In this year’s Conway Memorial Lecture, Philip Schofield, Director of the Bentham Project at UCL discussed the recently uncovered, almost prophetic writings of philosopher and reformer Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) concerning the teachings of St Paul and the nature of sexuality and morality.

The Conway Memorial Lecture is organised by South Place Ethical Society, and this podcast was recorded on the 26th October 2011. They’ll be an interview with Professor Schofield on Pod Delusion episode 108.

A prophet is usually understood to be a person who, inspired by supernatural agency, speaks on behalf of that agent and predicts the future. But Bentham himself pointed out that the original Greek meaning of the term referred simply to a person who ‘speaks out’, and in a more limited extent to a person who ‘foretells’.

In opposition to the prevailing mores of his day, Bentham proposed that all sexual activity that was consensual—whether with oneself, whether with partners of the same or the opposite sex, whether with partners of different species—should be made free from legislative interference. In the post-Malthusian age, non-prolific modes of sexual activity were rather to be welcomed than condemned. In short, Bentham saw sexual morality as a key battleground in the fight to divorce morality and legislation from the influence of religion. The thousands of manuscripts on homosexuality, Christian teachings and the influence of the church on the state that Bentham was reluctant to publish during his lifetime reveal that his thoughts were certainly well ahead of his time, and seemingly foretell the development of secular attitudes to sexual morality.

This is a remarkable opportunity to hear a world renowned expert discuss one of Britain’s greatest thinkers and will fascinate those interested in secularism, liberalism and the history of ideas.

Philip Schofield is Professor of the History of Legal and Political Thought, Director of the Bentham Project and General Editor of the Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham. Chairing the lecture will be Dr Evan Harris, former Liberal Democrat MP, Honorary Associate of the NSS and Vice-President of the BHA.

A debate on Islam in a Secular Europe, hosted by the British Humanist Association as part of the Secular Europe Campaign.

More Secular Europe shenanigans:

• Audio from the March & Rally For A Secular Europe
• Pod Delusion Episode 103

Science and Universities Minister David Willetts delivered the 2011 Roberts lecture last night at the Royal Society of Medicine, at an event organised by The Science Council, as part of London Science Festival.

If you can’t get enough David Willetts, we’ll have a (very) brief interview with him on Pod Delusion episode 107, along with some of the people who attended the lecture. We had another brief interview with him on episode 86. You can also hear him participate in a panel debate on science careers organised by Science is Vital here.

Edward Presswood delivers a talk on superstition in the NHS to London Skeptics in the Pub. Recorded on the 10th October 2011.

Dr Edward Presswood is a hospital doctor in North London. Throughout his medical practice he has been alarmed by the persistent intrusion of superstition and religion into the National Health Service. Increasingly aware of the harm caused by irrational beliefs, Edward calls for a rational NHS and a society that appreciates science.

The irrational practices in the NHS are well-intentioned but Edward suggests that they undermine the foundations upon which medicine stands. What superstitions does the NHS pander to? Should the NHS respect all of your beliefs? Should the hospital do everything it can to make you feel better? Should your taxes continue to fund irrational beliefs? Would you rather an expensive medication, or would having the cash actually make you feel better? All these questions will be discussed as Edward reveals how even numbering the hospital beds isn’t free from superstition.