Making Sense with Sam Harris - Subscriber Content #449 - Dogma, Tribe, and Truth
78 snips
Dec 22, 2025 
Ross Douthat, a New York Times opinion columnist and author of 'Believe,' explores the intersections of faith and modernity. He shares insights on how cultural disembodiment and AI may threaten human purpose. Douthat debates the role of politics in ensuring social cohesion amid technological upheaval and warns against dogmatism in secular societies. He argues for the necessity of core moral convictions while highlighting religion's historical contributions to ethics and social justice, offering a nuanced view of faith in a polarized world.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Human Obsolescence As A Cultural Threat
- Ross warns of a growing sense of human obsolescence driven by digital disembodiment and looming AI disruptions.
- He argues this threatens relationships, birthrates, and social institutions unless we proactively build resilience.
Prepare For Cultural Resilience Today
- Start preparing now for cultural and personal resilience against digital and AI-driven changes.
- Invest in relationships, community, and practices that sustain embodied human life.
AI Abundance Won't Automatically Save Purpose
- Sam and Ross debate whether AI-driven abundance will erode purpose and produce decadence or enable flourishing with cultural adaptation.
- Both think much depends on social institutions, education, and restraints against addictive entertainments.