Our guest in this episode is Nancy Sherman, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University and a leading expert on ancient ethics and modern moral psychology. Drawing on Aristotle and the Stoics, Nancy explores what it means to live well, to cultivate resilience without emotional suppression, and to nurture our capacity for connection in a fragmented world. She discusses how Stoic ideas have been both misunderstood and rediscovered—from Silicon Valley’s self-help culture to the search for calm and meaning among younger generations. Through themes of responsiveness, character formation, and moral self-knowledge, the conversation bridges ancient wisdom and contemporary challenges in education, leadership, and mental health.

00:01:02 – Motivation and Driving Force

00:04:37 – Aristotle and the Soul

00:09:03 – Stoicism and Aristotle

00:11:46 – Stoicism and the Self-Help Industry

00:14:23 – Stoicism and Spiritual Practice

00:18:50 – Stoicism and Bildung

00:24:47 – ResponsAbility and Wise Response

00:28:24 – Responsiveness in Education and Professional Life

00:33:47 – Stoicism, Resilience, and Mental Health

00:37:06 – Stoic Exercises in Higher Education?

Literature:

• Sherman, N. (forthcoming): How to Have a Soul: What Aristotle Teaches Us about Lasting Happiness. Yale University Press.
• Sherman, N. (2021): Stoic Wisdom – Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience. Oxford University Press.
• Sherman, N. (2015): Afterwar: Healing the Moral Wounds of Our Soldiers. Oxford University Press.
• Sherman, N. (2007) Stoic Warriors - The Ancient Philosophy behind the Military Mind. Oxford University Press.
• Sherman, N, (1991): The Fabric of Character: Aristotle's Theory of Virtue. Clarendon Press.

Our guest in this episode is Peter Singer, one of the most influential moral philosophers of our time. Known for works like Animal Liberation, Practical Ethics, and The Life You Can Save, Singer has spent his career challenging us to rethink how we live and how we can reduce suffering for humans and animals alike. In his recent book The Buddhist and the Ethicist, co-authored with Venerable Shih Chao-Hwei, he explores what happens when Western utilitarian ethics meets the compassion and mindfulness of engaged Buddhism. In this conversation, we talk about living one’s philosophy, the role of compassion in ethical life, and what Buddhist thought can teach us about the ability to respond wisely to the challenges of our time.

00:00:53 – Living One’s Philosophy

00:02:52 – The Life You Can Save

00:06:40 – What’s Good About Utilitarianism?

00:09:14 – Ethics and Animal Welfare

00:12:58 – The Buddhist and the Ethicist: A Cross-Cultural Dialogue

00:17:00 – Why Dialogue?

00:18:32 – Insights from the Dialogue

00:21:30 – Spirituality Without Belief

00:25:29 – The Meeting of Compassion and Reason

00:25:32 – What Can Western Philosophy Learn from Buddhism?

00:27:40 – ResponsAbility and Ethical Dialogue

00:29:12 – The Responsibility of Philosophers Today

00:32:22 – Future Dialogues Between Philosophy and Contemplative Traditions

Literature:

• Singer, P. & Chao-Hwei, S. (2023): The Buddhist and the Ethicist: Conversations on Effective Altruism, Engaged Buddhism, and How to Build a Better World. Boulder, CO: Shambala.
• Singer, P. (2024): Animal liberation now. Vintage Publishing
• Singer, P. (2020): Why Vegan. So the only question is: Do any other animal other than man suffer? Penguin Classics.
• Singer, P. (2016): One World Now: The Ethics of Globalization. Yale University Press.
• Singer, P. (2015): The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism Is Changing Ideas About Living Ethically. Yale University Press. de
• Lazari-Radek, K. & Singer, P. (2014): The Point of View of the Universe: Sidgwick and Contemporary Ethics. Oxford University Press.
• Singer, P. (1981, 2nd edition 2011): The Expanding Circle: Ethics, Evolution, and Moral Progress. Princeton University Press.
• Singer, P. (2009): The Life You Can Save: How to Do Your Part to End World Poverty. Random House.
• Singer, P. & Mason, J. (2007): The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter. Harmony/Rodale/Convergent.

In this episode, we talk with Tone Kvernbekk, Professor of Education at the University of Oslo, about how teachers think, reason, and act wisely in complex educational contexts. Drawing on her work on the nature of evidence, theory, and practical judgment, she discusses why educational practice cannot simply be based on evidence, but must be informed by it. We explore her reflections on causality, context, and the limits of instrumental thinking. Finally, Tone shares how pedagogical thought experiments can help cultivate the ability to respond thoughtfully and well to what each situation demands.

00:00:44 – Academic journey and philosophical beginnings

00:02:34 – Why theory and theory development matter in education

00:04:27 – “Nothing is as practical as a good theory”

00:06:00 – The meaning of “based” in evidence-based practice

00:08:02 – What counts as evidence?

00:11:58 – John Hattie and the limits of “what works best”

00:15:31 – Instrumentality and causality in education

00:20:02 – Four models for connecting research evidence and practice

00:22:35 – Grimen, phronesis, and Biesta – on wisdom, risk, and judgment

00:25:41 – Pedagogical thought experiments and the cultivation of ResponsAbility

00:30:06 – The responsibility of educational philosophers today

Literature:

• Kvernbekk, T. (2005). Pedaogisk teoridannelse. Insidere, teoriformer og praksis. Fagbokforlaget
• Kvernbekk, T. (2011): The Concept of Evidence in Evidence-based Practice. In: Educational Theory, Vol. 61, No. 5. University of Illinois.
• Kvernbekk, T. (2018) «Evidensbasert Pedagogisk Praksis: Utvalgte Kontroverser.» Nordisk tidsskrift for pedagogikk og kritikk,Vol. 4, 2018, pp. 136–153. http://dx.doi.org/10.23865/ntpk.v4.1153
• Kvernbekk, T. (2019) Practitioner tales: possible roles for research evidence in practice, Educational Research and Evaluation, 25:1-2, 25-42, DOI: 10.1080/13803611.2019.1617988