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Morality in the 21st Century — Religion & Spirituality
Morality in the 21st Century

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks explores what morality means in the 21st Century. He speaks to some of the world’s leading thinkers, together with voices from the next generation: groups of British 6th form students.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 15: Michael Sandel Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks speaks to the world-renowned political philosopher Michael Sandel about how we can return to a politics of the common good.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 14: Steven Pinker and Melinda Gates Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks speaks to the Harvard cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker and the American philanthropist, Melinda Gates. First, Steven Pinker outlines his reasons for hope for a better world, drawing on themes from his recent book ‘Enlightenment Now’. Melinda Gates explores what motivated her and her husband Bill to dedicate their lives to philanthropy and explains who her moral role models were when she was growing up.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 13: Moral Heroes Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks finds out who young people see as their moral role models in the 21st Century and explores powerful reasons for hope for a better, more ethical and more responsible world.

Contributors: Steven Pinker, Harvard cognitive psychologist, linguist, and author; Melinda Gates, Philanthropist and co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Heather Templeton-Dill, President of the John Templeton Foundation; David Brooks, political and social commentator and author; Jordan Peterson, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto; Michael Sandel, political philosopher and professor at Harvard University; Students from The Manchester Grammar School, Manchester High School for Girls, Loreto College in Manchester, Graveney School in London and Queens' School in Hertfordshire.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 12: Nick Bostrom Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks continues his exploration of the moral challenges posed by AI, by speaking to Nick Bostrom, Philosophy Professor at the University of Oxford, who was one of the first to warn of the dangers of “superintelligence” in his book by the same name.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 11: Mustafa Suleyman Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks speaks to Mustafa Suleyman, Co-founder and Head of Applied AI at DeepMind – one of the world’s leading innovators in Artificial Intelligence – who explores what he sees as the biggest moral questions around AI.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 10: Artificial Intelligence Sep 03, 2018

AI is already fundamentally transforming our world, and in the coming years will have an enormous impact on almost every aspect of our lives. So the ethical questions surrounding its development are urgent and important. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks argues that we must always be able to choose our fate, in the full dignity of responsibility, never forgetting that machines were made to serve human beings, not the other way around.

Contributors: Mustafa Suleyman, Co-founder and Head of Applied AI at DeepMind; Nick Bostrom, Philosophy Professor at the University of Oxford; Students from Queens' School in Hertfordshire.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 9: Robert Putnam Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks travels to Harvard University to speak to the political scientist Robert Putnam about what we mean by ‘society’, starting with a discussion about his seminal book, ‘Bowling Alone’, in which he described the loss of what sociologists call ‘social capital’ – the benefits we get from our social networks.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 8: Jonathan Haidt Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks travels to New York to interview Jonathan Haidt, Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University, who reveals his concerns about what he sees as a new destructive form of tribalism in society.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 7: Is Society a Myth? Sep 03, 2018

For most of history, societies have been held together by a shared moral code. But half a century ago, the West embarked on a great experiment: a move from "We" to "I," from "We're all in this together" to "I'm free to be myself." Recently, there's been a reaction against individualism in favour of the group. But what's returned isn't a sense of society as a whole, but rather, subgroups, defined by faith, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. What's lost, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks argues, is our sense of collective belonging and the common good.

Contributors: Jonathan Haidt, Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University; Robert Putnam, Political scientist and Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University; Students from Loreto College in Manchester.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 6: David Brooks Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks speaks to David Brooks, the New York Times columnist and author of two books on character: ‘The Social Animal’ and ‘Road to Character’. David Brooks talks about how he thinks individualism has gone too far and about how he failed as a social commentator to see the Donald Trump phenomenon coming.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 5: Jean Twenge Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, he speaks to Jean Twenge, Professor of psychology at San Diego State University, who reveals insights from her most recent book, ‘iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids are Growing up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood… And What It Means for the Rest of Us’.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 4: The ‘Selfie Generation’ Sep 03, 2018

Traditionally, morality meant altruism, care for others, the world beyond the self. Today's icon, though, is the "selfie," the image of ourselves we present to others by way of smartphones and social media. In this episode, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores the impact this has had on how we see ourselves and live our lives.

Contributors: Jean Twenge, Professor of psychology at San Diego State University; David Brooks, political and social commentator and author; Students from Graveney School in London and Queens' School in Hertfordshire.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 3: Noreena Hertz Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks speaks to Noreena Hertz, an economist, author and broadcaster whose 2005 book 'IOU: The Debt Threat' was one of the first to predict the 2008 financial crash. Noreena Hertz talks about her research into Generation K (those born after 1995), gives her verdict on the current state of capitalism and explores what she sees as the failure of markets to deliver moral outcomes.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 2: Jordan Peterson Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks travels to Toronto to speak to Jordan Peterson, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. In this in-depth interview, Jordan Peterson talks about his intellectual journey from his first book ‘Maps of Meaning’ to the international bestseller ‘12 Rules for Life: an Antidote to Chaos’.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Episode 1: Responsibility Sep 03, 2018

In this episode, Rabbi Sacks argues that a world in which we each pursue our own interests and leave everything else to the state and the market can be incredibly liberating, but outsourcing moral responsibility can also leave us feeling vulnerable and alone, without meaning and direction in our lives.

Contributors: Jordan Peterson, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto; Noreena Hertz, economist, author and broadcaster; Michael Sandel, political philosopher and professor at Harvard University; Students from The Manchester Grammar School and Manchester High School for Girls.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

Welcome to Morality in the 21st Century Aug 31, 2018

In this podcast series, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks speaks to some of the world's leading thinkers about morality, together with voices from the next generation: groups of British 6th form students.

Producer: Dan Tierney Series Editor: Christine Morgan

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