This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAs organized religion declines, particularly among younger Americans, a constellation of spiritual and sense-making phenomena appear to be taking its place. This week, Damir Marusic and Editor-at-Large Christine Emba are joined by the author Tara Isabella Burton whose upcoming book Self-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians, chronicles how our sense of self has evolved over time alongside political, religious and societal change.Damir and Christine interrogate Tara’s argument that in adhering excessively to individualism, a principle with deep roots in both liberal and Christian traditions, an imbalance has neglected the importance of integrating self-desire, direct contact and communal ties to find meaning. As a result, a renaissance of alternatives to traditional faith — from fitness and astrology to post-rationalism and cosmic vibes — have culminated into a crisis of spirituality.In the full episode (for paying subscribers only), Christine, Damir and Tara discuss the necessity of defining progress, particularly among believers, and how these new belief systems are themselves indicative of “frivolity” and “decadence”. The three also contemplate the uniqueness of human beings and the potential for new versions of spirituality to emerge with greater technology advancement.Wisdom of Crowds is a reader-supported publication. To support our work and receive the latest, please subscribe.Required Reading:* Self-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians, by Tara Isabella Burton (Amazon).* Strange Rites, by Tara Isabella Burton (Amazon).* “Rational Magic,” by Tara Isabella Burton (The New Atlantis).* “The Man Who Spends $2 Million a Year to Look 18 Is Swapping Blood With His Father and Son,” by Ashlee Vance (Bloomberg).* “On animate intelligence,” from Dhananjay Jagannathan’s Substack.* “An entire generation is losing hope. Enter the witch.” by Christine Emba (Washington Post).Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAre big ideas still possible? Are there any “new” ideas left—and what makes an idea new in the first place? If we need new ideas to shake ourselves out of decadence, we should be careful what we wish for. Wokeness is one such “comprehensive framework.” Others might prove similarly frightening.This week, Shadi is joined by New York Times columnist and author of The Decadent Society Ross Douthat and the political philosopher Samuel Kimbriel. Recently, Sam wrote an essay “Thinking is Risky”, which was cited in Ross’s newsletter, calling on academics to be more intellectually courageous. Sam’s call to action relates to a recurring theme in Ross’s work — namely that society faces “decadent” stagnation (or worse, decay) on a number of fronts. To transcend modern mediocrity, the three discuss a path to renewal, but as Shadi argues, the risks of doing so are real.In the full episode (for paying subscribers only), the three discuss the extent a break from decadence can be achieved through religion. After all, if what makes an idea “big” is that it offers up a metaphysical/cosmic account of the universe, then cultural renewal may require religion. Anything less would be limiting and finite. Ross makes the case that religious belief is “obviously appropriate”, predicting that elites will eventually recognize its value. But is it enough for people to instrumentally appreciate the importance of religion, or must they believe themselves? Required Reading:* The Decadent Society, by Ross Douthat (Amazon).* “Thinking Is Risky,” by Samuel Kimbriel (Wisdom of Crowds).* “Why Journalists Have More Freedom Than Professors,” by Ross Douthat (New York Times).* Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life, by William Deresiewicz (Amazon).* “At least it’s an ethos” from The Great Lebowski.* “Nude” lyrics, by Radiohead.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week, Damir stages an intervention for Shadi.Lately, Shadi’s become gradually detached from the world of current events and political media. Damir probes to understand why, therein unraveling an episode that goes off the beaten path to discuss progress, happiness and meaning at a time when everything feels existential.Shadi maintains that while he isn’t divorcing himself from the commentariat, he’s recognizing the limited fulfillment political awareness can deliver — particularly when progress can never seem to be satiated. Scoffing at Damir’s notion he’s become a conservative, Shadi laments what he sees as more pressing matters, including crime and the unintended impacts of legal marijuana dispensaries in D.C. All of this prompts Damir to press Shadi on how he reconciles this detachment with participation in democracy.In the full episode (for paying subscribers only), the guys pivot toward a critique of the mental health subculture. Damir believes the level of introspection offered by therapy may make us more miserable. Shadi agrees and questions how healthy it is that we seem to be seeking out more reasons to seek therapy. The pod ends on a higher note, however, with Damir and Shadi finding contentment in pursuing Wisdom of Crowds’ mission.Paying subscribers will also be able to watch the whole conversation on video and take note of our facial expressions. We’re really excited to be offering this new subscriber benefit, so please consider joining us.Required Reading:* The Open Letter to President Biden that Shadi helped organize on Tunisia.