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.
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40. Nick Cooney on Going Beyond Good Intentions...
“Focusing on the positive outcomes gives you agency; you can literally see the progress happening and that keeps you moving forward.” - Nick Cooney Nick Cooney is a social entrepreneur, alternative‑protein investor, and author. He joins Humanism Now to discuss to unpack the hidden moral cost of doing nothing. Drawing on insights from his new book What We Don’t Do, Nick explains why inaction outweighs mis‑action, how to count the suffering we can prevent, and why business, capital and compassi...
44 min
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39. Dr Bo Bennett on Sharpening Critical Thinki...
“We need to care more about believing what is true than being right and being proved right.” - Bo Bennet With outrage-bait, memes and “gotcha” clips swarming every feed, being able to think about our thinking is no longer optional. Social psychologist, entrepreneur and Positive Humanism author Dr Bo Bennett joins host James Hodgson to show why critical thinking is a life skill for everyone, not a luxury for academics. Drawing on decades spent dissecting logical fallacies (plus a generous dose...
38 min
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38. Julie Pham on Mastering Curiosity as a Prac...
“Curiosity isn’t a trait — it’s a practice. And like any practice, we have to keep doing it even when it’s hard.” — Dr. Julie Pham In this episode of Humanism Now, we explore curiosity as a practice. Dr. Julie Pham — social scientist, community builder, and author of the bestselling 7 Forms of Respect® — joins us to unpack how curiosity, respect, and communication transform not just workplaces, but our relationships and communities. As the founder and CEO of CuriosityBased, Dr. Pham teaches l...
32 min
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37. Rachael Reign on Coercive Control Beyond th...
“Surviving isn’t just about leaving — it’s about learning to trust yourself again after someone else’s voice has lived in your head for years.” — Rachael Reign In this powerful episode of Humanism Now, Rachael Reign, survivor and founder of Surviving Universal UK, shares her deeply personal story of escaping spiritual abuse and coercive control and her ongoing campaign to protect others. As founder of Surviving Universal UK, Rachael supports other survivors of high-control groups and le...
49 min
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36. JC Candanedo on Art as Activism for Solidar...
"Inclusion isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about creating a space where people feel safe enough to stay." - JC Candanedo Artist, activist, and humanist JC Candanedo shares his journey from a Catholic school in Panama to the art studios of London. His work weaves together identity, displacement, and community action, exploring how creativity can challenge injustice and build inclusive, compassionate societies. In this epsiode, JC reflects on growing up atheist in a deeply religious cult...
41 min
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35. Lindsay de Wal on Redefining Chaplaincy & t...
"Transcendence is the connection with something wider; the world, the cosmos, nature, other fellow human beings, and doing good in this life"— Dr Lindsay De Wal When Dr Lindsay De Wal became the first non-religious head of chaplaincy in the NHS, she redefined what spiritual support can look like in modern healthcare. From sceptical colleagues to international media headlines, her appointment marked a turning point for inclusive pastoral care. In this powerful and personal conversa...
31 min
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34. Michael Bauer on Community Services Without...
“The highest value, the most precious value we have is not peace—it’s freedom.” — Michael Bauer This week on Humanism Now, we’re joined by Michael Bauer, CEO of Germany’s Humanistische Vereinigung—a 175-year-old humanist organisation offering professional community services without religion, grounded in ethics, dignity, and freedom. From ceremony to solidarity, Bauer shows how organised humanism is more than a philosophy—it’s a movement of services, institutions, and action. Dis...
31 min
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33. Audrey Simmons & Lola Tinubu on Keeping the...
This episode was originally recorded in May 2024. "What we have in common is what is taking us forward." — Lola Tinubu In May 2024, the High Court ruled that Michaela Community School’s “prayer ban” did not unlawfully interfere with students’ rights to religious freedom. This landmark decision reaffirmed the importance of secular education in promoting social cohesion — and raised questions about how schools should handle religion in increasingly diverse societies. In this episode, Audr...
23 min
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32. Alan Palmer on Finding Common Ground Throug...
