Living on Earth: How Life Shapes Our Planet with Peter Godfrey-Smith

Writer's Voice with Francesca Rheannon

Episode Description:

In this episode, host Francesca Rheannon sits down with philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith to discuss his latest book, Living on Earth: Forests, Corals, Consciousness, and the Making of the World.

Godfrey-Smith offers a fresh perspective on how life forms, from the simplest bacteria to complex animals, have actively shaped our planet. This episode dives deep into the evolutionary history of choice and how understanding our impact on the world can guide better decisions for the future.

Tune in to explore how organisms aren’t just products of evolution but key players in creating the environment we inhabit today.

Read Transcript

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

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Key words: Peter Godfrey-Smith, philosophy, science, evolution, podcast, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book podcast, book show

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Key Topics Covered:

• How organisms, from bacteria to humans, have shaped the Earth’s environment.
• A discussion on the “mind-as-cause” perspective and its implications for understanding evolution.
• The moral and ethical implications of our choices and how they affect other living beings. “Factory farming is pretty much the worst thing humans do, at least to non-humans.”
• Godfrey-Smith’s critique of the Gaia hypothesis and the idea of Earth as a living organism.
• The role of consciousness in non-human life forms, including animals and plants.
• The challenges and ethical concerns surrounding artificial intelligence and its limitations.
• A call to re-balance priorities with respect to the environmental crises of climate change and habitat destruction.