

Humanize
Discovery Institute Center on Human Exceptionalism
Humanize with Wesley J. Smith from Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism, where human rights meet human responsibilities. We speak on the controversial issues of human life and human thriving that impact our daily lives.
Episodes
Mentioned books

38 snips
Dec 8, 2025 • 1h 4min
Robert P. George on the Reality and Importance of Human Exceptionalism
In this enlightening discussion, Robert P. George, a legal and moral philosopher from Princeton, dives into the significance of human exceptionalism. He argues that acknowledging our unique moral value shapes our actions. George critiques modern culture's emphasis on feelings over reason, warning of its dangers. He explores the foundations of human dignity, asserting it exists in our rational nature, even in vulnerable states like disability or infancy. Additionally, he advocates for truth-seeking and moral clarity in today’s complex landscape.

Nov 24, 2025 • 1h 2min
Aaron Kheriaty, MD, on How to Heal Modern Medicine
Something has gone terribly wrong with American medicine. The COVID pandemic broke the back of trust in our public health officials. There is an affordability crisis. Medical ethics have degraded to the point that doctors no longer take the Hippocratic Oath. Chronic diseases are on the rise, particularly in children. It has all become such a mess. But what should Read More ›

Nov 10, 2025 • 1h 4min
Olivier Bonnassies and Brian Miller on the Scientific Evidence for God
The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” That isn’t science. It is religion, and these days, many have come to believe that never the twain shall meet. But what if the reality of God could be demonstrated scientifically? What evidence would it take? What would Read More ›

Oct 27, 2025 • 1h 4min
Michael Grunwald on How Factory Farms Can Save the Planet
Mark Twain is generally credited with the quip, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” The same can’t be said about climate change, which has become one of our most contentious and complicated public policy controversies. It’s also divisive. According to a recent Gallup Poll, sixty-two percent of those polled worry about climate change a great Read More ›

Oct 14, 2025 • 1h 2min
Michael Egnor M.D. and Denyse O’Leary on Evidence for the Existence of the Soul
The existence of the human soul is usually described as a matter of faith unprovable by science. But is that true? What if evidence exists that we each do indeed have souls and even, that life continues after death? Whether we have souls and what happens to us after death — obliteration, reincarnation, heaven, hell — is a question about Read More ›

Sep 29, 2025 • 1h 2min
Megan Basham on Faith, a Cancer Diagnosis, and the Assassination of Charlie Kirk
It is a hard fact of life that — if we live long enough — we or those we love will receive a devastating medical diagnosis. How we cope in such difficult circumstances can both impact the course of our personal recovery and, in some cases, uplift the human condition. Christian apologist and journalist Megan Basham has walked this difficult Read More ›

Sep 15, 2025 • 55min
Sam Brownback on the Urgency of Religious Freedom
Religious freedom — the ability to live and act according to one’s faith — is one of our most fundamental human rights. But as Western society has secularized, the importance of religious freedom seems to have been eclipsed by other concerns. Indeed, freedom of religion is too often devalued in the public square, and in some places in the world, Read More ›

Jun 9, 2025 • 1h 3min
Alex Schadenberg and Roger Foley on the Cruelty of Canada’s Euthanasia Regime
Euthanasia is bad medicine and even worse public policy. Once a society accepts the principle that killing is a splendid answer to suffering, the kinds and extent of suffering that come to be seen as appropriate reasons to cause death expands continually. Often, this suicide agenda — let’s call it — advances so slowly that, over time, people become acclimated Read More ›

May 28, 2025 • 1h 4min
George Gilder on Artificial Intelligence, Economic Innovation, and the Promise of Cryptocurrency
We live in an era of cultural whiplash. Never has the potential for technological advances been more pronounced, and at the same time, the potential for wrenching societal dislocations so threatening. What are we to make of such times as these? Should we be excited or fearful, optimistic or quaking in our boots? For answers, Wesley turned to George Gilder, Read More ›

May 12, 2025 • 1h 1min
Andrew V. Abela on the “Super Habits” That Make for a Successful Life
These days, hedonism strikes a beat in society. We have long been told that if it feels good, if it is what we want, so long as we aren’t hurting others, then, we should do it. But does that kind of self-indulgence really lead to a successful and satisfying life? Wesley’s guest on this episode of Humanize, Dr. Andrew V. Read More ›