“If we focus so much on the 5% that divides us, we miss the 95% we already share.” — Alan Palmer Alan Palmer is the former Chair of Central London Humanists, a trustee of Humanists UK, and a long-time NHS Trust Director. With over 17 years of experience in grassroots organising, Alan shares how London’s most active humanist group grew from pub chats to public campaigns, and how dialogue, ethics, and diversity remain central to its mission. In This Episode How Central London Humanists became ...
18 min
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31. Katherine Stewart on Money, Lies & God: How...
The pro-life religion we see today is a modern creation. It was created for political purposes." — Katherine Stewart Katherine Stewart is an award-winning journalist and author, who has investigated the rise of religious nationalism and its impact on democracy for over 15 years. Her work appears in The New York Times and The New Republic. She is the author of The Good News Club, The Power Worshippers, and the new release Money, Lies, and God. Key Topics Covered How the "Good News Club" expos...
34 min
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30. S.I. Martin on Uncovering Britain's Hidden ...
"Isn't it true that we are the stories we tell ourselves?" — S.I. Martin This week on Humanism Now, we’re joined by S.I. Martin—historian, author, and patron of Humanists UK—whose work has reshaped how we understand Black British history and the power of storytelling. From his upbringing in a religious family in Bedford to decades spent uncovering erased narratives, Steve shares how early exposure to music, books, and doubt led him to scepticism and ultimately humanism. We discuss: The import...
29 min
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29. Faith to Faithless on Finding Community aft...
This special episode of Humanism Now is released as part of Podcastathon 2025, the world’s largest podcast charity initiative. We’re proud to dedicate this episode to Faith to Faithless, a programme by Humanists UK supporting those leaving high-control religious groups. Three incredible guests—George, Leena, and Sarah—share raw, courageous accounts of their journeys out of fundamentalist religions and the new communities they're helping to build. Faith to Faithless is proudly marking its 10...
45 min
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28. Susie Alegre on the Algorithmic Assault on ...
AI technologies pose significant threats to fundamental human rights, reinforcing historical biases and power imbalances. This week, we are joined by Susie Alegre, international human rights lawyer and author, to explore the impact of generative AI on gender and racial equality, labour markets, and information ecosystems. Susie has worked for international NGOs like Amnesty International and organisations including the UN, the EU and the Council of Europe. Susie has published two books...
39 min
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27. Happy Human Lithuania on the Magic of Human...
Humanist ceremonies—weddings, namings, and funerals—are growing rapidly worldwide, offering non-religious, deeply personal ways to mark life’s most significant moments. Laimingas Žmogus (Happy Human) is a social enterprise based in Lithuania, dedicated to making these ceremonies accessible and meaningful. This week we are delighted to be joined by Urtė Žukauskaitė-Zabukė, Founder and CEO, and Gerda Surgautaitė, Co-Founder of Laimingas Žmogus to share insights into establishing meaningfu...
30 min
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26. Nathan Stilwell on the Need for Compassiona...
Welcome back to Humanism Now for a special episode coinciding with the critical upcoming UK Parliament vote on assisted dying — a pivotal moment we've long campaigned for and debated. In this episode we hear how what the bill entails, why it matters and how safe assisted dying aligns with values of compassion and autonomy. Joining us is Nathan Stilwell, Humanists UK's Assisted Dying Campaign Coordinator, Campaigns and Communications Manager at My Death My Decision and a member of The Assist...
31 min
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25. Paul Harrison on Humanists in Business, plu...
"It's difficult to think of an area of work life that isn't connected to humanistic thought. If you start with ideas around the dignity of each human, compassion, kindness, ambitions, ways to behave, being evidence-based and being equitable, fair and not biased wherever possible, you start to understand that those are the foundational concepts of humanism" - Paul Harrison, Humanists in Business Network This week on Humanism Now, new panellist Christian joins AJ to discuss activism and campai...
66 min
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24. Lori Marriott on Humanist Climate Action
"A key tenet of humanism is empathy. Whether that's empathy for those around us or to all humans, but also we should extend that to all life of exists, and then forward in time, to future generations." - Lori Marriott This week, Katia & Mark join the panel to discuss the merits of identifying with the humanist label. Plus we hear from Lori Marriott, Coordinator of Humanist Climate Action. References: Humanists UK: Defining HumanismHumanists International: What is Humanism?Humanists UK: ...
