Decoding the Gurus Christopher Hitchens: Rhetoric, Religion, and Ramadan
May 15, 2023
02:22:13
Question Low‑Powered Study Claims
- Check study quality before sharing and look for sample size, pre-registration, and independent replications.
- Avoid amplifying single low-powered studies or headline-friendly claims without robust replication.
Learn Guitar By Listening, Not Speed
- Start by plucking one string and listen closely to its tone and decay.
- Slowly add another string and train discernment instead of rushing to technical feats.
Logos Lured A Modern Commentator
- James Lindsay described demons as the willful rejection of the "logos" and linked that to political pathology.
- That tweet shows how public intellectuals borrow spiritual language to frame secular critiques.
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Introduction
00:00 • 2min
The Effect of Sad Tears on Productivity
01:52 • 3min
The Role of Replication in Men's Horniness
04:36 • 3min
How to Play Guitar
07:26 • 3min
How to Play Guitar
10:28 • 2min
The Evolution of James Lindsay
12:09 • 2min
The Logos and the Hindu Pantheon
14:38 • 2min
The Fucking Edgar Gore of Annoyance
16:42 • 2min
The Importance of Ideology
18:14 • 3min
Tari G: A Moderate Defender of Islam and a Good Debater
21:29 • 2min
The Importance of Dispassion in Arguments
23:36 • 3min
The Two Sides of Hichin's Arguments
26:58 • 3min
What Happened to the Word Christendom?
29:42 • 3min
The Ottoman Empire
32:28 • 2min
The History of the Islamic Empire
34:18 • 2min
The Ottoman Empire as a Fundamentalist Caliphate
36:01 • 2min
Hitchens' Arguments on the Ottoman Empire
37:35 • 3min
The Power of Rhetoric
40:45 • 3min
The Importance of Understanding Religion From Within
43:37 • 2min
The Inconsistency of Hitchens' Argument
45:49 • 2min
The Importance of Religion in Peace
47:52 • 2min
The Problem With Religion
49:53 • 2min
The Diversity of Interpretations in Religion
52:19 • 3min
Hitchens' Response to Ramadan's Argument for Religion
54:54 • 3min
The Ottoman Empire: A History of Diversity
57:55 • 3min
The Importance of Ideological Fragmentation in Islam
01:01:19 • 2min
The Problem With the Quran
01:02:53 • 3min
Burning the Bible May Get You Protested
01:06:21 • 2min
The Problem With Religions of Peace
01:07:55 • 4min
The Importance of Historical Contingencies
01:11:48 • 2min
The Importance of Historical Contingency
01:13:58 • 2min
The Role of Religion in the Rise of the Anti-Liberal Regimes
01:16:09 • 3min
The Role of Islam in Autocracy in Syria
01:18:58 • 5min
The Illusion of Religion in the Middle East
01:23:29 • 4min
The Influence of Religion on Ideas
01:27:43 • 2min
The Causal Agency of Religion
01:29:14 • 5min
The Importance of Islam in the Debate
01:33:53 • 2min
The Problem With Rhetoric in Public Debate
01:35:34 • 2min
The Problem With Debates
01:37:37 • 2min
The Moral Force in Conflict
01:39:54 • 3min
The Importance of Ideology in the Iraq War
01:43:08 • 3min
The Utopian Vision of Iraq
01:46:35 • 3min
The Conflicting Perspectives of Hitchens and Tariq
01:49:45 • 2min
The Utilitarian Argument for the American Interventions in the Middle East
01:51:41 • 2min
The Fatwares of Hamas
01:53:21 • 5min
The Role of Extremists in Supporting Extremist Sex
01:57:52 • 2min
The Role of Ideology in Extremism
02:00:17 • 4min
The Importance of Pluralism and Tolerance
02:04:05 • 3min
Hitchens: A Traditional Secular Guru
02:07:27 • 3min
Hitchens: A Secular Guru
02:10:41 • 2min
Elizor Yutkowski: The AI Guru
02:13:04 • 2min
Patreon's Benefits
02:14:54 • 3min
The Galaxy Bring Gurus
02:18:08 • 2min
AI and the Elizor: A Cost, You Cost Key
02:19:41 • 2min
Our short-lived Christopher Hitchens ends in our second episode and full-length decoding of the punchy Brit.
This time we are examining one of his well-known religion-themed debates, debating the question 'Is Islam a Religion of Peace?' for The 92nd Street Y, New York with the academic and writer Tariq Ramadan. This one feels like a bit of a throwback to a post-9/11 & Iraq war world. New Atheism was still a cultural force with some punch but it had also received its own fair share of body blows since its earlier days as a plucky new contender.
Regardless of how you feel about that particular genre, we suggest you don a fedora, pour yourself a stiff drink, and be prepared for a heady mixture of substantive points, moralizing rhetoric, and witty retorts from both of these seasoned debaters.
Also covered in the episode Andrew Huberman and whether sad women's tears have unique properties, Jordan Hall teaches everyone how to play the guitar, James Lindsay discovers the Logos... and Chris tells us all about his office fridge adventures.
Links
- Hitchens and Ramadan debate at 92nd Street Y New York
- Huberman's TikTok video about women's tears and his related tweets
- James Lindsay's Twitter thread on demons and the Logos
- Reddit Thread with a link to Jordan Hall's Guitar tutorial
- Daniel Laken's free course on psychology methodology and statistical inference