Purity, filth and 'promiscuous defecators': why we're weird about poo
From Philosopher's Zone by ABC
June 4, 2026 · 36 min
About this episode
The episode explores our complex feelings towards bodily waste, examining themes of purity and pollution.
Why are we so repelled yet fascinated by bodily waste? Today we're talking purity, pollution, colonial sanitation regimes, medicine and public health, and how they've been shaped by our deeply ambivalent attitudes to the stuff we all produce (ideally) every day, but rarely think about deeply.
Topics covered
- purity
- pollution
- sanitation
- public health
- bodily waste
- colonialism
Keywords
- defecation
- sanitation
- public health
- colonial regimes
- bodily waste
- purity
- pollution
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: ABC
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