All Episodes
The Minefield — 267 episodes
How to protect democratic politics from the malign influence of money?
What happens to our moral lives when we stop reading books?
Do prediction markets enhance our understanding of the world or corrupt it?
‘The Devil Wears Prada’ — high fashion or vision of hell?
Copyright theft is AI’s original sin — are we doomed to repeat it?
Last Words: ‘I’ve Been to the Mountaintop’ — Martin Luther King, Jr in Memphis
Why the anxieties over multiculturalism? What’s the appeal of a monocultural society?
One Nation is on the rise — but do we know what it means?
The ethics of ‘longtermism’ — what are our obligations to the future?
Last Words: The ‘Farewell Sermon’ of the Prophet Muhammad
The Problem of Nationalism, with David Moscrop — Live at the Sydney Writers’ Festival
What is the moral of Marlowe’s ‘Doctor Faustus’?
Does the budget have a coherent underlying philosophy?
Are ‘reaction videos’ dulling our ability to be genuinely responsive?
NDIS reforms may be necessary, but they’re also morally fraught
Smart glasses — a new frontier of foreseeable digital harm?
The price of sovereignty: Are we prepared to pay more for less vulnerability?
Social cohesion is straining — can citizens’ assemblies help?
Why do democracies seem so fragile in the face of shortages?
Why Autocracy Needs Spectacle — with M Gessen
Can illegal wars still be legitimate wars?
Ramadan: Politics Straight from the Heart — with Christos Tsiolkas
Ramadan: ‘Do Not Harden Your Heart’ — with Avril Alba
Ramadan: Having a ‘Change of Heart’ — with Claire Zorn
Ramadan: The Heart and the Moral Life — with Stephen Darwall
What can headcoverings teach us about individuality, dignity and modesty?
Can political moderation survive in an age of grievance?
From Venezuela to Greenland — how to respond to Trump’s territorial ambitions?
What does hate speech do — and why is it so hard to legislate against?
Anna Funder on the ethical and aesthetic problem of monstrous artists
"There's a horse loose in a hospital": Is John Mulaney a comedic genius?
The importance of letting someone 'save face'
How do recommendation algorithms affect our sense of taste?
AI and the cost to human life — with Karen Hao
What can we learn about politics from Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s ‘Good and Bad Government’?
The ethics of life-writing: Memoirs may be popular, but can they be truthful?
What will we lose if translation becomes wholly automated?
‘Adult time for violent crime’? What commitments should guide society’s response to youth crime?
Will weight loss drugs entrench cultural expectations about body size?
Is the experience of beauty slipping away in an age of frictionlessness, speed and AI slop?
Protests are a democratic right that can go wrong — how much should they be restricted?
When democracy abandons decency — with George Packer
Learning to inhabit silence — with Stan Grant
What role should emotion play in the fraught politics of immigration?
The ‘fascism’ paradox — with Jason Stanley
Mailbag — we answer your questions
Why Charlie Kirk’s assassination is a test for democracy — and of our decency
Bonus episode: Jane Austen’s enduring charm
What are we doing when we let someone ‘save face’?
The threat that AI poses to human life — with Karen Hao
Are there inherent limits on what should be said in public debate?
If AI causes widespread job losses, is a Universal Basic Income the solution?
Should childcare be offered by for-profit providers?
What does it mean to be committed to ‘net zero’?
What would be achieved by recognising a Palestinian state?
What are recommendation algorithms doing to our sense of taste?
Why are regressive expressions of masculinity now so popular?
“There’s a horse loose in a hospital”: What John Mulaney gets right about (non-)political comedy
What is “content” doing to our sense of value?
Can the cinematic genius of “Jaws” overcome its problematic legacy?
Israel/Iran: What are the ethical and legal limits of self-defence?
Where to now for conservative politics in Australia?
The moral problem of monstrous artists, with Anna Funder: Live from the Sydney Writers’ Festival
“Progressive patriotism” — is it an idea whose time has come?
Why is our response to humanitarian crises so complicated — and inconsistent?
Is it only “joy” when it’s shared?
Australian voters have spoken — do we know what they said?
Is disillusionment a feature of democratic politics, not a bug?
What are we doing when we vote?
Can Australia’s federal election escape the shadow of Donald Trump?
AI in education — is it a technology to be feared, or a tool to be taught?
Are we on the brink of a world without books? On Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451”
Ramadan: Is hope a flimsy emotion, or can it grow from devastation?
Ramadan: Is optimism a virtue, or a form of moral evasion?
Ramadan: Should we try to live without fear, or learn to face it together?
Ramadan: Is despair always detrimental, or can it give rise to hope?
Are “firewalls” the best way to counteract the appeal of the far-right?
