The Lion's Share

'The scientific advisory committee is a neglected political institution whose importance became clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee finds itself in a double bind: if it tries to be more useful, it compromises the neutrality that is the source of its authority and legitimacy; if it tries to remain neutral, it sacrifices usefulness (Pamuk, 2021).'

Joining us on this episode is British Academy's Brian Barry Prize for Excellence in Political Science winner Dr Zeynep Pamuk, currently an assistant professor in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics. Dr Pamuk's research interests lie in the intersection of political theory, the philosophy of science and social science, and social epistemology. Today, we discuss her latest work titled 'COVID-19 and the Paradox of Scientific Advice (2021)', published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the American Political Science Association. This article revolves around the negligence of scientific advisory committees during the pandemic, democratic scrutiny and a "double bind" faced when committees try to balance neutrality and usefulness. How do we address this paradox? Join us to find out!

The Lion's Share is now available on all major podcast streaming platforms (click here). Subscribe and follow us on Instagram @kclppe for updates on our latest episodes. This episode was hosted by Diya Iyer with an original background score by Serena Jalan from Berkelee College of Music. 

This episode invites Dr Fredrick Ajwang, a Kenyan politics expert and a lecturer at King’s College London. This is a conversation about the issue of property rights in Kenya, where we touched on concepts from identity and discourse to violence fatigue. This discussion draws on Dr Ajwang’s ongoing work titled ‘Sons of soil under siege? Political violence and property rights outcome in Kenya.’ Be sure to subscribe and follow us on Instagram @kclppe to not miss any new episodes. This episode was produced with the assistance of Sara Canelli, hosted and edited by Dong (Delia) Liu with original music by Siméon Castello and cover art by Alva Bücking.

This episode continues our discussion on the ethical dilemmas of true crime, only this time, we dig deeper. With us, we have Dr Daniel Elbro, a lecturer in Philosophy at King's College London. His research interests are in ethics and the philosophy of action, with particular expertise in the abilities and moral status of non-human animals. He has also worked on the concepts of desire, interests, value, and obligation. Read Dr Elbro's work here. Our conversation in this episode touches upon biases and struggles revolving around those involved in true crime stories. Are we using the pain of others for our entertainment? Listen to find out!

Subscribe to The Lion's Share and follow us on Instagram @kclppe for updates on our latest episodes. This episode was hosted by Diya Iyer with an original background score by Serena Jalan from Berkelee College of Music.

Have you watched the recent Netflix series "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story"? Do you think it is ethical to be exposed to such realities? In this episode, we discuss the complexities of true crime and its popularity since the "true crime boom" of the early 2000s. With us, we have Theodore Radvanyi, a first year PPE student at King's College London, with interests in political philosophy and global governance. Our conversation touches upon the popularity of true crime, its elements, consumer behaviour and the role of production houses in engaging audiences with gruesome real-life inspired stories.

Subscribe to The Lion's Share and follow us on Instagram @kclppe to not miss any new episodes. This episode was hosted by Diya lyer with original music by Serena Jalan from Berklee College of Music.

Dr Paul Sagar is a senior lecturer in political theory at King’s College London, specialising in the history of political thought and contemporary political theory. This episode gives a glimpse of his new book, Adam Smith Reconsidered: History, Liberty, and the Foundations of Modern Politics, in which we learn about Adam Smith as an interdisciplinary scholar, and whose economic and political theories can be reinterpreted and applied to present-day governance. To keep up with our podcast, be sure to subscribe and follow us on Instagram @kclppe. This episode was produced with the assistance of Camilla Alcini, hosted and edited by Dong (Delia) Liu with original music by Siméon Castello and cover art by Alva Bücking.

In this episode we welcome Georgios Samaras, who is a Research Associate at the School of Politics and Economics at King's College London. We discuss his most recent publication addressing extremism in Greece, specifically, the neo-Nazi party, Golden Dawn. Our conversation touches on terrorism, new media, as well as regulations on the corporate, the national and the transnational level. Read Samaras' paper here. Subscribe to our podcast and follow us on instagram @kclppe to not miss any new episodes. This episode was hosted and co-produced by Nicole Ang Xin Yu, co-produced by Allegra Ianiri, edited by Dong (Delia) Liu with original music by Siméon Castello and cover art by Alva Bücking.

This episode serves as a followup to our last episode on contract sex with perspective from lived experience.  With us we have Charlotte, a representative from the English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP). We discuss what the ECP does, arguments on the decriminalisation of sex work, the role of feminism, mainstream media, and the importance of not getting lost in ideology. 

Find out more about the ECP here or make a donation. 

In our second episode we discuss some touchy contracts, namely marriage and sex, and their relationship in both political and economic terms. Dr. Friedman, Dr. Shrage and Dr. Aoyama consider different angles of the debate surrounding contract sex, different issues of regulation, and underlying inequalities that pervade the sex industry. Follow us on instagram, @kclppe, for more resources on the topic, places to donate, and petitions to sign. This episode was hosted by Alice Palmer, produced by Dong (Delia) Liu, edited by Mina Aries with original music by Simeon Castello and graphic design by Alva Bücking.

With our first episode, we begin where it all ends. We look at the question of death from some different perspectives, with guests including a reverend, a doctor and a philosopher. This week we explore how we should approach death when alive, if death can be bad for the one that dies and what this means for obligations towards dead people. Joining us this week will be Chris Lee, Tristan Fraser and James Taylor. This episode was hosted by Kenza Wilks, produced by Anne Teh, edited by Mina Aries with original music by Simeon Castello and graphic design by Alva Bücking.