Best Festival Of Dangerous Ideas Podcasts (2024)

1
Festival of Dangerous Ideas: Is Australia breaking? 54:05

9d ago54:05

54:05

One of Australia’s greatest strengths has been the remarkable diversity of its multicultural society. But is this also a potential source of weakness? In this live recording at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens, along with guest Stan Grant, explore the internal and external forces that risk undermining our sense of soci…

1
Can modern politics avoid propaganda? 53:38

9h ago53:38

53:38

With the US presidential election on the horizon, to say nothing of a number of Australian elections, our airwaves, news sites and social media feeds are filled with political rhetoric. Many of us have come to accept political rhetoric — with its obfuscations, generalisations, exaggerations and outright evasions — as the price of doing business wit…

1
Can modern politics avoid propaganda? 53:38

9h ago53:38

53:38

With the US presidential election on the horizon, to say nothing of a number of Australian elections, our airwaves, news sites and social media feeds are filled with political rhetoric. Many of us have come to accept political rhetoric — with its obfuscations, generalisations, exaggerations and outright evasions — as the price of doing business wit…

1
Will Australia’s proposed cap on international students do more harm than good? 54:12

1d ago54:12

54:12

Given the dependence of many Australian universities on international student fees, a significant drop in enrolments with no corresponding increase in government funding will likely yield a decline in the quality of teaching and research, a reduction in academic staff, and a precipitous tumble down the world university rankings. This would do consi…

1
Will Australia’s proposed cap on international students do more harm than good? 54:12

1d ago54:12

54:12

Given the dependence of many Australian universities on international student fees, a significant drop in enrolments with no corresponding increase in government funding will likely yield a decline in the quality of teaching and research, a reduction in academic staff, and a precipitous tumble down the world university rankings. This would do consi…

1
Festival of Dangerous Ideas: Is Australia breaking? 54:05

9d ago54:05

54:05

One of Australia’s greatest strengths has been the remarkable diversity of its multicultural society. But is this also a potential source of weakness? In this live recording at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens, along with guest Stan Grant, explore the internal and external forces that risk undermining our sense of soci…

1
“Freedom!”: Why can’t US politics agree on the meaning of its most basic principle? 53:57

16d ago53:57

53:57

Even for a nation obsessed with the concept of “freedom” — or perhaps it would be better to say, concepts, not all of them easily reconciled, some of them utterly incommensurable — the prominence it was given during the recent Democratic National Convention was arresting. It was as though the Democratic Party vaulted the presidencies of Ronald Reag…

1
“Freedom!”: Why can’t US politics agree on the meaning of its most basic principle? 53:57

17d ago53:57

53:57

Even for a nation obsessed with the concept of “freedom” — or perhaps it would be better to say, concepts, not all of them easily reconciled, some of them utterly incommensurable — the prominence it was given during the recent Democratic National Convention was arresting. It was as though the Democratic Party vaulted the presidencies of Ronald Reag…

1
Coleman Hughes, “colourblindness”, and the contentious politics of race 53:24

1M ago53:24

53:24

In democracies with a history of racial injustice, are “colourblindness” and recognition of a “common humanity” — which were at the heart of the moral philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. — desirable as expressions of our commitment to justice as equality?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Coleman Hughes, “colourblindness”, and the contentious politics of race 53:24

24d ago53:24

53:24

In democracies with a history of racial injustice, are “colourblindness” and recognition of a “common humanity” — which were at the heart of the moral philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. — desirable as expressions of our commitment to justice as equality?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
“We live in a society!”: Seinfeld’s “Bizarro” comedy of morals 53:48

1M ago53:48

53:48

When the first episode of Seinfeld went to air in 1989, it faced stiff competition from a packed field of American sitcoms. By its finale in 1998, the “show about nothing” had redefined the sitcom genre and conquered comedy. Critical to its success was the unlikely alchemy of the four central characters — their navigation of the interpersonal confl…

1
“We live in a society!”: Seinfeld’s “Bizarro” comedy of morals 53:48

1M ago53:48

53:48

When the first episode of Seinfeld went to air in 1989, it faced stiff competition from a packed field of American sitcoms. By its finale in 1998, the “show about nothing” had redefined the sitcom genre and conquered comedy. Critical to its success was the unlikely alchemy of the four central characters — their navigation of the interpersonal confl…

1
“I don’t want to join any club that would have me as a member”: How funny is irony meant to be? 53:21

1M ago53:21

53:21

Humour can often be a response to the sense of being ill-at-home in society — perhaps even ill-at-home in the world. But whether it takes the form of fatalism or self-deprecation, all such forms of ironic self-distancing have a sting in the tail.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
“I don’t want to join any club that would have me as a member”: How funny is irony meant to be? 53:21

1M ago53:21

53:21

Humour can often be a response to the sense of being ill-at-home in society — perhaps even ill-at-home in the world. But whether it takes the form of fatalism or self-deprecation, all such forms of ironic self-distancing have a sting in the tail.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
“Time now for just a bit of fun”: Shaun Micallef on the importance of being silly 54:01

2M ago54:01

54:01

In one form or another, comedy often proceeds from a certain exaggeration of life — exaggerated bodily movements, or facial expressions, or scenarios, or reactions. These exaggerations have an unreality to them, but still maintain an uncanny relationship to more “normal” life. Put another way: sometimes comedy is just plain silly, the art of relish…

1
“Time now for just a bit of fun”: Shaun Micallef on the importance of being silly 54:01

2M ago54:01

54:01

In one form or another, comedy often proceeds from a certain exaggeration of life — exaggerated bodily movements, or facial expressions, or scenarios, or reactions. These exaggerations have an unreality to them, but still maintain an uncanny relationship to more “normal” life. Put another way: sometimes comedy is just plain silly, the art of relish…

