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  • Episode 146, The Philosophy of Comedy (Part II - The Ethics of Humour)
    2025/08/24
    In 2021, Netflix released His Dark Material, a Christmas stand-up special by Irish–British comedian Jimmy Carr. The show sparked international outrage. Toward the end of the set, Carr delivered what he called a ‘career ender’ – a joke about the Holocaust, in which he described the Nazis’ murder of thousands of ‘Gypsies’ as a ‘positive’. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, the Auschwitz Memorial, and the UK government condemned the joke as ‘appalling’, ‘abhorrent’, and ‘racist’; Carr, critics said, was trading on the ‘last acceptable form of racism’. Comedy touches every part of our lives. We tell jokes at the pub, around the dinner table, and by the office coffee machine. We all know someone who makes us laugh – and someone who seems to take things too far. But is there a line when it comes to humour? And if there is, who gets to draw it? Should we suspend our moral judgements when the lights go down and the curtain goes up? Or do jokes, like most speech acts, carry moral weight? To answer these questions, we need to understand the nature of comedy itself – what exactly it is we’re responding to when we laugh. Humour might be a release of nervous tension, a playful disruption of expectations, or – more troublingly, if it applies to Carr’s joke – a means of asserting social superiority. No doubt, comedy has the power to shape our culture and perceptions. But, as we’ll find out, it also tells us something about who we are, who we ought to be, and the things we value most. Links Abrahams, Daniel – Winning Over the Audience: Trust and Humor in Stand‐Up Comedy (paper) Anderson, Luvell – Roasting Ethics (paper) Bergson, Henri – Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic (book) Carroll, Noël – Ethics and Comic Amusement (paper) Carroll, Noël – Humour: A Very Short Introduction (book) Carroll, Noël – I’m Only Kidding: On Racist and Ethnic Jokes (paper) Carroll, Noël – Cruelty and Humour (paper) Critchley, Simon – On Humour (book) Deen, Phillip – What Could It Mean to Say That Today’s Stand‐Up Audiences Are Too Sensitive? (paper) Gimbel, Steven (ed.) – The Philosophy of Comedy (book) Hick, Darren Hudson – Why Can’t You Take a Joke? The Several Moral Dimensions of Pilfering a Ha‐Ha (paper) Morreall, John – Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor (book) Morreall, John – Philosophy of Laughter and Humor (book) Morreall, John – Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Philosophy of Humor (article) Smuts, Aaron – Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Comedy (article)
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    38 分
  • Episode 146, The Philosophy of Comedy (Part I - The Nature of Humour)
    2025/08/10
    In 2021, Netflix released His Dark Material, a Christmas stand-up special by Irish–British comedian Jimmy Carr. The show sparked international outrage. Toward the end of the set, Carr delivered what he called a ‘career ender’ – a joke about the Holocaust, in which he described the Nazis’ murder of thousands of ‘Gypsies’ as a ‘positive’. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, the Auschwitz Memorial, and the UK government condemned the joke as ‘appalling’, ‘abhorrent’, and ‘racist’; Carr, critics said, was trading on the ‘last acceptable form of racism’. Comedy touches every part of our lives. We tell jokes at the pub, around the dinner table, and by the office coffee machine. We all know someone who makes us laugh – and someone who seems to take things too far. But is there a line when it comes to humour? And if there is, who gets to draw it? Should we suspend our moral judgements when the lights go down and the curtain goes up? Or do jokes, like most speech acts, carry moral weight? To answer these questions, we need to understand the nature of comedy itself – what exactly it is we’re responding to when we laugh. Humour might be a release of nervous tension, a playful disruption of expectations, or – more troublingly, if it applies to Carr’s joke – a means of asserting social superiority. No doubt, comedy has the power to shape our culture and perceptions. But, as we’ll find out, it also tells us something about who we are, who we ought to be, and the things we value most. Links Abrahams, Daniel – Winning Over the Audience: Trust and Humor in Stand‐Up Comedy (paper) Anderson, Luvell – Roasting Ethics (paper) Bergson, Henri – Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic (book) Carroll, Noël – Ethics and Comic Amusement (paper) Carroll, Noël – Humour: A Very Short Introduction (book) Carroll, Noël – I’m Only Kidding: On Racist and Ethnic Jokes (paper) Carroll, Noël – Cruelty and Humour (paper) Critchley, Simon – On Humour (book) Deen, Phillip – What Could It Mean to Say That Today’s Stand‐Up Audiences Are Too Sensitive? (paper) Gimbel, Steven (ed.) – The Philosophy of Comedy (book) Hick, Darren Hudson – Why Can’t You Take a Joke? The Several Moral Dimensions of Pilfering a Ha‐Ha (paper) Morreall, John – Comic Relief: A Comprehensive Philosophy of Humor (book) Morreall, John – Philosophy of Laughter and Humor (book) Morreall, John – Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Philosophy of Humor (article) Smuts, Aaron – Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Comedy (article)
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    54 分
  • Episode 145, The Mystery of Morality: Live in London (Part II - Audience Questions)
    2025/07/27

