Was the Religious Discrimination Bill destined to fail?

FromThe Minefield

Start listening View podcast show

Was the Religious Discrimination Bill destined to fail?

FromThe Minefield

ratings:

Length:

54 minutes

Released:

Feb 17, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

The debate over the Religious Discrimination Bill has exposed a tension at the heart of the liberal vision of a pluralistic society, in which citizens commit to living together despite their profound disagreement over matters of highest importance. What happens when disagreement becomes a cause of harm?

Released:

Feb 17, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

In a world marked by wicked social problems, The Minefield helps you negotiate the ethical dilemmas, contradictory claims and unacknowledged complicities of modern life.

Skip carousel

Why does democracy demand transparency?: Does representative democracy depend on practices of public scrutiny, or exercises of 'popular sovereignty' between elections? by The Minefield
48 min listen
False necessities: Is 'taste' enough to morally justify the mass slaughter of animals?: Is our culinary enjoyment enough to justify a complicity in cruelty which our fellow citizens find reprehensible? by The Minefield
48 min listen
Free riding: Why act, when acting is likely to make no difference?: Are there reasons to act in a particular way, to willingly make some sacrifice, do something which may be good, and which we may even be committed to, when our actions (or lack of action) are likely to be of no consequence? Is size detrimental to democratic community? Professor Roger Crisp joins us to discuss whether the free rider problem highlights the limitation of moral philosophy. by The Minefield
44 min listen
False necessities: Is economic growth a moral good?: Is economic growth a virtuous circle or a Faustian treadmill that benefits some and immiserates others (human and not)? by The Minefield
48 min listen
2019 — the year where nothing really mattered?: What stands out to you about 2019? This week, for the last show of 2019, Waleed and Scott discuss the year that was, what it all meant, and what it means for the future of our common life. by The Minefield
41 min listen
What if the greatest threat to a free media was from within?: Our lives are saturated with 'news'; but far from creating informed citizens, this is producing forgetful, inattentive citizens. Megan Le Masurier joins us to discuss whether "slow journalism" could help us remember what matters. by The Minefield
43 min listen
2020 — why does the future look so much like the past?: Back in 2008, newly elected prime minister Kevin Rudd convened a summit of Australia’s "best and brightest" to discuss what kind of nation they wanted Australia to be in 2020. Now that we’re here, 2020 doesn’t look very much like the future at all. What happened? Is there a lesson here about the importance of adopting a sceptical posture, a profound reticence to claim to know, much less predict, our political future? Or are we just reading the wrong signs? by The Minefield
48 min listen
What’s wrong with swearing?: These days, mass culture, movies, commercial television, music, novels are awash with language that once would have been deemed beyond the pale. Does it still make sense to speak of 'obscene language'? What makes words 'obscene'? Can obscene language be used in such a way that removes the taint from what they refer to? by The Minefield
46 min listen
Is literary fiction necessary for the moral life?: What does a society lose when it neglects the moral discipline of reading literary fiction? by The Minefield
46 min listen
What (new) forms of living might the coronavirus produce?: What new forms of life together — of modesty, prudence, simplicity, mutuality, sociality and cooperation — might we discover under the conditions of scarcity and social isolation imposed by the coronavirus, that perhaps we didn’t envision in more 'normal' times? by The Minefield
39 min listen
The dangers of 'clipification': The media has always been in the business of isolating and mass circulating 'newsworthy' pieces or slivers of reality. But we are living in an age of 'clipification', where reality itself is broken up into highlights tailor-made to be shared and viewed again and again. What does democracy look like in an age of 'clipification'? by The Minefield
51 min listen
Can we overcome terminal disagreement in our politics and morality?: If the recent glut of "democracy in crisis" books is anything to go by, there is a sense that something has gone wrong in our common life. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has diagnosed the increasing 'tribalism' in and of our civic and political life particularly acutely, and he joins Waleed and Scott to discuss whether and how we might break free from its Manichean absolutism. by The Minefield
45 min listen
In the aftermath of the Iowa caucus …: Every four years, a disproportionate amount of attention is focused on the unlikely midwestern state of Iowa. In a very real way, the Iowa caucuses encapsulate the profound political and ethical challenges that confront the Democratic Party in its bid to defeat Donald Trump in November — challenges that continue to bedevil democratic politics in other countries: How to mobilise voters around a common cause, without tipping over into either absolutism or unprincipled, 'whatever-it-takes' pragmatism? by The Minefield
50 min listen
After the fires, are we invited to moral community with trees?: Over the summer months, Australia has witnessed the devastation of forests and the immolation of wildlife on an unimaginable scale. The emotional or even the tragic content of the bushfires has been — understandably — reserved for the loss of human life and home and livelihood, and for the loss of some non-human animals. But why do we grieve fauna and not flora? What if these fires present to us an invitation we refuse to heed: an invitation to rediscover moral companionship, moral community with trees? by The Minefield
