Conversations with Peter Boghossian

Farzad Mesbahi is an expert on Tesla and futurism. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. Discussions of trans, Muslim immigration, the death of the West, the decline of civilization, political assassinations, and such take a toll on me. So, it's refreshing to switch gears (pun intended) and discuss some optimistic futurism with a genuine expert.

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Dr. Péter Krekó is an economist, political scientist, European public intellectual, professor, the executive director of the Budapest-based independent think tank Political Capital, and a fierce critic of Viktor Orbán and his administration.

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Raymond Ibrahim is a no-nonsense historian and blunt commentator on Islam and its intersections with the West. He pulls no punches. We strolled through Central Park on a crisp summer afternoon, in deep conversation.

We walked, sat (as we both are getting over a knee injury), and conversed about everything from the historical roots of Islamic ideology to the crumbling facades of modern societies. Sometimes the best way to unpack complex ideas isn't in a sterile studio, but on a walk in the park.

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I have a specific point of disagreement with my friend Brett Hall, the Australian science educator, renowned podcaster, and consigliere to figures like David Deutsch and Naval. And while we have broad agreement on a number of issues and even share a core identical epistemological commitment (Truth), we do have a more than pesky disagreement: What role, if any, should belief, including using the word "belief," play in one's epistemology and vocabulary?

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In this episode, I talk with Matt and Max Smith, co-authors of The Preparation: How To Become Competent, Confident, and Dangerous.

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In NYC, two people stopped me on the street and commented on my conversation with philosopher and linguist Benedict Beckeld. One man told me, and I quote, "It changed my life."

Obviously, then, due to the overwhelmingly positive responses and because Benedict challenged some of my core beliefs, it was a no-brainer to have another conversation with him.

Our conversation in NYC was forthright, nuanced, I'm sure controversial to many, and I found it genuinely engaging. We talked about the decline of the West, Islam, and much more.

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Rod and I have far more in common than not, and I am honored to call him a friend. He's thoughtful, interesting, supportive, kind, humble, sincere, and fun to hang out with. Metaphysical and political differences should never, ever get in the way of friendship.

And yet those differences and divisions are what we've endured culturally and socially for the last 15 years, at least. We've mediated our friendships through metaphysical and political lenses, and we've all suffered. We've become lesser because we've misprioritized what matters: Virtue, kindness, decency.

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Sean Nottoli is a Danube Institute researcher, self-identified conservative, and a political renaissance man. We discussed China and the US, energy, Iran and Israel, and more.

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Like most honest people, Morgan Marietta, formerly Dean of Economics, Politics & History at the University of Austin (UATX), is repulsed by the dishonesty that's consumed our academic institutions.

I'm sure you've heard most of the reasons why academies need open inquiry and honest conversation before, but I particularly liked Morgan's comment, "There's a conformist answer and those answers are boring, monochrome, and humorless." He's right. When there's a set of prescribed opinions and responses to issues in general, and moral issues in particular, you're no longer educating students. You're indoctrinating them.

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Danny Kaplan is a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at The University of Austin. Danny has forgotten more about math and statistics than I will ever know, and I found it wondrous and delightful to explore my ignorance with him. Indeed, advanced math or even basic math is almost never something I think about, and I've been unclear whether not knowing it hindered me in any way. I now have a clearer answer to that question.

Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post.

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