Conversations with Peter Boghossian

In 2018, Turkish-Swedish political scientist and author Umut Özkırımlı became the target of a state-supported cancelation campaign in Turkey and at Lund University in Sweden. He was finally vindicated after five years of harassment. He lost his young son to cancer during that time. Umut describes himself as a left-wing progressive, a democratic socialist, and a critic of right-wing censorship. But the ordeal he went through gave him a new perspective on left-wing extremism. The result is Umut's new book, "Cancelled: How the Left Can Make Its Way Back from Woke." He explores the similarities between right-wing populism and radical identity politics, suggesting a path for the left to return to liberal values. Umut Özkırımlı is a senior research fellow at Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals, a professor at Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, and a senior research associate at Barcelona Centre for International Affairs. He is the author of "Theories of Nationalism," "Contemporary Debates on Nationalism: A Critical Engagement," and the editor of "The Making of a Protest Movement in Turkey," among other books. His articles appear in many publications, including the Guardian, openDemocracy, Times Higher Education, and Huffington Post. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Peter Boghossian engaged Billboard Chris, Francis Aaron, and Digital Gnosis in a conversation at Speakers' Corner, London. Peter presented a number of claims on the topic of gender transition, beginning with the statement on Chris' billboard: "Children cannot consent to puberty blockers." Chris and a self-described "woke" participant find some points of agreement, but the discussion becomes heated on the topic of transwomen in female sports. "Billboard Chris" Elston is an activist for public awareness of child sex "transitions" and children's safety. Watch Peter's recent interview with Billboard Chris here. Billboard Chris is on X and Instagram. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Activist Peter Boghossian and 'Billboard Chris' Elston engage in a conversation on changing public reception of child sex 'transitions', addressing arguments from gender activists. They discuss techniques for controversial discussions, the 'real reason check' in Spectrum Street Epistemology, difficulty in changing minds, tribal thinking, and accountability in gender-firming care.

Pastor Paul VanderKlay & Peter Boghossian explore topics such as perception of heaven, value of non-Christian religions, fissure in atheist community, and importance of spiritual health. They discuss empathy, interfaith friendships, eternity with God or nothingness, life after atheism, toxic relationships, flaws of America, positive impact of Christianity, and importance of empathy, extremism, and bravery in society.

Longtime friends Peter Boghossian and Dave Rubin met in London for a game of Spectrum Street Epistemology. They each presented claims of personal and global significance, ranging from the best states in the US to potential threats to gay rights. Several pointed claims were discussed regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and associated issues. Dave provides insight into his beliefs about anti-Semitism and the limits of free speech. Dave Rubin is the host of The Rubin Report, which was originally a segment on the progressive Young Turks Network (TYT). He co-founded the community platform Locals in response to censorship on Patreon. As a comedian, Dave interned on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and co-founded several comedy clubs in New York City. He is the bestselling author of "Don't Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason" and "Don't Burn This Country: Surviving and Thriving in Our Woke Dystopia." Watch this episode on YouTube.

Debbie Hayton is a British physics teacher, trade unionist, and transgender person who rejects the concept of "gender identity." Debbie has written extensively about transgenderism and personal experience with autogynephilia in The Spectator, UnHerd, The Times, Daily Mail, Economist, Quillette and elsewhere. Debbie's belief that trans people can be accommodated "without compromising the rights of other vulnerable groups" has been met with accusations of transphobia. You can read Debbie's evidence submitted to the UK Parliament regarding gender accommodations below. Forum Press will release Debbie's memoir, "Transsexual Apostate: My Journey Back to Reality," in February 2024. Debbie Hayton's evidence submitted to Parliament Follow Debbie Hayton on X Watch this episode on YouTube.

Author and journalist Alexander Beiner cofounded the media platform Rebel Wisdom and serves as one of the executive directors of Breaking Convention, Europe's largest conference on psychedelic medicine and culture. His new book, "The Bigger Picture: How Psychedelics Can Help Us Make Sense of the World," is an exploration of the transformative possibility of psychedelics beyond Big Pharma's aim of profitable mental health care. He also produced "The Rise of Psychedelic Capitalism," a short documentary about the ramifications of hallucinogens hitting the mainstream marketplace. Alexander facilitates courses, retreats, and events to foster inner development and human connectedness. His writing is published on Medium, UnHerd, Psyche Magazine, and Substack. Follow Alexander on X. Watch this episode on YouTube.

British author and journalist Louise Perry rejects the notion that social change over time indicates "progress." Instead, she says history is a series of trade-offs that does not guarantee improvements for humanity. In her book, "The Case Against the Sexual Revolution," Louise proposes that increased sexual freedom has caused harm due to the lack of sexual restraint. Louise writes for the New Statesmen, The Daily Mail, and UnHerd. She is the press officer for "We Can't Consent to This," an organization addressing increasing incidents of women killed by sexual violence described as consensual. Louise hosts "Maiden Mother Matriarch," a podcast about sexual politics. She studied anthropology and women's studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies and the University of Oxford. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Triggernometry co-hosts Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster joined Peter Boghossian for Spectrum Street Epistemology (SSE) in London. The discussion was held in front of Middlesex Guildhall, the building housing the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Passers-by were welcome to join the discussion, and one did: Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the co-director of March for Life UK. She participated in the analysis of claims regarding abortion rights. Konstantin Kisin is a Russian-British author, satirist, and cultural critic. He is the author of "An Immigrant's Love Letter to the West," a bestselling book about free speech and cancel culture through the perspective of an Eastern bloc immigrant. Francis Foster is a cultural commentator, well-known comedian, and former teacher of English and drama. Before launching Triggernometry, he co-hosted the "Probably Offensive" podcast. Konstantin and Francis co-host Triggernometry, a podcast dedicated to free speech and open discussion of controversial topics. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Triggernometry co-hosts Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster joined Peter Boghossian for Spectrum Street Epistemology (SSE) in London. The discussion was held in front of Middlesex Guildhall, the building housing the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Peter offered more than a dozen claims to Konstantin and Francis, initially focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Topics include Hamas, "proportionate" military response, Israel's right to exist, anti-Semitism, the incitement of violence, and the limits of free speech. This is part one of the conversation. Konstantin Kisin is a Russian-British author, satirist, and cultural critic. He is the author of "An Immigrant's Love Letter to the West," a bestselling book about free speech and cancel culture through the perspective of an Eastern bloc immigrant. Francis Foster is a cultural commentator, well-known comedian, and former teacher of English and drama. Before launching Triggernometry, he co-hosted the "Probably Offensive" podcast. Konstantin and Francis co-host Triggernometry, a podcast dedicated to free speech and open discussion of controversial topics. Watch this episode on YouTube.