1
“And now for something completely different”: Why do surprises provoke laughter? 53:34

2M ago53:34

53:34

Immanuel Kant called laughter a form of the disappointment of the understanding — which is to say, surprise — for which the body then compensates: “Whatever is to arouse lively, convulsive laughter must contain something absurd … Laughter is an affect that arises if a tense expectation is transformed into a nothing.” But surprises, it turns out, co…

1
“And now for something completely different”: Why do surprises provoke laughter? 53:34

2M ago53:34

53:34

Immanuel Kant called laughter a form of the disappointment of the understanding — which is to say, surprise — for which the body then compensates: “Whatever is to arouse lively, convulsive laughter must contain something absurd … Laughter is an affect that arises if a tense expectation is transformed into a nothing.” But surprises, it turns out, co…

1
Political violence — why is it so corrosive to democratic life? 53:49

2M ago53:49

53:49

The attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump, while undeniably shocking, was not altogether surprising. It was just the latest blow in a steady drumbeat of political violence that has only grown louder over the last decade. This reflects the fact that political violence is “in the air”, and is increasingly being regarded by many …

1
Political violence — why is it so corrosive to democratic life? 53:49

2M ago53:49

53:49

The attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump, while undeniably shocking, was not altogether surprising. It was just the latest blow in a steady drumbeat of political violence that has only grown louder over the last decade. This reflects the fact that political violence is “in the air”, and is increasingly being regarded by many …

1
“There’s a crack in everything”: Richard Fidler on the art of absurdity 53:21

2M ago53:21

53:21

Comedy happens when something occurs that makes visible just how futile are our most earnest efforts, and how superficial are our solemnities, our moments of greatest seriousness and decorum — hence the deep connection between comedy, absurdity and tragedy.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
“There’s a crack in everything”: Richard Fidler on the art of absurdity 53:21

2M ago53:21

53:21

Comedy happens when something occurs that makes visible just how futile are our most earnest efforts, and how superficial are our solemnities, our moments of greatest seriousness and decorum — hence the deep connection between comedy, absurdity and tragedy.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
In a bespoke and individualistic age, are we losing a sense of “the common”? 53:35

3M ago53:35

53:35

Because our lives are increasingly tailor-made, we are constantly seeking ways of distinguishing ourselves from others. What is being lost through is our sense of a humanity whose inherent vulnerability to misfortune, malfeasance and violence makes us dependent on one another.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
In a bespoke and individualistic age, are we losing a sense of “the common”? 53:35

3M ago53:35

53:35

Because our lives are increasingly tailor-made, we are constantly seeking ways of distinguishing ourselves from others. What is being lost through is our sense of a humanity whose inherent vulnerability to misfortune, malfeasance and violence makes us dependent on one another.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Beatlemania at 60: Why was the band so popular before they were even great? 54:01

3M ago54:01

54:01

The Beatles composed their best music in the years after 1965 — so what could account for the ecstatic response the band received in the United States and Australia in 1964? Why were they “big” before they were “good”?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Beatlemania at 60: Why was the band so popular before they were even great? 54:01

3M ago54:01

54:01

The Beatles composed their best music in the years after 1965 — so what could account for the ecstatic response the band received in the United States and Australia in 1964? Why were they “big” before they were “good”?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
FODI 2024 program out now 1:01

3M ago1:01

1:01

Are you BOLD, BRAVE and CURIOUS? FODI is back, baby. We’ve gathered the world's best for a weekend of provocation and inspiration. 87 speakers and artists including 16 international guests across 88 sessions at Carriageworks, Sydney for one massive weekend of danger. Presented by The Ethics Centre, FODI is a place to come and be curious together. A…

1
Right verdict, wrong case? The political dangers of Trump’s felony conviction 53:59

3M ago53:59

53:59

On 30 May 2024, after two days of deliberation following a five-week trial and hearing the testimony of 22 witnesses, a jury of 12 New Yorkers found former President Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony charges. But do the facts of the case brought against him, and the overriding fact it was brought in an election year, present insurmountable political…

1
Right verdict, wrong case? The political dangers of Trump’s felony conviction 53:59

3M ago53:59

53:59

On 30 May 2024, after two days of deliberation following a five-week trial and hearing the testimony of 22 witnesses, a jury of 12 New Yorkers found former President Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony charges. But do the facts of the case brought against him, and the overriding fact it was brought in an election year, present insurmountable political…

1
Is the rise of the far right in Europe inevitable? It’s complicated 54:30

3M ago54:30

54:30

The results of the recent European Parliament elections have only fuelled the growing concern across the member nations of the European Union that far-right, radical right, Eurosceptic and otherwise anti-immigrant parties are, once again, on the rise.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Is the rise of the far right in Europe inevitable? It’s complicated 54:30

3M ago54:30

54:30

The results of the recent European Parliament elections have only fuelled the growing concern across the member nations of the European Union that far-right, radical right, Eurosceptic and otherwise anti-immigrant parties are, once again, on the rise.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Is it wrong to "rank" works of art? 54:30

4M ago54:30

54:30

Apple Music recently released its list of the “100 Best Albums”. It was, without question, a clever marketing technique — but one that raises the problem of whether it’s appropriate to rank works of high human achievement in the first place.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Is it wrong to "rank" works of art? 54:30

4M ago54:30

54:30

Apple Music recently released its list of the “100 Best Albums”. It was, without question, a clever marketing technique — but one that raises the problem of whether it’s appropriate to rank works of high human achievement in the first place.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Is international law powerless in the face of conflicts like Gaza? 53:50

4M ago53:50

53:50

At a time when so many eyes are on international courts, is their apparent failure to protect civilians in Gaza — or to punish the perpetrators of 7 October — further damaging an already shaky public confidence in the concept of international law?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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