Night School

We all want to develop, but why? How? What does that even mean? Are we using frameworks that are enabling or colonizing? Guy Burton joins us this week to lay out the discourse of development and its implications.

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Another discussion on moderation, though this time we critically unpack the meaning, implications and risks of this project. Our guest today is Dr. Lyana Khairuddin, a leading figure in our current moderation discourse.

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Qian Zhong Shu pioneered the masterful craft of comparative literature and culture at a time before it became the popular discourse it is today. A worldly thinker, he was also deeply rooted to China, enduring the most precarious events that defined the nation in the 20th century. Douglas Shang introduces us to this genius.

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We discuss the ethics of subaltern engagement this week. How do we ensure that our outreach doesn't just replicate already existing hegemonic structures? What should we keep in mind in dealing with imbalances of power in activism, wherein the privileged and their good intentions tread in the margins? Join the usual duo and activist-scholar Petra Gimbad for this lively discussion!

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You actually want to kill your father and make love with your mother, that is if you're a boy, according to Freud at least. He calls it the Oedipus Complex. What's with all this nonsense? Why did it come about? Is it even nonsense to begin with? This episode explores those questions. Join the usual duo for another exciting conversation!

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Our bodies are gendered, marked with various norms, mores and social expectations. These have implications far beyond medicine and it is in this circumstance that we understand what's healthy and what's not. Priya Lall joins us this week to help us make sense of it all, with particular focus on Asia.

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We go from north to south and back again, discussing the interweaving of narratives here and Europe. Batu Sarwar was the former capital of Johor and it makes a curious appearance in this discussion. History is tenuous and that makes it all the more fascinating. Peter Borschberg leads the way.

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Scholar Clive Kessler joins us this week to talk about the political culture and historical development of Kelantan. What sets it apart from the rest of the country? How are we to make sense of its contradictions? Also featuring Noraini Othman who shares some of her insights on the distinct patterns of family and relationships there.

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Pity is such a universal sentiment, often assumed to be good, and ultimately a mark of one's humanity. Nietzsche is less certain about that though. He believes it has mutated into a culture of self-indulgent molly coddling of suffering, so much so that life has become unthinkable without it. Why on earth would he think that? Join Sharaad and Fuad this week as they take on this theme!

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For our Valentine's special we are joined by Pang Khee Teik, Wong Yuen Mei and Thilaga to reflect on the relationship between love and freedom. Where do they come together, and at what points do they diverge? Why? How do we stay loyal to the dynamism of our desires in a world ridden with social conformity laden with the chaos inherent to a capitalist world. It's your typical mindblowing Night School episode.

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