Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
Lives Well Lived is hosted by Peter Singer & Kasia de Lazari Radek. Episodes consist of interviews with remarkable guests who have lived well, both in the sense of living an ethical life, but also in that they are fulfilled and happy with what they have achieved in their lives. Some of these guests will be well-known figures, but others who are doing extraordinary things will be unfamiliar to almost all of our listeners. The conversations will often cover ground that involves ethics, how to live well, and how to make a positive difference in the world. It will inspire and empower its audience to change their own lives for the better.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Ethical living, effective altruism, philanthropy • Happiness, wellbeing science, mindfulness, motivation • Moral philosophy, justice, disability ethics, empathy • Animal rights, human exceptionalism, animal cognition • Politics, climate, public health, food industry • Creativity, art, trauma, meaning, consciousnessThis podcast features long-form interviews hosted by Peter Singer and Kasia de Lazari Radek with guests drawn from philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, economics, public health, politics, activism, and the arts. Across conversations, the central question is what it means to live well—both as a matter of personal fulfillment and as an ethical project shaped by responsibilities to other people, animals, and future generations.
A recurring theme is the relationship between happiness, meaning, and choice. Guests explore how people predict what will make them happy, why intuitions can be unreliable, and what research suggests about wellbeing, mindfulness, and the tradeoffs between enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose. Several discussions probe the limits of self-control and autonomy, including the roles of dopamine, habit, addiction, and the extent to which biology and environment constrain free will and moral responsibility.
Ethics and practical moral decision-making are woven throughout, often with an emphasis on how individuals can make a positive difference. Topics include effective altruism and evidence-based philanthropy, aligning career ambitions with moral aims, and the challenges of sustaining long-term impact while balancing personal life. The show frequently engages with public policy questions—such as health systems, vaccination and pandemic response, climate justice, and how governments might incorporate wellbeing into decision-making.
Animal ethics and the moral status of nonhuman minds appear prominently, ranging from scientific insights into animal cognition and the evolution of cooperation to debates about factory farming, activism, and legal strategies aimed at reducing suffering. Broader reflections on human nature and social life include empathy in conflict and negotiation, the evolution and psychology of love and bonding, and how group identities shape moral “tribes.”
Interviews with writers, musicians, filmmakers, and other public figures broaden the lens to creativity, legacy, trauma, censorship and controversy, spirituality, and finding meaning in an indifferent universe. Overall, listeners can expect a blend of personal life stories and rigorous engagement with moral philosophy and the behavioral sciences, grounded in real-world dilemmas and social change.