44 min listen
Ordinary vices: What’s wrong with lying?: This week on The Minefield, we explore what Montaigne referred to as "that accursed vice" — the most corrupt and all-corrupting of them all: lying. by The Minefield
44 min listen
Is capitalism inimical to ethics?: Does capitalism cultivate an ethos, an understanding of the nature of social relations and mutual obligation that is inimical to what might be called the demands of "democratic morality"? by The Minefield
20 min listen
Is it time to end simulated sex on television and film?: Why, in the light of the #MeToo movement, have we not questioned the aesthetic, much less moral, justification for the disproportionate amount of nudity and simulated sex required of female actors? Do we really need to prolong this puerile reliance on sex to attract viewers? by The Minefield
46 min listen
Ordinary vices: Is pride an affront to, or the basis of, dignity?: Can pride be ‘redeemed’, and form the basis of human dignity, or is pride as such a form of moral corruption, a debased form of moral vision? by The Minefield
41 min listen
Should children be given the vote?: Cambridge historian and host of the Talking Politics podcast, David Runciman, has put forward a radical proposal to extend the vote to children as young as six. Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens discuss whether this is just what is needed to recover a healthy democratic culture. by The Minefield
47 min listen
What can our experience of art tell us about the moral life?: Professor Rita Felski joins Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens to explore whether a better understanding of the nature of aesthetic experience – of what art does to us, and why – can give us a better sense of the nature of moral disagreement, and of how it is that we might come to discover a shared world. by The Minefield
54 min listen
What if COVID-19 doesn’t go away?: What if the hoped for COVID-19 vaccine is delayed by months – or years? Do we have the emotional and interpersonal resources to bear up under the strain? Alda Balthrop-Lewis joins Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens to discuss the habits and practices which might help us cultivate the kind of inner life, and life with others, that could see us through the pandemic. by The Minefield
46 min listen
Why do we want celebrities to be 'authentic'?: Why it is that we want to know the 'truth' about celebrities? What happens when the very promise of transparency, of authenticity — of intimacy, even — becomes part of the carefully cultivated appearance of celebrity itself? by The Minefield
46 min listen
How can we live with coronavirus uncertainty?: In little more than a month, the coronavirus has exploded the sense of certainty, confidence, optimism and control on which so much of modern life, the economy and politics are predicated. Were these always just illusions? by The Minefield
38 min listen
International Women’s Day – cause for celebration, or commiseration?: The corporate rebranding of International Women’s Day (IWD) couldn’t be further from the day’s revolutionary roots, or any meaningful discussion of women’s liberation. It negates any discussion of the nature of power under patriarchy, and how relations of power between women and men might be genuinely transformed. by The Minefield
39 min listen
Aged care: How do we honour our obligations to the elderly?: The Royal Commission into Aged Care and the ravages of COVID-19 within aged care facilities have thrown a spotlight on the adequacy, the ethics and the dignity of our ongoing care of the elderly. To what extent have entrenched patterns of ageist prejudice created the conditions within which certain forms of abuse and neglect could take place? And what can we do to challenge and change these prejudices? by The Minefield
54 min listen
Fatigue – the emotional cost of the moral life?: Fatigue is a fascinating moral phenomenon. It can be a consequence of attentiveness, a willingness to face the realities of the world. But it can also be a form of avoidance, of “moral laziness”, the symptom of an active desire not to confront matters that seem to call for our attention. What are the dangers of fatigue, and how are we to respond to it when it overtakes us? by The Minefield
54 min listen
Ordinary vices: Ingratitude: Many of us are prone to express our sense of having hardship inflicted upon us by the COVID-19 pandemic — only to be reminded that someone else, somewhere else, has it much worse than we do. Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens discuss when we are permitted to complain, without being guilty of ingratitude. by The Minefield
48 min listen
What does the coronavirus reveal about us?: Is there a way of responding to the coronavirus that is both effective and ethical? That contributes to the tasks of social cohesion and mutual concern? by The Minefield
41 min listen
Is COVID-19 bringing the best, or worst, out of our politics?: Is the pandemic having a chastening effect on our politics, bringing voters back to the real-world consequences of political decisions, or is the pandemic in fact playing right into the hands of populist politicians, creating ideal conditions in which to fan the flames or fear, resentment and mutual suspicion? by The Minefield
54 min listen
Why does COVID-19 attract conspiracy theories?: The COVID-19 pandemic has proven particularly conducive for those intent on discerning an insidious plot behind both the emergence of the virus and the political response. To what extent are these conspiracies part of a wider culture of pervasive distrust and mutual suspicion? by The Minefield
48 min listen

