The Minefield

The final season of HBO’s prestige television series Succession confirms that the various characters’ willingness to betray, deceive, manipulate and enact an unrelenting cruelty upon one another has all but assured that, in the end, everyone loses.

It’s been a long time since a policy adopted by the federal government has presented such a knot of party-political, parliamentary, social and ethical problems — Professor Miranda Stewart joins Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens to try to untangle it.

At the end of Monday’s Q+A, Wiradjuri man and journalist Stan Grant stated: “We in the media must ask if we are truly honouring a world worth living in.” Why aren’t more taking him seriously?

As the fourth and final series of the HBO television show “Succession” approaches its finale, Waleed Aly and Scott Stephens revisit the first three seasons. Why does this show matter? What does it tell us, despite its opulence and obscenity, about what is of greatest value in human life?

David Auerbach, author of "Meganets," dives into the profound effects of digital platforms on human agency. He discusses the concentration of power among large corporations and its implications for democracy. The conversation explores how massive fandom influences film critique and stifles independent thought. Auerbach highlights the concept of 'bigness' as a construct in our polarized digital landscape, impacting community engagement and storytelling. He also reflects on the evolution of film viewing in the streaming era and the challenges it poses for creators.

Hyperconnectivity has coincided with an epidemic of loneliness — but is loneliness simply part of the human condition? Samantha Rose Hill joins The Minefield to discuss whether we can counter its harmful effects while nurturing genuine solitude.

Can soldiers be trained to kill their fellow human beings without that training doing irreparable damage to the moral lives of the soldiers themselves?

In the final episode of our Ramadan series, we explore the roots of our occasional heedlessness when confronted by the plight and pleas of another person: What could make us callous to their suffering, and how should we respond?

In the fourth instalment of our Ramadan series, we discuss whether “knowledge” which is wielded in a way that demeans others, or which is accumulated as a form of vanity, can really be considered beneficial?

Richard College, an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Australian Catholic University, dives into the depths of human restlessness and the ancient philosophical insights that illuminate it. He explores the Arabic concept of 'nafs' as a symbol of our discontent and the vital connection between breath and spirit. The discussion highlights the struggle between ambition and tranquility, contrasting material pursuits with a quest for deeper fulfillment. College also emphasizes the importance of aligning desires with a transcendent purpose for true contentment.