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Barry C. Smith

Director of the Institute of Philosophy, University of London

"Don’t argue about how much salt there is in food — this can save relationships — you live in different taste worlds; you’ve got different taste buds.”


Barry C Smith is a professor of philosophy and directs the Institute of Philosophy at the University of London’s School of Advanced Study. Founding director of the Centre for the Study of Senses, Barry C Smith has created a platform for collaborative research between philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists. Smith’s research interests include the philosophy of mind and language, and currently researches on the multisensory nature of perceptual experience. Given his interest in sensory perceptions, Barry C Smith often collaborates with chefs and artists and has appeared on food programmes such as BBC’s Masterchef, BBC Two’s Inside the Factory and on BBC Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet. Barry C Smith has edited The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Language, Oxford University Press and Questions of Taste: the Philosophy of Wine. He is a frequent contributor to The World of Fine Wine and is a wine columnist for Prospect Magazine.


“Well up to the task of situating wine-centered questions within a larger framework of questions about taste and perception, subjectivity and objectivity.” ~ The TLS

Photo of Barry C. Smith

"Don’t argue about how much salt there is in food — this can save relationships — you live in different taste worlds; you’ve got different taste buds.”


Barry C Smith is a professor of philosophy and directs the Institute of Philosophy at the University of London’s School of Advanced Study. Founding director of the Centre for the Study of Senses, Barry C Smith has created a platform for collaborative research between philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists. Smith’s research interests include the philosophy of mind and language, and currently researches on the multisensory nature of perceptual experience. Given his interest in sensory perceptions, Barry C Smith often collaborates with chefs and artists and has appeared on food programmes such as BBC’s Masterchef, BBC Two’s Inside the Factory and on BBC Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet. Barry C Smith has edited The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Language, Oxford University Press and Questions of Taste: the Philosophy of Wine. He is a frequent contributor to The World of Fine Wine and is a wine columnist for Prospect Magazine.


“Well up to the task of situating wine-centered questions within a larger framework of questions about taste and perception, subjectivity and objectivity.” ~ The TLS

More Videos

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Everywhere and Nowhere

Are binary oppositions real?

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Beyond Truth and Falsehood

What is real?

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Who Looks Back in the Mirror

Are we any closer to understanding the self, and what makes each one of us who we are?

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Thinking Afresh

Is consistency consistent?

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The Famine and the Feast

Why are we obsessed with food scarcity?

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The betrayal of beauty

Can we separate art from beauty?

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The one true story

Is philosophy the disinterested pursuit of truth?

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Barry C. Smith,Hannah Critchlow,Matt O'Dowd,Gary Lachman

Me, my world, and I

The myth and reality of collective experience

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Barry C. Smith,Eliane Glaser,Remi Adekoya,Esther Freud

Based on a true story

Is an objective story of the past possible?

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The Adventure of Space

Why Apollo 11 was a global human achievement

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The puzzle of perception with Barry C. Smith

How our senses affect our reality

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Do we still need morality?

Is there an objective morality to guide us?

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The seduction of advertising

How companies use philosophy to control your tastes

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Lost in language

Is analytic philosophy's fixation on language holding us back?

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The True and the Trivial

Can comedy convey profound ideas?