More Episodes from The Minefield

Skip carousel

Is international law powerless in the face of conflicts like Gaza?: 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 The Minefield
54 min listen
If chatbots are polluting the commons of human communication, what are the moral consequences?: It’s 18 months since the technology company OpenAI made its wildly popular interface with an advanced large language model — GPT-4 — available to the public. What has ChatGPT done to the habits of thought and consideration that produce distinctly human expression? by The Minefield
54 min listen
What are the ethical, and legal, limits of protests at Australian universities?: Protests are, by their nature, unequivocal and univocal. They tend to avoid nuance or fine distinctions, and most often do not invite dialogue. They make demands. Does the particular vocation of universities place ethical limits on the forms of expression available to protestors? by The Minefield
54 min listen
The decency of everyday life — are unwritten rules enough to sustain a good society?: Reciprocity, cooperation, kindness, turn-taking, forbearance, empathy, experimentation — can these counter the decidedly illiberal, impatient, anti-pluralistic, well-nigh apocalyptic energies that now seem resurgent in parts of the West? by The Minefield
54 min listen
What will endure? The ethics of “Groundhog Day”: During the pandemic, there was a sudden renewal of interest in Harold Ramis’s 1993 film “Groundhog Day” — especially its bleaker aspects. But this missed its sophistication and humanity, to say nothing of its acute depiction of moral growth. by The Minefield
55 min listen
After the stabbings in Sydney — Grief? Anger? Revenge?: Residents of Sydney have found themselves understandably overwhelmed by the compound traumas of two stabbing attacks in three days. How are we to make sense of the cycling-through of emotions in response to shocking public violence? by The Minefield
53 min listen
What’s fueling the tension between the courts and the media?: There has been an odd confluence of events over the past couple weeks that has managed to intensify the sense of a conflict between two of our most important democratic institutions: the law and the media. by The Minefield
54 min listen
What would the moral obligation to avoid civilian deaths look like in Gaza?: Does the failure on the part of Israel to enable the provision of humanitarian aid or to do everything in its power to prevent civilian casualties suggest “a blameworthy indifference to Palestinian lives”? by The Minefield
53 min listen
Ramadan — the rediscovery of society: It is important to remember that Thoreau’s motivation for withdrawing was neither escapism nor apolitical quietism. The fact that he departed on 4 July signals an invitation to discover a different way of living together. by The Minefield
54 min listen
Ramadan — the importance of friendship: If Thoreau regards withdrawal and solitude as means by which we learn to escape self-deception, then they may well be little more than preparation for the moral demands friends make of one another. by The Minefield
53 min listen
Ramadan — the discipline of solitude: Solitude is neither alone-ness nor idleness. It is strenuous and takes practice. Solitude does not simply happen in the way that isolation or loneliness does — it must be inhabited. by The Minefield
53 min listen
Ramadan — the necessity of withdrawing: Are periodic bouts of withdrawal from life’s urgent demands and heated debates necessary to regain a sense of our shared humanity, and to renew the commitments that sustain the moral life? by The Minefield
54 min listen
Q+A on “the wisdom of crowds”: Waleed Aly, Scott Stephens and philosopher Stephanie Collins field questions from a live studio audience on crowd-behaviour, conformity and the importance of dissent. by The Minefield
53 min listen
How much credence should we give to “the wisdom of crowds”?: Ever since Plato, “crowds” have been associated with irrationality, emotivism, conformism, short-term thinking, and herd-like behaviour. But what if it turns out that crowds are collectively more intelligent than their individual members? by The Minefield
53 min listen
When is it right to call some act – or someone – “evil”?: What are we trying to convey when we reach for a word like “evil”? Is it something about a person’s actions or character? Is it what they do or the manner in which they do it? by The Minefield
54 min listen