* “Is It Enough to Tie Your Camel and Trust in God?” by Shadi Hamid (Wisdom of Crowds).* Oliver Traldi's tweet thread* “Pot and Pathology,” by Charles Fain Lehman (Institute For Family Studies).* “How I Changed my Mind About Marijuana,” by Charles Fain Lehman on his Substack, The Causal Fallacy.* “You’re Better Off Not Knowing,” by Shadi Hamid (The Atlantic).* Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman (Amazon).* The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel, by Milan Kundera (Amazon).* “ChatGPT and Me,” by Damir Marusic (Wisdom of Crowds).* “How AI could change computing, culture and the course of history,” (The Economist).* Shadi Hamid’s essay on suicide (Washington Examiner).* “It’s not too late: How to save Tunisian democracy,” by Shadi Hamid and Sharan Grewal (Brookings Institution).Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveCan a cohesive nation survive without a common identity or shared values? That question is at the heart of this week’s podcast with political theorist David Polansky. Last week, David’s essay in Wisdom of Crowds rebutted the claim that the Israelites can be understood as a modern nation. Throughout history, various peoples, David argues, have coalesced around a shared sense of “peoplehood” without a claim to a nation. From here, a rich conversation ensues as to whether a people—and democracy itself—can endure without anything more than a commitment to peaceful coexistence. Shadi maintains that his conception of democratic minimalism and a belief in “the people” (even if they’re not real) are enough to sustain a democracy. Damir finds this to be insufficient. While a degree of myth-making is necessary to constitute a nation, more is required to undergird an enduring society. But what exactly? In the full episode (for paying subscribers only), Shadi presses David on his assertion that the modern Canadian state, despite being democratic, has far more power over individual citizens than under pre-modern dictators. The three also discuss whether the West’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means that democracy is rebounding, ebbing, or headed for a different trajectory altogether.Lastly, not only will paying subscribers have access to the full episode—including an awkward but vaguely touching coda from Shadi on his doubts over the future—but they will also be able to watch the whole conversation and take note of our facial expressions on video. We’re really excited to be offering this new subscriber benefit, so please consider joining us.Required Reading:* “Why Ancient Israel Was Not a Modern Nation,” by David Polansky (Wisdom of Crowds).* “Populism and Democracy Conflict: An Aristotelian View,” by David Polansky (The Review of Politics).* Leviathan, by Thomas Hobbes (Project Gutenberg).* “For the People to Exist, You Must Believe in Them,” by Shadi Hamid (Wisdom of Crowds).* How Democracy Ends, David Runciman (Amazon).* Shadi and Damir debate “democratic minimalism” in a special live recorded episode in Pittsburgh (Wisdom of Crowds).* Shadi’s book The Problem of Democracy * “On Hindutva,” by Murtaza Hussain on his excellent Substack

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWhy is Trump such a formidable candidate, despite everything? How can someone who lies so readily be seen as authentic? With the Republican presidential campaign heating up, Sam Adler-Bell—co-host of “Know Your Enemy” and one of the most fascinating leftist writers around today—returns to the podcast to argue that Trump has something special that Ron DeSantis doesn’t have and likely never will. Pundits often argue that DeSantis represents a stable and “competent” version of Trump that can win the presidency for the GOP. Sam disagrees. DeSantis, he argues, is reflective of a well-educated elite bumbling to co-opt Trump’s style without understanding the former president’s essence. Not only that, DeSantis may even be a “technocrat,” that dreaded word. Sam makes the case that Trump’s conning authenticity, charm—but especially his “anti-competence” and distinct resentment of elitism and expertise—help explain his staying power.In the full episode (for paying subscribers only), the three discuss the rampant apocalypticism of the current moment and how Republicans and Democrats leverage the premise that the end is near. Damir posits that the doomerism may be justified whereas Shadi is more cautiously optimistic. Also, Sam discusses the discipline required—as someone on the political left—to not define one’s politics around the most annoying features of one’s opponents. Required Reading:* Sam Adler Bell’s must-listen podcast “Know Your Enemy” with Matthew Sitman on the intellectual origins of the American Right. * Sam’s epic first appearance on Wisdom of Crowds, discussing the New Right.* The classic “Know Your Enemy” episode on Nixon’s resentments and obsessions.* “The One Thing Trump Has That DeSantis Never Will,” by Sam Adler-Bell (The New York Times).* “The Jeffrey Epstein case is why people believe in Pizzagate,” by Matthew Walther. (The Week).* Dave Chappelle monologue on Trump’s appealing hypocrisy (Saturday Night Live).* The Confidence Man, by Herman Melville (Amazon).* Chris Christie takes down Marco Rubio in 2016 (CBS News).* Trump Inaugural Address, “American Carnage” (ABC News).* “The Humiliation Factor,” by Thomas Friedman (The New York Times).

