On the last point, it is striking to see the sheer diversity of the backgrounds of the philosophers. Most of the interviewees, and this is quite typical of philosophers generally, started out on a very different path; for example, careers in science, law, even the priesthood. But it is also notable that their family backgrounds are also very diverse, varying from philosopher parents to parents who sold gadgets at shows and markets. It is fascinating to read how these people ended up in academic philosophy; as political philosopher Philip Pettit describes his own case, it can be ‘a strange and baroque story’. Varied though the stories are, however, they mostly have a common ending; one forms a sense of people who have found their true vocation. Indeed, in a number of cases, the interviewees venture the suggestion that they were doing philosophy before they started to study formally. It is an interesting fact about philosophy that there is a truth to this suggestion, whereas it would be absurd to say the same thing, say, of law, medicine, or even history.

This brings us to the nature of philosophy. On this point it is important to recognise that this volume is not in any way a general introduction to philosophy. Of course, many of the central questions of philosophy – including ‘what is the mind’, ‘what is a morally good life’, the nature of time – are discussed, but always in a personal context. The volume offers a window on how a number of Australasian philosophers have approached these questions and attempted to answer them. At the same time, while the philosophical debates in which the various philosophers are engaged are highly complex, for the most part these interviews are pitched at such a level that general readers can gain a sense of the problems being discussed and why they are important. Sometimes the importance of the philosophical questions will be obvious. Thus, for example, the kinds of philosophical questions that have exercised Singer – and that relate to our treatment of other animals, the ethics of euthanasia, and so on – will already be familiar to, and pressing for, many. But many other philosophical questions matter to us as well; such as, ‘is the mind just a machine?’ or ‘what effect does pornography have on the lives of women?’ Philosophers interviewed here have made substantial contributions to answering these and similarly important questions.

Much in this volume will be of interest to a wide variety of readers, indeed to anyone at all curious about philosophy. The editors note that they were only able to interview a sample of the many Australasian philosophers who are doing interesting and internationally significant work. Nevertheless, there are a number of absences from the list of interviewees that will strike some readers as surprising. To focus on just two names worthy of particular mention, it is a pity that, for whatever reasons, this volume does not contain interviews with either David Armstrong, formerly Challis Professor of Philosophy at Sydney University, or Raimond Gaita, formerly Professor of Philosophy at King’s College London and the Australian Catholic University and now Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne. While very different philosophers, Armstrong and Gaita have each had a unique influence in their chosen area of philosophical interest. Armstrong is famous for his work in metaphysics and the philosophy of mind, and his influence on other Australasian philosophers has been exceptional; indeed, some of those interviewed acknowledge a debt to him. In Gaita’s case, unlike Armstrong’s, it is worth noting that his important work in moral philosophy flows against the prevailing tide in Australasian philosophy. Still, Gaita’s work is widely respected. More importantly for a volume such as this that aims to reach a wider public, Gaita’s work has had a significant impact in public ethical debates in Australia. Apart from Singer, he is perhaps the only Australian philosopher that many readers of this magazine would know. Gaita’s is both an influential and highly distinctive voice in philosophy, one that would have added a further dimension to this volume.

Occasionally, the dialogues become so complex that non-specialists may find it difficult to follow them or remain engaged. Similarly, general readers may be less interested in questions relating to the responsibilities some of those interviewed have taken up within university administrations. Sometimes this sounds a bit like ‘shop talk’. However, readers may be interested to discover the amount of time and mental energy that some of those interviewed feel compelled to expend simply so that the discipline of philosophy might survive in their university. It is sometimes said by non-philosophers that philosophy is somehow ‘other-worldly’. Anyone who thinks like that should read this book. Many of these interviews reveal that even though philosophy is complex and involves abstract ideas, it is worldly and important. If there is anything that distinguishes philosophy in the antipodes, it is perhaps that claims of ‘other-worldliness’ are especially misplaced when directed at it.