From Beyoncé to Taylor Swift — what’s behind the mass appeal of live music events?: It is worth reflecting, not just on what is singular about Taylor Swift at this particular cultural moment — why she attracts both the loyalty and the animus that she does — but on what it is about live music events that now draw millions of people to them. by The Minefield
54 min listen
What is the harm in “deepfakes” — and what are they doing to democracy?: Over the last 18 months, enormously powerful generative AI tools have been placed in the hands of anyone who wants them; as a consequence, the internet and our social media feeds have been inundated with wholly or partially synthetic content. by The Minefield
54 min listen
How can trust be cultivated in a time of pervasive suspicion?: Because it is sustained by nothing more substantial than a weave of trusted institutions, shared habits and moral commitments, democracies are highly susceptible to the corrosive effects of distrust; Jedediah Purdy joins Waleed and Scott to discuss the necessary conditions for democratic life. by The Minefield
54 min listen
What do we lose by succumbing to conspiracy-mindedness?: Ours is a time when institutional distrust, digital disinformation and mutual suspicion have become pervasive — but can democracy withstand epistemic and social fragmentation of this kind? by The Minefield
53 min listen
In a screen saturated age, is literacy under threat?: Professor Maryanne Wolf joins Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens to discuss whether we are entering an age of widespread moral illiteracy — an incapacity to engage in the processes that make up the habit of deep reading. by The Minefield
54 min listen
What do we lose when we lose the capacity for boredom?: It is fair to say that boredom is a distinctly modern terror. But, as Stan Grant discusses with Waleed and Scott, what if existential boredom points us to our deeper need? by The Minefield
54 min listen
Goya’s “Saturn” and its moral challenge: Spanish painter Francisco de Goya’s depiction of Saturn eating his son is a haunting portrait of lust and the fear of one’s own finitude. Christos Tsiolkas joins Waleed and Scott to look into that darkness, and discover what looks back. by The Minefield
54 min listen
Politics, farce ... and Fawlty Towers: Now that John Cleese has announced that the iconic series will return, it’s worth examining what made Fawlty Towers a masterpiece — and whether its interaction with the political climate of the 1970s had anything to do with it. by The Minefield
53 min listen
What are playlists doing to our ability to listen to music?: Platforms like Spotify have transformed the way people listen to music through their use of recommendation algorithms and customised playlists designed to cater to either a particular activity or a particular mood. by The Minefield
53 min listen
Dickens’s philosophy of generosity: Revisiting “A Christmas Carol”, 180 years on: Australian novelist Briohny Doyle joins Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens to examine Charles Dickens’s unforgettable tale of misanthropy and remorse, and discover how its aesthetic techniques and ethical vision continue to speak to us today. by The Minefield
54 min listen
How much should we expect from the state?: What is a state for? How does its nature, actions, and limits differ from other corporate bodies? Is the relationship of a state to its citizens fundamentally that of a service provider to its clients? by The Minefield
54 min listen
Should drivers of electric vehicles be taxed more to use the roads?: If we are not careful, the use of incentives to encourage people to purchase electric vehicles could backfire by offending our sense of fairness. by The Minefield
54 min listen
What is social cohesion, what cultivates it, and what undermines it?: The latest Mapping Social Cohesion report from the Scanlon Foundation paints a complex picture that helps us understand the conditions within which social cohesion is able to strengthen, and those factors which cause it to become brittle and even break down. by The Minefield
54 min listen
What is the moral case for a ceasefire in Gaza?: Calls for an end to the devastation of Gaza, and the death and displacement of its residents, reached a crescendo on Remembrance Day. While the moral case is compelling, it raises questions that are complex and consequential. by The Minefield
52 min listen
What’s behind the anger? On Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own”: Nearly a century after its publication, Australian novelist Charlotte Wood joins Waleed and Scott to discuss what Virginia Woolf’s essay tell us about egotism, contempt, creative freedom and the possibility of moral transformation. by The Minefield
54 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

