Nigel Warburton Podcasts

Molefi Kete Asante, the chair of the Department of African American Studies at Philadelphia’s Temple University, has long been at the forefront of developing the academic discipline of Black studies and in founding the theory of Afrocentrism, “the centering of African people in their own stories.” In this Social Science Bites podcast, Asante offers…

Thomas Hobbes is best known as author of Leviathan which is usually read today for its theory of political authority. Here Arash Abizadeh discusses Hobbes' ethics, the theory of what we are and what are obligations are to each.

Seánie and Goodie are joined by Adam Jones to review the series and discuss why it was a missed opportunity for the Lions. Stuart Hogg dials in from Jersey nursing a severe hangover, Schalk Brits comes on to have a good old gloat and Seánie gets some constructive feedback on his autobiography. Join the House of Rugby Facebook Group Want to hear mor…

Seánie and Goodie are joined by former Springbok Bobby Skinstad and Lions legend Matt Dawson to dissect the Lion’s third Test defeat and Springbok series win. The boys also select their Lions and South Africa combined XV. Join the House of Rugby Facebook Group Want to hear more great podcasts from JOE? All To Play For, Joe Cole and Tom Davis bring …

Seanie and Alex go through Warren Gatland’s team selection for the third and final Test and pick out where the game will be won and lost. The boys are also joined by top referee JP Doyle to give his perspective on the criticism the officials have had to deal with during the series and he gives us an insight into how a referee prepares for a big gam…

There is inequality in the United States, a fact most people accept and which data certainly bears out. But how bad do you think that inequality is, say, based on comparing the wealth held by the average Black person in America and the average white person? This is one of the questions that Jennifer Richeson, a social psychologist at Yale Universit…

Springbok World Cup winner Bobby Skinstad joins Seánie and Goodie to reflect on South Africa's 27-9 win over the Lions to level the series. They examine what the difference was between the two sides on Saturday and why the Lions are expected to make wholesale changes ahead of the decider. The boys also pick their fantasy sevens side from both teams…

After Warren Gatland named his starting Lions XV for the second Test, Seanie and Goodie pick through the bones of his selection. The boys are joined by Schalk Brits to get the South African perspective and Mako Vunipola joins the pod to chat life on tour. Join the House of Rugby Facebook Group Want to hear more great podcasts from JOE? All To Play …

Seánie and Goodie are joined by former Scotland captain Geig Laidlaw to review the first Test that saw the Lions out-muscle the Boks to win 22-17. The boys pick out who impressed them most, where it went wrong for South Africa and what we can expect next weekend. Join the House of Rugby Facebook Group Want to hear more great podcasts from JOE? All …

Seánie is joined by Shane Horgan to take a forensic look at Warren Gatland’s Lions team to face the Springboks in that first Test on Saturday. And Schalk Brits joins the boys from South Africa to give his view on Jacques Nienaber side. Join the House of Rugby Facebook Group Want to hear more great podcasts from JOE? All To Play For, Joe Cole and To…

Goodie and Seánie are joined by former Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw to reflect on a busy week for the Lions, the return of Alun Wyn Jones, and look ahead to the first test against the Springboks. Greig also talks about his memories of the 2017 tour, while they also discuss life in Japan. Join the House of Rugby Facebook Group Want to hear more gr…

Goodie and Jack are joined by former Leinster and Ireland winger Shane Horgan to reflect on a difficult week for both the Lions and the Springboks. They chat about how the two teams will be dealing with the disruptions and reflect on the news that Marcus Smith has been called up as cover for Finn Russell. Schalk Brits joins us from his garden to gi…

Two times Lions tourist Tom Croft joins Seanie and Goodie to review the Lions first game on South African soil. They pick out who they thought would have impressed Warren Gatland and pick their back row for that first Test. Schalk Brits joins the pod to give us the lowdown of the Springbok’s game against Georgia, and Tom shares his memories from th…

The twin prods of a U.S. president trying to rebrand the coronavirus as the ‘China virus’ and a bloody attack in Atlanta that left six Asian women dead have brought to the fore a spate of questions about Asian Americans in the United States. Columbia University sociologist Jennifer Lee has been answering many of those questions her entire academic …

Seánie and Goodie are joined by England flanker Jack Willis to reflect on the big news that Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones will not travel to South Africa after sustaining a shoulder injury during the win against Japan. As well as reviewing the game, they discuss who would have impressed Warren Gatland and what sort of captain Conor Murray will be. T…

