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Peter Millican

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In 2005 Dr Peter Millican was appointed as Gilbert Ryle Fellow in Philosophy at Hertford College, Oxford (though for two years he was shared with Oriel College). In 2007 he was promoted to Reader in Early Modern Philosophy. From 2005 until 2010, he was Co-Editor of the journal Hume Studies. Hume's philosophy has indeed been the main focus of his research, though he continue to work also in Epistemology, Ethics, Philosophy of Language and of Religion. His teaching at Oxford is also quite varied, including General Philosophy, Formal Logic, History of Philosophy, Epistemology and Metaphysics, Logic and Language, and Philosophy of Religion.

Series featuring Peter Millican

  • Introduction to David Hume's Treatise of Human Nature Book One
  • Hume's Central Principles
  • General Philosophy
  • Futuremakers
  • David Hume (2018)
  • General Philosophy (2018)
  • Alan Turing on Computability and Intelligence
  • Ethics in AI
# Episode Title Description People Date
133 Ethics in AI Seminar: Responsible Research and Publication in AI Ethics in AI Seminar - presented by the Institute for Ethics in AI Peter Millican, Rosie Campbell, Carolyn Ashurst, Helena Webb 12 Jul 2021
132 Creative Commons Turing 2018/8: Searle versus Turing - Conclusion Lecture 8 in Peter Millican's 2018 Turing series. Peter Millican 14 Jan 2021
131 Creative Commons Turing 2018/7: Blockhead, the Chinese Room, and ELIZA Lecture 7 in Peter Millican's 2018 Turing series. Peter Millican 14 Jan 2021
130 Creative Commons Turing 2018/6: "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" - Overview of Turing's 1950 paper Lecture 6 in Peter Millican's 2018 Turing series. Peter Millican 14 Jan 2021
129 Creative Commons Turing 2018/5: Settling Hilbert's Entscheidungsproblem, and the Halting Problem Lecture 5 in Peter Millican's 2018 Turing series. Peter Millican 14 Jan 2021
128 Creative Commons Turing 2018/4: Enumerating the Computable Numbers, and the Universal Turing Machine Lecture 4 in Peter Millican's 2018 Turing series. Peter Millican 14 Jan 2021
127 Creative Commons Turing 2018/3: "On Computable Numbers" - Turing's 1936 Paper Lecture 3 in Peter Millican's 2018 Turing series. Peter Millican 14 Jan 2021
126 Creative Commons Turing 2018/2: Hilbert's Programme and Gödel's Theorem Lecture 2 in Peter Millican's 2018 Turing series. Peter Millican 14 Jan 2021
125 Creative Commons Turing 2018/1: Types of number, Cantor, infinities, diagonal arguments Lecture 1 in Peter Millican's 2018 Turing series. Peter Millican 14 Jan 2021
124 Coronavirus and ‘Disease X’ Professor Peter Millican interviews the Oxford scientists working at the forefront of research into Disease X Peter Millican, Sarah Gilbert, Peter Horby, Jimmy Whitworth 14 Jan 2021
123 Ebola Professor Peter Millican begins the final episode of this series in 2014, at the onset of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Peter Millican, Kevin Decock, Katie Ewer, Brian Angus 14 Jan 2021
122 HIV/AIDS In the ninth episode of our History of Pandemics season, Professor Peter Millican leaves the perils of influenza behind, only to discover an entirely new virus: HIV. Peter Millican, Harold Jaffe, John Frater, Kevin Decock 14 Jan 2021
121 The 'Spanish' Flu Professor Peter Millican arrives in the twentieth century, during the last years of the Great War, to a pandemic which you may have read a lot about during the early coverage of our current COVID outbreak. Peter Millican, John Oxford, Brian Angus, Claas Kirchhelle 14 Jan 2021
120 'Russian' Flu: the pandemic that wasn't? In this episode, Professor Peter Millican discusses a controversial outbreak... Peter Millican, Julia Mannherz, Claas Kirchhelle, Brian Angus 14 Jan 2021
119 Cholera Professor Peter Millican makes it to the nineteenth century to discuss the achievements of John Snow Peter Millican, Claas Kirchhelle, Brian Angus, Blanche Oguti 14 Jan 2021
118 Does AI threaten Human Autonomy? This event is also part of the Humanities Cultural Programme, one of the founding stones for the future Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. Peter Millican, Jonathan Pugh, Jessica Morley, Carina Prunkl 07 Dec 2020
