PODCAST · society
The Meaning of...
by Tim Dean and Monty Badami
The Meaning of Life explores how we find meaning in the modern world, hosted by anthropologist Dr Monty Badami and philosopher Dr Tim Dean.
Episodes
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How We Became Human special part 1
Tim wrote a book! And Monty read it! Not surprisingly, he loved it but also took Umbrage(TM) at some of the ideas expressed in it. In this first episode of a four-part bonus series, Tim and Monty unpack the themes of the book, starting with the core theme that our evolved moral minds are out of...
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Black Lives Matter
As the Black Lives Matter movement spreads across the globe in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, Monty shares his perspective on systemic racism and Tim looks at the role that he and others like him can play to confront racism and make real change. This was a powerful and emotional episode...
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COVID-19 Special
The global COVID-19 pandemic has shattered normality and created strange and unsettling times. But it's also an opportunity to reflect on what really matters and what we take for granted. In this special episode, Monty talks about how we use ritual and symbols to make sense of the pandemic, and…
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Morality
It's hard to reconcile the tremendous diversity of moral views in the world with our conviction that our own moral views are the right ones. Does this mean morality is relative? If so, what is it relative to? In this episode, Monty looks at what anthropology has to say about morality, and Tim…
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Play
It often feels like play is a frivolous waste of time, that it's good for kids but inappropriate for adults. But play is how we learn to interact with others, how to create and abide by rules, how to explore our world and ourselves. Play allows any of us - whether kid or adult - to use our...
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Science fiction
It's no secret that both of us are old school Star Wars and Star Trek nuts (we even first bonded watching Star Trek: The Next Generation together back in the 1990s). But we think that science fiction is more than just action and fluff (although there's plenty of that too). In this episode we talk...
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Death
One of the certainties of life is that it will end. Yet we don't often talk about death, what it means, why many of us fear it, and how it can bring meaning to our lives. In this episode, Monty talks about the importance of funeral and mortuary rituals from cultures throughout history, Tim shares...
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Human Nature
Given that Tim is a philosopher who researches how biology informs morality, and Monty is an anthropologist who researchers how culture shapes who we are, you won't be surprised to hear that in this episode, Tim and Monty disagree (quite a lot) about whether there is such a thing as "human…
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Gender
Boys will be boys, and girls will be girls. Or will they? A lot of people think that if you're born with a certain set of chromosomes and particular genitalia, then your gender is set for life. But things aren't that simple. They never are. So how does sex relate to gender? Tim and Monty discuss...
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Violence
Are we naturally violent creatures that are tempered by culture? Or are we naturally peaceful and it's our culture that turns some of us violent? Tim and Monty discuss this (perhaps false) dichotomy and talk about what evolution and anthropology can tell us about the origins of violence.
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Sex
Sex is everywhere. It shapes our biology, it steers our behaviour, it permeates our society. It's not only about reproduction, sex serves an important social function too. Tim and Monty go back to the roots, if you will, looking at the evolution of sex - including why humans have bigger penises...
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Freedom of Speech
There has been a spate of incidents recently where people have been prevented from speaking, or "disinvited" from speaking events, because what they say is perceived to cause harm or even just offence. What does this mean for free speech? What even is speech? Tim and Monty talk (and disagree)…
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#metoo
The #metoo movement has already had a momentous impact, and many people are still parsing what it means for them. We think meaningful change will ultimately come from men, so it's something men should be thinking and talking about more. In this episode Monty talks about his experience working…
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The Meaning of... God
It's the holiday season, where many of us engage in religious holidays and festivals. But can we celebrate Diwali, Christmas or Hanukkah if we don't believe in supernatural forces (or Santa Claus)? Why is belief in a god or gods so common throughout history and across cultures? What role does god...
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The Meaning of... Cultural Appropriation
From hoop earrings to yoga to rock and roll, people from one culture often "appropriate" elements from other cultures. But is this a case of exploitation? Should people ask permission before drawing from another culture? Are there times when another culture is off limits?
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The Meaning of... Race
In many ways, race is an outdated concept that refers to biological differences among human populations that don't really exist in the way many people think they do. But race is also a social phenomenon that is deeply significant to many people's sense of meaning. So how should we think about…
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The Meaning of... Love
Why is love such a potent experience? Is it just down to a biological imperative to mate, or is there something transcendental about it? In this episode, we discuss love from the perspectives of philosophy, anthropology and science.
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The Meaning of... Time
Business is the new Rolex watch. It seems to signal our importance. But are we "spending" our time effectively? Or wasting it keeping busy and not doing the things that mean the most?
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The Meaning of... Music
Birds can sing, dogs can bark, but only we compose symphonies or dance until the wee hours. Why? Where does music come from? How did it evolve? And what function does it serve today?
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The Meaning of... Trump
The election of Donald Trump to be President of the United States came a shock to many. Why? And what can be done about the polarisation of views that makes it so hard for those who support and oppose Trump to even talk to each other constructively?
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The Meaning of... Identity
There's how we are and how we think we are. But what happens when they get out of synch?
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The Meaning of... Art
Join us for a special live recorded episode held at Sydney Contemporary art expo hosted by The School of Life at the Glenfiddich whisky bar. We talk about the evolution of art, the role it plays in in our lives and how we use it to create and explore meaning.
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The Meaning of... Life
The Meaning of Life explores where we find meaning in our lives, whether through work, family, love, religion, death etc. But we appear to live in a vast uncaring universe. So can there even be any meaning to be found?
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What is The Meaning of...?
What's this podcast all about, and who are these guys behind it? Find out here.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Meaning of Life explores how we find meaning in the modern world, hosted by anthropologist Dr Monty Badami and philosopher Dr Tim Dean.
HOSTED BY
Tim Dean and Monty Badami
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Meaning of... have?
The Meaning of... currently has 24 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Meaning of... about?
The Meaning of Life explores how we find meaning in the modern world, hosted by anthropologist Dr Monty Badami and philosopher Dr Tim Dean.
How often does The Meaning of... release new episodes?
The Meaning of... has 24 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Meaning of...?
You can listen to The Meaning of... on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Meaning of...?
The Meaning of... is created and hosted by Tim Dean and Monty Badami.
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