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAn anti-natalist subculture has flourished for years online. These days, it feels like it’s taking hold in the real world.This week, writer and internet historian Katherine Dee and Editor-at-Large Christine Emba join Shadi and Damir to make sense of this underground phenomenon—and its broader implications for how we live today.Do people really believe that suffering makes life not worth experiencing? And what is the source of the breathtaking idea that one can and should spare the unborn the pain of existence?As the conversation continues, the Crowd starts to zero in on the source of the problem: there’s something unhealthy about being online all the time. Katherine reveals her struggles with climate anxiety, and how she eventually snapped out of it.In the full episode (for paying subscribers only), the conversation turns to the identities we inhabit online and in-person, and how that causes us to lose our ethical moorings. Katherine points out that detachment and anonymity afforded by the internet breeds isolation and existential dread. Is there a remedy to this “psychosis”? Closing up, we hit on a cheeky solution.Required Reading:- “We Need to Talk About Extreme Anti-Natalism,” by Katherine Dee (Unherd).- “Can You Pair-Bond During Cybersex?” by Katherine Dee (Substack).- “Computer Love,” by Katherine Dee (Comment).- “Tumblr Transformed American Politics,” by Katherine Dee (American Conservative).- Rethinking Sex: AProvocation, by Christine Emba (Amazon).

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWith the world feeling increasingly unstable, Damir and Shadi turn to foreign policy. Can the United States can back its bluster abroad, including in defense of Taiwan? All of this is happening as Donald Trump re-enters the national spotlight. The guys contrast the former president's manic approach to deterrence with the current and preceding administrations. Shadi is comforted the White House is staffed by vaguely smart and competent people, but thinks there may be something to Trump's saber-rattling.Damir then challenges Shadi on the Biden Administration's democracy versus autocracy approach to foreign policy. How do we understand Brazil's democratically elected president willingly embracing China?In the full episode (for paying subscribers only), Damir makes the case for how we might not go to war with China over Taiwan, while Shadi wonders whether Trump's madman routine may have been more effective than we dare imagine.Required Reading:- Tucker Carlson interview with Donald Trump.- China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower, by Frank Dikotter (Amazon).- "Blinken: I press Saudis on LGBTQI issues ‘in every conversation’" (Politico).- "The West hoped Lula would be a partner. He’s got his own plans" (WaPo).- "When might US political support be unwelcome in Taiwan?", by Alastair Iain Johnston, Tsai Chia-hung, and George Yin (Brookings Institution).