Goodie, Seanie and Bomb are reunited in the studio ahead of the Lions first game against Japan at Murrayfield this weekend. Having spent the last 10 days in Jersey, Seanie gives us the inside track from the Lions training camp, Goodie tells us why Owen Farrell’s leadership has impressed Warren Gatland and Bomb admits not even he saw that remarkable…

Despite being someone who doesn’t “particularly enjoy the game,” cognitive anthropologist Martha Newson is drawn to football. “Football is one of the most exciting games to watch as an anthropologist,” she explains in this Social Science Bites podcast. “I’m not watching the ball go around the pitch – I’m watching the fans. I’m transfixed by them! Y…

Fresh from winning the Premier 15’s title with Quins, Shaunagh Brown joins Lee, Goodie and Seánie to tells us how special the day was. She also explains why she quit athletics after competing in the Commonwealth Games to start playing rugby. And 24 years on from that famous 1997 Lions Tour to South Africa, John Bentley joins the pod to share a few …

Leinster and Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw joins Lee, Goodie and Seánie to talk about his Lions selection. He also lifts the lid on some of Seánie’s old antics in Dublin and why he’s no longer welcome at Johnny Sexton’s house. The guys also discuss whether criticism of the Pro 14 is fair and why Leinster are coming up short in Europe. Join the Hous…

England and Saracens prop Mako Vunipola joins Lee and Goodie to chat about his selection for the Lions, the disappointment of his brother Billy missing out and why he wore a dress in Chicago! Plus World Cup winner Schalk Brits joins the pod to talk about how the Springboks are preparing for the Lions and what he misses about rugby since retiring fr…

Spinoza was famously heretical in his views. No surprise then that he defended free expression. Here Steven Nadler discusses Spinoza's views on this topic with Nigel Warburton.

When human judgment enters the picture, so too will errors in human judgment. Think of this as “noise,” just as you might think of a signal-to-noise ratio in an audio signal. And just as in listening to music, this noise is not a feature, but a flaw. In the context of human action, management professor at HEC Paris and former McKinsey senior partne…

After receiving their Lions call-ups last week, Hamish Watson and Courtney Lawes join Lee, Seánie and Goodie on the pod. They talk about where they were when the team was announced, what they’re most looking forward to and how they’re relishing facing the Springboks. Hamish also gives us the latest on the mullet and whether it’s going on tour to So…

"That’s such a hard question,” Gina Neff, a sociologist at the Oxford Internet Institute, responds when asked what social science research or thinker most influenced her. “It’s like a busman’s holiday for an academic, because so many things have influenced my thinking.” Her answer, by the way, was Ulrich Beck’s concept of the risk society, as expla…

After Lions coach Warren Gatland named his 37 players to tour South Africa, Lee, Bomb and Seánie pick through the bones of his selections. They discuss the decision to make Alun Wyn Jones captain and how the team might look come that first Test. We also hear from coach Gregor Townsend and Lions chairman Jason Leonard. Join the House of Rugby Facebo…

Two superstars of world rugby join Lee and Goodie from Japan this week. Former Wallaby scrum half Will Genia tells us why rugby in Australia is struggling, who his half-back pairing for the Lions would be and his thoughts on former teammate Israel Folau. And Springbok centre Jesse Kriel looks ahead to the Lions Tour in South Africa, who he’s lookin…

Fijian superstar Nemani Nodolo joins Lee, Seánie and Goodie to chat about the two Pacific Island teams joining Super Rugby and the positive impact it will have on the sport in that region. He also talks about his love of BBQs, dealing with the British weather and starting up his own YouTube channel. The guys also discuss the forthcoming law changes…

As Warren Gatland reveals his British and Irish Lions coaching team, Foxy and Seánie join Lee to give their verdict on his four assistants. They discuss the individual merits of the coaches and explain how it’s just not the players that enjoy a night out on tour. Foxy gives us the inside track on why the Welsh regions are underperforming in Europe …

Scotland captain Stuart Hogg joins Lee, Jamie and Seánie to reflect on his side’s Six Nations Campaign. He also talks about life at Exeter and why he wishes he'd had made the move earlier in his career. Jamie explains how tough it was inside the England bubble for the Six Nations, and ahead of Sale’s Champions Cup quarter-final, Marland Yarde joins…

When Jim Scott mentions ‘resistance,’ this recovering political scientist isn’t usually talking about grand symbolic statements or large-scale synchronized actions by thousands or more battling an oppressive state. He’s often referring to daily actions by average people, often not acting in concert and perhaps not even seeing themselves as ‘resisti…

Former Lions captain Sam Warburton joins Lee and Seánie to reflect on the Six Nations and picks his Lions starting XV for the first Test against South Africa. He also explains why he left the Wales coaching set up, what he misses about rugby and that the rumours he can’t handle his drink are true. Also, Marlie Packer joins the pod from the Red Rose…

