Doha Debates Podcast

Today, a number of major companies have bigger balance sheets than the GDPs of entire nations. With that money comes an extraordinary amount of power. At the same time, across almost every country, governmental laws and regulations have insinuated their way into nearly every element of our lives. So who’s really running the world—governments or corporations? Or is the global power structure far mo...

Most of us spend our lives thinking about money—how we’re earning it, how we’re spending it, how much we have and how to get more. But we rarely think about the bigger picture: What is money? How did we agree on the concept in the first place? How is it regulated, and who are those regulatory systems built to serve? This episode asks one of the most fundamental questions in economics and politics:...

We usually think of language as a tool to express who we are and what we believe. But what if it’s the other way around? What if language actually shapes us? In this episode, we explore whether the language(s) we speak can influence our culture, our values and even our perceptions of the world. Two pivotal questions run through the conversation: Can language actually determine the way we think? An...

Work has long been tied to social value and identity. We are told it builds character and is essential to a functional society. But in an age of hustle culture, economic insecurity and burnout, many are asking whether work is meaningful or just a means of survival. This episode explores the meaning, value and future of work. Has its soul been lost to corporate profit and relentless productivity, o...

Journalism was built on a promise: uncover the truth and hold the powerful to account. Today, media company ownership is in flux, news goes global—and viral—at the touch of a screen and everyone has a platform to tell their version of events. Is that promise becoming more or less possible to keep? In this episode, we ask: Is the journalism industry in a necessary evolution or is it in crisis? Has...

International law was built on a simple idea that even the most powerful nation-states should be bound by the same rules. But today, that idea is being challenged: Rulings go unenforced, institutions are unable or unwilling to act, and some are questioning whether the rules were truly globally applicable to begin with. This episode asks what's left of international law, and whether it still holds...

For years, Western vision and values have shaped the global order. Now, China is on the rise, championing a different model. Who will lead us into the future? In this episode, we explore these competing visions of the world and ask which one will end up on top. Is the West actually losing influence, or is something more complicated happening? Does China's rise offer a real alternative to the Weste...

Who controls our money? Will China or the West lead us into the future? Is work even meaningful anymore? We’re back with a new season of the Doha Debates Podcast, featuring global experts tackling some of the world’s most complex questions. Guests include Yanis Varoufakis, Saifedean Ammous, Jason Hickel, Tariq Ali, Dima Khatib and many more. Watch or listen to the first episode September 22.

Football (or soccer) is more than just a game; it's a global phenomenon. Today, as football club ownership, team talent and the fandom all evolve, have the meaning and merits of the sport also changed? What can we learn about ourselves and our world by examining the current state of the “beautiful game”? This episode uses football as a lens to explore questions of capitalism, nationalism, power an...

In many places around the world, birth rates have dropped to historic lows. Some argue this is a good thing in a world grappling with environmental crises and waning resources. Others fear the loss of legacy and even the extinction of humanity.   In this episode, we explore the meaning and the impact of falling birth rates. Is it a sign of liberation from outdated norms? Is it proof that individua...

History is full of resistance movements that were condemned in their time but later celebrated, including the French Resistance, women’s suffrage and the fight against apartheid led by Nelson Mandela. This begs the question: Which modern resistance movements will the world honor in the future, and what determines whether or not they are recognized?  In this episode, we explore the question of what...

Some critics argue that contemporary art has lost touch with the principles and traditions that define artistic greatness. Others see its break with tradition as liberating; a move toward more inclusion, experimentation and personal and political expression.  This episode explores what makes great art in the 21st century. Is it adherence to tradition, or disruption and reinvention? Is artistic bea...

This episode was recorded on December 6th, 2025.  In recent decades, traditional religious frameworks have steadily lost influence in Western societies. At the same time, we’ve seen the emergence of social justice movements focused on uncovering and dismantling systemic forms of oppression. Some argue that these secular movements are a replacement for faith. Others say they don’t offer the same mo...

Conspiracy theories used to be dismissed as paranoid fringe thinking, found only in the far corners of the internet or every day hearsay. But today, they've migrated to the mainstream. Claims about election meddling, the real origins of COVID-19, and the deep state circulate widely and are even repeated by government officials.   This episode asks whether conspiracy theories have any actual value...

Will AI unite or divide us?  Artificial intelligence systems often reflect the priorities, biases and beliefs of the people who designed and created them. It’s critical to determine the sources of its worldview as it continues to influence how we think, learn and even love.  This episode explores whether AI will bring us together or widen social divides. Can we create AI models that truly reflect...

The idea of taxing the rich is hardly new, but the question of whether it creates a fairer world remains highly contested.  This debate asks what would happen if we increased taxation on the billionaire class. Would it actually create greater economic stability and social equity? Or would it make things worse? Are taxes even aneffective way to redistribute wealth, or should we be looking at other...

Are we truly able to shape our own lives, or are we following a script we can’t rewrite?   From Islamic perspectives to groundbreaking neuroscientific research, this episode examines how differing theories about free will shape the way we look at morality, responsibility and justice.  💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  Featuring:  Heather Berlin: Associate professor of psychiatry and neuro...

Archaeology textbooks tell a familiar story about human history: Stone tools, cave art, nomadic life, then civilization.   But a growing number of voices think we're missing a chapter—signs of an earlier advanced culture, lost to time.   This episode explores the question underneath it all: Is there really a forgotten era of human ingenuity, or are we inventing a more epic past because it makes th...

For millennia, we’ve wondered about the possibility of intelligent life beyond Earth. Recently, former U.S. president Barack Obama asserted that aliens are, in fact, real, and the Trump administration has pushed to declassify government files on UAPs and UFOs, leaving us with even more questions.   In this episode, we explore what might happen if we discovered that we are not alone in the universe...

This program was recorded in August 2025. The views expressed in this episode are the participants’ own and do not necessarily reflect those of Doha Debates.  Is war inevitable, or preventable? This episode examines whether we’re capable of breaking the cycle of war.   💬 Join the conversation in the comments.    Featuring:  Charli Carpenter: Author and professor of political science and legal stu...

What does our architecture say about who we are—and who we want to become?  For centuries, architecture has represented our cultural beliefs, traditions and needs. It’s shaped how we live, how we relate to each other and even our mood.  But modern architecture’s critics say it has a big problem. They argue it’s disconnected from human expression and context, with uniform or minimalist buildings th...

The prospect of societal collapse has been examined throughout human history. Thinkers from Ibn Khaldun to Karl Marx have argued that civilization carries the seeds of its own downfall.   This episode asks whether we are witnessing modern-day civilization’s collapse or renewal. Will our modern-day focus on individualism, technology and comfort lead to decline or a revolutionary new beginning? Or a...

Would you live in a futuristic, tech-run city?   Tech leaders from across the globe are racing to build so-called tech utopias, claiming that they’re a new societal blueprint for humanity. But will this approach actually uplift us all or leave most of us behind?  This debate explores whether tech-run cities like Praxis or Próspera truly offer a brighter future for all, or whether they are exclusiv...

Are superheroes moral leaders—or caped propagandists?  From comic books to billion-dollar blockbusters, superheroes have fascinated us for over a century. But what do these stories really teach us? Are they our moral guides or do they reinforce Western ideals, individualism and even militarism?  This debate explores why anti-heroes like the Joker captivate us, what it means when our moral icons ar...

Over the past decade, critics argue that identity politics and censorship have stifled academic freedom, while others say these concerns are overstated. This debate explores whether initiatives for justice and inclusion of historically excluded voices actually strengthen academia’s truth-seeking mission or risk replacing critical inquiry with moral conformity—and what kind of intellectual culture...