Humanism Now | Secular Ethics, Curios...
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.
26
62. From Commons Victory To Lords Gridlock: Ter...
In this short update epsiode, we are pleased to welcome back Nathan Stilwell, Humanists UK's Assisted dying Campaign Coordinator, Campaigns and Communications Manager at My Death My Decision and a member of The Assisted Dying Coalition Secretariat. Nathan explains what has happened since the Assisted Dying Bill passed the House of Commons, why it now risks falling in the House of Lords, and what supporters can do to help ensure it becomes law. This episode follows Nathan’s first appeara...
17 min
27
61. Empowering Leaders for Secular Groups that ...
“Most people want community, and yet these communities keep disappearing.” Dr. Darrel Ray is a psychologist, author, and organizational leader who has spent decades helping individuals leave religious belief systems and supporting secular communities around the world. He founded Recovering from Religion and the Secular Therapy Project, wrote influential books such as The God Virus, and recently launched the Institute for Secular Leadership to strengthen secular and humanist organisati...
39 min
28
60. Dr Alfredo Carpineti on Invisible Rainbows,...
"I blame dinosaurs, and I blame London." Astrophysicist and science communicator Dr Alfredo Carpineti (IFLScience, The Big Questions; creator of The Astroholic Explains; founder and chair of Pride in STEM) joins Humanism Now to explore why the cosmos still sparks childlike wonder, how great science communication balances accuracy with storytelling, and why his upcoming book Invisible Rainbows pairs “unseen light” with the human stories too often left out. Connect with Alfred...
42 min
29
59. 2025 in Humanism - Deconstruction, Collabor...
As Humanism Now wraps up 2025, host James Hodgson is joined by familiar voices from across the UK humanist movement to reflect on the year just gone and look ahead to 2026. Together, they explore community-building, youth engagement, activism, collaboration, and why humanism continues to resonate in uncertain times. Guests & Links Lola Tinubu – Association of Black Humanists (ABH) Association of Black Humanists – https://www.meetup.com/association-of-black-humanists/Festival of Freethinki...
38 min
30
58. Dr. Lois Lee on the Magic of Santa, Secular...
“[Magical beliefs in childhood] serve an important function.” - Dr Lois Lee For our festive special, Dr. Lois Lee, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Kent and one of the world’s leading scholars of non-belief, joins Humanism Now to explore why atheism spreads culturally and what Christmas reveals about humanist meaning in everyday life. Connect with Dr. Lee University of Kent profileExplaining Atheism ProfileExplaining Atheism ProjectTopics we cover ✔︎ Why a...
47 min
31
57. Will Gervais on the Origins of Religion, Di...
“Humans didn’t evolve to believe in gods — we evolved to learn from culture, and sometimes culture points away from gods.” Dr Will M. Gervais, psychologist and author of Disbelief, joins Humanism Now to examine one of the most persistent puzzles in the study of religion: why a species capable of deep religiosity also produces millions of convinced non-believers. Drawing on cultural evolution, cognitive science, and cross-cultural data, Will shows why belief and disbelief are shaped less by ra...
38 min
32
56. Indian Rationalism to Global Humanist Resis...
“Activism is the rent we pay to live on this world.” Alavari Jeevathol AJ board member of Humanists International, founding trustee of the National Multifaith Youth Centre, and National Coordinator of Young Humanists UK — returns to Humanism Now to explore a humanism shaped by South Indian pluralism, UK youth organising, and a lifelong commitment to duty, solidarity, and awe. This conversation traces India’s rationalist heritage, the case for humanistic spirituality, and why...
50 min
33
55. Sarah Levin on Secular Strategies to Mobili...
“We will lose a lot before we win — that’s just the reality of starting the race 50 years behind.” — Sarah M. Levin Sarah M. Levin - strategist, lobbyist, founder of Secular Strategies and co-founder of The Secular Vote, joins us to explore how secular voters are reshaping U.S. politics. She breaks down the real demographics behind the “nones,” why neutrality protects both believers and non-believers, and how church–state separation is at the heart of today’s fights over rights, democra...