    '“Hello – it’s Olly here!

    For Episode 145, we have another very special show for you: the recording from our live event – The Mystery of Morality – held on 12 June 2025 at London’s Royal Institution Theatre.

    The event was a conversation between four of our previous guests: Richard Swinburne, Jessica Frazier, Alex O’Connor and Peter Singer. The question at the heart of the discussion: where does morality come from, and who (or what) counts morally?

    It’s a brilliant discussion filled with humorous moments, but also some very serious moments and topics, such as same-sex relationships and animal rights. I think it’s one of our best shows yet. Thank you to everyone who came along to make it such a special evening. The first part of this podcast is their free-flowing conversation; the second is a Q&A with the audience. Without further ado, I’ll pass you over to Jack, live from The Royal Institution Theatre – we hope you enjoy the show.”

    Links

    Richard Swinburne, Website

    Jessica Frazier, Website

    Alex O’Connor, Website

    Peter Singer, Website

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    23 分
  • Episode 145, The Mystery of Morality: Live in London (Part I - The Debate)
    2025/07/13

    '“Hello – it’s Olly here!

    For Episode 145, we have another very special show for you: the recording from our live event – The Mystery of Morality – held on 12 June 2025 at London’s Royal Institution Theatre.

    The event was a conversation between four of our previous guests: Richard Swinburne, Jessica Frazier, Alex O’Connor and Peter Singer. The question at the heart of the discussion: where does morality come from, and who (or what) counts morally?

    It’s a brilliant discussion filled with humorous moments, but also some very serious moments and topics, such as same-sex relationships and animal rights. I think it’s one of our best shows yet. Thank you to everyone who came along to make it such a special evening. The first part of this podcast is their free-flowing conversation; the second is a Q&A with the audience. Without further ado, I’ll pass you over to Jack, live from The Royal Institution Theatre – we hope you enjoy the show.”

    Links

    Richard Swinburne, Website

    Jessica Frazier, Website

    Alex O’Connor, Website

    Peter Singer, Website

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    1 時間 15 分
  • Episode 144, Steven Pinker x Richard Dawkins: Live in London (Part II - Audience Questions)
    2025/06/29

    This is a live recording from our recent show – The Future of Humanity – held on 3 June 2025 at London’s Royal Institution Theatre.

    The event was a conversation between psychologist Steven Pinker and biologist Richard Dawkins – both previous guests on The Panpsycast – exploring the evolution of human beings and the challenges we face in the future. Richard leads the discussion, questioning Steve about his extensive catalogue of books and his contributions to psychology, sociology, and evolutionary theory. They focus a lot on the past but, eventually, get on to the future. It’s a brilliant exchange, covering a wide range of topics and packed with some of Pinker’s most important insights.

    The first part of this podcast special is their free-flowing conversation; the second is a Q&A with the audience, hosted by Jack. Thank you to everyone who came along and made the show possible. Without further ado, here’s the audio from our live show – we hope you enjoy the conversation.

    Links

    Steven Pinker, Website

    Richard Dawkins, Website

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    33 分
  • Episode 144, Steven Pinker x Richard Dawkins: Live in London (Part I - The Future of Humanity)
    2025/06/15

    Welcome to Episode 144 (Part I of II), where Richard Dawkins interviews Steven Pinker on the past and future of humanity.

    This is a live recording from our recent show – The Future of Humanity – held on 3 June 2025 at London’s Royal Institution Theatre.

