Human Matters

Introducing Thinking Philosophy

If you've enjoyed Human Matters, check out Thinking Philosophy, a new podcast for an examined life. 

Populism Explosion

From Trump to Brexit, Spain to South America, populism is changing the rules of engagement in politics. Ben Moffitt explains a phenomenon that is threatening to upend democracy.

Fostering better childhoods

Removing children from their parents is always a tough call but what happens next is equally difficult. Nell Musgrove questions how much foster care has really improved since the days of Victorian paternalism and the stolen generation.

Soldiers history forgot

The hidden histories of Australia’s military are coming to light as LGBT and Indigenous servicemen and women tell their stories. Noah Riseman explores the experience of minorities in the armed services and their far-reaching effects on social change.

Tea and Revolution

Long before contemporary feminism, forward-thinking church ladies' groups abandoned the flower roster to fight for birth control, sex education and women's safety. Ellen Warne reveals the work of these unsung pioneers.

Gold as a Global Magnet

Contemporary issues such as globalisation, the rise of communications technology and mass migration can be traced back to the movements sparked by 19^th Century gold rushes when gold changed the world, explains Benjamin Mountford.

The Universal Sound of Music

Music exists in every culture and every period of history. Tim McKenry explores why it is so pervasive and powerful and how we can make the most of it in our contemporary lives.

Revolution and reform in Iran

Iran is the world's largest and most powerful theocracy but 40 years after it became an Islamic Republic, there are cracks in the fundamentalist regime, explains Naser Ghobadzadeh.

Is nationalism a dirty word?

We need to reclaim the idea of nationalism before it becomes the sole province of flag waving ideologues or racists, argues sociologist Rachel Busbridge.