Are the Foundations of Liberalism and Democracy Ultimately Religious?

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There are a lot of scholars who claim that the foundations of liberalism and democracy are ultimately religious. Can we ground a deep belief in these important political values without recourse, explicit or implicit to religion? Yeah, well, I think we obviously can. It's just, I think people draw the wrong lesson from the observation that the roots of much of what we value are religious, right?

Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, philosopher, author, and the host of the Making Sense podcast. He rose to prominence as a member of the “Four Horsemen” of New Atheism, which also included Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens.

In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Sam Harris discuss the intellectual case for atheism; why both left and right have become more extreme in recent years; and the prospects of a more rational politics in the near future.

This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

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