Lucy Allais
Professor of philosophy at the University of Witwatersrand and Johns Hopkins University, specializing in forgiveness and punishment. Her work is shaped by her experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa.
Top 3 podcasts with Lucy Allais
Ranked by the Snipd community
16 snips
Jan 27, 2026 • 53min
Freedom and Fate
Lucy Allais, philosopher of agency and Kantian themes; Robert Sapolsky, neuroscientist and determinism advocate; Paul Bloom, psychologist studying morality and cognition. They debate whether freedom can fit with scientific materialism. They contrast hard determinism, higher-level agency, and psychological compatibilism. They also discuss blame, punishment, and how agency looks in edge cases like addiction.
11 snips
Mar 21, 2022 • 50min
The limits of forgiveness
Lucy Allais, a professor of philosophy, dives into the profound complexities of forgiveness, drawing from her experiences in apartheid South Africa. She discusses how forgiveness plays a critical role in both personal and political realms, especially in healing a divided society. Allais highlights the delicate balance between forgiveness and accountability, emphasizing that true forgiveness requires personal transformation. The conversation navigates the intricacies of forgiving past injustices and the importance of understanding different political identities for fostering connections.
Apr 7, 2026 • 55min
Forgiveness — a generous gift or social pressure disguised as a virtue?
Lucy Allais, a moral psychology scholar at Witwatersrand and Johns Hopkins, and Luke Russell, philosophy professor at the University of Sydney, debate forgiveness's shape and purpose. They define forgiveness, contrast it with excusing, explore anger and blame, weigh therapeutic versus relational aims, discuss conditional and unconditional forms, and consider reconciliation, truth commissions, self-forgiveness, memory, trust, and prudence.
