Episodes

Reflecting on the theme of “examining one’s life”. In this episode, Laurance engages in some professional and personal reflection to explain how these components have combined in shaping the direction of his life (so far!). He cites the phrase “the...

This time an actual conversation. In this episode, Laurance talks with Professor John Bishop, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Auckland University. A long-standing colleague and friend, and also a practising Christian, John has published several...

A force for good or something else? Laurance begins this episode by asking what the term “religion” means and why religions retain such a strong appeal in the world today. Citing the work of psychologist Jonathan Haidt and sociologist Emile Durkheim,...

A never-ending quagmire? In this extended episode, Laurance asks why the Middle East, focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian situation, remains such a quagmire. He attempts to give a balanced perspective which will not shy away from criticism, but will...

A history of inconsistencies. In this episode, Laurance begins by noting that there are several areas of dispute surrounding the nature and use of drugs – both legal and illegal – some of which are factual (empirical) and others more conceptual or...

What exactly is AI and how concerned should we be about it? In this episode, host Dr. Laurance Splitter notes the distinction between empirical and more conceptual questions regarding AI, with questions about future employment and dangers relating to...

Aiming for truth and the dangers of retreating to narratives. In this episode, host Dr. Laurance Splitter invites listeners to think about why they make the decisions and choices that they make, which refers to our capacity for agency, whereby our...

Good thinking and dialogue are more important than ever. In this episode, host Dr. Laurance Splitter begins by reflecting on topics previously discussed, including: social and cultural polarization; the challenge of having dialogue when those...

Are there different types of dialogues with different aims and structures? In this episode, Dr. Laurance Splitter finally engages in a real dialogue with another person, in this case, Professor Maughn Rollins Gregory, Director of the Institute for...

Tying up some loose ends…. In this episode, host Dr. Laurance Splitter provides further clarification of the concept of quantitative, or strict, identity. Objects and people can and do change – we call this “qualitative change” – but such change...

A concept both familiar and puzzling. In this episode, host Dr. Laurance Splitter begins with some examples which reveal that the ideaof identity has been, and is still, used to mean different things. Heraclitus asserted that no man can step into the...

Why is the topic of immigration so socially divisive? In this episode, host Dr. Laurance Splitter begins with several disclaimers, which include avoiding the explicitly political dimensions of immigration (which, inevitably, focus on extreme positions), and also making reference to specific religious or cultural groups. Listeners are invited to make these connections for themselves. Laurance makes a distinction between factual issues regarding immigration – where immigrants to Australia have co...

Balancing commonality and diversity in determining the merits of the communities to which we belong. In this episode, host Dr. Laurance Splitter traces the tensions between individualism and various forms of collectivism, from the end of the Cold War (which heralded “The End of History”, except that it didn’t!), to the present day. The ideal of democratic liberalism became distorted as the result of globalization and growing disparities between the “haves” and “have nots”, resulting in a presen...

How do communities of inquiry work across subjects like philosophy, mathematics, and science? In this episode, Dr. Laurance Splitter shares practical examples of collaborative inquiry with students of different ages, sparked by stories, games, and...

In this episode, host Dr. Laurance Splitter reflects on the evolution of the podcast’s title from “Puzzlement and Passion without Certainty” to “The Rest is Uncertain: At the Intersection of Philosophy and Public Life.” He explores the challenge of navigating between extreme individualism and unhealthy tribalism, asking what kind of community truly fosters meaningful dialogue. Drawing on his work in Philosophy for Children, Laurance introduces the concept of a community of inquiry — a relationa...

Is there a gap between educational goals and ideals, on the one hand, and the reality experienced by teachers and students in schools and classrooms, on the other? In the first of several episodes on education, host Dr. Laurance Splitter distinguishes between schooling, training and education. He then takes a brief journey into past theories of education, citing key ideas of Aristotle, Confucius, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, John Dewey and Paulo Freire. Several common th...

There are reasons for thinking that all is not well in our schools. In this episode, host Laurance Splitter explores some of the difficulties experienced by teachers and students in our schools and classrooms. Many teachers are quitting because they are compelled to focus on administrative and assessment tasks, to the detriment of teaching excellence. They are experiencing greater levels of stress and anxiety, in a cycle which also embraces students and parents. One factor behind this growing ...

When it comes to youth crime, simple answers often miss the deeper questions. In this episode, host Dr. Laurance Splitter explores the moral and social complexities surrounding youth crime, punishment, and responsibility in contemporary society. He...

The challenge of balancing our intuitive “elephants” and our reasoning “riders”. In this episode, host Dr. Laurance Splitter expands on the role of dialogue and introduces philosophy’s “three Cs” — concepts that are common, contestable, and central....

Certainty feels reassuring but it can also shut down reasonable thinking, dialogue, and better judgment. In this episode, host Dr. Laurance Splitter introduces the central ideas behind The Rest Is Uncertain and explains why certainty can be more limiting than helpful when navigating complex questions and challenges through what he calls a philosophical lens. He emphasizes the importance of dialogue, and of questioning our assumptions, and introduces a recurring theme of the series: whether we s...