How hate speech in healthcare tears at something sacred in our common life
The School of Sport: Bob Murphy and the centrality of connection
The School of Sport: Craig Fitzgibbon and the burden of responsibility
The School of Sport: Lydia Williams and the virtue of vulnerability
The School of Sport: Madison de Rozario and the importance of pride
The School of Sport: Why does sport bring out the worst in some athletes?
Is Australia breaking?
What's behind the mass appeal of live music events?
The ethics of "Groundhog Day"
Are we losing a sense of "the common"?
The necessity of withdrawing
What are we doing when we give gifts?
Bonus episode: Can democracy be saved with decency? A public lecture by Scott Stephens
“The Godfather, Part II” — a parable of corruption and fall
Is a “digital duty of care” enough to protect young people from social media’s harms?
How much control should corporations have over the speech of their employees?
The return of Donald Trump — do we know what it means?
Is the concept of “evil” worth retaining?
Should revenge have any place in our politics?
Can democracy survive the perfect storm of disinformation?
What is “populism” – and what kind of problem does it pose?
What is it that makes “negative gearing” such a divisive tax policy?
“Truths that lie too deep for taint”: Wilfred Owen’s war poetry in our blood-soaked present
Can modern politics avoid propaganda?
Will Australia’s proposed cap on international students do more harm than good?
Festival of Dangerous Ideas: Is Australia breaking?
“Freedom!”: Why can’t US politics agree on the meaning of its most basic principle?
Coleman Hughes, “colourblindness”, and the contentious politics of race
“We live in a society!”: Seinfeld’s “Bizarro” comedy of morals
“I don’t want to join any club that would have me as a member”: How funny is irony meant to be?
“Time now for just a bit of fun”: Shaun Micallef on the importance of being silly
“And now for something completely different”: Why do surprises provoke laughter?
Political violence — why is it so corrosive to democratic life?
“There’s a crack in everything”: Richard Fidler on the art of absurdity
In a bespoke and individualistic age, are we losing a sense of “the common”?
Beatlemania at 60: Why was the band so popular before they were even great?
Right verdict, wrong case? The political dangers of Trump’s felony conviction
Is the rise of the far right in Europe inevitable? It’s complicated
Is it wrong to "rank" works of art?
Is international law powerless in the face of conflicts like Gaza?
If chatbots are polluting the commons of human communication, what are the moral consequences?
What are the ethical, and legal, limits of protests at Australian universities?
The decency of everyday life — are unwritten rules enough to sustain a good society?
What will endure? The ethics of “Groundhog Day”
After the stabbings in Sydney — Grief? Anger? Revenge?
What’s fueling the tension between the courts and the media?
What would the moral obligation to avoid civilian deaths look like in Gaza?
Ramadan — the rediscovery of society
Ramadan — the importance of friendship
Ramadan — the discipline of solitude
Ramadan — the necessity of withdrawing
Q+A on “the wisdom of crowds”
How much credence should we give to “the wisdom of crowds”?
When is it right to call some act – or someone – “evil”?
From Beyoncé to Taylor Swift — what’s behind the mass appeal of live music events?
What is the harm in “deepfakes” — and what are they doing to democracy?
How can trust be cultivated in a time of pervasive suspicion?
What do we lose by succumbing to conspiracy-mindedness?
In a screen saturated age, is literacy under threat?
What do we lose when we lose the capacity for boredom?
Goya’s “Saturn” and its moral challenge
Politics, farce ... and Fawlty Towers
What are playlists doing to our ability to listen to music?
Dickens’s philosophy of generosity: Revisiting “A Christmas Carol”, 180 years on
How much should we expect from the state?
Should drivers of electric vehicles be taxed more to use the roads?
What is social cohesion, what cultivates it, and what undermines it?
What is the moral case for a ceasefire in Gaza?
What’s behind the anger? On Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own”
Do we know what the result of the Voice referendum means?
Is it time to reconsider Australia’s bipartisan commitment to “stopping the boats”?
Some deaths matter more to us than others — but should they?
Can young people stay politically engaged without becoming disillusioned with democracy?
Travel is bad for the climate — but what if it’s also bad for us?
What’s the point of blame? When is it right to forgive?
Can democracy withstand the strategic use of online confusion?
In a critical age, are we losing the ability to say why we love what we love?
Facing the darkness: The moral challenge of Goya’s “Saturn devouring his son” (1823)
When is a referendum an unethical way of resolving a political question?
Should climate change make us rethink the ethics of nuclear energy?
1 May 1956: Was Elizabeth Anscombe right to charge Harry Truman with murder?
8 September 1974: Was Gerald Ford right to pardon Richard Nixon?
Is there any benefit to boredom?
Does AI pose a threat to human life — and if so, what kind?
Are cluster munitions a “lesser evil” in the war in Ukraine?
Why do we distance ourselves from our age?
What does it take to address a “wicked problem” like political corruption?
What are playlists doing to our ability to listen to music?
How to respond responsibly to the “cost of living crisis”?
