Janet Radcliffe Richards on What is Philosophy?
From Philosophy Bites by Edmonds and Warburton
January 24, 2026 · 15 min
About this episode
Janet Radcliffe Richards discusses the nature of philosophy through the lens of inconsistencies in medical ethics.
Philosophers argue endlessly about what philosophy is. Janet Radcliffe Richards suggests that a simple way to approach this question is to examine what we think about inconsistencies. She uses an example from medical ethics, the question of whether selling of organs should be permitted, to make her point.
People in this episode
Hosts: Edmonds, Warburton
Guest: Janet Radcliffe Richards
Topics covered
- philosophy
- medical ethics
- inconsistencies
- organ selling
- ethical dilemmas
Keywords
- philosophy
- ethics
- inconsistencies
- organ selling
- medical ethics
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Philosophy Bites
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