117 Smallpox, and Jenner Welcome to the eighteenth century, at a point when Europe is going through another major smallpox outbreak, a disease that by this point has been plaguing populations around the globe for centuries. Peter Millican, Claas Kirchhelle, Brian Angus, Blanche Oguti 01 Dec 2020
116 The Great Plague in the final plague episode of the series, Professor Peter Millican talks to his guests about the last major outbreak of this horrific disease in seventeenth-century England. Peter Millican, Paul Slack, Emma Smith, Kees Windland 01 Dec 2020
115 The Black Death Professor Peter Millican arrives in the fourteenth century and meets history's most notorious plague outbreak. Peter Millican, Samuel Cohn, Blanche Oguti 01 Dec 2020
114 The Plague of Justinian Welcome to the Eastern Roman Empire in the sixth century. This time, Professor Peter Millican discusses a plague that historians and medical experts agree was likely the first plague pandemic humanity experienced. Peter Millican, Michael McCormick, Abigail Buglass 01 Dec 2020
113 Athens: the first plague? Join Professor Peter Millican in 5th century Athens, a crowded city in the midst of a siege, where a devastating disease had just erupted. Peter Millican, Tim Rood, Brian Angus, Blanche Oguti 01 Dec 2020
112 Ethics in AI Education This event is also part of the Humanities Cultural Programme, one of the founding stones for the future Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. Peter Millican, Milo Phillips-Brown, Max Van Kleek, Helena Webb 05 Nov 2020
111 Creative Commons General Philosophy 2018 Handouts PDF handouts to accompany Peter Millican's 2018 General Philosophy series. Peter Millican 23 Jun 2020
110 Creative Commons General Philosophy 2018 Slides PDF slides to accompany Peter Millican's 2018 General Philosophy series. Peter Millican 23 Jun 2020
109 Creative Commons GenPhil 2018/8: God and Morality Lecture 8 in Peter Millican's 2018 General Philosophy series. Peter Millican 23 Jun 2020
108 Creative Commons GenPhil 2018/7: Free Will and Responsibility Lecture 7 in Peter Millican's 2018 General Philosophy series. Peter Millican 23 Jun 2020
107 Creative Commons GenPhil 2018/6: Identity, Self-Interest, Free Will Lecture 6 in Peter Millican's 2018 General Philosophy series. Peter Millican 23 Jun 2020
106 Creative Commons GenPhil 2018/5: The Mind, and Personal Identity Lecture 5 in Peter Millican's 2018 General Philosophy series. Peter Millican 23 Jun 2020
105 Creative Commons GenPhil 2018/4: Facing Up to Scepticism Lecture 4 in Peter Millican's 2018 General Philosophy series. Peter Millican 23 Jun 2020
104 Creative Commons GenPhil 2018/3: Scepticism and Induction Lecture 3 in Peter Millican's 2018 General Philosophy series. Peter Millican 23 Jun 2020
103 Creative Commons GenPhil 2018/2: Matter, Mind, and Humanity Lecture 2 in Peter Millican's 2018 General Philosophy series. Peter Millican 23 Jun 2020
102 Creative Commons GenPhil 2018/1: Historical Introduction Lecture 1 in Peter Millican's 2018 General Philosophy series. Peter Millican 23 Jun 2020
101 Creative Commons Hume 2018 Handouts PDF handouts to accompany Peter Millican's 2018 Hume series. Peter Millican 21 May 2020
100 Creative Commons Hume 2018 Slides PDF slides to accompany Peter Millican's 2018 Hume series. Peter Millican 21 May 2020
99 Creative Commons Hume 2018/8: Sceptical Crisis and Second Thoughts Lecture 8 in Peter Millican's 2018 Hume series. Peter Millican 21 May 2020
98 Creative Commons Hume 2018/7: Scepticism about Body, Soul and Self Lecture 7 in Peter Millican's 2018 Hume series. Peter Millican 21 May 2020
97 Creative Commons Hume 2018/6: Causal Interpretation, to Scepticism Lecture 6 in Peter Millican's 2018 Hume series. Peter Millican 21 May 2020
96 Creative Commons Hume 2018/5: Probability and the Idea of Necessity Lecture 5 in Peter Millican's 2018 Hume series. Peter Millican 21 May 2020
95 Creative Commons Hume 2018/4: Induction and Belief Lecture 4 in Peter Millican's 2018 Hume series. Peter Millican 21 May 2020
94 Creative Commons Hume 2018/3: Faculties and Relations, to Causation Lecture 3 in Peter Millican's 2018 Hume series. Peter Millican 21 May 2020