World Humanitarian Summit: Faith and religion in humanitarian action: Speakers: Michel Veuthey, Amjad Mohamed-Saleem, Alastair Ager, Beris Gwynne Religious discourse has long been characterised by a concern for the immediate welfare of humankind, and faith-based organization play an important role in mobilizing the... by PHAP: Learning sessions and webinars
101 min listen
Social Integration: Combative, provocative and engaging debate, presented by Michael Buerk. by Moral Maze
43 min listen
Ep 14 - Kirkland on Integration: Dr. David Kirkland (NYU) joins us for a meta discussion around school integration. He shares a powerful vision of integration from a racial justice framework; it is one that is grounded in democratic participation and the sharing of resources and one that involves us all in the deliberation of what counts as knowledge, the language of curriculum, and the fundamental design of education. by The Integrated Schools Podcast
57 min listen
The Language of Freedom: Combative, provocative and engaging moral debate chaired by Michael Buerk. by Moral Maze
57 min listen
Jon Paul Sydnor and Anthony J. Watson, "Nondualism: An Interreligious Exploration" (Lexington Books, 2023): An interview with Jon Paul Sydnor by New Books in Religion
40 min listen
Jon Paul Sydnor and Anthony J. Watson, "Nondualism: An Interreligious Exploration" (Lexington Books, 2023): An interview with Jon Paul Sydnor by New Books in Indian Religions
40 min listen
The ‘Tolerance of Intolerance’: Live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. by Moral Maze
43 min listen
Public Philosopher - Citizens of Nowhere?: Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel asks if a citizen of the world is a citizen of nowhere by The Public Philosopher
42 min listen
Corey Haag: Humanity is at the Crossroads Between a Free or Dystopian Future: Corey Haag discusses the crossroads humanity finds itself at in this global struggle between transhuman dystopia or a world with some semblance of freedom as we’ve been used to. We discuss the construction of parallel societies, building community, by Geopolitics & Empire
50 min listen
Ronald A. Lindsay: Why God Can't Tell Us What to Do: Despite the fact that the United States was founded as a secular state, government neutrality toward religion remains a tumultuous and controversial issue -- a conversation-stopper in most public policy discussions. This week on the show, Lindsay... by Point of Inquiry
34 min listen
Religious Literacy: Ernie Rea and guests discuss what makes a religiously literate society. by Beyond Belief
28 min listen
Our Compelling Interests: A Panel on Diversity and Democracy: This week we’re proud to present a compelling panel discussion on diversity and democracy. The discussion features participants from education, government, journalism, and non-profit sectors, with moderator Brian Lehrer of WNYC by Library Talks
83 min listen
S02E05: Dissecting the Doctrine of Discovery: Indigenous Rights, White Supremacy, and the United Nations with Betty Lyons by Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery
61 min listen
Politics of the poor — Indrajit Roy: Dan Banik and Indrajit Roy discuss how poverty should be understood and measured, the poverty-democracy relationship, the scale and extent of poverty in India, and how people living in poverty participate in everyday politics. by In Pursuit of Development
66 min listen
A Biblical Look at Racism, Justice & Culture | Monique Duson | Ep. 121 by Kindled Podcast | Truth and Grace, Boldly
60 min listen
Eco-Friendly Communities & Why We Need Each Other: eco-friendly living for you and me by Sustainable Minimalists
29 min listen
