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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

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.

Society & Culture

Science

Philosophy

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What Makes Us Human? Neanderthals, Denisovans a...

Cambridge archaeologist Oscar Lozada on the Neanderthals of Shanidar Cave, the Denisovans, and what our vanished human cousins reveal about what it means to be human.

56 min

Katherine Stewart on Christian Nationalism, Tru...

Investigative journalist Katherine Stewart returns to discuss Christian nationalism, presidential overreach, the persecution narrative, and what the US midterms mean for democracy at home and abroad.

42 min

Introducing: Humanism Ireland Podcast | James H...

A bonus crossover: Humanism Now's James Hodgson joins Megan De Siún on the Humanist Association of Ireland's podcast to talk his path to humanism, podcasting, and where the movement goes next.

25 min

Massimo Pigliucci on How to Be a Happy Skeptic ...

Scientist-turned-philosopher Massimo Pigliucci on reclaiming skepticism from the deniers, proportioning belief to evidence, and why doubt can lead to a life worth living.

44 min

Janet Ellis on the Joy of this One Life | New P...

47 min

United by Hope: Live from the World Humanist Co...

Day two in Ottawa: quickfire conversations on humanist chaplaincy, local community, humanist politics and resisting the normalisation of dehumanisation.

41 min

Christian Nationalism, Free Speech and Gen Z | ...

Harvard student and humanist advocate Tess Sumner on Christian nationalism, free expression, and why her generation feels democracy is in crisis.

24 min

Humanism as Resistance: Live from the World Hum...

Quickfire interviews from day one in Ottawa, with humanist leaders from Luxembourg, the US, Lithuania, Norway and Humanists International.

33 min

Is Humanism a Subculture? Rory Booth on Style, ...

Historian and filmmaker Rory Booth on 19th century bohemianism, the 1990s rave scene, and what running a humanist group has in common with starting a scene.

36 min

"Am I a Humanist?" Shay Leonia on Discovering H...

The American Humanist Association's Shay Leonia on finding humanism through a job posting, learning out loud, and meeting people where they are.

33 min

Was Spinoza an Atheist? Steven Nadler on the Ph...

The world's leading Spinoza scholar on heresy, "God or nature", and why the great philosopher of toleration was an atheist after all

36 min

How to Disagree Without Dehumanising | Sharon B...

39 min

84. The Mattering Instinct with Rebecca Goldstein

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 Meda...

45 min

83. Seth Andrews, Host of 'The Thinking Atheist...

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! | https://ko-fi.com/humanismnowpod "I found atheism is not an inoculation against irrationality or awfulness." — Seth Andrews Seth Andrews spent 14 years as a Christian radio host before becoming one of the most recognisable voices in atheist and humanist media as host of The Thinking Atheist Podcast. In this conversation, he traces his slow-burn deconstruction from devout evangelical broadcaster to skeptic, why he now leads with "humanist" rathe...

48 min

82. The Quiet Revival That Wasn't: David Voas o...

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community! "I don't think that we have any solid evidence of a religious revival underway in England, or for that matter, anywhere else." — David Voas In April 2025, the Bible Society published a report claiming church attendance in England had surged by more than 50% since 2018, with young men's churchgoing up fivefold. It made national headlines. A year later, both YouGov and the Bible Society retracted it. This episode unpacks what actually went wrong...

38 min

81. The Re-emergence of Eugenics and How to Fig...

"I used to think eugenics had died out after the Second World War. I no longer believe that, unfortunately." — Rebecca Sear Most of us think of eugenics as a horror confined to the past. It isn't. This episode examines the worrying re-emergence of eugenics and scientific racism, from discredited claims about race and intelligence to the far-right money funding them, and asks how we defend good science against bad-faith actors. Along the way, Rebecca overturns another myth, that the isolated n...

35 min

80. Inside the Ex-Muslim Movement - Muhammad Sy...

"One of the things I heard again and again was: I thought I was the only one." — Muhammad Syed Leaving religion can be one of the most liberating decisions of a person's life. For those leaving Islam, it can also be one of the most dangerous. This episode looks at why so many ex-Muslims stay hidden, how community breaks that isolation, and what the data really tells us about people leaving the faith worldwide. Our guest is Muhammad Syed, human rights activist, writer, and co-foun...