Does the Voice to Parliament undermine Australia’s political traditions?
“Succession” — from tyranny to tragedy
Are Labor’s “stage three” tax cuts unjust and unethical?
Is Stan Grant’s decision the result of a broken media?
What is the human cost of success? Revisiting HBO’s Succession
What is the phenomenon of “bigness” doing to human agency?
Is loneliness a problem that can be solved?
Martial virtues, military conditioning, and moral damage
“An eye that cannot weep” — What does compassion demand of us?
“Knowledge that does not benefit” — On the uses and abuses of information
“A soul that will not be satisfied” — The problem of human restlessness
“A prayer that is not heard” — The dangers of ego-centric speech
“A heart that cannot humble itself” — The virtue of intellectual humility
Should Fawlty Towers’ farcical vision of Britain be “rebooted”?
What does the failure of Robodebt tell us about the government’s “duty of care”?
What does it mean to be a moral parent?
Should early childhood education be compulsory?
Sports betting: Is it corrupting what it means to be a fan?
What is generative-AI doing to our capacity to write — and think?
What does it mean to be “literate” — and is it under threat?
What’s at stake in this year’s constitutional referendum?
What’s the point of political comedy?
The ethics of shame
Is anger corrosive to the moral life? A conversation with Christos Tsiolkas
Purification and the Moral Life: Disciplining the Eyes
The Art of Living: Jane Austen's "Emma"
Bonus episode: The 2022 Simone Weil Lecture on Human Value
Should you avoid disagreements this Christmas or welcome them?
The ethical demands of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967)
Is jealousy a moral emotion, or an immoral one?
Is fashion remaking our bodies?
Is civility a moral obligation in a democracy?
Queen at Live Aid, 1985
Disruption or continuity: What does climate change demand?
Sports, sponsorship and solidarity
What are the moral limits of compromise?
Can Twitter be reformed, or should it be abandoned?
Live from the Festival of Dangerous Ideas: Is contempt corroding democracy?
How should the West respond to the threats of a wounded Putin?
Can sport teach us anything about the shape of a fair society?
Was Queen Elizabeth a “political” figure?
Is nostalgia necessarily a bad thing?
What do we owe our work?
How much should we care about Scott Morrison’s “secret ministries”?
How much polarisation can a democracy withstand?
The ethics of shame
Can constitutional recognition be an act of patriotic pride?
Should voice assistants use the voices of our loved ones?
What's the point of political "diversity"?
Does standpoint epistemology undermine democratic politics?
The Art of Living: Jane Austen's "Emma"
Persuasion — is it possible, or even desirable?
Is Julian Assange entitled to a “free speech” defence?
What’s the point of political comedy?
What would a First Nations Voice mean for Australia?
The ethical dilemmas of crowd-funding platforms
What is the significance of Australia’s federal election?
How do you solve a problem like housing affordability?
Is it ethical to be ambivalent?
Sovereignty, security, and the Solomon Islands
Purification and the Moral Life: The Ethics of Hunger and Eating
Purification and the Moral Life: Disciplining the Eyes
Purification and the Moral Life: Chastening Speech
Purification and the Moral Life: Transforming Desire
Is anger corrosive to the moral life? A conversation with Christos Tsiolkas
Live from WOMADelaide: Should children get the vote?
What's at stake in the conflict in Ukraine?
What’s worse in politics — lying or hypocrisy?
"Succession" — A Theatre of Cruelty
Does Australia have a concept of “solidarity”?
Was the Religious Discrimination Bill destined to fail?
How essential is compulsory voting to Australia’s democratic culture?
Are we suffering from too much moral language?
Novak and Boris — why have they elicited such strong public emotions?
Why don’t we talk more about class?
What are we doing when we "quote"?
Emojis: Universal language, or harbinger of an age of moral illiteracy?
Should journalists stay away from social media?
Is "opinion" doing more harm than good?
“Prestige television” and the moral life
Should wealthy nations be procuring booster doses?
The ethics of “sh*t-stirring”
Melbourne’s protests — last gasp or harbinger of things to come?
The ethics of political U-turns
Why don’t we talk more about class?
Should we enjoy sports that ruin athletes' lives?
What are we doing when we “quote”?
How much should we care about climate change?
Persuasion — is it possible, or even desirable?
Has the pandemic shown the unassailability of utilitarianism — or its inherent limitations?
Has democratic politics become too contemptuous of everyday life?
Should we avoid humiliating the unvaccinated?
From Abu Ghraib to Nakhon Sawan — why does torture persist?
Australian politics – is the divide geographical, not ideological?
Should journalists stay away from social media?
Was US failure in Afghanistan inevitable?
The ethics of dobbing
How much dissent is permissible in a public health emergency?
Can national shame lead to political change?
The ethics of space tourism
Myanmar — what are the limits of political violence?