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Humanism Now

Humanism Now

By: Humanise Live
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Humanism Now is the weekly podcast for everyone curious, interested or actively engaged in secular humanism. Each Sunday, host James Hodgson—founder of Humanise Live—welcomes scientists, philosophers, activists, authors, entrepreneurs and community leaders who are challenging the status quo and building a fairer, kinder world. Together we unpack today’s toughest ethical questions—using reason and compassion instead of dogma—and champion universal human rights and flourishing. Expect in-depth interviews on today's pressing issues, from climate action, protecting freedoms, equality & justice to AI ethics and cosmic wonder. Every episode delivers practical take-aways for living an ethical, purpose-driven life while discovering more about ourselves, others and the universe. Whether you’re a lifelong secular humanist or simply curious about a naturalistic worldview, hit follow for insight-packed conversations that challenge ideas, celebrate human potential and inspire positive change. Join our global community working toward a fairer, kinder and more rational world—for this generation and the next.© 2026 Humanise Live Philosophy Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Was Spinoza an Atheist? Steven Nadler on the Philosopher Who Defined Free Thought

    Was Spinoza an Atheist? Steven Nadler on the Philosopher Who Defined Free Thought
    Aug 18 2026
    "If there's a theme that unites all of Spinoza's philosophical writings, it's freedom: both personal freedom, how we become liberated from irrational passions, and political and social freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of belief and freedom of association." — Steven Nadler Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!⁠ Baruch Spinoza was excommunicated by his own community, condemned across Europe, and called the most dangerous philosopher of his age. Centuries later, scholars still argue over what he actually believed. In this episode, James Hodgson speaks with Steven Nadler, one of the world's foremost authorities on Spinoza, about the man, his radical ideas, and the case that Spinoza was, in the modern sense, a genuine atheist. We explore what "atheist" even meant in the 17th century, why "God or nature" is not the same as pantheism, how Spinoza's defence of democracy and free expression anticipated modern liberal values, and why Einstein said his God was Spinoza's God. About the guest Steven Nadler is a Vilas Research Professor and the William H. Hay II Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and one of the world's leading authorities on Spinoza. A Pulitzer Prize finalist, his books include Spinoza: A Life and A Book Forged in Hell. His latest is Spinoza, Atheist. In this episode Who Spinoza was, his 1656 excommunication, and why his works were branded "soul-destroying" and "forged by the devil" What "atheist" meant in the 17th century, and how it differs from Spinoza's atheism in the modern sense Why "God or nature" (Deus sive natura) marks the line between the pantheist and the atheist Spinoza's timeless case for democracy, freedom of belief, and separating church from state Chapters 00:00 Introduction: who was Spinoza? 01:27 Excommunication and the major works 03:51 The Dutch Republic, Amsterdam and religious tolerance 06:23 What "atheist" meant in the 17th century 09:59 Adriaan Koerbagh and the Theological-Political Treatise 13:35 What Spinoza was really advocating for 16:32 How radical the ideas were, and how they spread 20:23 "God or nature": the pantheism question 24:19 Einstein's God and Spinoza's God 26:03 The many Spinozas: interpretation vs claiming him 29:06 Why Spinoza was an atheist in the modern sense 30:13 Was Spinoza a humanist? 32:08 Spinoza's legacy: freedom and human flourishing 34:45 Closing question: changing his mind Links and references Steven Nadler Spinoza, Atheist (Princeton University Press): https://press.princeton.edu/our-authors/nadler-steven A Book Forged in Hell: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Forged-Hell-Spinozas-Scandalous/dp/069116018X Spinoza's works and resources The Ethics (full text, Project Gutenberg): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3800 Theological-Political Treatise (full text, Project Gutenberg): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/989 Museum Het Spinozahuis, the Spinoza House: https://spinozahuis.nl/en/home-en/ Baruch Spinoza, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/spinoza/ Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a rating and review, and share it with a friend. Join our community on Ko-fi for exclusive content and to support the show. Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow us on all socials @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • How to Disagree Without Dehumanising | Sharon Booth, Solutions Not Sides

