TrueSciPhi

Podcast Profile: The Public Philosopher

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17 episodes
2012 to 2024
Median: 41 minutes
Collection: Philosophy

Description (podcaster-provided):

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

This podcast brings Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel into direct conversation with live audiences to examine the moral reasoning behind prominent public controversies. Rather than presenting philosophy as abstract theory, it uses Socratic-style questioning to draw out competing intuitions, test principles, and clarify what people mean when they invoke ideas like fairness, rights, responsibility, dignity, and the common good. Discussions are staged in varied settings—universities, public festivals, civic institutions, and international forums—so that debates are shaped by both local experience and global perspectives.

Across the episodes, a recurring focus is how new technologies reshape human agency and social life. The podcast probes ethical questions raised by artificial intelligence, including algorithmic decision-making in education and personal relationships, digital manipulation of creative work and identity, and broader worries about whether automation changes the value of human judgment or work. These conversations connect to economic and social questions about what people owe one another when jobs are displaced, and how societies should think about prosperity, contribution, and security.

Another major theme is democratic life and civic identity. The podcast explores why participation matters, what democracy requires beyond voting, and how political community is strained by inequality, globalisation, and polarisation. It examines patriotism, cosmopolitanism, and national identity, along with hard questions about borders, migration, and the moral distinctions societies draw between different kinds of newcomers.

The series also tackles disputes about liberty and harm, including the limits of free speech and the role of the state in shaping private morality. It considers how societies should treat serious interpersonal and sexual violence, and how law and culture reflect judgments about wrongdoing. Questions of justice and distribution run throughout, from welfare and the meaning of individual responsibility to pay, merit, and opportunity in institutions such as universities and healthcare. The overall result is a tour of contemporary ethical and political dilemmas, anchored in public argument and philosophical scrutiny.