Wales fly-half Dan Biggar joins Lee, Seanie and Foxy to talk through the emotions of that last-minute defeat to France in Paris. They discuss whether the integrity of the 6 Nations should be questioned with France’s rearranged match taking place against a weakened Scotland. Also, the guys break down why England came up short and react to the news t…

Lee, Seánie and Bomb are joined by two special guests this week who for different reasons are dealing with the consequences of rugby’s brutality. Former Wales flanker Alix Popham, who was diagnosed with early onset dementia last year at the age of 40, explains how he is now trying to raise awareness of the impact rugby head injuries can cause. And …

Nick Cummins, aka The Honey Badger joins Lee, Goodie and Seánie for an amusing chat about life during and after rugby. The former Wallaby star turned TV presenter wasn’t short of a few stories, giving us an insight into his busy life. Also, Red Roses scrum-half Mo Hunt joins the guys to discuss the postponed World Cup and whether enough is being do…

What is the status of something that is an absence, like a hole? Suki Finn explores the metaphysics of nothing in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. Suki is also the editor of a new book based on Philosophy Bites interviews with women philosophers selected from our archive Women of Ideas, to be published by Oxford University Press in Apr…

Lee, Foxy and Seánie are joined by George North after he became the youngest player to earn 100 caps for his country when Wales beat England at the weekend. Following the controversial awarding of two tries in that game, international referee JP Doyle joins the pod to discuss how difficult it is being a ref and shares some of his worst blunders. An…

The study of stigma, , says Michèle Lamont, is a “booming field.” That assessment can be both sad and hopeful, and in this Social Science Bites podcast the Harvard sociologist explains stigma’s manifestations and ways to combat it, as well as what it takes for a researcher to actually study stigma. Lamont defines stigma “as the negative characteriz…

South Africa legend Bryan Habana joins Lee, Goodie and Seánie to discuss Dan Carter’s decision to hang up his boots. They chat about why he is the greatest, what made him so special and the fact he even smells so good! The guys reflect on the recent wave of red cards in the 6 Nations and the Premiership and also hear from the man that made the insp…

Jacques Derrida was a controversial philosopher whose writing could be fiendishly difficult to read. Nevertheless he had many followers. Here Pete Salmon, author of a recent biography of Derrida, manages to give a clear account of what Derrida meant by deconstruction. This episode was sponsored by St John's College. For more information about the c…

Former All Black Jerome Kaino joins Lee McKenzie, Seán O’Brien and Jonathan Davies to tell us why his Toulouse teammate Antoine Dupont is the best player in the world at the moment. Foxy gives us the inside track on Wales winger Louis Rees-Zammit and Seán explains why Jack Willis will come back stronger after suffering another horrific knee injury.…

Lee McKenzie is joined by Adam Jones and Sean O’Brien to reflect on the opening weekend of the Six Nations. They chat about the response to Billy Burns last minute mistake for Ireland, how training ground bust-ups are just part of rugby and whether Italy deserve their place in the Six Nations. Luke Cowan-Dickie joins us from inside the England camp…

Sean O’Brien and Alex Goode join Lee McKenzie to look ahead to the start of the 6 Nations. They discuss the intensity of that first week’s training, how tempers can flare and keeping those emotions in check. England legend Jerry Guscott drops in to share his memories of playing in the championship and how things were a little different in his day. …

What we tell people about ourselves is not exclusively, or often not even majorly, what comes out of our mouths. A host of nonverbal messages emanate from us, many of them intentionally sent to create or reinforce a narrative for a recipient who is left trying to judge the veracity of the sum total of the information. The study of this signaling in…

Jonathan Davies joins Sean O’Brien and Lee McKenzie from inside the Wales camp as they discuss some of the new faces that’ll be on show in the upcoming 6 Nations. The guys recall the time they won their first international cap and Foxy tells the story behind one of the most controversial selection calls in Lions history. Rugby player turned profess…

Subscribe to All To Play For now Hosted by Joe Cole and Tom Davis and with a lineup of legendary guests, we’ll be taking a look at some of the biggest football of the week. From analysis to random stats and of course incredible stories from inside the dressing room. Don’t miss All to Play For. Brought to you by JOE and Coral. Subscribe to All To Pl…

WWE star Luke Menzies joins Adam Jones, Sean O’Brien and Lee McKenzie to talk about his journey from rugby player to wrestler. Jamie George pops up to tell us what life in the England bubble is likely to look like for the Six Nations and the team discuss the class divide in rugby and how it differs between the four home nations. Join the House of R…