Best Quillette Podcasts (2025)

1
Christopher Hitchens, Anti-Identitarian 15:17

1d 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

1
The Biggest Taboo in Academia: Israel, with Maarten Boudry 42:45

4d 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…

1
Is the University Of Austin Betraying Its Free-Speech Principles? 30:42

5d 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

1
'Roald Dahl and the Ethics of Art' by Iona Italia 5:46

1d ago5:46

5:46

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

1
Too Many Moons 7:55

1d 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…

1
The Rationalism and Romanticism of John Stuart Mill 20:01

2d ago20:01

20:01

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

1
The Green Energy Delusion 25:28

4d 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

1
Qatar: Futuristic City, Medieval Morals 11:45

5d 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

1
In Defence of John Money 19:45

8d ago19:45

19:45

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

1
The Women Excluded from Parsi Life 29:20

8d 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

9d 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

10d 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

1
Out with the Old... 11:20

11d 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

1
Is the University Of Austin Betraying Its Founding Principles? 26:41

11d ago26:41

26:41

Created as a haven for free thinkers, UATX was the last place where I’d expected to encounter ideological litmus tests. By Ellie Avishai.By Quillette

1
The Many Faces of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ 15:00

11d ago15:00

15:00

Alexandre Dumas’s novel is by turns an adventure story, a paean to bourgeois values, and a Greek epic. No wonder it continues to fascinate.By Quillette

1
'Oikophobia': Our Western Self-Hatred 12:26

11d ago12:26

12:26

The simplest way of defining oikophobia is as the opposite extreme of xenophobia.By Quillette

1
Truth Telling and Colonial History 27:29

12d ago27:29

27:29

The colonisation of Australia was neither a "peaceful settlement" nor a bloody conquest. It was a Malthusian swamping: the inevitable and tragic result of contact between hunter gatherers and agriculturalists.By Quillette

1
The Green Delusion 15:48

15d ago15:48

15:48

Iona Italia talks to engineer Paul Brown about the hidden costs of renewables and the skewed incentives that are driving some countries towards unsustainable energy policies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

1
Scientology’s War on Psychiatry 30:27

17d ago30:27

30:27

What caused L. Ron Hubbard to turn on a discipline he had once accepted?By Quillette

1
Our Glorious Unhead of State 7:03

17d ago7:03

7:03

The idea of an Australian republic is attractive to some, but there's a strong case for a humble head of state.By Quillette

1
Lessons from the Last Empire of Iran 17:30

19d ago17:30

17:30

Despite the uncertainties and tensions that characterize modern political life, we would do well to remember that the future we want is never the future we actually get, and that civilisation will outlast the fragility of politics.By Quillette

1
Lessons from the Luddites on Adapting to AI 37:18

21d ago37:18

37:18

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Washington Post columnist and TED Talker Megan McArdle about the short-term pain—and long-term gain—heralded by the AI revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

1
The Thunder from Down Under 14:47

22d ago14:47

14:47

If Bach was the sound of God whistling while he worked, AC/DC was the sound of God ordering another round in a strip club on Saturday night.By Quillette

1
For Our Own Good, We All Need a Glimpse of the Evil Queen 17:55

22d ago17:55

17:55

I have never seen a dream present something I believed to be untrue.By Quillette

1
Against the Tyranny of Opinionated Ignorance 10:55

23d ago10:55

10:55

Let us not confuse the freedom to speak with the freedom to mislead.By Quillette

1
When Good Academics Do Bad Things 26:22

24d ago26:22

26:22

In a speech at the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law, Jonathan Kay shared insights from investigating a controversy at the university's teachers college. The story involves Margaret Munn, a middle-aged educator who faced backlash for questioning the concept of "decolonization" in a course titled "Indigenous Education: Towards a Decoloniz…

1
On American Reformer podcast 1:06:06

25d ago1:06:06

1:06:06

Eric Kaufmann, professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham, comes on to talk about his new book "The Third Awokening" and the future of immigration, populism, and the cultural left. #EricKaufmann #Politics #UK #US #Woke #Left #Liberal #Right #Conservative #TheThirdAwokening Eric is now Professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham…

1
The Settlers: An Incomplete Portrayal 11:29

25d ago11:29

11:29

Louis Theroux’s new documentary suggests that he is unfamiliar with the complex history behind the Israeli occupation of The West Bank, and does not understand the political and ideological factors at stake there. By John Aziz.By Quillette

