Conversations with Peter Boghossian

The only thing better than an interview with Graham Linehan or Leo Kearse is doing Spectrum Street Epistemology with the two simultaneously! Peter Boghossian presents more than 20 claims to the gentleman, unearthing their perspectives on patriarchy, the looming technological singularity, limits of comedy, the BBC, and more.   Graham Linehan is an award-winning television writer and the comic genius behind British sitcoms “Father Ted,” “The IT Crowd,” and “Black Books.” He is a vocal advocate for women’s rights and children’s safety. He recently published his bestselling memoir, “Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy.”   Leo Kearse is an award-winning comedian with a new weekly show on GB News, “The Saturday Night Showdown.” He was banned from his venue at the Australian Perth Fringe Festival after his content was called transphobic--despite writing the material with a transgender woman he was dating.   More from Graham: “Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy” by Graham Linehan Substack  More from Leo: Website YouTube channel   Watch this episode on YouTube.

Author and journalist Andy Ngo and Professor Eric Kaufmann participated in a Spectrum Street Epistemology exercise in London. The conversation starts with a claim about banning Muslim prayer rituals in public schools. It continues by asking whether the UK should impose a five-year moratorium on immigration, a current debate in the country. This opened up a broader conversation about immigration, cultural assimilation, and national identity. Finally, they examine the question of whether the UK should surrender its current way of life if a majority of the population becomes Muslim in the coming decades. Andy Ngo is the author of the #1 national bestseller, Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy. His articles can be found in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Quillette, New York Post, Fox News, and other publications. Andy is Senior Editor at The Post Millennial. Andy's previous interview on Peter's channel  Andy on Locals Dr. Eric Kaufmann is a Professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham. Originally from Vancouver, BC, Canada, he was born in Hong Kong and spent most of the last few decades in the UK. He is principally interested in cultural politics: ethnicity, national identity, left-wing ideology and religion, and has written extensively on these subjects.  Eric's previous interview on Peter's channel  Eric’s website  Watch this episode on YouTube.

This is one of Peter’s favorite conversations, and his since gone mega viral on Instagram, even gaining attention from actress Queen Latifah. In Regent’s Park, London, Peter Boghossian conducted a Spectrum Street Epistemology with two children, a twelve-year-old boy and his younger sister. Peter began with claims about science, a topic both children preferred. After the young man demonstrated an extraordinary intellect, Peter upped the ante, presenting complicated claims regarding the limits of science and its relationship to morality and emotion. At the end of the discussion, Peter asked the young man if he would rather have a life guided by reason or emotion. He responded, “If you just have cold, hard reason without any emotion and human feeling, what does that make you? You won't be able to make kind decisions; you'll just be essentially a robot.” Watch this episode on YouTube.

Peter Boghossian joined two of his favorite Michaels for Spectrum Street Epistemology in Santa Barbara, California. Bestselling authors and esteemed public intellectuals Michael Shermer and Michael Shellenberger discussed a number of topics ranging from religion to alien life.   Peter began with a claim that elicited points of agreement and disagreement: “Christianity is a better bulwark against ‘woke’ than humanism.” This opens a discussion of nihilism, objective vs. subjective views of reality, and moral realism and pragmatism. They consider the primal (and political) rejection of free speech, history’s moral arc, the limits of knowledge, and epistemic humility. Both gentlemen clarify their views on alien life and Mr. Shellenberger, a Christian, identifies the “most important” Biblical passage.   Michael Shellenberger is an author, investigative journalist, and the founder & president of Environmental Progress, a nonprofit research organization. He also co-founded the California Peace Coalition, an alliance of parents of children killed by fentanyl and parents of homeless addicts. Michael is the author of “Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility” (with Ted Nordhaus), “Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All,” and most recently, “San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities.” Peter and Michael published “Woke Psychopathology: A Taxonomy” in October 2023. Michael Shermer is the world’s leading skeptic and Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine. He hosts the podcast The Michael Shermer Show and is a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. Dr. Shermer is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestsellers “Why People Believe Weird Things” and “The Believing Brain.” His latest book is “Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational.” Watch this episode on YouTube.

Peter presents Stella O'Malley and Menno Kuijper with various claims about the current transgender movement. Stella, a psychotherapist and author, and Menno, a video creator who is gay, both share a similar gender-critical viewpoint. Though, they disagree on some points, notably on whether the term "trans people" should even be used. This leads to a discussion on the importance of language, especially regarding trans issues. Finally, they discuss autogynephilia and consent. Stella O’Malley is a psychotherapist, bestselling author, public speaker, and parent with extensive experience in counseling and psychotherapy. Her latest book, "When Kids Say They're Trans," offers a resource for parents who want their children to flourish, but do not believe that hasty medicalization is the best way to ensure long-term health and well-being. Stella is also the founder and Executive Director of Genspect, an international organization that advocates for a healthy approach to sex and gender.  Stella on X Stella's other books  Menno Kuijper has earned the prestigious award, “Gay of the Year”.  He is a satirist and video creator whose content focuses on "a world overrun with gender woo" and how it undermines the rights and freedoms of women, girls, LGB people, and children. Menno's YouTube Channel Watch this episode on YouTube.

