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Artwork for The Permanent Questions With David Brooks
Society & Culture

The Permanent Questions With David Brooks

The Atlantic

What makes us human? How can I find purpose in life? How can my relationship survive a rough patch? What do I say to a friend who’s suffering? Does any of this mean anything at all? 

It’s easy to lose sight of fundamental human concerns amid the churn of the news cycle and the demands of every day. Each week on The Permanent Questions, host David Brooks seeks to return them to our attention through thoughtful conversation with the world’s deepest thinkers.

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  • 6 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 46 min
  • English

Episodes 6

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  • S1 · E5
    Sunday · 50 min

    Do Human Beings Have Souls?

    The philosopher Shelly Kagan has gained millions of fans online while arguing that we can embrace physicalism without giving up meaning, morality, or human exceptionalism.

  • S1 · E4
    October 4 · 43 min

    Should We Ban AI for Kids?

    Long before he became famous as the author of The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt was a social psychologist whose work revolutionized the field. In this episode of The Permanent Questions, taped in front of a live audience at last month’s Atlantic Festival, David Brooks talks with Haidt about his biggest lessons from 40 years of studying human nature. David and Haidt discuss the role of the emotions in moral decision making, how to design a system that produces less loathsome elites, and why AI is “the neutron bomb for education.” Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning journalism, from clear-eyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Atlantic subscribers also get access to exclusive subscriber audio in Apple Podcasts. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/Listener. “The Permanent Questions” is produced and edited by The Atlantic in partnership with Yale University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • #2
    September 20 · 56 min

    What Is Humanity’s Place in the Cosmos?

    A lifelong fascination with terra incognita led the astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan to map out the universe’s most enigmatic phenomena.

  • #1
    September 13 · 1 hr 2 min

    What Is the Good Life?

    The philosophy professor Meghan Sullivan doesn’t just want to teach her students about virtue; she wants to make them better human beings.

Showing 1–6 of 6 episodes