Howard Doughty has been a college professor for over 40 years and has grave concerns about the changes he’s seen in colleges and universities. Howard describes the nature, scope and limitations of academic freedom, and how that has changed over the decades. The increasing corporate influence in universities has in some cases supplanted the original purpose of the university, according to Howard. Leslie and Howard discuss how students are different today than when he started teaching, and whether they should view their post-secondary endeavor as an educational opportunity, or a glorified job training program. Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Produced by Matt Payne. Graphic design by Nikolay Nikitushkin. Music by Anthony Lazaro. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca

Julie Bindel is a journalist, writer, broadcaster, and researcher. She joins Podcast for Inquiry to talk about her new book, Feminism For Women. Julie covers previous and current waves of feminism, the lie young women have been fed about feminism, and why she believes marriage can never be a feminist act. Julie and Leslie discuss men’s role in the feminist movement, Julie’s position on prostitution, and what’s next for the feminist movement. Feminism For Women is currently available in North America as an e-book and the paperback edition will be released on September 27, 2022.

Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Produced by Matt Payne. Graphic design by Nikolay Nikitushkin. Music by Anthony Lazaro. Send us your thoughts and feedback here.

Matthew McManus (Twitter: @MattPolProf) is a sessional instructor at the University of Calgary who discusses conservatism from a progressive standpoint. Matt and Leslie talk about seeking out those who disagree with you while being open to new arguments, evidence, and perspectives. Not everyone is willing to argue in good faith, but fortunately there are “tells” that signal this disposition before one makes a significant investment of time and energy. There are pitfalls involved in such an effort, and Matt and Leslie examine ways they can be avoided.

Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by CFIC. Produced by Matt Payne. Graphic design by Nikolay Nikitushkin. Music by Anthony Lazaro. Send us your thoughts and feedback here.

James Turk (@jameslturk) is the Director of the Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University. James and Leslie discuss the importance of free expression in a democratic society, the futility and counterproductive nature of censorship, and what limits on expression are reasonable and justified. They also talk about the “marketplace of ideas” and how it informs free expression, and the surprising connection between monopolies and the stifling of speech.

Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Produced by Matt Payne. Graphic design by Nikolay Nikitushkin. Music by Anthony Lazaro. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca

Dr. Mariam Mufti is an Associate Professor of political science at the University of Waterloo. She and Leslie discuss the various waves of democracy in the past century, and the backlash to them. They discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and how most democratic countries have united against it (at least so far). They also talk about what has led to the recent decrease in trust in public institutions, and why democratic voters support authoritarian leaders like Bolsonaro, Modi, Erdogan, and Duterte.

Mariam provides suggestions on what citizens and countries can do to protect democracy, and discusses whether there is an inherent contradiction between Islam and democracy. Miriam does her best to convince Leslie that, despite recent setbacks, democracy is not a lost cause around the globe.

Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Produced by Matt Payne. Graphic design by Nikolay Nikitushkin. Music by Anthony Lazaro. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca.

Host Leslie Rosenblood and Caroline Russell-King (https://carolinerussellking.com/) discuss the secular case for Bill 21, in the second instalment of a two-part series. Caroline describes the harms Bill 21 is intended to mitigate, and whether they justify the nontrivial limitations it places on religious expression. They discuss why Bill 21 has so split the secular community in Canada, and whether she sees any room for improvement.

Caroline is a playwright and an atheist/antitheist.

Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Produced by Matt Payne. Graphic design by Nikolay Nikitushkin. Music by Anthony Lazaro. Send your thoughts and feedback to podcast@centreforinquiry.ca