93 Creative Commons Hume 2018/2: Ideas, Impressions, and Abstraction Lecture 2 in Peter Millican's 2018 Hume series. Peter Millican 21 May 2020
92 Creative Commons Hume 2018/1: Hume’s Background and Chief Aims Lecture 1 in Peter Millican's 2018 Hume series. Peter Millican 21 May 2020
91 Mark Carney on Climate Change Professor Millican travels to the Bank of England to interview its Governor, Mark Carney. Peter Millican, Mark Carney 20 Dec 2019
90 Solving climate change - nature or technology? Solving climate change can involve either mitigation – reducing the greenhouse gases we're putting into the atmosphere – or adaptation – the process of adjusting to our changing environment. Peter Millican, Nathalie Seddon, Jim Hall, Helen Gavin 20 Dec 2019
89 Is climate conflict inevitable? In this Futuremakers episode we ask experts the question - is climate conflict inevitable? Peter Millican, Kate Guy, Troy Sternberg 13 Dec 2019
88 Climate change - who should we sue? In this episode of Futuremakers, we’re asking what does a rise in litigious climate action mean for society as we race to meet climate targets? Peter Millican, Fredi Otto, Liz Fisher, Myles Allen 13 Dec 2019
87 Can we be green AND capitalist? In this episode we ask; can we be green AND capitalist? Peter Millican, Ben Caldecott, Thomas Hale, Charmain Love 28 Nov 2019
86 Should nuclear power be part of our energy system? Should nuclear power be part of our energy system? Join our host, philosopher Peter Millican, as he explores this topic with experts from Oxford. Peter Millican, Nick Eyre, Sarah Darby, James Marrow 28 Nov 2019
85 What did the Paris Climate Agreement change? What did the Paris 2015 Climate Agreement change? what did the politicians at Paris actually achieve? Peter Millican, Fredi Otto, Richard Miller, Sugandha Srivastav 07 Nov 2019
84 Climate change: do individual actions matter? Is there still potential for actions on an individual level to shape the future of the planet? Peter Millican, Susan Jebb, Tina Fawcett, Tristram Walsh 28 Oct 2019
83 How do you build a greener country? What does the current infrastructure in the UK look like, and how far is it from where we need to be to meet our international commitments? Peter Millican, Cameron Hepburn, April Burt, Alison Smith 28 Oct 2019
82 Climate change and politics - why haven’t we done more? With the IPCC warning that policymakers have limited time to keep global warming to a maximum of 1.5° C - why haven’t we done more? Peter Millican, Caroline Lucas, Ryan Rafaty, Tristram Walsh 28 Oct 2019
81 Twelve years to climate disaster? The IPCC’s 2018 Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C broke into the public consciousness through media reporting that we only had twelve years to limit climate change catastrophe.   Peter Millican, James Painter, Myles Allen, Helen Johnson 28 Oct 2019
80 Could quantum computing change the world? Peter Millican tries to discover the truth about a global race to develop the world’s first scalable quantum. Peter Millican, Peter Leek, David Deutsch, Vera Schafer 11 Apr 2019
79 Season Finale: AI selection box In the final episode of our series, we’re looking back at the themes we’ve discussed so far, and forward into the likely development of AI. Gil McVean, Sandra Wachter, Nigel Shadbolt, Peter Millican 08 Jan 2019
78 Is China leading the way in AI? In the penultimate episode of series one of Futuremakers, we’re looking at the development of AI across the globe. Peter Millican, Mike Wooldridge, Xiaorong Ding, Sophie-Charlotte Fischer 19 Dec 2018
77 What does AI mean for the future of humanity Join our host, philosopher Professor Peter Millican, as he explores this topic with three experts from Oxford University. Peter Millican, Allan Dafoe, Mike Osborne, Jade Leung 12 Dec 2018
76 Has AI changed the way we find the truth? Around the world, automated bot accounts have enabled some government agencies and political parties to exploit online platforms in dispersing fake messages. Peter Millican, Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Vidya Narayanan, Mimie Liotsiou 06 Dec 2018