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWith artificial intelligence threatening to take over our imaginations, Shadi and Damir this week decided to talk through some of the philosophical quandaries with none other than political philosopher and Wisdom of Crowds contributing writer Samuel Kimbriel. The Crowd takes on ChatGPT, existential risk, "the simulation", navigating uncertainty and whether we can know what is real.After a recent encounter with ChatGPT, Damir is impressed that AI is now well on its way to modeling language, an advancement he thinks could upend the elite publishing world. On the potential existential threat posed by AI, Shadi's faith leaves him less than panicked about technological doomsday. Meanwhile, Sam reminds us that humanity lives in a state of uncertainty subject to inquiry which can breed distrust with political institutions that insist they have it all figured out.In the full episode (for paying subscribers only) Damir and Sam differ on whether ChatGPT is a new version of an old mechanism or whether it's something more sophisticated. Shadi asks whether such a technology can ever feel longing, wistfulness, and regret. How do we seek to understand human consciousness let alone that of artificial intelligence? A rich conversation ensues.Required Reading:- "You’re Better Off Not Knowing," by Shadi Hamid (The Atlantic).- "ChatGPT and Me," by Damir Marusic. (Wisdom of Crowds).- "Why I Am Not (As Much Of) A Doomer (As Some People)," by Scott Alexander (Substack).- A very politically incorrect tweet about ChatGPT and Joe Biden.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.live With Ron DeSantis embracing an aggressively illiberal agenda of cultural reaction, how worried should we be? This week on the podcast, The New Republic's Osita Nwanevu—one of the most original leftist thinkers working today—joined us to debate the future of the Republican Party and the dangers of 2024. Very quickly, the conversation morphed into a spirited exchange on whether it's American institutions—or the madness of crowds—that explains the GOP's sharp turn to the right on questions of culture and identity. Osita argues that the GOP as an institution is dangerous. It has taken advantage of existing political institutions to promote anti-democratic values and rule as a minoritarian party even as it claims to represent the views and grievances of a sometimes silent majority. We also discuss whether Republican messaging against "wokeness" is truly a winning issue with voters—and what this says for prospects of an outright GOP victory in 2024.   (And, yes: we also touched on Osita's preference that the U.S. Constitution be abolished.) In Part 2 (available here for subscribers), Damir sets out a dark theory. Could the arrival of true mass democracy, where social media makes everyone far too interested in politics, actually be encouraging demagoguery? And can a democratic system withstand repeated assaults by such unscrupulous political entrepreneurs? Shadi's more optimistic on balance, seeing conflict as a sign of democratic health. And Osita sticks to his institutionalist guns. Believe it or not, the episode ends on a cautious note of optimism. Required Reading: "Trump has a better shot at the Republican nomination than people realize," by Osita Nwanevu (Guardian). "The Constitution is the Crisis," by Osita Nwanevu (New Republic). "DeSantis Derangement Syndrome and the Return of Mass Panic," by Shadi Hamid (Substack). "My Fellow Liberals Are Exaggerating the Dangers of Ron DeSantis," by Damon Linker (NYT). "Ron DeSantis is Not a Fascist," by Damon Linker (Substack)

This week, we're bringing you something special: our first recording with a live audience! Hosted by the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets and moderated by the center's director, Jen Murtazashvili (a friend of the Crowd), we had a freewheeling discussion about Shadi's new book, The Problem of Democracy.Shadi made his case for decoupling democracy and liberalism—what he calls "democratic minimalism." Instead of viewing democracy as a means to other ends, it should be seen an end unto itself. In other words, let us lower expectations and like (and perhaps even love) democracy for its more modest pleasures. Democracy is not about delivering economic growth, competence, or consensus. And it may even produce the opposite.The argument, expressed in its more provocative form, is that democracy is about a way of making choices, while liberalism is one choice among many. Citizens in conservative societies may choose otherwise—including by passing restrictions on abortion, alcohol consumption, and even "blasphemy laws" that prohibit insulting divine texts and prophets.Losing no time, Damir and Jen (and audience members) pose a series of challenges to Shadi's idiosyncratic view of democracy. Is this minimalistic conception of democracy realistic, even if it were desirable? Jen thinks that there needs to be a classically liberal limited state whereas Damir isn't so sure that ethnically and religiously divided countries are places where democracy flourishes. Is it enough to simply ask citizens to accept democratic outcomes not to their liking? Or must there be a deeper, shared cultural bond before anything else?On foreign policy, things get even more thorny. Can the United States truly promote democracy without doing damage to its own national security interests? The problem is that reasonable observers no longer agree, if they ever did, on which vital interests are, in fact, "vital." And, if America is a superpower, presumably it could absorb the costs of a democracy-first policy in the Middle East if it really wanted to.As the event became more of a free-for-all, extending into 2 hours of spirited exchanges with the audience, the crowd debated sharia courts, India under Modi, whether Obama actually had a dislike for Muslims, whether Israel was the ideal "illiberal democracy", what making America "more democratic" means, and the resiliency of American institutions over the last six years.Required Reading: - The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea, by Shadi Hamid (Amazon).- Jen Murtazashvili’s personal website.- The Center for Governance and Markets at Pitt.- Full YouTube video of this conversation. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe