Going wherever the evidence leads
On BBC Radio’s Moral Maze, my colleagues Michael Portillo, Matthew Taylor, Mona Siddiqui and I went head to head with our guests and each other over artificial intelligence. Can robots become capable of moral reasoning? Can machines ever replicate human beings? What is the essential difference between mankind and machines? You can listen to the broadcast here.
Read MoreOn BBC Radio 4’s Moral Maze, my colleagues and I took a broader approach to the sex-pest tsunami by asking whether our society had become more or less moral. Is the current torrent of allegations of sexual misbehaviour an ethical advance or a descent into bullying and injustice? Are moral values fixed, or do they adapt as cultures change and develop? Is the notion that moral progress is both inevitable and good a statement of the obvious or an ideological delusion? You can listen to the whole show here.
Read MoreOn BBC Radio Four’s Moral Maze, my colleagues and I discussed the scandal around the alleged predatory sexual misbehaviour of the film mogul Harvey Weinstein. Were those who knew in any way complicit themselves? Do more people need to blow the whistle about such behaviour or are we in danger of becoming an oppressive society of tale-telling, distrust and mutual suspicion? You can listen to a recording of the programme here.
Read MoreI spoke on WNYC radio about the Charlie Gard case. You can listen to it here.
Read MoreShould Britain’s faith schools segregate boys and girls for teaching and activities within the school? How far should a liberal society tolerate intolerant religious beliefs in the school system? Should faith schools receive any public funding at all? My fellow panellists and I discussed this last night on BBC Radio’s The Moral Maze. You can listen to it here.
Read MoreIn the tragic case of terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard, a legal battle is being fought over his parents’ wish to take him to the US for experimental treatment against the advice of Great Ormond Street hospital that this would merely add to his suffering. On BBC Radio’s Moral Maze last night, my fellow-panellists and I discussed who should have the last word over what happens to a child: parents, doctors or the courts. You can listen to the show here.
Read MoreIn the wake of the terrible Grenfell Tower fire, has the tragedy been hijacked and turned into an anti-democratic weapon of street-protest and class war? Listen to me discuss this here with fellow-panellists Claire Fox, Anne McElvoy and Shiv Malik on last night’s edition of BBC Radio’s Moral Maze.
Read MoreYoung people voted in unprecedented number in Britain’s recent general election. Is this an unalloyed good thing for democracy or a further symptom of divisive group politics? Listen here to me debating this on BBC Radio’s Moral Maze with fellow-panellists Claire Fox, Shiv Malik and Anne McElvoy.
Read MoreEarlier this month, I took part in a debate in London about the Trump presidency. Journalist James Delingpole and I were up against Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland and former Clinton staffer James Rubin. You can listen to the whole debate here; my contribution starts about four minutes in.
Read MorePlease listen here to my interview with Joel Hilliker of the Philadelphia Trumpet, in advance of my talk in Edmond Oklahoma on May 7.
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