tpm the philosophers’ magazine

Issue 46 • 3rd quarter 2009

Contents …

ACTIONS & EVENTS

4 5 11 12 14 19

From the editor News From Liverpool to Athens

Mediawatch Philosophy and philosophers in the mass media

Word of Mouse Going to cyberwar

Namibian justice Teaching jurisprudence in Africa

Threads Ophelia Benson’sregular look at the blogs

THOUGHTS

21 28 36 40

The Interview Alain Badiou stays radical

The TPM Essay Ray Tallis on evolution and mind

Letter from… Axel Gelfert in Singapore

Sci-Phi The million pound physicist

5

FORUM

46 53 59 65

Introducing On Liberty Jonathan Riley on the 150-year-old classic

In its time Alan Haworth bridges the years

Free thinking John Skorupski on thought and speech

The true liberal Richard Reeves keeps faith with liberalism

71 78 83

78

The second author Jo Ellen Jacobs on the role of Harriet Taylor Mill

Barry’sview Alex Voorhoeve on the late Brian Barry

The state of freedom John Kampfner assesses liberty’s health today

THE LOWDOWN

90 94

Snapshot: Ernst Cassirer The last philosopher of culture?

Pop culture Stoic Watchmen

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REVIEW

99

114 116 118

New books Reviews of new books, including de Botton, Singer and McDowell

Author Q&A AC Grayling in the hot seat

Imagine that Tweet tweet!

Review of reviews What the critics said

LAST WORD

120 127

My philosophy Tony Wright MP

The Skeptic No laughing matter

114

Philosophy Press, Dunstan House, 14a St Cross Street,

London, EC1N 8XA UK

Tel: 020 7841 1959

Fax: 020 7242 1474

editor@philosophers.co.uk www.philosophersmag.com

Editors

Associate editor

Reviews editor

Julian Baggini (print edition) Jeremy Stangroom (new media)

Ophelia Benson

Nina Power

Production editor Matthew Humphrys Publisher Edward Milford

Editorial Advisory Board Miranda Fricker, Simon Glendinning, Susan James, David Papineau, Nina Power, Anthony Price, Jonathan Rée, Richard Schoch, Barry C Smith, Jonathan Wolff

Design

Paul Cooper

Layout

John Perkins

Illustrations/Graphics Felix Bennett (cover), Pipo di Bressana,

Gareth Southwell.

Contributors Sara R. Farris, Luciano Floridi, Axel Gelfert, Wendy Grossman, Mark Hannam, Alan Haworth, Mathew Iredale, Jo Ellen Jacobs, John Kampfner, Jean Kazez, Brooke Lewis, Douglas Murphy, Richard Reeves, Jonathan M Riley, Michael Sayeau, Richard Schoch, John Skorupski, Barry C Smith, Edward Skidelsky, Ray Tallis, Andrew Terjesen, Tim Thornton, Alex Voorhoeve, Jonathan Wolff

Contributors’ Notes Contact the editor to submit proposals. Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts.

Distribution by (UK) Central Books, 99 Wallis Road, London E9 5LN Tel: 020 8986 4854 (North America) Source Interlink, 27500 Riverview Center Blvd., Bonita Springs, Florida 34134; Tel: (239) 949-4450 Ubiquity Distributors Inc., 607 Degraw Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 Tel: (718) 875 5491

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With thanks toDenis Collins and Raymond S Mackintosh

Subscriptions UK: +44 (0) 1442 879097 North America: 1 800 444 2419 See page 18 for full details

© 2009, The Philosophy Press Ltd and contributors ISSN 1354-814X

All views expressed in TPM represent those of the authors of each article and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or publishers.

Cover: Original artwork by Felix Bennett. Design by Paul Cooper.

3RD QUARTER 2009 tpmI