Sam Harris, a renowned neuroscientist and philosopher, joins for an engaging discussion on the intersection of dogma and ethics in modern society. They explore whether total secularization would eliminate societal ills and grapple with the rise of antisemitism in elite circles. The conversation shifts to the future of artificial intelligence and its ethical dilemmas. With a touch of humor, they ponder the political landscape post-Trump and the concept of a potential dogpocalypse, balancing wit with weighty issues.
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insights INSIGHT
Dogma's Double-Edged Sword
Sam Harris and Jonah Goldberg discuss the nature of religion and dogma.
Harris views dogma as hindering error correction and adaptation to new realities.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Harris uses embryonic stem cell research to illustrate the pitfalls of rigid dogma.
He criticizes the inability of some religious individuals to distinguish cells in a petri dish from suffering people.
insights INSIGHT
Secular Spirituality
Harris argues for secular replacements for religious rituals and rites of passage.
He emphasizes exploring human well-being and spirituality without relying on unevidenced beliefs.
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a conceptual framework for interpreting recorded human history
Douglass C. North
Barry R. Weingast
John Joseph Wallis
The book provides a conceptual framework for understanding human history through the lens of social orders. It identifies three types of social orders: foraging order, limited access order (natural state), and open access order. The authors explain how these orders manage violence and shape economic and political development. The natural state limits violence by creating privileged interests, while open access societies foster political and economic competition through impersonal rules and institutions. The book also discusses the transition from natural states to open access societies and how this transition impacts social, economic, and political development.
Are you there, God? It’s Sam Harris and Jonah. At long last, the neuroscientist-philosopher and father of the new atheism movement has come to TheRemnant for a Horatian salon that is poised to discuss the really big questions—questions so big we had to double the length of the episode. Jonah and Sam debate dogma, epistemological free-for-alls, the emancipation of C-3PO, and truth as its own defense. Questions abound: Would society be free from all ill if every man and institution was fully secularized? When do we defer to the experts? How do we grapple with the cognitive dissonance of human nature and our modern ethical sensibilities?But the party doesn’t end there. In the second hour of their conversation, Jonah and Sam dig into the root causes of the rise of antisemitism in elite institutions, ranging from cultural addiction to transgression to the feelings economy. They cover the rise and future of artificial intelligence, speak to the camaraderie that comes with being a classical liberal, and discuss what has been gnawing at the back of everyone’s brain: What happens after Trump? Fair warning, if you make it to the end, you may have some newfound fears about an impending dogpocalypse.
The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch’s offerings—including Jonah’s G-File newsletter, weekly livestreams, and other members-only content—click here.
The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg 
