Quillette Podcast

<p>The <strong>Quillette Podcast</strong> is a platform for rigorous, academic discussions rooted in common sense and free inquiry. Non-dogmatic and grounded in liberal values, the podcast serves as a beacon for thoughtful conversation on science, politics, philosophy, and culture. Quillette prides itself on intellectual honesty, avoiding ideological extremism in favor of evidence-based reasoning and progress. Hosted by leading voices in academia and journalism, past guests include evolutionary biologist <strong>Richard Dawkins</strong>, social psychologist <strong>Jonathan Haidt</strong>, and journalist <strong>Douglas Murray</strong>, among others. Expect candid conversations that promote common sense and challenge anti-science and conspiratorial narratives from both the far left and right.</p>

In Defence of Julia the Elder

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Joan Smith, whose new book critically examines the 2,000-year-old propaganda campaign against imperial Rome’s leading women. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12-13
20:00

'Interintellect and the Modern-Day Salon'

Iona Italia talks to globetrotter and intellectual magpie Anna Gat about her modern-day salon, Interintellect.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12-06
20:20

Lessons from a Teachers-College Battle Over Free Speech and ‘Decolonization’

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay discusses recent events at the University of Western Ontario, where instructors spent months denouncing an outspoken education student who’d asked awkward questions about Indigenous reconciliation—until a tribunal concluded they’d violated her rights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11-30
18:19

'Making Britain Great Again'

Iona Italia talks to Sam Bowman about how to combat the economic stagnation and excess bureaucracy that are currently preventing the UK from reaching its full potential.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11-19
21:55

The Campaign Against 'Settler Colonialism’

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay talks to author Adam Kirsch about the growing corps of academics and activists seeking to demonize ‘settler colonialists’ in North America, Australia—and especially Israel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11-13
30:55

Canadian Bureaucracy and Its Discontents

Iona Italia talks to Nick Osmond-Jones about the impacts of some absurd DEI directives on Canadian public service.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11-08
22:40

How Universities Should Regulate Contentious Speech

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with prolific Harvard University legal scholar Cass Sunstein about his new book, Campus Free Speech: A Pocket Guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11-02
15:04

Unreliable Sources

Iona Italia talks to Jack Despain Zhou (aka "Tracing Woodgrains") about the decline of standards at Wikipedia as a result of the obsessive efforts of ideologically motivated editors.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10-24
22:28

We Have Never Been Woke

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with scholar Musa al-Gharbi, whose acclaimed new book analyses the rise of progressive ideological orthodoxy as a means for elites to signal status and accumulate ‘cultural capital.’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10-18
14:09

In Defence of Beauty with Megan Gafford

Iona Italia talks to artist Megan Gafford about how we have come to value statement-making over beauty and craftsmanship in art and architecture. To listen to the full episode, please become a Quillette subscriber https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10-09
21:59

A Brief History of Communism with Sean McMeekin

Jonathan Kay speaks with Bard College historian Sean McMeekin about his new book, To Overthrow the World: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Communism. To listen to the full episode, please become a Quillette subscriber https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10-04
20:12

'Trans Rights, Israel and the Progressive Circus' with Brianna Wu

'Trans Rights, Israel and the Progressive Circus' with Brianna Wu. Iona Italia talks to Democratic political campaigner Brianna Wu about finding a more sensible approach to trans rights and combating progressive insanity.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

09-25
01:32:47

Tracing the Rise of Radicalized Anti-Zionism on American Campuses

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with author Paul Berman about the lingering influence of ’Black Power’ advocate Stokely Carmichael, who once infamously claimed that ’the only good Zionist is a dead Zionist.’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

09-12
43:54

'Israel: Germany's Reason of State'

Podcast host Iona Italia talks to Gerfried Ambrosch about pro-Israel feeling on the German Left, antisemitism among Muslim immigrants and why Israel’s safety is “Germany’s reason of state.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

09-03
59:17

The (Other) Scandal at Oberlin College

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Roya Hakakian about the rise and fall of Mohammad Jafar Mahallati, a former Iranian official who’d presented himself to Oberlin as an agent of peace and ‘forgiveness.’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

08-28
38:24

Bridging Divides Between Democrats and Republicans

Podcast host Iona Italia talks to John Wood, Jr. of Braver Angels about building a stronger democratic consensus in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

08-21
51:40

Should Imane Khelif be allowed to box against women?

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with University of Manchester Developmental Biologist Emma Hilton about Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who won the gold medal in the women's welterweight event at the 2024 Summer Olympics, despite widely reported indications that Khelif may be biologically male. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

08-15
24:26

How Gender Activists Took Over a Scottish Rape-Crisis Centre

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay talks to writer Joan Smith about the scandals that unfolded at Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre under the leadership of its male trans-identified CEO, Mridul Wadhwa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

08-08
36:00

'How We Form Our Political Beliefs' with Oliver Traldi

Iona Italia talked to Oliver Traldi about his recent book, Political Beliefs: A Philosophical Introduction. They discussed a number of philosophical questions with implications for everyone who is keenly interested in politics. What do we mean when we describe something as political? How do we form our political beliefs? Why do those views tend to cluster around certain anchoring beliefs? Is the marketplace of ideas a good metaphor for the way in which we arrive at political opinions? Why is politics so adversarial and is that a good thing? How does identity figure into this? And why should we take an interest in politics at all? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

08-02
01:30:47

'Language vs. Reality' with Nick Enfield

Iona Italia interviews linguistic anthropologist Nick Enfield about why language is good for lawyers and bad for scientists.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

07-24
01:09:45

Two Eyes

I actually do think it's quite rational to think that the position one changes their mind to is likely more valid than the position first held, because of the force of argument necessary to overcome the natural mental inertia of the first position would have to be significantly more compelling.

08-12 Reply

Two Eyes

I absolutely agree with Oliver regarding Dr. Iona Italia's voice. I could listen to her beautiful way of speaking English all day long.

08-12 Reply

Two Eyes

you kept referring to David as if he was a girl who was finally allowed transition to be male as if he is an example of how important it is to allow girls who believe themselves to "really " be a boy, to transition during puberty, for their own good. What nonsense. David always was a boy from birth, inspite of his tragic injury that caused the loss of his penis, and the monstrous surgeries and quack treatments to try to carve his body into a girl. What this case proves is just how cruel and medically unethical it is to practice medical sexual transition on minors.

09-13 Reply

Brian J Burke

I enjoyed the interview. Even though I agree with some of Heather's point of view I also appreciated the push back and not backing down even when Heather seemed to get frustrated with it.

05-24 Reply

Brian J Burke

Interesting, thanks.

12-21 Reply

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