Podcast
Doha Debates Podcast
Hosted by Doha Debates · EN
What happens when disagreement is labeled disinformation?
Can aging be cured—and should it be?
After Gaza, who decides what justice looks like?
The Doha Debates Podcast brings together global voices for Majlis-style debates on the ideas shaping our world.
This season continues with the same rigorous, truth-seeking conversations in a live, in-person setting—with new episodes every Tuesday.
22episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Is social justice replacing religion in the West?
2w ago02:01:28Tap to summarizeThis 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 moral depth, cohesion and forgiveness provided by traditional religion. In this episode, our guests debate whether today's social justice movements effectively replace religion in the West—and whether they share similar ethical principles with the traditions they often want to move beyond. 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. Featuring: Joshua Mitchell: Professor of political theory, Georgetown University Khaled A. Beydoun: Professor of law, Arizona State University Michael Eric Dyson: Professor of African American and diaspora studies, Vanderbilt University Moderated by international presenter and host Mohamed Hassan
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Should we ever take conspiracy theories seriously?
3w ago01:47:43Tap to summarizeConspiracy 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 in a world where uncertainty is high and institutional accountability is low. Do they only make the spread of misinformation and disinformation worse? Or are they a way for people to express real suspicion toward systems that often feel hidden or unaccountable? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. Featuring: Heather Berlin: Associate professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Alex Berenson: Novelist; journalist; author, Unreported Truths Substack Nuurrianti Jalli: Assistant professor of professional practice, Oklahoma State University Andrea Kitta: Professor of folklore, department of English at East Carolina University Moderated by international presenter and host Dareen Abughaida
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Will AI bring us together or drive us apart?
4w ago01:40:20Tap to summarizeWill 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 cultural and ideological diversity? Or are we heading into an era of “AI tribes” that leads us in different directions? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. Featuring: James Brusseau: Professor of philosophy and computer science, Pace University Evgeny Morozov: Theorist and publisher, The Syllabus Elina Noor: Senior fellow, Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Robert Wright: Publisher, Nonzero Newsletter; host, Nonzero Podcast Moderated by award-winning journalist and writer Mohamed Hassan
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Is everyone paying their fair share of taxes?
Apr 1402:01:51Tap to summarizeThe 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 models? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. Featuring: Sanjit Dhami: Professor of economics, University of Leicester Gustavo Flores-Macías: Dean of the School of Public Policy, University of Maryland Martín Krause: Visiting professor, Francisco Marroquín University (Guatemala) Pedro Solimano: Journalist, DL News
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Fate vs. free will: Do we make our own choices?
Apr 702:02:11Tap to summarizeAre 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 neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Gregg Caruso: Professor of ethics and director of the Patrick J. Waide Center for Applied Ethics, Fairfield University Shadi Hamid: Columnist, the Washington Post Peter Tse: Cognitive neuroscientist, professor and chair of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College
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Are lost ancient civilizations real?
Mar 3102:10:39Tap to summarizeArchaeology 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 the human story feel bigger? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. Featuring: Eduardo Góes Neves: Professor of archeology, University of Sao Paulo Edwin Barnhart: Director, Maya Exploration Center Flint Dibble: Teacher in archaeology, Cardiff University Sarah Parcak: Professor of anthropology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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Are we the most intelligent beings in the universe?
Mar 2402:24:51Tap to summarizeFor 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. What if our morality, spirituality and intelligence was not unique? How would the discovery of extraterrestrials reshape our understanding of ourselves and our role in the cosmos? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. Featuring: Matthias Determann: Historian, Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar David Grinspoon: Senior scientist, Planetary Science Institute Shaykh Hamza Karamali: Founder of Basira Education Nick Pope: UAP investigator, UK Ministry of Defense (retired
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Is war inevitable?
Mar 1702:09:53Tap to summarizeThis 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 studies Ian Morris: Historian, archaeologist and classics professor R. Brian Ferguson: Professor, author and specialist in Indigenous conflict studies Noha Aboueldahab: Author, professor and transitional justice specialist
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Has modern architecture lost touch with humanity?
Mar 1001:39:44Tap to summarizeWhat 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 that erase uniqueness, ignore the landscape and even increase stress. Modern architects, however, praise it for functionality and efficiency, saying it addresses global problems like climate change and affordable housing. In this episode, we explore whether architecture in the modern age has lost touch with humanity, or whether it is just as expressive and responsive as in any other era. 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. Featuring: Marwa Al-Sabouni: Architect, urbanist and author Bidisha Sinha: Associate director at Zaha Hadid Architects Lucien Steil: Author, professor and architect
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Are we on the verge of civilization’s collapse or rebirth?
Mar 301:54:56Tap to summarizeThe 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 are we living in a transitional moment where terms like “civilization” fail to capture our global reality altogether? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. Featuring: Aurora Payal: Author, professor and digital anthropologist Jonathan Brown: Author, professor and scholar of Islamic studies Faisal Devji: Professor of global and Iimperial history Joseph Tainter: Author, anthropologist and historian
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