Introduction

Chris Kavanagh is a cognitive anthropologist, and the co-host of the increasingly popular and influential podcast 'Decoding the Gurus'. This is a podcast that critiques many of the new breed of public intellectuals, including some who have been featured on Rebel Wisdom.

Together with co-host, psychologist Matt Browne, they analyse the methods and messages of what they've described as 'secular gurus'.

This is an important conversation, about the necessity of criticism, of what counts as good and bad faith, and how truth seeking gets warped.

It's a controversial project for many, and in this conversation, Rebel Wisdom's David Fuller puts many of those criticisms to Chris directly. 

Alongside this video, David Fuller has written a detailed and exhaustive analysis on Substack, highly recommended to read: https://rebelwisdom.substack.com/p/decoding-the-gurus-and-the-necessity?r=ye9pq&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Also referenced in the conversation are:

An earlier recording with Chris 'Criticising the IDW': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByZCCmQVPdg

Chris's presentation of the 'Gurometer' at The Stoa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EazLoBk9gA

Peter Limberg's 'Memetic Tribes of Culture War 2.0' piece: https://medium.com/s/world-wide-wtf/memetic-tribes-and-culture-war-2-0-14705c43f6bb