75 From Ada Lovelace to Alan Turing, the birth of AI? Many developments in science are achieved through people being able to ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’ and in the history of AI two giants in particular stand out. Peter Millican, Ursula Martin, Andrew Hodges, Jacob Ward 19 Nov 2018
74 Does AI have a gender? Join our host, philosopher Peter Millican, as he explores the topics of gender and AI. Peter Millican, Gina Neff, Carissa Véliz, Sian Brooke 12 Nov 2018
73 Is AI good for our health? Join our host, philosopher Peter Millican, as he explores the topic "Is AI good for our health?" Peter Millican, Alison Noble, Paul Leeson, Jessica Morley 02 Nov 2018
72 Is the banking sector about to change for ever? AI is already playing a role in the finance sector, from fraud detection, to algorithmic trading, to customer service, and many within the industry believe this role will develop rapidly within the next few years. Peter Millican, Stephen Roberts, Nir Vulkan, Jannes Klaas 22 Oct 2018
71 Are all algorithms biased? Our lives are increasingly shaped by automated decision-making algorithms, but do those have in-built biases? If so, do we need to tackle these, and what could happen if we don't? Peter Millican, Sandra Wachter, Helena Webb, Brent Mittelstadt 22 Oct 2018
70 How will the automation of jobs likely progress? In 2013 two Oxford academics published a paper entitled 'The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?', estimating that 47% of U.S. jobs were at risk of automation. Peter Millican, Mike Osborne, Judy Stephenson, David Clifton 22 Oct 2018
69 Trailer: season one launching 22nd October! Down winding streets, beyond the dreaming spires, inside the college walls, debates are happening - in every study room and lecture theatre - about the future of society. Futuremakers, from the University of Oxford, invites you to that debate. Peter Millican 16 Oct 2018
68 Creative Commons 8. Conclusion; Scepticism in the Treatise and the Enquiry Eighth and final lecture in Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Central Principles. Peter Millican 14 Aug 2012
67 Creative Commons 7. Scepticism with Regard to Reason, the Soul and the Self Seventh lecture in Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Central Principles. Peter Millican 14 Aug 2012
66 Creative Commons 6. Hume on the External World Sixth lecture in Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Central Principles. Peter Millican 14 Aug 2012
65 Creative Commons 5: Hume on Causal Necessity Fifth lecture in Peter Millican's series on Hume's Central Principles. Peter Millican 14 Aug 2012
64 Creative Commons 4: Hume on Induction Fourth lecture in Peter Millican's series on Hume's Central Principles. Peter Millican 14 Aug 2012
63 Creative Commons 3: Hume's Logic: Relations, and Forms of Argument Third lecture in Peter Millican's series on Hume's Central Principles. Peter Millican 14 Aug 2012
62 Creative Commons 2. Overview, Theory of Ideas, and Faculty Psychology Second lecture in Peter Millican's series on Hume's Central Principles. Peter Millican 14 Aug 2012
61 Creative Commons 1. Historical Background, and His 'Chief Argument' First lecture on David Hume's Central Principles; focusing on the historical background and Hume's Chief Argument. Peter Millican 14 Aug 2012
60 Creative Commons 5. Of the Sceptical and Other Systems of Philosophy Accompanying slides for Lectures 5a to 5c of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise of Human Nature Book One. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
59 Creative Commons 4. Of Knowledge and Probability Accompanying slides for Lectures 4a to 4f of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise of Human Nature Book One. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
58 Creative Commons 3. Abstract Ideas, Space and Time Accompanying slides for Lectures 3a to 3c of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise of Human Nature Book One. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
57 Creative Commons 1. Introduction, Hume's Theory of Ideas and the Faculties Accompanying Slides for Lectures 1a to 1c of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
