TrueSciPhi

Podcast Profile: The Meaning of...

Site • RSS • Apple Podcasts
24 episodes
2017 to 2022
Median: 56 minutes
Collection: Philosophy

Description (podcaster-provided):

The Meaning of Life explores how we find meaning in the modern world, hosted by anthropologist Dr Monty Badami and philosopher Dr Tim Dean.

Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

➤ anthropology and philosophy on meaning • morality and human nature via evolution and culture • identity, race, gender, sex, love • ritual, religion, death • politics, free speech, racism • art, music, play, science fiction

This podcast examines how people create and negotiate meaning in contemporary life through conversations between an anthropologist and a philosopher. Across episodes, the hosts bring anthropology, philosophy, evolutionary biology, psychology, and cultural history into dialogue, often using disagreement as a way to clarify concepts and test assumptions. The overall approach is explanatory and comparative: how human universals might arise from evolution, how cultural practices shape experience, and where modern social conditions pull those forces out of alignment.

A recurring theme is morality and social coexistence in diverse, pluralistic societies. The show explores why moral convictions feel self-evident while moral systems vary widely, how evolved “moral minds” may fit poorly with modern institutions, and how tensions between individual rights and collective responsibilities show up in real-world dilemmas. Language and norms are treated as central tools for coordinating social life, including debates about free expression, harm, and whether speech reflects or constructs reality.

The podcast also tackles identity and difference—race, gender, sex, and broader questions about human nature—by separating biological claims from social meanings and examining how categories become personally and politically significant. Related discussions address power and conflict, including systemic racism, violence, and social movements aimed at changing entrenched norms, with attention to what constructive engagement and responsibility can look like.

Alongside these social and ethical topics, the hosts consider sources of meaning that operate through ritual, symbols, and imagination. They discuss how people respond to mortality and uncertainty, the role of funerary practices and philosophical arguments about fear of death, and how crises like a pandemic expose what individuals and communities value. Cultural practices such as art, music, play, and science fiction are treated not as mere entertainment but as evolved and socially patterned ways humans learn rules, explore possibilities, build shared worlds, and project better futures. Religion and “god” are approached in terms of why belief is widespread and how religious festivals and practices can matter even for nonbelievers.

Episodes: