Dr Julian Baggini

Journalist, editor of The Philosophers' Magazine, and distinguished supporter of Humanism

"...in the everyday world we can and must distinguish truth and falsity, right and wrong, even if on close examination these terms do not mean what we thought they did. Science may not be God-like in its objectivity, but it is not just another myth. Moral values must be questioned, but if discrimination against women, homosexuals or ethnic minorities is wrong here, then it is wrong anywhere else in the world..."

Julian Baggini is co-founder and editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine and writes for a number of newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Independent, Prospect, Times Educational Supplement and New Humanist, and is a frequent contributor to BBC Radio 4 discussions.

He is also the author of several books on philosophy for the general reader, including:

• Making Sense: Philosophy Behind the Headlines (Oxford University Press - buy it here)
• New British Philosophy: The Interviews (with Jeremy Stangroom )
• Atheism A Very Short Introduction (Oxford - buy it here)
• Great Thinkers A-Z
• What's It All About? Philosophy and the Meaning of Life (buy it here)
• The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: And Ninety Nine Other Thought Experiments
• Do You Think What You Think You Think? (with Jeremy Stangroom, Granta Books, Oct 2006)
• Welcome to Everytown, A Journey into the English Mind

Buy books by Julian Baggini at Amazon.co.uk through this link and a portion of the sales price will be transferred to the BHA.

His books often link philosophy to the concerns of ordinary life, an interest also demonstrated in his 2007 book Welcome to Everytown, in which he explores the ideas of the inhabitants of the most typical postcode in England.

He was a founder-member of the Humanist Philosophers’ Group (HPG) in 1999, and has participated in HPG conferences and contributed to BHA’s philosophical web resources Countering Creationism and So you think you can live without God?. He has also contributed to HPG publications, available at http://www.humanism.org.uk/shop/philosophers including:

• For your own good? - paternalism re-examined (2001)
• Religious Schools: the case against (2001)
• What is Humanism? (2002)
• The Case for Secularism: a neutral state in a neutral society (2007)

Julian Baggini was one of the 43 scientists and philosophers who signed and sent a letter to Tony Blair and relevant Government departments, concerning the teaching of Creationism in schools in March 2002. He fronted a BBC schools programme on "Secular Beliefs" in March 2006, and contributed an article on "The rise and fall and rise again of secularism" to an issue of Public Policy Research on religion (ippr, Dec 05 - Feb 06).  He was also one of the signatories to a letter supporting a holiday on Charles’ Darwin’s birthday, published in The Times on February 12, 2003, and also sent to the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary. 

See also

• Julian Baggini’s website
• Julian Baggini in The Guardian, 14/4/07, writing about the real "clash of civilisations", between "liberal openness" and "the clarity of dogma". He concluded: "...in the everyday world we can and must distinguish truth and falsity, right and wrong, even if on close examination these terms do not mean what we thought they did. Science may not be God-like in its objectivity, but it is not just another myth. Moral values must be questioned, but if discrimination against women, homosexuals or ethnic minorities is wrong here, then it is wrong anywhere else in the world. Truth may not be the simple phenomenon we assume it to be, but falsehoods must be challenged."
• Julian's critique of the New Atheism movement
• Julian's Guardian article about the meaning of life