of physics, using quantum mechanics as a case study in how empirical theories raise interpretive and metaphysical questions. Topics include the measurement problem, the status of the wavefunction and probabilities, and comparisons among leading interpretations such as many-worlds, hidden-variable theories, objective collapse, and more epistemic approaches, with attention to ideas like entanglement and decoherence.
The podcast also ranges into metaphysics and mind—considering the nature of sensory experience—and into ethics and applied philosophy. It addresses questions in philosophy of religion about what counts as a successful argument, how theoretical virtues like simplicity and explanatory power bear on broader worldviews, and why some debates may resist decisive proof. It also engages with moral and policy-relevant reasoning, including how to weigh lives and livelihoods during a pandemic, and with animal sentience and welfare, tying philosophical analysis to questions about consciousness and moral standing.
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9. Sean Carroll | What is the correct interpretation of quantum mechanics? 2021-Jun-27 61 minutes |
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8. Anna Mahtani | What are probabilities? 2021-Jun-27 51 minutes |
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7. Richard Bradley | How should we make decisions under uncertainty? 2021-Jun-27 59 minutes |
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6. Johanna Thoma | What are the requirements of instrumental rationality? 2021-Jun-27 72 minutes |
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5. Graham Oppy | Are there any successful arguments for or against the existence of God? 2021-Jun-27 60 minutes |
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4. David Papineau | The Metaphysics of Sensory Experience 2021-Feb-06 53 minutes |
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3. Jonathan Birch | Animal Sentience 2021-Feb-04 48 minutes |
2. Laurenz Hudetz | Mathematical Philosophy: Blessing or Curse?2021-Feb-03 56 minutes |
1. Alex Voorhoeve | How to Balance Lives and Livelihoods in the Face of a Pandemic2021-Feb-03 29 minutes |