The World Needs Religion Even if it Doesn't Need God: God is dead and man has no need of the myths and false consolation that religion offers. That’s the battle-cry of Richard Dawkins and other tough-minded critics of religion. And yet millions cling to their faith, finding value and meaning in the concep... by Intelligence Squared
61 min listen
Daphna Hacker, “Legalized Families in the Era of Bordered Globalization” (Cambridge UP, 2017): As debates on globalization rage in the twenty-first century, many countries and the people within them have been challenged socially, economically, and legally. At the same time, our world is now more bordered geopolitically than ever before. by New Books in Law
53 min listen
Choice and Clarity: Episode 19 is a discussion on the power of embracing ambiguity, discovering the limitless nuance of each and every moment as reality, and what might be possible for humanity as a result of a collective deepening appreciation for clarity itself. Topics in... by Dualistic Unity
97 min listen
Gregory Harms, "No Politics, No Religion?: How America's Code of Conduct Conceals Our Unity" (Political Animal Press, 2022): An interview with Gregory Harms by New Books in Political Science
63 min listen
Social Media: Ernie Rea and guests discuss the relationship between religion and social media. by Beyond Belief
28 min listen
S4, Ep. 14: Public schools and Christian nationalism: From curriculum debates to the posting of “In God We Trust,” we’re seeing the political ideology of Christian nationalism impacting religious freedom in our public schools. During Public Schools Week, Amanda and Holly review recent... by Respecting Religion
30 min listen
In Full View of Race: Elise Boddie on Integration: Law professor, Elise Boddie, has said that the biggest stumbling block to advancing school integration is the White progressive liberal. She joins us to talk about a vision of integration that allows for all kids to thrive not because of race, not in spite of race, but in full view of race. by The Integrated Schools Podcast
51 min listen
'Unacceptable' Opinions: Live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. #moralmaze by Moral Maze
43 min listen
The Future of Multiculturalism: A Discussion with Patti Tamara Lenard and Peter Balint by New Books in Critical Theory
53 min listen
Harris Mylonas and Maya Tudor, "Varieties of Nationalism: Communities, Narratives, Identities" (Cambridge UP, 2023): An interview with Harris Mylonas and Maya Tudor by New Books in Sociology
46 min listen
Harris Mylonas and Maya Tudor, "Varieties of Nationalism: Communities, Narratives, Identities" (Cambridge UP, 2023): An interview with Harris Mylonas and Maya Tudor by New Books in Political Science
46 min listen
The Future of Multiculturalism: A Discussion with Patti Tamara Lenard and Peter Balint by New Books in Political Science
53 min listen
Hoover Book Club: The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives | Josiah Ober and Brook Manville| Hoover Institution: Join the Hoover Book Club for engaging discussions with leading authors on the hottest policy issues of the day. Hoover scholars explore the latest books that delve into some of the most vexing policy issues facing the United States and the world. Fi... by Talks from the Hoover Institution
49 min listen
rd25 Bioethics and Belief with guest Ron Lindsay: Bioethics and Belief with guest Ron Lindsay by Reasonable Doubts Podcast
1 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Was the Religious Discrimination Bill destined to fail?

Was the Religious Discrimination Bill destined to fail?

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from The Minefield

Related podcast episodes