

#354 - Is Moral Progress a Fantasy?
30 snips Feb 16, 2024
Sam Harris interviews John Gray, an expert in moral and political progress. They discuss threats to freedom of thought, the limits of law, dangers of technology, failures of convergence on norms and values, de-industrialization in Europe, progressive embrace of barbarism, the absurdity of pacifism, utilitarianism, and misconceptions about religion.
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Liberalism and Free Speech
- John Gray's focus has been on liberalism, its origins, strengths, limitations, and varieties.
- He's observed a shift in threats to free speech from states to civil society.
Self-Censorship in Liberal Societies
- Liberal societies are now self-censoring, imposing sanctions on those deviating from progressive orthodoxy.
- This is a shift from 20th-century threats to free speech, originating from authoritarian states.
Rebecca Tuvel and Transracialism
- Philosopher Rebecca Tuvel compared the acceptance of transgenderism with the rejection of transracialism.
- She faced immense backlash, illustrating the intolerance within academia.