Humanism Now
Support Humanism Now and join our community.
Every episode, guest and transcript is at humanism.now.
Humanism Now is a weekly podcast for anyone curious about secular humanism and making the most of the one life we have.
Host James Hodgson, founder of podcast studio Humanise Live, is joined by scientists, philosophers, campaigners, authors and everyday people who are building a fairer world, cultivating human flourishing and celebrating the joy of being human. Every episode is a long-form interview that takes one hard ethical question seriously, using reason and evidence rather than dogma, and always with compassion for the people involved. Recurring themes include:
- secular ethics and moral philosophy
- freedom of religion or belief and human rights
- Resisting nationalism and the future of democracy
- AI ethics, technology and what it means to stay human
- climate action, equality and social justice
- science, scepticism and critical thinking
- awe, meaning and our place in the cosmos
You will come away with ideas you can actually use: better arguments, better questions, and practical ways to live an ethical, purpose-driven life while understanding more about yourself, other people and the universe.
Whether you are a lifelong humanist or simply curious about a naturalistic worldview, hit follow and join a global community working towards a fairer, kinder and more rational world, for this generation and the next.
Every episode, guest and transcript is at humanism.now.
Support Humanism Now and join our community
Follow @HumanismNowPod on YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X | Bluesky
Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live, a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies and individuals across the globe. To start your own podcast, visit humanise.live or email hello@humanise.live.
Music credit: Blossom by Light Prism
Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible and should not be treated as a fully accurate record of the conversation.
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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
77
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
78
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
79
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
80
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
82
15. Scott Jacobsen on the Importance of Journal...
"Peace is more than just the absence of war. Peace requires respect for the worth and dignity of our fellow human beings, tolerance among individuals, and harmony within each person." Humanist International's Oslo Declaration on Peace This week, AJ and Mark tackle Humanist perspectives on global conflicts such as the current Israel-Palestine crisis and the role of religion in exacerbating or potentially resolving this deep-seated conflict. Our interview with journalist Scott Ja...
84 min
83
14. 2023 Review & 2024 Preview; Hope, Awe & Col...
Join us as we review the 2023 year in Humanism and preview the events for 2024 with our regular panellists, Mark, Nicole & Katia. Together with host James, they discuss; insights from 2023 meetups and conventions, inspiring personal experiences, a varied events calendar and the important role of humanist voices in 2024's major democratic elections. Finally we pay a special thanks to our Producer Rob, who is moving on to bigger things in 2024! This week's panel only discussion is theme...
61 min
84
13. Bart Campolo on Choosing Human Experience, ...
"I know so many people whose lives got better when they learned how to use a crock pot and make a decent chili" Welcome back to Humanism Now. This week we are delighted to share an extended interview with Bart Campolo, host of the inspirational podcast, Humanize Me! After decades as a Christian evangelist, Bart embraced humanism and now uses his platform to advocate for a more compassionate, curious and connected society. Together, we dissect the intricacies of growing a humanist community...
69 min
85
12. Emma Wadsworth-Jones on Humanists Internati...
"When we're upholding secularism, we're making sure that that is freedom of religion or belief for all, and not just for the non-religious to be safe" - Emma Wadsworth-Jones On this week's Humanism Now we are delighted to be joined by Emma Wadsworth-Jones, Casework & Campaigns Manager Of Humanists International and principle editor of the Freedom of Thought Report. The FOTR assesses every country in the world on the basis of human rights and the legal status with regard to humanists, ath...
67 min
86
11. Madeleine Goodall on Britain's Humanist Her...
"Conscious morality cannot exist in any being except so far as it can look behind, before, and around; and can remember, compare, and reason about right and wrong so as to choose for itself, and for those it can influence, a given course." - Zona Vallance What does it mean to be a humanist in the modern world? Join James, Mark and new contributor Katia as we test the definition of humanism and assess how the term has evolved and what additions we'd like to see to reflect changing societal nee...
83 min
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10. Comedian Lisa May on Comedy, Freethought & ...
“If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.” ― George Bernard Shaw This week on Humanism Now, Nicole and AJ join James to discuss the relationship between comedy, freethought and humanism. We discuss the role of comedy in challenging authority and changing social norms, our personal comedy heroes and what should be off-limits to joke about? Plus we're fortunate to present our interview with the incredibly talented London-based comedian, Li...