    The event was a conversation between psychologist Steven Pinker and biologist Richard Dawkins – both previous guests on The Panpsycast – exploring the evolution of human beings and the challenges we face in the future. Richard leads the discussion, questioning Steve about his extensive catalogue of books and his contributions to psychology, sociology, and evolutionary theory. They focus a lot on the past but, eventually, get on to the future. It’s a brilliant exchange, covering a wide range of topics and packed with some of Pinker’s most important insights.

    The first part of this podcast special is their free-flowing conversation; the second is a Q&A with the audience, hosted by Jack. Thank you to everyone who came along and made the show possible. Without further ado, here’s the audio from our live show – we hope you enjoy the conversation.

    Links

    Steven Pinker, Website

    Richard Dawkins, Website

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    1 時間 5 分
  • Episode 143, ‘The Philosophy of Mental Health’ with Rose Cartwright (Part II - Further Analysis and Discussion)
    2025/06/01

    We’re living through a mental health crisis. In Europe, use of antidepressant has more than doubled in the past twenty years, and one in five children are now living with a recognised mental health condition. These numbers are striking, and the suffering they reflect personal, and clouded in mystery. But have we always been like this? Or has something shifted – in our politics, our culture, or perhaps in our understanding of what it means to be a person? Is the rise in mental health disorders a product of modern life, or are we simply more willing to talk about them? And what happens when system, designed to help us, ends up making us feel more broken, more stuck, and more alone?

    In this episode, we’ll discussing these questions with Rose Cartwright – best-known as the author of Pure, a raw and radical memoir about living with OCD, which went on to become a popular Channel 4 television drama. Today, Rose is a screenwriter on the Netflix show 3 Body Problem, and her latest book, The Maps We Carry, takes a deep dive into the territory of trauma, healing, and the limits of the medical model.

    As shall see, Rose’s work explores how our distress is shaped by the stories we tell – and the stories we’re told – about our minds. She asks whether we need new narratives, new frameworks, and even new states of consciousness to understand and transform our inner lives. Drawing on her own experiences – talking therapies, medications, psychedelic journeys, and the spaces in between – Rose invites us to imagine a more expansive approach to mental health. What does that expansive model look like? And is it really necessary? Well – lie back on the couch, take a deep breath… and let’s find out.

    Links

    Rose Cartwright, Website.

    Rose Cartwright, The Maps We Carry.

    Rose Cartwright, Pure.

    Pure – TV Show.

    3 Body ProblemTV Show.

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    31 分
  • Episode 143, ‘The Philosophy of Mental Health’ with Rose Cartwright (Part I - The Maps We Carry)
    2025/05/18

    We’re living through a mental health crisis. In Europe, use of antidepressant has more than doubled in the past twenty years, and one in five children are now living with a recognised mental health condition. These numbers are striking, and the suffering they reflect personal, and clouded in mystery. But have we always been like this? Or has something shifted – in our politics, our culture, or perhaps in our understanding of what it means to be a person? Is the rise in mental health disorders a product of modern life, or are we simply more willing to talk about them? And what happens when system, designed to help us, ends up making us feel more broken, more stuck, and more alone?

    In this episode, we’ll discussing these questions with Rose Cartwright – best-known as the author of Pure, a raw and radical memoir about living with OCD, which went on to become a popular Channel 4 television drama. Today, Rose is a screenwriter on the Netflix show 3 Body Problem, and her latest book, The Maps We Carry, takes a deep dive into the territory of trauma, healing, and the limits of the medical model.

    As shall see, Rose’s work explores how our distress is shaped by the stories we tell – and the stories we’re told – about our minds. She asks whether we need new narratives, new frameworks, and even new states of consciousness to understand and transform our inner lives. Drawing on her own experiences – talking therapies, medications, psychedelic journeys, and the spaces in between – Rose invites us to imagine a more expansive approach to mental health. What does that expansive model look like? And is it really necessary? Well – lie back on the couch, take a deep breath… and let’s find out.

    Links

    Rose Cartwright, Website.

    Rose Cartwright, The Maps We Carry.

    Rose Cartwright, Pure.

    Pure – TV Show.

    3 Body ProblemTV Show.

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    36 分