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

In this episode of the ResponsAbility Podcast, we speak with philosopher Lou Marinoff, professor at City College of New York and founding president of the American Philosophical Practitioners Association. Marinoff shares his journey from physics to philosophy, and how he became a pioneer of philosophical practice. We talk about his well-known book Plato, Not Prozac and the P4/PEACE framework, his dialogue with Buddhist thinker Daisaku Ikeda in The Inner Philosopher, and his reflections on spirituality, Taoism, and Pierre Hadot’s idea of philosophy as a way of life. Marinoff also discusses his work on the root causes of conflict and argues for philosophy’s crucial role in higher education, professional practice, and in creating the conditions for peace.

00:00:50 - Personal and professional journey

00:03:38 - What philosophical practice can contribute to higher education

00:13:01 - On the relevance of philosophy when facing life’s challenges

00:15:52 - On the P4/PEACE framework and why it is not only about problem-solving

00:30:56 - On The Inner Philosopher with Japanese Buddhist thinker Daisaku Ikeda.

00:35:46 - On spirituality and philosophical practice

00:41:45 - What is Daoist philosophy about, and how might it be applied in life?

00:46:42 - What are the root causes of conflict?

00:55:14 - On understanding conflict and developing towards wisdom

Literature:

• Marinoff, L. (1999). Plato, not Prozac! Applying eternal wisdom to everyday problems. HarperCollins.
• Marinoff, L. (2003). The big questions: How philosophy can change your life. Bloomsbury.
• Marinoff, L. (2004). Therapy for the sane: How philosophy can change your life. Bloomsbury USA. (Note: This work was originally published in hardcover as The Big Questions.)
• Marinoff, L., & Ikeda, D. (2012). The inner philosopher: Conversations on philosophy’s transformative power. Dialogue Path Press.
• Marinoff, L. (2017). The power of Dao: A timeless guide to happiness and harmony. Waterside Productions.
• Marinoff, L. (2019). On human conflict: The philosophical foundations of war and peace. Rowman & Littlefield.
• Marinoff, L. (2020). The middle way: Finding happiness in a world of extremes. Waterside Productions.

In this episode of the ResponsAbility Podcast, we speak with Nicola Ulibarri, Associate Professor at UC Irvine and first author of Creativity in Research. Drawing on her experience at Stanford’s d.school, Nicola shares how creativity can be cultivated as a deliberate practice in academia through mindfulness, emotional intuition, structured exercises, and supportive collaboration. We explore themes from her book, including the thirty-day creativity program, storytelling, energy management, and psychological safety in teams — and reflect on how these themes can become sources of creativity and inspiration for the researcher.

00:00:55 - Personal and professional background for writing Creativity in Research

00:03:38 - Mindfulness as foundational for creativity in research

00:05:06 - Emotional intuition as a guide in research decisions

00:09:11 - How can the inclusion of mindfulness and emotional intuition in research processes be justified?

00:12:38 - On the thirty-day-program

00:15:02 - Transformations observed with researchers who did the thirty-day-program

00:17:48 - On the importance of storytelling and language in shaping researchers’ identity

00:19:19 - On the role of energy management in research processes

00:24:09 - On the importance of collaboration and feedback in order for creativity to flourish in research

00:28:13 - Surprises in the reception of the book

00:31:10 - Is a researcher also a kind of artist?

Literature:

• Ulibarri N, Cravens AE, Svetina Nabergoj A, Kernbach S, Royalty A. (2019): Creativity in Research: Cultivate Clarity, Be Innovative, and Make Progress in Your Research Journey. Cambridge University Press.

In this episode of the ResponsAbility Podcast, we speak with Professor Ambrogio Bongiovanni—director of the Center for Interreligious Studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University—about the transformative role of dialogue in education, peace-building, and global responsibility. Drawing from decades of work across religious, academic, and international institutions, Bongiovanni explores what it means to cultivate a pedagogy of dialogue that embraces difference without losing depth. From grassroots encounters in India to teaching future educators and theologians, he shares insights on nonviolence, spiritual formation, and the ethical challenges of our time. In summary, this conversation examines how dialogue in education can foster connection, reflection, and responsibility in an increasingly divided world.

