Conversations with Peter Boghossian

James Klug and I had wide-ranging conversation at the Center for Inquiry in Los Angeles. James is behind some of the most viral clips that expose ideological inconsistencies on the left and right, though these have targeted inconsistencies across the political spectrum, including the identitarian left. We talk about immigration, left vs right beliefs, and more. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Carlos Carvalho, President of the University of Austin (UATX), recently told me, "UATX is Navy Seals training for the mind". It's no surprise, then, that when I ask 19-year-old UATX student Merrick Meardon difficult philosophical questions, he was more than capable of sustaining a high level of discourse about concepts of "abiding significance". (Hat tip to the late philosopher Dan Dennett who popularized this phrase.) Merrick and I didn't know what we'd talk about when we sat down together, but we both knew the unspoken assumptions: You will be held to task for your ideas; our conversation will likely not be intellectually easy; if I detect a mistake in your reasoning you'll know about it, and I expect the same courtesy from you; there are no limits on the content or how deep the conversation will go. Merrick attends the University of Austin, and that's the normative expectation. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Young people are having less sex. There are a lot of speculations as to why, e.g., digital distractions, increasing mental health issues, delayed independence and increased economic pressure, rising autism rates, changing cultural norms, etc., but ultimately, we don't really know why. Helping me unpack these issues is none other than Rikki Schlott, best-selling author, New York Post columnist, and friend of the show. Rikki is writing her next book about sex and dating, and I found it fascinating to learn about how sexual and dating norms were shifting.  Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Glen Weyl is an economist, researcher, and social technologist known for his work on political economy, technology, and democratic innovations. In this conversation, we talk about religion, tech, AI, and more. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Frances Widdowson is a former professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary. She was attacked by indigenous activists during a Spectrum Street Epistemology session at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. She tells her story in this episode of Conversations with Peter Boghossian.  Watch this episode on YouTube.  Follow Peter Boghossian