The Witness Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jack Ainsworth
A podcast run by the University of Exeter's academic politics journal - The Witness. Every week, we will host conversations with students and academics from the university who we believe have ideas that are worth sharing. We are an apolitical journal looking to foster the exchange of ideas amongst inquisitive minds.
A conversation with Dr. Robin Durie. We sat down with Robin, a professor of political theory at the University of Exeter to chart an anthology of his thought and work throughout his academic career. We discussed his philosophy of time and the strange nature of the instant, focusing on the work of Henri Bergson, and the link between Bergsonian philosophy of time and meta-theoretical complexity theory. We concluded with the link made by Robin between complexity theory and community cohesion, which provides the theoretical underpinning for his work, along with the University of Exeter's Welcome Centre on their initiative, Connecting Communities (C2), which seeks to reinvigorate social networks in deprived and fledgling communities in the U.K.
A conversation with Dr. Catriona McKinnon. We sat down with Catriona, a professor of political theory at the University of Exeter, to discuss how climate policy may be better informed by ethics. We discussed what forms of justice are necessary for achieving global climate justice and how these may be infused within climate policy, we then round off the discussion by looking at ethical climate policy through the question of whether we should consider geo-engineering as a viable solution to climate change.
A conversation with Dr. Charles Masquelier. We sat down with Charles, professor of sociology at the University of Exeter, to discuss the topic of his upcoming book on intersectionality, libertarian socialism and utopia. We discussed what it means to be a libertarian socialist, intersectionality's application to libertarian socialism, and the importance of utopianism as a method by which to realise libertarian socialist ideals.
Host - Jack Ainsworth
Music - George Blackburne
A conversation with John Heathershaw and Tom Mayne. We sat down with John and Tom, two academics from the University of Exeter to discuss why the UK is still open to dodgy money from corrupt regimes. We discussed the history of the global circulation of dirty money, the process of money laundering and the practices of global kleptocrats and their influence in politics. We then honed in on some examples from Central Asia and the UK, finishing with an analysis of what can be done to reign in the flow of dirty capital.
A conversation with Lewis Martin. We sat down with Lewis, a candidate for Exeter Guild President to discuss the student experience in 2021 and student activism. We deliberated what it means to be a student in the age of the ballooning corporate university, the importance of student activism and the importance of issues surrounding mental health and tuition fees in the age of coronavirus.
A conversation with Carlyne. We sat down with Carlyne, an anonymous activist and freelance journalist from Hong Kong, to discuss the state of democracy in Hong Kong. We discussed the 2019 protests, the National Security Law and the role of the U.K. in the crisis.
A conversation with Laura and Georgia. We sat down with these two activists from the Exeter-based Foundation for Uyghur Freedom, a grass-roots movement dedicated to raising awareness about China's oppression of Uyghur minorities in Xinjiang province. We discussed the complicity of the West and the UN in permitting this genocide to happen, followed by a discussion of forced sterilisation, corporate responsibility and what we as individuals can do to mitigate the maltreatment of the Uyghurs.
Host - Jess Mahon
Music - George Blackburne
A conversation with Alfie Carlisle. An Exeter law student, Alfie makes the case for the potential excessive infringement of our human rights that are prescribed to us by the European Convention on Human Rights. We discuss the specific rights that are in question, the principle of proportionality in balancing the infringement of our rights, and potential pathways out of such a predicament.
A conversation with Angus McVean, president of Exeter Psychedelic Society. We discuss the past, present and future states of the legality of psychedelic substances and their role in our political world. Further discussion of the potential benefits of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes and the elevation of the human condition, rounded off with some Spinzosistic philosophy.