Chris Martenson, Ph.D., MBA is an economic researcher and futurist, and founder of PeakProsperity.com. His COVID video series garnered more than 40 million views and has helped millions better understand, adapt, and prepare for the Pandemic of 2020.  In addition to analysis and commentary, he writes for PeakProsperity.com, shares his insights on his social media and traditional media, and makes contributions to academic, civic, and private organizations around the world (the UN, the UK House of Commons, and U.S. State Legislatures).  This conversation starts with Chris detailing his experience with Bret Weinstein at migrant camps in Darién Province, Panama. One camp was filled with Chinese nationals, mostly military-age men. Chris details the arduous and often gruesome journey migrants take from Ecuador (a visa isn't required) to the US border. Interestingly, Chris reveals that migrants from around the world find out about the US's open border through social media, and they are often aided in their journey by organizations such as the UN, the Red Cross, and various Catholic charities.  In the second half of the conversation, Chris and Peter talk about the hypocrisy of Western governments by allowing illegal immigration to flourish and the cognitive dissonance progressives experience when voting for such policies. Finally, Chris and Peter illustrate how this crisis, amongst others, has led to major distrust in governmental institutions. The conversation ends on a hopeful note. Peak Prosperity on YouTube Chris's Books Watch this episode on YouTube.

Peter Boghossian engages author Dr. Helen Joyce and professor Dr. Eric Kaufmann in Spectrum Street Epistemology. The discussion deals with gender ideology. The claims explore questions such as, "Anyone who conforms to the social construct of woman is a woman" and "If a child says they're trans at school a parent should be notified." The conversation broadened to whether gender ideology could be thought of as transcendental or quasi-religious, and the pair discussed some of the philosophical and religious underpinnings of this movement. At one point, Helen is asked to take the position of a pro-gender-affirming person, and she takes the opportunity to explain the various justifications that individuals use to support that position. Helen and Eric strongly disagree on whether it is possible to be confused about one's gender identity, and they attempt to guess the other's reasoning behind their position. Dr. Helen Joyce is a journalist, Director of Advocacy for Sex Matters, and author of "Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality." Her writing has appeared in The Daily Mail, The Evening Standard, The Times, And Critic Magazine.  Helen's previous interview on Peter's channel Helen's website  Helen on X  Dr. Eric Kaufmann is a Professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham. Originally from Vancouver, BC, Canada, he was born in Hong Kong and spent most of the last few decades in the UK. He is principally interested in cultural politics: ethnicity, national identity, left-wing ideology and religion, and has written extensively on these subjects. Eric's previous interview on Peter's channel Eric’s website Eric on X Watch this episode on YouTube.

Johann Hari is a British-Swiss author and journalist, known for his books and his articles in The Independent and Huffington Post. Since 2015, his writing has primarily dealt with the war on drugs, mental illness, and decreasing attention spans. His books on these subjects include Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, Lost Connections, and Stolen Focus. In this conversation, Johann and I talk about the variables vying for our attention and their effects on society. Though Johann mentions twelve variables in his book, we focus primarily on social media. Johann and I offer observations of people addicted to technology, and we discuss evidence-based ways to combat this problem. Additionally, we speak about algorithms and their incentives to keep users "angry and scrolling." Finally, we take the conversation to the implications our shortened attention spans have on interpersonal relationships, political participation, and democracy. More from Johann: Books: https://johannhari.com/ Ted Talks: https://www.ted.com/search?q=johann%20hari Watch this episode on YouTube.

Peter engages actor Laurence Fox and TRIGGERnometry host Francis Foster in a game of Spectrum Street Epistemology. The conversation begins with a claim about hiring airline pilots based on race, a topic that has been widely discussed in recent weeks after a door blew off in-flight on an Alaska Airlines plane. Other claims include dating someone who's transgender, immigration issues in the UK, and more! Peter asks Laurence and Francis to argue in favor of an opinion they do not hold. The pair leaned into the character of someone who holds beliefs opposite to their own, resulting in a more dynamic (and often funnier) conversation.  Laurence Fox is a renowned actor, the leader of Britain's Reclaim Party, and host of the Laurence Fox Show.  Francis Foster is a cultural commentator, well-known comedian, and former teacher of English and drama. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Bryan Callen is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and podcaster. He got his start in show business with the original cast of MADtv and he played “Coach Mellor” on ABC’s “Schooled.” His film and TV credits include “Kingdom,” “Ride Along,” “Sex and the City,” “Californication,” and the latest Joker film. His podcasting credits include Steven Crowder's Mug Club, Conspiracy Social Club, and The Joe Rogan Experience. In this episode, Bryan starts by talking about the challenges of discussing political topics as a comedian. He shares some of his views, and we discuss how Americans are failing to talk to each other. We then delve into what one can do about the lack of open and honest conversation. The conversation concludes with a discussion about how to affect change in the world, and the necessary internal steps it takes to get there. More from Brian: YouTube channel: Brian Callen Comedy  X/Twitter Watch this episode on YouTube.