51 min
34
54. Nursing the Nation Hosts on Why Nurses Belo...
“Nursing is the most humanistic of professions — it operationalises the philosophical groundings of humanism.” — Jamie Bourgeois “Nurses have 24/7 eyes on the human experience — we see how policy shows up in real people’s lives.” — Melissa Anne DuBois Jamie Bourgeois and Melissa Anne DuBois are the co-hosts of Nursing the Nation — a podcast giving nurses a national voice in debates that shape health, policy, and our daily lives. Together they explore how an ethic of evidence and empathy...
43 min
35
Introducing Sentientist Conversations: Jamie Wo...
This week we bring we are delighted to share the a guest episode from Sentientist Conversations, a podcast hosted by Jamie Woodhouse (Humanism Now Episode 4). In this episode, Jamie speaks with legendary primatologist Frans de Waal. Follow Sentientism Sentientism.infoAppleSpotifyYouTube“You cannot go wrong with compassion” – primatologist Frans de Waal – Sentientist Conversations Frans (fransdewaal.com) is a primatologist & ethologist. He is Professor of Primate Behavior at Emory Universi...
52 min
36
Introducing The Secular Sankofa Podcast - Recla...
This week we bring we are delighted to share the first episode of The Secular Sankofa Podcast, from the Association of Black Humanists. Subscribe to The Secular Sankofa wherever you get your podcasts! Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubePodcast IndexOvercastPodcast AddictGoodpodsAll other directories & RSS FeedIf you enjoy the show, please follow, rate, and review. ***** "We believe in people, not prophets, we believe in freedom, not fear, and we believe in integrity, not doctrine" - ...
31 min
37
53. David B McLaughlin on Five Humanistic Value...
“Human dignity is really the foundation for reasoned morality — there’s nothing we can do to increase it or decrease it. Even the worst people still deserve it simply because they’re human.” - David B. McLaughlin David B. McLaughlin, leadership coach and author of Humanism: Five Values for Living Well, joins us to map a practical, hopeful framework for meaning without dogma. From life in the U.S. Bible Belt to boardrooms wrestling with equity, we explore how meaning, dignity, reason, co...
34 min
38
52. Michael Marshall on Compassionate Skepticis...
“Being a skeptic doesn’t make me smarter or infallible—it just means I’m trying to fail slightly less often.” Michael Marshall has spent more than 15 years investigating pseudoscience, conspiracy theories and the psychology that sustains them. As Project Director of the Good Thinking Society, President of the Merseyside Skeptics Society and Editor of The Skeptic, Marsh has gone undercover at flat-earth conventions, exposed fake psychics, and campaigned successfully to end NHS funding for home...
44 min
39
51. Maggie Ardiente, President of Humanists Int...
"Another form of resistance is joy.” Maggie Ardiente, newly elected President of Humanists International, joins Humanism Now to share how humanism grounded in curiosity, compassion, and community can meet today’s rising threats to democracy and science. From a Catholic upbringing to global leadership, Maggie lays out a practical, joyful vision: build resilient humanist networks and live our values in the one life we know we have. Connect with Maggie: Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/magg...
38 min
40
50. Andrew Copson on Why Humanism Remains Essen...
“No one ever said it was going to be easy. Humanists don’t think a better world is inevitable—we think a better world is possible, but we have to work for it.” Andrew Copson OBE, Chief Executive of Humanists UK and former President of Humanists International, joins us for our 50th episode to reflect on two decades of humanist leadership. From growing up in a secular working-class community to championing global human rights, Andrew explains why humanism remains vital in a time of rising extre...
50 min
41
49. Morgan DeNicola on the Philanthropy of Ever...
“You don’t change the world. You change the way one person views the world—and then you’ve changed the world for that person.” What if true strength lies not in certainty, but in listening with respect? In this episode, Morgan DeNicola, Executive Director of the DeNicola Family Foundation, shares how dialogue across divides, cultural diplomacy and everyday acts of humanity redefine what philanthropy can mean. From working with to fostering cross-cultural understanding worldwide, Morgan shows ...
39 min
42
James Ogude on Ubuntu's Ethical Framework - Per...
Ubuntu: I am because we are. 🌍✨ In this bonus episode of Humanism Now, we’re sharing the live recording of Professor James Ogude’s talk from the online event Understanding Ubuntu Traditions part of the Global Origins of Humanism series (co-hosted by Central London Humanists and the Association of Black Humanists). Prof. Ogude is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria, and a leading authority on Ubuntu—the African ethical tradit...
