Mary Midgley

By Clare Mac Cumhaill in April 2025

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Runtime: 26 mins

Clare MacCumhail discusses the life and work of Mary Midgley, who was a pioneering British moral philosopher who significantly influenced philosophical thought until her death in 2018 at the age of 99. Her first major work, Beast and Man: The Roots of Human Nature was published when she was 59 and laid the foundation for her later philosophical explorations, emphasizing the necessity of philosophy in human life. Midgley's early experiences, including her upbringing in an educated family and her education at Oxford, shaped her philosophical outlook, where she developed a deep appreciation for life and living things, a concept she termed biophilia.

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Produced in April 2025. Provisional captions.

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