42 min

79. Meet strangeness with kindness - Kestral Ga...

"It's really about what happens when kindness is the first response to strangeness." — Kestral Gaian What does it take to stay human in a world that often forgets what that means? This episode explores storytelling as an act of resistance: why humans need fiction, why representation matters, and how meeting difference with curiosity rather than judgement can ease the loneliness of modern life. Our guest is Kestral Gaian, an award-winning writer of fiction, theatre and poetry, whose debut you...

33 min

78. "No Hope But Peace and Justice" - An Israel...

"Many in society saw the news and understood there's no hope for peace. But I understood there's no hope but peace." — Yaniv Aknin What does humanism actually ask of us when we confront the Israel-Palestine conflict? In this episode we preview a special Festival of Humanism session, exploring how secular, rational and compassionate values can cut through motivated reasoning and moral blind spots to rebuild shared ground between Palestinians and Israelis. Our guests are Dr Jasr Kawkby, a Briti...

43 min

77. Ethical Volunteering with Kimberly Haley-Co...

"It's amazing how enduring humans can be with their willingness to look for good." Kimberly Haley-Coleman is the founder and executive director of GlobeAware, a nonprofit building ethical, community-led volunteer service programmes across more than 25 countries. With a background spanning international business, nonprofit leadership, and global partnership building, Kimberly has spent years thinking deeply about how service, cultural exchange, and shared work can bring people together...

27 min

76. Why Science Always Carries Human Values wit...

Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community! "Dogmatism is the enemy of reason, after all." Dr Anjan Chakravartty is the Apignani Foundation Chair for the Study of Atheism, Humanism, and Secular Ethics at the University of Miami and a philosopher of science whose work explores the nature of knowledge and what science tells us about the world. His latest edited volume, Science and Humanism: Knowledge, Values, and the Common Good, brings together leading philosophers to examine the relati...

40 min

75. Taming Your Impostor Monster with Dr AJ Lauer

Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community! "Culture is a representation of what our habits are on a daily basis. If we drop the habit, we are not building the culture we're wanting to see." Dr AJ Lauer is a leadership and diversity educator, executive coach, and founder of Thriving IBIS Leadership Solutions. With two decades of experience across higher education, non-profit research, and STEM, she specialises in imposter syndrome, psychological safety, and helping organisations make more hu...

28 min

74. TikTok Humanist TimTalks on Deconstructing ...

"You are unlocked to a whole new world... you're not alone, and it's that community that makes you reaffirming yourself" Timothy David, known as Tim Talks, is a UK-based content creator whose TikTok videos on humanism, faith deconstruction, and Black freethinking have racked up millions of views. Drawing on his own journey away from Pentecostal Christianity, Tim uses social media to spark honest conversations about belief, identity, inclusivity, and what it means to question everything. Topic...

25 min

73. How Norwegian Humanists Changed a Nation | ...

Support Humanism Now and Join Our Community! https://ko-fi.com/humanismnowpod "That's what humanism is about, isn't it? That we have the freedom to do whatever we feel is right for us." Tale Pleym is Chair of the European Humanist Professionals and Senior Ceremonial Advisor of the Norwegian Humanist Association, where she has been conducting humanist ceremonies for more than 15 years. She joins us to explore how humanist ceremonies and secular services are shared and strengthened across Europ...

25 min

Introducing: Unholy Histories The Humanist Heri...

Subscribe to Unholy Histories wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unholy-histories-the-humanist-heritage-podcast-from/id1893320823Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3HrZ03nnR0IL6PewJUc9mrAmazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a72f5775-dd9b-4b6f-bd67-4df519ca5556/unholy-histories-the-humanist-heritage-podcast-from-humanists-ukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuiqL_-wjBYa1Owup4iQlUD6TZ-IGjEHjPodcast Addict: https://po...

2 min

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