Philosophical beasts and where to find them

When

Sunday 6 September 2026
15:00 - 16:00

Where

The Royal Society of Edinburgh
22-26 George St, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ
View directions on Google Maps

Format

In-person

Access

Hearing loop, Wheelchair access, Wheelchair accessible toilets

Age

Suitable for ages 16+

Cost

Free to book

About this event

From thought-provoking theories to questions about reality, consciousness and knowledge, hear how philosophy helps us rethink the world around us.

What can a butterfly, a brain in a vat, a zombie, and a plucked chicken teach us about reality?

Hear about some of philosophy’s most famous thought experiments and curious “philosophical creatures”. From Zhuangzi’s butterfly and Nagel’s bat, to the brain in a vat and the philosophical zombie, this talk takes on the big questions about consciousness, language, knowledge and what it means to be human.

At a time when questions about reality, consciousness, identity and artificial intelligence are increasingly important, we’ll hear how philosophy can help us think more clearly and imaginatively about ourselves and the world around us.

Enjoy an afternoon exploring philosophy’s most strange and playful ideas, and how they can help us understand the human experience.

Tickets go live on Thursday 23 July at 11am.

Event type

Curious Talk

Contributors

Dr Ievgeniia Ivanova

Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Stirling and member of the Young Academy of Scotland

Dr Ievgeniia Ivanova is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Stirling and a member of the Young Academy of Scotland. She is a philosopher from Odesa, Ukraine, currently based in Scotland. Her research lies at the intersection of epistemology, philosophy of science, and general systems theory. She is particularly interested in how philosophical methods can help us analyse complex systems, including the deceptively simple questions of what “complexity” and a “system” actually are. Alongside her academic research, she has worked on media projects that introduce philosophical ideas and debates to wider public audiences.

Contact us

If you have an event enquiry, please email us on public_engagement@theRSE.org.uk.

Event testimonial

  • I think the RSE audience was noticeably different to the ‘typical’ audience I experience at public engagement events and definitely seems broader. I would consider working with RSE in future as a means to connect to an informed but very diverse audience.

    Curious contributor

  • The event was inclusive, friendly, open and not too high brow. The speakers were very down to earth and open with their answers.

    Curious attendee

This event has ended

What is Curious?

Curious is the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) free festival that celebrates the research, ideas and knowledge shaping society today.

Each year, Curious brings a packed programme of free in-person and online events covering themes from the arts, humanities, policy, science and more. To date, we’ve welcomed over 10,000 attendees for talks, workshops, exhibitions and discussions where you can learn from and speak with Scotland’s leading thinkers. As part of the RSE’s mission to make knowledge useful and accessible for everyone, Curious is open to anyone who wants to learn more about the world around them. No specialist knowledge is needed, just bring your curiosity.

Supported by

The support of the Scottish Funding Council is vital to our work to inspire and share knowledge with audiences, local communities, and future generations.

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