In Conversation: An OUP Podcast

Available Episodes

5 of 1610

Andrew Clapham, "War" (Oxford UP, 2021)
This book poses the question: How relevant is the concept of war today? Professor Andrew Clapham of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva examines how notions about war continue to influence how we conceive rights and obligations in national and international law. It considers the role international law plays in limiting what is forbidden and what is legitimated in times of war or armed conflict. The book highlights how, even though war has been outlawed and should be finished as an institutions, sates nevertheless continue to claim that they can wage necessary wars of self-defence, engage in lawful killings in war, imprison law-of-war detainees, and attack objects that are said to be part of a war-sustaining economy. Professor Clapham argues that, while there is general agreement that war has been abolished as a legal institution for settling disputes, the time has come to admit that the belligerent rights that once accompanied states at war are no longer available. In other words, simply claiming to be in a war or an armed conflict does not grant anyone a licence to kill people, destroy things, and acquire other people’s property or territory. In this podcast, we begin by exploring Professor Clapham’s motivation for writing the book and the central arguments challenging traditional ideas of war, law, and state power. We discuss how historical, and outdated, ideas of ‘prize’ or war booty continue to influence modern conflict, and explore how rhetorical usages of the words ‘war’ and ‘armed conflict’ exert a particular influence on populations and even on the soldiers themselves. Professor Clapham argues that human rights law should play a bigger role in limiting actions of states in armed conflict, and looks to the future legal challenges posed by cyber warfare, drones and AI / autonomous weapons. We also touch on accountability for war crimes and other international crimes, both at the level of international state responsibility as seen at the International Court of Justice, and at the individual criminal liability as seen in the International Criminal Court. We end with an intriguing insight into how Professor Clapham is looking to further develop his thinking for his next book. This book is available OPEN ACCESS here. Alex Batesmith is an Associate Professor in Legal Professions in the School of Law at the University of Leeds, and a former barrister and UN war crimes prosecutor, with teaching and research interests in international criminal law, cause lawyering and the legal profession, and law and emotion. His University of Leeds profile page can be found here: Bluesky: @batesmith.bsky.social LinkedIn
--------
1:03:06
Genevieve Guenther, "The Language of Climate Politics: Fossil-Fuel Propaganda and How to Fight It" (Oxford UP, 2024)
The Language of Climate Politics (Oxford UP, 2024) offers readers new ways to talk about the climate crisis that will help get fossil fuels out of our economy and save our planet. It's an analysis of the current discourse of American climate politics, but also a critical history of the terms that most directly influence the way not just conservatives but centrists on both sides of the political divide think and talk about climate change. In showing how those terms lead to mistaken beliefs about climate change and its solutions, the book equips readers with a new vocabulary that will enable them to neutralize climate propaganda and fight more effectively for a livable future.
--------
30:32
Andrew Janiak, "The Enlightenment's Most Dangerous Woman: Émilie Du Châtelet and the Making of Modern Philosophy" (Oxford UP, 2024)
The Enlightenment's Most Dangerous Woman: Émilie du Châtelet and the Making of Modern Philosophy (Oxford UP, 2024) introduces the work and legacy of philosopher Émilie Du Châtelet. As the Enlightenment gained momentum throughout Europe, Châtelet broke through the many barriers facing women at the time and published a major philosophical treatise in French. Due to her proclamation that a true philosopher must remain an independent thinker rather than a disciple of some supposedly great man like Isaac Newton or René Descartes, Châtelet posed a threat to an emerging consensus in the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment's Most Dangerous Woman highlights the exclusion of women from colleges and academies in Europe and the fear of rupturing the gender-based order. Andrew Janiak is Professor of Philosophy and Bass Fellow at Duke University. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network.
--------
45:42
Joe Pierre, "False: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things That Aren't True" (Oxford UP, 2025)
Microchips in our vaccines, stolen elections, climate change denial--in the face of a bewildering range of misbeliefs that stem from mistrust of informational sources, exposure to misinformation and disinformation, and partisan polarization, it's easy to dismiss those who disagree with us as "delusional", "psychotic", or merely "ignorant". But what if none of these judgments are supported by how we really come to believe things, and the truth is that we are all prone to false beliefs? What can we do to protect ourselves in this post-truth world? In False: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things That Aren't True (Oxford UP, 2025), psychiatrist and clinical professor Joe Pierre invites readers to journey with him through the normal quirks of brain functioning--such as "heuristics", cognitive biases, motivated reasoning, cognitive dissonance, and bullshit receptivity--that create the cognitive vulnerabilities to false belief innate within us all. With a cross-disciplinary approach, False illuminates the psychology of false belief that lies at the root of contemporary media mistrust, science denialism, and political polarization, and highlights that contrary to popular opinion, deficits of intelligence and mental health are usually not to blame. With a refreshingly unbiased lens, Pierre suggests an antidote to false beliefs and makes the case for softening our convictions, viewing our ideological opponents with compassion, and mending the rifts in our relationships as individuals and societies alike. Joe Pierre MD is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. Caleb Zakarin is editor at the New Books Network.
--------
52:36
Emma Borg and Sarah A. Fisher, "Meaning: a Very Short Introduction" (Oxford UP, 2024)
Our ability to find meaning in things is one of the most important aspects of human life. But it is also one of the most mysterious. Where does meaning come from? What sorts of things have meaning? And how do we grasp the meaning others want to convey? This Very Short Introduction is shaped by exploring possible answers to these questions. Human societies have one particularly important device for expressing and sharing meaning: language. Since our words are paradigm examples of things which have meaning, in Meaning (Oxford University Press, 2024), Emma Borg and Sarah Fisher use meaning in language as a case study for exploring meaning more generally. They focus on three possible sources for word meaning: things in the world, things in the mind, and social practices, exploring the key approaches thinkers have put forward in each of these arenas. Finally, they end by looking at some concrete applications of the ideas and approaches introduced in the book. Emma Borg is Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy, London. Sarah A. Fisher is a Lecturer at Cardiff University. Caleb Zakarin is editor of the New Books Network
--------
1:04:55