46 min
43
48. David Livingstone Smith on the Psychology o...
“The arc of history bends towards justice only if you keep pushing it in that direction.” David Livingstone-Smith, Ph.D., award-winning author, Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England and a leading authority on dehumanization joins us to unpack how ordinary people come to see others as “less than human,” why that shift makes atrocities feel morally necessary, and what practical tools can help us resist it. His books include Less Than Human (Anisfield-Wolf Award), ...
51 min
44
47. Victoria Mattingly on The Human Side of DEI...
“Inclusion is the behaviors that result in others feeling valued, respected, seen and heard.” Dr. Victoria Mattingly (Dr. V)—industrial-organizational psychologist, CEO & founder of Mattingly Solutions, and co-author of Inclusalytics—joins us to show how rigorous data and deeply human connection can coexist. We unpack practical, measurable ways to build cultures of belonging—at work and in communities—where people can thrive as their authentic selves. Connect with Dr. Victoria Mattingly W...
37 min
45
46. Bill Angus on Divorcing Jesus: Finding Auth...
“If humanism is anything, it’s self-education. It’s progressing, becoming more educated, more enlightened.” - Dr Bill Angus Dr Bill Angus takes us on a provocative journey through his transition from devout evangelical Christian to secular humanist in this candid, thought-provoking conversation. After 30 years of committed faith, Angus found himself re-examining the foundations of Christianity, leading to what he calls a “divorce” from Jesus. With humour and clarity, he challenges us to rethi...
36 min
46
45. Richard Norman on What is Humanism For?
“It’s on the basis of our shared humanity that we need to try to understand the world and think about how to live in it.” Professor Richard Norman, philosopher and author of What Is Humanism For?, joins us to explore the enduring question at the heart of secular ethics. From his journey out of Christianity to his role shaping humanist thought in the UK, Richard shares why humanism matters, how it offers a coherent framework for living well, and why it must evolve to address urgent global chal...
30 min
47
44. Lizzi Collinge MP on Applying Humanist Valu...
“I believe in autonomy, I believe in choice, I believe in human freedom, and I believe in having less suffering… all of which are fundamentally humanist values.” – Lizzi Collinge MP Lizzi Collinge—Labour MP for Morecambe & Lunesdale and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group—shares how openly declaring “I am a humanist” now shapes her work on championing freedom, autonomy and human rights through cross-party collaboration at Westminster. Lizzi Collinge MP 🏛️ Parliamen...
38 min
48
43. Katherine Lacefield on Moving from Confront...
"Compassion has no borders" - Katherine Lacefield Katherine Lacefield—founder of Just Be Cause Consulting—shares why swapping confrontational animal-rights tactics for compassion-first community building creates deeper, lasting change for animals, people and the planet. Connect with Katherine Website – justbecause.consultingFacebook – @JustBeCauseConsultingInstagram – @just.because.consultingTikTok – @justbecauseconsultingThreads – @just.because.consultingLinkedIn – /in/katherine-mac-do...
36 min
49
42. Peruvian Association of Atheist on How Huma...
“Rituals are in the roots of our humankind.” — Iván Antezana Adrián Núñez and Iván Antezana—leading organisers of the Peruvian Association of Atheists (APERAT)—reveal how their victory in the 2025 Humanist Accelerator Program is turning the dream of legally-recognised humanist ceremonies into a nationwide reality, challenging deep-rooted stigma and funding vital support for Peru’s growing secular community. Topics we cover ✔︎ Founding APERAT and its legal battles for recognition ...
35 min
50
41. Bridget Shirvell on Parenting in a Climate ...
“Research has found that the amount of questions kids ask dramatically decreases once they start formalized education.” – Bridget Shirvell Journalist and climate-communicator Bridget Shirvell joins Humanism Now to share a four-part roadmap—feel, love, build, act—for raising climate-resilient kids. Drawing on her new book Parenting in a Climate Crisis, she explains how families can turn eco-anxiety into everyday action, nurture curiosity, and help children transform concern into ho...
32 min