84 min
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9. Lucy Potter on Non-Religious Asylum Claims p...
Welcome to Humanism Now. This week James is joined by Mark from Central London Humanists and Nicole of Leicester & Young Humanists to tackle more common misconceptions about humanism. The panel counter some of the frequent critiques of a humanist worldview; from misleading definitions of Humanism (by prominent thinkers!) to misperceptions of how humanists view religious people and whether we all politically aligned. In an enlightening conversation, Lucy Potter, a PhD candidat...
64 min
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8. Martin Di Maggio on Humanistic Judaism, Cult...
This week on Humanism Now as we welcome Lola Tinubu, Co-Founder of the Association of Black Humanists and Nicole Shasha, Founder of Leicester Humanists to discuss their experiences creating and cultivating secular communities and challenging misconceptions. We also discuss the implications of Ayaan Hirsi Ali's recent article Why I am Now a Christian, the critiques of atheism contained within and Hirsi Ali's impact, influence and legacy for global Humanists and freethinkers. In ...
71 min
90
7. Terri O'Sullivan, Faith to Faithless on Supp...
This week on Humanism now, Audrey & Mark join the panel to discuss taking a humanistic approach to issues around Free Speech and free expression, drawing on recent international news items. Our guest this week is Terri O'Sullivan from Faith to Faithless. Terri shares her deeply personal journey to humanism and her role as Apostate Services Development Officer, at FTF (part of Humanists UK). She also provides detailed advice for those seeking support when leaving high-control group...
83 min
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6. Javan Lev Poblador, Young Humanists Special!
On this episode of Humanism Now, we're exploring the inspiring world of young humanists. Our co-host AJ and new panellist Nicole, fellow coordinators of Young Humanist UK share what campaigns and activities motivate Humanists in the 18-35 age range. Nicole also shares her experience of starting a new humanist group in Leicester and the joys of bringing humanist values to life through meaningful Humanists Ceremonies. AJ & Nicole share how they became engaged with Humanism and offer advi...
72 min
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5. Emma Park, Editor of The Freethinker plus Hu...
This week on Humanism now, Mark & AJ join the panel to discuss the role of science communication & humanism in education, with insights gathered from the New Scientist Conference. Dr. Emma Park, Editor of The Freethinker, provides a deep dive into the essence of freethought & the consequences of placing any views on an untouchable pedestal. Emma shares insights into the relationship between freethought & free speech, challenges to these freedoms & reviews the current sta...
77 min
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4. Jamie Woodhouse on Sentientism plus Humanist...
This week's episode focusses on humanistic approaches to both human and animal rights issues. Following recent proposed changes to the UK's asylum policy, AJ, Audrey (Assoc. Black Humanists) & James explore humanistic perspectives on immigration, climate change and the role of empathy in approaching global political issues. In our guest interview with Jamie Woodhouse of Sentientism.info, we explore how animals rights should be incorporated into Humanism, the goals...
83 min
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3. Alex Williams on the Poetry of Discovery & W...
Mark Agathangelou, CLH Committee Member and active Event Organiser joins this week's panel to discuss finding Humanism through the One Life Course, hosing discussion groups and our recent 'What Humanism Means to Me' live open mic night. Plus our interview with the multi-talented Alex Williams; a poet, teacher, playwright, and author, who will shed light on the power of community within humanism. With his unique perspective, we'll explore the unique role of arts in creating compelling c...
55 min
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2. Prof. Christopher Cameron on Black Freethink...
Audrey Simmons, co-lead of the Association of Black Humanists joins James & AJ this week to discuss her personal journey and the unique challenges for the Black community in the UK when it comes to embracing humanism. AJ provides an update on the proposed ban of conversion therapy in the UK. Despite the government's commitment to a ban, delays, and recent news of the draft bill's cancellation have sparked a wave of demonstrations. Together, we stand in allyship with the campaign to ban ...
69 min
96
1. Roslyn Mould, Humanists International & Why ...
What does it truly mean to be a humanist in today's world? In this episode, James & AJ from Central London Humanists discuss their personal journeys and why start a humanism podcast now? Plus guest interview with Rosyln Mould, Vice President of Humanists International 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&n...
69 min