00:01:00 – Background and path into interreligious work

00:04:16 – Pedagogy of dialogue in multi-religious education

00:08:19 – Dialogical training for peace and nonviolence

00:12:12 – Challenges in promoting interreligious dialogue

00:16:00 – Institutional influence on global dialogue and responsibility

00:19:44 – Ethics and moral development in education

00:22:52 – Spirituality and Bildung in education

Literature:

• Bongiovanni, A. & Edwin, V. (Eds.) (2021): A Call to Dialogue. Christians in Dialogue with Muslims. Rome: Aracne.

In this episode of the ResponsAbility Podcast, we are joined by Prof. Dr. Alfried Längle and Prof. Mag. Dr. Eva Maria Waibel—two leading voices in existential therapy and pedagogy. Alfried Längle, a close collaborator of Viktor Frankl and founder of the International Society for Logotherapy and Existential Analysis, shares his insights into the foundations of existential psychotherapy, focusing on meaning, freedom, and the four fundamental motivations that guide human life. Eva Maria Waibel, a seasoned educator and psychotherapist, brings these existential principles into the field of education, emphasizing the formation of the whole person through presence, relationship, and ethical responsibility.

Together, they explore how both therapy and education can support people in navigating suffering, disconnection, and the challenges of modern life—not by offering easy answers, but by cultivating the courage to face difficult questions and stay connected to oneself and others. This episode offers a hopeful reflection on what it means to teach, learn, and live with meaning and care.

00:01:24 - About the Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy

00:06:17 - What distinguishes Alried Längle's form of existential analysis from Viktor Frankl's?

00:08:38 - What is Existential Pedagogy and what does it look like in practice?

00:16:05 - How can you work to educate children and youth in ways that can give them meaning in their lives?

00:17:41 - How to understand spirituality in the context of Existential Analysis and Existential Pedagogy?

00:23:50 - How to work with not only spirituality but also with responsibility in educational settings?

00:33:47 - What does conscience mean in the context of Existential Analysis and Existential Pedagogy?

00:35:58 - What can Existential Pedagogy contribute to the development of so-called Life Skills?

Literature:

• Längle, A. (2024): The Art of Involving the Person: The Existential Fundamental Motivations as Structure of Motivational Process. In: A. Cantú, E. Maisel, & C. Ruby (Eds.), Theoretical Alternatives to the Psychiatric Model of Mental Disorder Labeling: Contemporary Frameworks, Taxonomies, and Models (pp. 487–503). Cambridge (UK): The Ethics International Press. ISBN (Hardback): 978-1-80441-276-3
• Längle A. & Klaassen, D. (2019): Phenomenology and Depth in Existential Psychotherapy. In: J Humanistic Psychology https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/pJdypyZFmIK2F6mvBgyJ/full
• Längle, A. (2014): From Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy to Existential Analytic psychotherapy. In: European Psychotherapy 12, 67-83.
• Längle, A. (2012): The Viennese School of Existential Analysis. The Search for Meaning and Affirmation of Life. In: Barnett L, Madison G (Eds.): Existential therapy: Legacy, vibrancy, and dialogue. New York: Routledge, 2ß12, 159-170.
• Siller, H. & Waibel, E. M. (2018): Not pure harmony, but less of a power struggle – What do teachers and pedagogues think about Existential Pedagogy? In: The Teacher Educator, Volume 53/2018, Issue 1, pp. 44 – 66.
• Waibel, E. M. (2017): Self-Worth and Meaning-Oriented Education, In: Etherington, Matthew (Ed.). What Teachers Need to Know. Topics of Inclusion. Wipf & Stock: Eugene, OR (USA), pp. 66 – 81
• Waibel, E. M. (2012): Erziehung zu Selbstwert und Sinn – Self-Worth and Meaning-Oriented Education, In: Rabensteiner, Pia-Maria und Ropo Eero (Hrsg.): Life and Responsibility in European Education. Euopean Dimension in Education and Teaching. Vol. 5. Hohengehren: Schneider, S. 103 – 131