    How to Disagree Without Dehumanising | Sharon Booth, Solutions Not Sides
    Aug 12 2026
    "Education shouldn't be about telling young people what to think. It should be telling them how they can think." — Sharon Booth How do you hold an honest conversation about one of the world's most divisive conflicts, in a school classroom, without it descending into a shouting match? This episode looks at peace education: the skills, the psychology and the facilitation that let people disagree deeply while still recognising each other's humanity. Our guest is Sharon Booth, founder and executive director of Solutions Not Sides (SNS), an educational charity that brings young Palestinian and Israeli peacebuilders into UK schools to share their stories and equip students to think for themselves. Sharon moderated the acclaimed "No Hope But Peace" dialogue at the Festival of Humanism in Bournemouth. In this conversation we cover: The SNS "PEACE" model and the three E's (exploration, empathy, empowerment), and why dialogue alone can do harm if it doesn't lead to change How social media and the "age of outrage" made people less willing to participate, and what Haidt's elephant and rider teaches us about why Creating "safe and brave" spaces, defusing in-group / out-group thinking, and the role Sharon believes humanists should play in peacebuilding Links: Solutions Not Sides: https://www.solutionsnotsides.co.uk No Hope But Peace (our earlier episode with Yaniv Aknin and Jasr Kawkby): https://humanismnow.buzzsprout.com Jonathan Haidt, The Righteous Mind: https://righteousmind.com Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Sharon Booth and Solutions Not Sides 02:02 Founding SNS and what peace education means 04:15 The three E's: exploration, empathy, empowerment 06:09 A more divided society: social media, COVID and outrage 08:53 The PEACE model, step by step 15:24 What young people teach us, and Haidt's elephant and rider 19:20 Creating safe and brave spaces 23:15 The Bournemouth dialogue and facilitating hard questions 28:31 Two stories from the classroom 34:53 Religion, nationalism and internal transformation 39:13 What role should humanists play in peacebuilding? 44:25 How to book or support SNS 45:29 Closing question: leaving evangelical Christianity Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live Music: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    43 mins
  • 84. The Mattering Instinct with Rebecca Goldstein

    84. The Mattering Instinct with Rebecca Goldstein
    Jul 26 2026
    Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community! — https://ko-fi.com/humanismnowpod "We are creatures of matter who long to matter — and one of the strongest manifestations of this is people who deny that we are matter." Professor Rebecca Newberger Goldstein is a philosopher, novelist, and MacArthur Fellow whose books include The Mind-Body Problem, Incompleteness, Betraying Spinoza, and 36 Arguments for the Existence of God (a work of fiction). In 2015 she was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama and has been named Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association. She joins us to discuss her latest book, The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us, and will be the keynote speaker at the World Humanist Congress in Ottawa this August. Topics we cover ✔︎ What the mattering instinct is, where it comes from, and why it may be the defining feature of our species ✔︎ The four locations on the mattering map — transcenders, communal materers, heroic strivers, and competitors — and what they reveal about human motivation ✔︎ Why public debates about religion so often fail — and what understanding mattering tells us about how to talk across belief divides Connect with Rebecca and find out more The Mattering Instinct: https://www.rebeccagoldstein.com/books/the-mattering-instinct Rebecca's website: https://www.rebeccagoldstein.com World Humanist Congress, Ottawa, August 2026: https://humanists.international/world-humanist-congress Send us Fan Mail Support the show Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe. Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.liveMusic: Blossom by Light Prism Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    49 mins
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I really like how James, panelist's and guests are tackling important subjects, with compassion, knowledge and vulnerability.
There is some great quality guests, with profound personal stories, that are both touching and relatable. I have learnt a lot about Humanism from this podcast and will look forward to hearing more.

On a personal note; the humanist outlook conveyed, has really struck a chord (ration, reason, compassion) and I think I have found my people. 🙏🏽💕

Engaging and informative 💭

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