Best Quillette Podcasts (2025)

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Masculinity and Political Extremism with Sociologist Josh Roose 38:20

Play Pause

2d ago38:20

38:20

This episode explores how masculinity, identity, and marginalisation can drive young men toward political and religious extremism. Drawing on research with Australian Muslims and broader work on the “Manosphere,” the conversation covers honour cultures, online radicalisation, misogyny, and the emotional undercurrents linking movements from jihadism…

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The Teaching Problem 29:22

3d ago29:22

29:22

The reason most teaching is bad is that most teaching follows a demonstrably bad model.By Quillette

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The First Journalists 16:30

6d ago16:30

16:30

The philosopher Stephen Harrop interviews Quillette’s Managing Editor Iona Italia about her book Anxious Employment on the journalism of Enlightenment London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

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On Deep Left podcast 1:50:35

5d ago1:50:35

1:50:35

https://deepleft.substack.com/p/interview-with-dr-eric-kaufmanBy Eric Kaufmann

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Conflicting Visions of Peace 13:22

5d ago13:22

13:22

Netanyahu’s Nobel Prize gesture masks serious diplomatic divisions over Iran’s nuclear programme and the future of Gaza’s devastated population. Benny MorrisBy Quillette

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Gonzo Bros 47:40

7d ago47:40

47:40

Twenty years after his death, what Hunter S. Thompson’s legacy—or lack of it—tells us about literature and manhood in our current moment.By Quillette

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Social Work Without Stereotypes 30:46

10d ago30:46

30:46

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay talks to Heterodox Academy scholar Nafees Alam about the need to challenge political orthodoxies in the field of social work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

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Purity, Profit, and Politics 39:41

10d ago39:41

39:41

How journalism exchanged the duty to inform for an ethic of customer satisfaction.By Quillette

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'Evolutionary Psychology in the Humanities: Shakespeare’s Othello' by Helen Pluckrose 32:11

12d ago32:11

32:11

Othello and Iago represent two enduring behaviours whose conflicts have shaped much of humanity’s theory of mind and moral emotions to the present day.By Quillette

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Intersectionality’s Cosmic Inquisitor 56:04

12d ago56:04

56:04

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein has made a name for herself as one of STEM’s most implacable activists. Now the targets of her online attacks are fighting back.By Quillette

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On Andrew Gold Heretics podcast 1:24:05

15d ago1:24:05

1:24:05

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvf2ZV0qwBAProfessor Eric Kaufmann is a Canadian teaches politics at the University of Buckingham. He was appointed in October 2023, following his resignation from his post at Birkbeck, University of London, after two decades of service, citing political differences. Today, we discuss JK Rowling, the rise of the fasc…

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On Talk TV Alex Phillips Show 6:47

15d ago6:47

6:47

Discussing NHS pronoun badges, Oct 3 (from 1:25:30) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB5q2RSTd5U&list=PLTgNsAaFzbI1nOcJ2nHj3V8-PmZlf4UWk&index=2By Eric Kaufmann

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Gentrifying the Intifada 12:31

19d ago12:31

12:31

Zohran Mamdani’s brand of socialism appeals to the luxury beliefs of New York’s middle classes. If his preferred policies are implemented, New Yorkers will suffer—and the poorest of them will be most impacted.By Quillette

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Science vs Māori Knowledge 16:30

20d ago16:30

16:30

Iona Italia talks to Professor Kendall Clements of the University of Auckland about attempts to conflate traditional Maori knowledge with science, which, he argues, debases both. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

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A Fragile Peace: Iran-Israel Update 22:25

21d ago22:25

22:25

The Israel-Iran conflict may already be over, following the destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities. But the future is deeply uncertain. By Benny Morris.By Quillette

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The Two Middle Classes 16:11

22d ago16:11

16:11

The struggle between the two middle classes is not just a matter of wealth and power, but also of retaining the social basis for democracy itself.By Quillette

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The Enlightenment’s Gravediggers 29:37

22d ago29:37

29:37

When Westerners hate the West.By Quillette

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Destroying Iran’s Nuclear Arsenal 22:24

27d ago22:24

22:24

Israel faces two major challenges: destroying the Iranian enrichment plant at Fordow and locating and eliminating the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium. For the first, it will need US assistance. By Benny Morris.By Quillette

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The Wars Before the War 36:37

28d ago36:37

36:37

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay interviews Jonathan Spyer, director of research at the Middle East Forum, about how Israel laid the groundwork for its war with Iran by confronting threats in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

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Discussing the Iran-Israel War with an Iranian Dissident Danial Taghaddos 1:17:57

29d ago1:17:57

1:17:57

As missiles fly between Tehran and Tel Aviv, I’m joined by Iranian dissident Danial Taghaddos to make sense of a rapidly escalating war—and what it means for the future of Iran, Israel, and the region. Danial moved to Australia in 2018 and became politically active during the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests. A royalist and advocate for a return to consti…

1
Beheading the Snake 19:05

1M ago19:05

19:05

The Israeli attack on Iran is in line with its longstanding policy of never allowing its neighbouring enemies to acquire nuclear weapons. But it is also the latest episode in the wider war against Israel launched in late 2023 by Iran’s proxies. Written by Benny Morris.By Quillette