72 min
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23. Ariel Pontes on the Quest for Ethical Consc...
"It's really not as hard as people think to have a peaceful conversation with somebody who disagrees profoundly with you on deep questions." - Ariel Pontes This week on Humanism Now we share our wide ranging interview with Ariel Pontes, a writer, podcast host and advocate for humanism, effective altruism, animal welfare and productive dialogue to counter polarisation. Ariel shares a wealth of experience and learnings from leaving Kardecist Spiritism to supporting Humanist groups in Br...
84 min
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22. Ojas Singh Bhanot on Cultivating Student Gr...
"Humanism is about human goodness, appreciating reason & potential" - Ojas Singh Bhanot This week on Humanism Now, Mark & Nicole join the panel to discuss how illegal faith schools deny children the right to science, the importance of promoting scientific literacy across society and the impact of scientific fraud. This week's interview is with Ojas Singh Bhanot, Politics and Data Science student at the London School of Economics, where he Founded the Humanist Open ...
64 min
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21. Valerie Jack on Finding Peace in Grief with...
“The irony of man's condition is that the deepest need is to be free of the anxiety of death and annihilation; but it is life itself which awakens it, and so we must shrink from being fully alive.” ― Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death Episode References: BBC News: New extremism definition unveiled by governmentHumanists UK: Extremists ‘negate the fundamental rights and freedoms of others’ – humanists analyse new definition‘Resisting extremism means defending a tolerant society’, Andrew ...
59 min
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20. Monica Belițoiu, ASUR on Championing Secula...
Welcome back to Humanism Now! This week AJ & Mark from the Central London Humanists join the panel to discuss the latest news, plus our interview with Monica Belițoiu, Chair of The Romanian Secular Humanist Association (ASUR) . Episode References Humanist UK; Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes awarded Darwin Day MedalRebecca Wragg Sykes InterviewHumanists UK; Assisted Dying CampaignAssisted Dying Inquiry Report | Everything you need to knowBBC News; Greece legalises same-sex marria...
64 min
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19. Celebrating International Women's Day! Conv...
Welcome to Humanism Now's International Women's Day Special hosted by Audrey Simmons (Association of Black Humanists & CLH) and featuring Lola Tinubu (Assoc. Black Humanists & CLH), Katia Urquiza (Central London Humanists) & Nicole Shasha (Leicester Humanists and Young Humanists) who discuss; The importance of IWD todayDoes being humanist imply being a feminist?Highlighting influential women's voicesTalking more about women's healthEpisode references: Anthony Doerr, All the ...
54 min
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18. Leo Igwe on New Future for Freethought, Ath...
"We should acknowledge that humanism is something that beats in the heart of every human being" Dr Leo Igwe This week James, Lola & AJ are joined by legendary human rights activist, Leo Igwe. We discuss the merits of Darwin Day, Leo's decades of campaigning for freethought and against superstition and Leo's vision for a new future for atheism and humanism in Africa. Episode references Guardian; How should we address Charles Darwin's complicated legacy?JC Candnedo; Tai Solarin DayH...
91 min
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17. Jeremy Rodell on the Art of Interfaith Dial...
Welcome back to Humanism Now. This we learn practical tips for engaging in good faith dialogues with people of different beliefs with expert insight from Jeremy Rodell, Director of Humanist UK's Dialogue Network and our regular panellists Lola & Nicole. Episode references: Humanists UK: Exploring Common Ground, Dialogue with others Humanists UK: Dialogue Training Application About Jeremy Rodell: 🎤 Humanists UK Interview 🐦 @jeremyr1 📌 South West London Humanists Send us Fan Mail Suppor...
66 min
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16. Anya Overman on Humanism's Social Justice I...
This week on Humanism Now, Audrey & AJ join the panel to discuss personal and group activism and support for Social Justice campaigns. The panel discuss; How do humanist vales align with these causes? How do we prioritise issues to best influence changes? and what role should Humanist groups play in leading or supporting campaigns? We delve deeper into these topics with this week's guest Anya Overmann. Anya is a writer, consultant, speaker and digital nomad driven by her values as a pro...
78 min