Making Sense with Sam Harris #354 — Is Moral Progress a Fantasy?
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Feb 16, 2024 In this engaging discussion, John Gray, an esteemed author and philosopher known for his insights on political thought, shares his views on moral and political progress. He explores the challenges to freedom of thought in our society, questioning the efficacy of liberalism in the face of modern authoritarianism. Gray delves into the limitations of rights as safeguards of freedom and critiques the relationship between technological advancements and ethical regression, emphasizing the complexities of our moral landscape. A thought-provoking dialogue on progress and its discontents!
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Source of Free Speech Threats
- Threats to free speech now emerge from within civil society, like universities and organizations, rather than solely from governments.
- This represents a shift from 20th-century threats, where autocratic states were the primary suppressors of free thought.
Decline of Liberal Civilization
- This form of censorship within civil society is a significant change, leading to the decline of a liberal civilization where free speech norms were widely accepted.
- While enclaves of freedom remain, many areas of society now enforce political orthodoxy, impacting writers, academics, and comedians.
The Rebecca Tuvel Case
- Sam Harris and John Gray discuss the case of Rebecca Tuvel, a philosopher who compared the acceptance of transgender identity with the rejection of racial identity change.
- Her work, which questioned the differing logic applied to these cases, resulted in severe professional backlash and denunciation.
