“You’re a Relativist,” said the Atheist to the Christian! | Dr. Jan Bentz
Conversations with Peter Boghossian
Release Date: 10/07/2024
GUARDRAILS for Campus Speech? w/ Dr. Patrick Gray
Conversations with Peter Boghossian
I had a fascinating conversation with , Dean of the Center for Arts and Letters and Professor of Literature at the University of Austin (UATX). We spoke about issues of free speech as they pertain to college campuses. Patrick brings a nuanced perspective: He’s a defender of free speech but insists it needs guardrails. Patrick argues that pushing universities to adopt the Chicago Statement (“Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression”)—a blanket commitment to unrestricted expression—is a mistake. Students should be free to debate diverse, even controversial ideas, but...
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Beyond the Melting Pot: Rethinking Diversity, Tolerance, and Identity w/ Harry Saul Markham
Conversations with Peter Boghossian
, a 25-year-old recent graduate of University College London (UCL), takes a keen interest in addressing threats to democracy, social cohesion, and the rights of minorities. In his roles as a Junior Research Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy and an Advisory Board member of Academics for Academic Freedom, he has been involved in media interviews, discussions with policymakers, journalists, and other prominent public figures in advancing centrist, but bold approaches, to some of the major social issues facing Western Europe. Watch this episode on .
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Is Trump Tearing the U.S. Apart? w/ David Pakman
Conversations with Peter Boghossian
I spoke with US commentator and author , host of the wildly popular progressive YouTube channel, . David just published a new book, "The Echo Machine: How Right-Wing Extremism Created a Post-Truth America". It’s extraordinarily rare for a left-leaning figure to accept my invitation to come on the show and have a conversation, and I’m grateful David did. Our conversation was civil, respectful, and engaging. We dove into the state of America, with David sharing his views on the left, right, and MAGA. We tackled major issues—from the Trump administration’s strategy to Elon Musk and the...
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Is Europe DYING? A Deep Dive into the Continent's Future with Dutch sociologist Dr. Eric Hendriks
Conversations with Peter Boghossian
In a candid conversation with Dutch sociologist , we dive into the geopolitical currents shaping Europe, America, and China. From Europe’s identity crisis to the specter of a U.S.-China conflict, we wrestle with questions about immigration, power, and morality in a world in which the US is no longer the global hegemon. Watch this episode on .
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Is Political Correctness Hiding Islam's True Face? w/ Raymond Ibrahim
Conversations with Peter Boghossian
In Budapest, US scholar and I hit the streets to confront the growing problem of Muslim immigration in Western countries and the cowardice of our leaders to be honest about the nature of the problems this creates. It is often claimed that Muslims and Christians have coexisted peacefully for centuries. Raymond dismantles this myth, tracing a history of Islamic doctrines that sow division. Beyond cultural practices like polygamy, he highlights laws targeting non-Muslims: The mandate to harbor hatred, even toward a Christian spouse, and the demand to convert or accept second-class status, paying...
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Why Dawkins Is WRONG: The Universe Is NOT Queerer Than We Can Suppose w/ Brett Hall
Conversations with Peter Boghossian
I sat down with Australian science educator to tackle the claim: The universe is “queerer than we can suppose.” This idea stems from British scientist J.B.S. Haldane, who wrote in his 1927 book Possible Worlds and Other Essays, “The universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose.” Haldane was struck by reality’s strangeness, esp. in light of early 20th-century science. He thought that our minds might hit a wall when facing the universe’s oddities. Watch this episode on .
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Are We Doomed To Repeat History with the Trans Movement? W/ Brett Hall & Mia Hughes
Conversations with Peter Boghossian
Every month, I host a virtual hangout for my Paid Substack Subscribers (Join now and join us for the next one! https://boghossian.substack.com). In February, I was joined by and to tackle delusional transgender ideology. My subscribers brought thoughtful questions that cut to the heart of the issue: The concept of gender, the pressure to use preferred pronouns, the rise of furries(!), and men in women’s spaces. We dug into the composition of the trans community, which often includes transvestites, autogynophilic men, autistic youth, and women grappling with severe trauma. To be clear, and...
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Katharine Birbalsingh & Ian Row DISMANTLE Low Expectations in Education
Conversations with Peter Boghossian
, founder of Vertex Partnerships Academy and , headmistress of Michaela Community School in England, and I had a fireside chat. Ian and Katherine are pioneers in education, building schools that should be models for all to emulate. Their approach is grounded in timeless virtues: resilience, courage, justice, temperance, wisdom, and virtue. Indeed, these virtues are posted on the walls in every Vertex classroom. Just imagine schools that root their educational process in these principles—how much different would our future look? Now contrast this to what students currently ingest in high...
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Can Beauty Be Measured? w/ Robert McKenzie
Conversations with Peter Boghossian
Is it possible to objectively assess the value of art? Robert Mckenzie, an expert with the , says yes. In our lively discussion, we explored whether art’s worth can be quantified, diving into the objectivity of valuation, the art-buying process, and what makes a piece “good.” Does your perception of a work need to align with the artist’s intent? Watch this episode on .
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Why Critical Social Justice Ruins Psychedelic Experiences w/Tom Hatsis
Conversations with Peter Boghossian
Psychedelic historian Tom Hatsis was an atheist until he tried psychedelics. Then he went from atheist to theist. Psychedelic encounters reshaped his understanding of the divine. In our conversation, Hatsis and I dove into the enigmatic world of psychedelics, exploring their history, safety, and transformative potential. Hatsis, a meticulous researcher, unpacked the distinctions between DMT, Ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, and 5-MeO-DMT, each offering unique pathways to altered states of consciousness. Tom's new book, Watch this episode on .
info_outlineDr. Jan Bentz is a lecturer and tutor at Oxford who specializes in the convergence of medieval and modern philosophy. We covered a wide range of philosophical themes, truth, delusions of utopia, applied epistemology, the importance of friendship, the nature of realism, and if we can claim to know something absent the “dogma” of the scientific method.
How does caring for others influence our epistemology? Jan delved into the nature of identity, arguing that when it is rooted in the "I" (Descartes) it can lead to more problems than when it is based in a shared reality (which allows for the acceptance of others).
Watch this episode on YouTube.