1
The Globalised Intifada 12:14

1M ago12:14

12:14

For at least some, globalising the Intifada means exporting the tactics of Hamas to the West, thus threatening peaceful liberal societies everywhere.By Quillette

1
Monogamy and the Making of Western Civilisation 14:05

1M ago14:05

14:05

The institution of monogamy in Classical Greece may have led to a host of phenomena that shaped the modern West: from individualism and abstract thinking to liberalism and democracy. Written by ⁠James Kierstead.⁠By Quillette

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The Catastrophe Hour 15:31

1M ago15:31

15:31

Writer Meghan Daum talks to Iona Italia about her new essay collection, The Catastrophe Hour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

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The Truth About Narcissistic Personality Disorder with Giancarlo Dimaggio MD 44:04

1M ago44:04

44:04

In this episode, Quillette’s Zoe Booth sits down with Dr Giancarlo Dimaggio—an internationally recognised psychiatrist and psychotherapist best known for his work on metacognitive therapy and the treatment of personality disorders. Based in Rome, Dr Dimaggio is the co-founder of the Centre for Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy and has published e…

1
Student Scapegoats 15:05

1M ago15:05

15:05

The Trump administration’s decision to start revoking the visas of international students is vindictive, petty, and counterproductive.By Quillette

1
Classical Liberalism Without Strong Gods 30:29

1M ago30:29

30:29

Why are liberal democracies facing a crisis of meaning? In this video, we explore Roger Partridge’s powerful defence of Karl Popper’s Open Society—a vision of liberalism based on freedom, tolerance, and civic engagement.As figures like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Jordan Peterson, and Peter Thiel call for a return to religion and nationalism, many argue that t…

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Enforced Ideological Conformity Among British Artists 27:42

1M ago27:42

27:42

Dancer and choreographer Rosie Kay talks to Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay about the three radioactive political topics that can derail an artist’s career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

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The Problem With ‘Harvard Derangement Syndrome’ 20:10

2M ago20:10

20:10

Harvard professor Steven Pinker tells Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay why Donald Trump’s campaign against his university’s ‘woke’ policies goes too far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

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Christopher Hitchens, Anti-Identitarian 15:17

2M ago15:17

15:17

Hitchens didn’t just see how identity politics could warp a person’s ideas and principles—he understood that it could replace them altogether.By Quillette

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'Roald Dahl and the Ethics of Art' by Iona Italia 5:46

2M ago5:46

5:46

The urge to censor is based on a misunderstanding of what makes literature valuable.By Quillette

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Too Many Moons 7:55

2M ago7:55

7:55

The article "Too Many Moons" by Lawrence M. Krauss discusses the recent recognition by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) of 128 new moons of Saturn, bringing its total to 274. This prompts questions about whether the term "moon" needs a more restrictive definition, similar to the reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet. The article hig…

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The Rationalism and Romanticism of John Stuart Mill 20:01

2M ago20:01

20:01

Two strands of Mill's philosophy were profoundly in conflict.By Quillette

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The Green Energy Delusion 25:28

2M ago25:28

25:28

The current approach to energy and environmental policy isn’t just unsustainable—it has put us on a collision course with reality.By Quillette

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The Biggest Taboo in Academia: Israel, with Maarten Boudry 42:45

2M ago42:45

42:45

Maarten Boudry is a Belgian philosopher of science and a prominent public intellectual known for his work on pseudoscience, secularism, and ideological bias. He is a research professor at Ghent University and a vocal advocate for free inquiry and Enlightenment values.In this episode, Zoe Booth speaks with Maarten Boudry about the growing discomfort…

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Is the University Of Austin Betraying Its Free-Speech Principles? 30:42

2M ago30:42

30:42

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Ellie Avishai—who recently lost her affiliated position at UATX after she pushed back against the school’s strident anti-DEI messaging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

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Qatar: Futuristic City, Medieval Morals 11:45

2M ago11:45

11:45

Donald Trump has an opportunity to influence the Qatari monarchy away from supporting jihad and towards promoting peace. But will he take it?By Quillette

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In Defence of John Money 19:45

2M ago19:45

19:45

How did this famed sexologist become reviled at both ends of the culture-war horseshoe?By Quillette

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The Women Excluded from Parsi Life 29:20

2M ago29:20

29:20

The Zoroastrians of India, are a tiny and rapidly shrinking group. Yet they exclude women who marry out and their offspring from their community.By Quillette

1
Brave New Marvel 12:28

2M ago12:28

12:28

Despite serious flaws, ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ is much better than Marvel’s recent offerings. Perhaps the franchise may have turned the corner.By Quillette

1
Settler Colonialism and Drivers of Anti-Israel Sentiment with Eric Kaufmann and Adam Kirsch, Manhattan Institute 1:39

2M ago1:39

1:39

Settler Colonialism and Drivers of Anti-Israel Sentiment with Eric Kaufmann and Adam Kirsch, Manhattan Institute by Eric KaufmannBy Eric Kaufmann

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Out with the Old... 11:20

2M ago11:20

11:20

Forecasts that Nigel Farage will become UK prime minister now attract expressions of anxious concern not mockery from the liberal commentariat.By Quillette