About Us
At its heart, philosophy is about asking simple, even silly, questions: the sort of questions you probably asked when you were a kid. What's it all about? Why is there something rather than nothing? Does time stretch infinitely backwards as well as infinitely forward? Sometimes, these simple questions have complex answers, and The Philosopher's Zone is your guide through the strange thickets of logic, metaphysics and ethics.
But as well as looking at the world of philosophy, The Philosopher's Zone will also look at the world through philosophy. Today fundamental and perplexing issues - risk assessment, bio-technology, our relations with animals, relations between cultures, the question whether a society can be open, tolerant and, at the same time, secure and the Zone will look at what philosophical analysis can contribute to our understanding of these issues.
Alan Saunders
Alan Saunders was born and educated in London. He studied philosophy at the University of Leicester where he was also president of the students' union, and Logic and Scientific Method at the London School of Economics. He came to Australia in 1981 to pursue research in the History of Ideas Unit at the Australian National University and was subsequently awarded a PhD.
Having joined the Science Unit of ABC Radio National in 1987, Alan Saunders founded The Food Program which was broadcast weekly until 1991 and then from 1992 to 1997. During 1991 he was co-presenter of Screen, a weekly programme about film and television. Since 1997 he has been presenter of The Comfort Zone, a weekly review of architecture and design, gardens and food.
Alan has written about food and other topics for various publications including the ABC's Delicious magazine. He is the author of A is for Apple (Random House) and he had his first novel, Alanna, published by Penguin in 2002.
In 1992 Alan Saunders was awarded the Pascall Prize for critical writing and broadcasting.