1
The Fight for Academic Freedom in the UK 1:03:05

25d ago1:03:05

1:03:05

How the battle for the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act was fought, won, and nearly lost again.By Quillette

1
Disuniting Australia 31:04

29d ago31:04

31:04

What happens when the values of multiculturalism conflict with homophobic, misogynistic, and deeply anti-democratic strains of Islam?By Quillette

1
Free Speech in Australia 14:32

29d ago14:32

14:32

Iona Italia talks to Alan Davidson about censorship, self-censorship, the Online Safety Act and other threats to free speech in Australia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

1
'The Language of Soviet Propaganda' by Izabella Tabarovsky 5:51

1M ago5:51

5:51

Progressive anti-Zionism and the poisonous legacy of Cold War hatred.By Quillette

1
Ghosts of Electricity 15:17

1M ago15:17

15:17

The magisterial incomprehensibility of Bob Dylan’s ‘Visions of Johanna.’By Quillette

1
From Languishing to Flourishing, Dr. Matthew Iasiello on the Science of Well-Being 57:41

1M ago57:41

57:41

Mental health isn’t just about avoiding illness—it’s about learning how to thrive. In this episode, mental health researcher Dr. Matthew Iasiello explains the “dual-continuum” model: a framework that sees mental illness and well-being as distinct but connected. With insights from his podcast Researching Happy and his work at SAHMRI and Be Well Co, …

1
Canada’s Strange Election Season 20:31

1M ago20:31

20:31

In advance of Monday’s nation-wide vote, Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay discusses Justin Trudeau’s resignation, Pierre Poilievre’s bad luck, the rise of Mark Carney, and the effects of Donald Trump’s aggressive protectionism on Canadian politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
‘Eric Kaufmann on Liberal Overreach,’ on Andrew Sullivan’s Dishcast 2:11:59

1M ago2:11:59

2:11:59

Eric is a professor of politics at the University of Buckingham, where he runs the new Centre for Heterodox Social Science. He’s also an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute. His new book is The Third Awokening: A 12-Point Plan for Rolling Back Progressive Extremism (its title in the UK is Taboo: How Making Race Sacred Produced a Cultural Revo…

1
Australian Election 2025: The Nuclear Debate with Will Shackel 40:50

1M ago40:50

40:50

In this conversation, Zoe Booth speaks with Will Shackel, an 18-year-old energy advocate and founder of Nuclear for Australia, a youth-led campaign pushing for the inclusion of nuclear power in the country’s energy mix. They discuss the rising cost of electricity and the structural challenges facing the national grid. Shackel makes the case for nuc…

1
Making the Case for ‘Free-Range Parenting’ 23:28

1M ago23:28

23:28

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with author and TED Talker Lenore Skenazy, whose campaign to give children more opportunities for independent play and learning once earned her the title of ‘America’s Worst Mother.’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Quillette

1
Hamas Should Never Be Decriminalised 11:34

1M ago11:34

11:34

The campaign to remove Hamas from the UK’s list of proscribed organisations is not about defending free speech or political dissent. It is about legitimising jihadist warmongering.By Quillette

1
The Wrongful Exoneration of Adnan Syed Part II: The Legal and Media Circus 1:34:51

1M ago1:34:51

1:34:51

Adnan Syed would never have been released had ‘Serial’ not been made. Advocacy journalism must be treated with caution.By Quillette

1
'The Wrongful Exoneration of Adnan Syed Part I: A Straightforward Murder Case' by Andrew Hammel 1:17:02

1M ago1:17:02

1:17:02

A serious reexamination of this case must begin by setting out the evidence that led the jury to convict.By Quillette

1
Does TED Still Make Sense? 16:29

1M ago16:29

16:29

Last week’s TED Talks in Vancouver featured dozens of brilliant speakers. But the earnest belief that big new ideas can save humanity from itself now feels painfully dated.By Quillette

1
Revisiting ‘Wake in Fright’, A Peculiarly Australian Kind of Hell 25:39

2M ago25:39

25:39

Five decades after its release, Wake in Fright remains a brutally captivating reminder that modernity is just a thin veneer over the darker recesses of the human heart.By Quillette