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Ministry of Ideas — Philosophy
Ministry of Ideas

A podcast about the ideas that shape our lives. Hosted by Zachary Davis and produced at Harvard Divinity School.

Learn more at ministryofideas.org

Latest Episodes:

Shifting Blame Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

We claim to judge people for what they intentionally do, but accidents often influence our judgments. In our justice systems, people can be harshly and unfairly blamed for bad luck—but in our personal lives, taking on blame isn’t always a bad thing.

Guests

Fiery Cushman, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University
Daniel Statman, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Haifa

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Nothing Matters Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

Between the Buddhist doctrine of ‘emptiness,’ the Jewish idea of Ayin, and the quantum mechanical zero-point energy of a vacuum, it turns out there’s quite a lot to be said about Nothing.

Guests

Janet Gyatso, Professor of Buddhist Studies at Harvard Divinity School
Daniel Matt, Scholar of Jewish Mysticism

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Tomorrow, Today Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

World’s fairs were created to celebrate industry, technology, imperialism, western supremacy, and progress; but they also led to unexpected critiques and movements that challenged those very purposes.

Guests

Evander Price, PhD Candidate in American Studies at Harvard University
Robert Rydell, Professor of History at Montana State University
Abigail Higgins, Harvard University, Class of 2017

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Apocalyptic Politics Jan 15, 2023

Show notes

Evangelical voters made up a significant portion of Donald Trump’s base in the 2016 presidential election. Their political agenda may not be peace or prosperity, but instead bringing us closer to the end of time.

Guests

Matthew Sutton, Graduate Studies Director, Washington State University History Department
Katharine Hayhoe, Director, Climate Science Center, Texas Tech University
Liya Rechtman, Harvard Divinity School student

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Consumed Jan 14, 2023

Show notes

Cannibalism has been used for centuries to define the lowest form of humanity, but the story isn't as straightforward as it may seem. Turns out, there may be a logic - or even a love - to eating people.

Guests

Emily Anderson, Curator of “Cannibalism: Myth & Reality”
Bill Schutt, Author of Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History

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Child's Play Jan 13, 2023

Show notes

We shouldn’t be dismissive of the popularity of children’s literature among adults, as it is often in these works of fiction that powerful themes such as death, love, and virtue are most deeply and imaginatively explored.

Guests

Christina Phillips Mattson, Scholar of Children’s Literature
Casper ter Kuile, Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity
School and co-host of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
MG Prezioso, Contributing writer for Harvard Political Review

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Forbidden Fruit Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

Contemporary diet culture is only the latest manifestation of a long history of religious fervor about food.

Guests

Isabel Foxen Duke, health coach
Alan Levinovitz, Professor of Religious Studies at James Madison University
Corrie Norman, Associate Director, Religious Studies at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison

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Enlightened Cynicism Jan 11, 2023

Show notes

Trust in government, media, organized religion, businesses and even democracy is at historic lows. But what if the answer to declining faith in institutions isn’t more hope, but more cynicism?

Guests

Sharon Stanley, Professor of Political Science at the University of Memphis and the author of The French Enlightenment and the Emergence of Modern Cynicism.
David Mazella, Professor of English at the University of Houston and the author of The Making of Modern Cynicism

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Demeritocracy Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

Total faith in meritocracy leads to the dangerous belief that all social winners and losers are wholly deserving. Instead, we need an economy of grace.

Guests

Victor Tan Chen, assistant professor of sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University and author of Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy
Thomas Frank, author of What’s the Matter with Kansas? and Listen, Liberal

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Secular Salvations Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

The decline of organized religion in the West has opened up new paths for individuals to pursue what once was once understood to be salvation.

Guests

Craig Calhoun, President of the Berggruen Institute and author of Rethinking Secularism
Sean Kelly, Professor of Philosophy of Harvard University and author of All Things Shining
Angie Thurston, fellow at On Being and author of How We Gather

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