56 Creative Commons 5c. Of the Ancient and Modern Philosophies Third and Final part of Lecture 5 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of the Skeptical and Other Systems of Philosophy. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
55 Creative Commons 5b. Of Skepticism with Regard to the Senses Second part of Lecture 5 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of the Skeptical and Other Systems of Philosophy. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
54 Creative Commons 5a. Of Skepticism with Regard to Reason First part of Lecture 5 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of the Skeptical and Other Systems of Philosophy. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
53 Creative Commons 4f. The Point of Hume's Analysis of Causation Sixth part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
52 Creative Commons 4e. Understanding Hume on Causation Fifth part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
51 Creative Commons 4d. Of the Necessary Connection Fourth part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
50 Creative Commons 4c. Belief and Probability Third part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
49 Creative Commons 4b. The Argument Concerning Induction Second part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
48 Creative Commons 4a. Relations, and a Detour to the Causal Maxim First part of Lecture 4 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Of Knowledge and Probability. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
47 Creative Commons 3b. Space and Time Second part of Lecture 3 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Abstract Ideas, Space and Time. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
46 Creative Commons 3a. Hume's Theory of General (or Abstract) Ideas First part of Lecture 3 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Abstract Ideas, Space and Time. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
45 Creative Commons 2. Hume's Theory of Relations Lecture 2 of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
44 Creative Commons 1c. Hume's Faculty Psychology Third part of lecture one of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
43 Creative Commons 1b. The Theory of Ideas Second part of lecture one of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
42 Creative Commons 1a. Hume's Theory of Ideas and the Faculties First part of lecture one of Peter Millican's series on David Hume's Treatise on Human Nature Book One. Peter Millican 01 Aug 2012
41 Creative Commons 8.4 Persons, Humans and Brains Part 8.4. The final part of this series. Explores the distinction between mind and body and whether this makes a difference to the idea of personal identity. Peter Millican 01 Dec 2010
40 Creative Commons General Philosophy Lecture 8 PDF slides from Peter Millican's General Philosophy lecture 8. Peter Millican 01 Dec 2010
39 Creative Commons 8.3 Problems for Locke's View of Personal Identity Part 8.3. Criticisms of Locke's view of personal identity; if personal identity is dependent on memory then how does forgetting personal history and the concept of false memory change Locke's view of personal identity. Peter Millican 01 Dec 2010
38 Creative Commons 8.2 John Locke on Personal Identity Part 8.2. Looks at John Locke's view of personal identity; how consciousness and 'personal history' distinguish personal identity and the idea of memory as crucial for personal identity. Peter Millican 01 Dec 2010
37 Creative Commons 8.1 Introduction to Personal Identity Part 8.1. Introduces the concept of personal identity, what is it to be a person, whether someone is the same person over time and Leibniz's law of sameness. Peter Millican 01 Dec 2010
36 Creative Commons 7.4 Making Sense of Free Will and Moral Responsibility Part 7.4. A brief explanation of Hume's argument for sentimentalism and Robert Kane's views on free will and determinism. Peter Millican 01 Dec 2010
35 Creative Commons General Philosophy Lecture 7 PDF slides from Peter Millican's General Philosophy lecture 7. Peter Millican 01 Dec 2010
34 Creative Commons 7.3 Hume on Liberty and Necessity Part 7.3. Looks at Hume's views on liberty and its relationship to causal necessity; that we have free will but it is causally determined. Peter Millican 01 Dec 2010