The podcast episodes discuss themes related to power and society, including the influence of legal doctrines and interpretations on social norms, as well as how literature can depict the complex interplay between personal ambition, moral choices, and public perception.

For example, the episode 'Originalism 101 (with Dahlia Lithwick)' examines how the doctrine of originalism in constitutional interpretation can potentially reinforce historical power imbalances and outdated societal norms. The episode 'The Great Political Fictions: Middlemarch (part 2)' explores how George Eliot's novel Middlemarch uses metaphors of light and vision to illustrate how each character's limited perspective on reality is shaped by social forces.

Together, these episodes highlight how power structures, social reputation, and public opinion can profoundly shape and constrain individual lives and moral choices.