Conversations with Peter Boghossian

In this conversation with Wang Kai Chun (Steven), a foreign policy advisor at the Legislative Yuan R.O.C. in Taiwan, we discussed Taiwan-U.S. relations, military preparedness, foreign policy, and the implications of a potential Trump presidency for Taiwan.Watch this episode on YouTube.

I had a delightful conversation with Professor Walter Block, a prominent economist and staunch anarcho-capitalist. Renowned for his extensive publications and contributions to the field, Block offered insightful perspectives on anarcho-capitalism, explaining its core principles and their relevance to contemporary society.Watch this episode on YouTube.

In Taiwan, I sat down with Lin Fei-fan (DPP), the former Deputy Secretary-General of the DPP, who gained prominence as the leading student activist during the Sunflower Movement in 2014. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of a movement that changed Taiwanese politics for a generation. His activism has resulted in being barred from entering China and Hong Kong. We discussed the resilience of Taiwan’s defense against China, why Americans should care about Taiwan, the threats posed by China, the impact of Chinese sanctions, and the importance of retaining the Taiwanese culture amid rising immigration.Watch this episode on YouTube.

In this intense conversation in Taiwan, I engage with one of the leading expert in military defense technologies responsible for Taiwan’s security. My guest is anonymous due to fears of being targeted (read: murdered) by Chinese spy agencies.We explore the complexities of China-Taiwan relations, emphasizing that these dynamics extend beyond who happens to be in politics at any particular time. Our discussion highlights the interconnections between economics, sanctions, technology, AI, drones, and semiconductors.This was an important conversation about a critical geopolitical issue that’s of indispensable importance to the United States. Watch this episode on YouTube and let me know what you think in the comments.

In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Ralph Schoellhammer, Head of the Center for Applied History and IR Theory at MCC, Budapest, we explored the shifting dynamics of global power and its impact on the culture and values of nations. Our discussion spanned continents—from Africa to Asia, Europe to the Americas—covering the rise of BRICS, the future of the U.S. Dollar, migration, and the growing influence of the state on the family unit.In case you missed part 1, watch it here. Watch this episode on YouTube.

In this two-part series, we sit down with Dr. Ralph Schoellhammer, Head of Center: Applied History and IR Theory at MCC, Budapest. Ralph specializes in the cultural dimensions of identity formation and its impact on social cohesion. He offers incredible insights on understanding the current political climate in America, especially in light of the shifting dynamics in the country’s political landscape. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Meet Alexander Huang, Chairman of Taiwan’s Council on Strategic & Wargaming Studies. In this conversation, we focus on the geopolitical dynamics involving Taiwan, China, and the United States. Alexander emphasizes the critical importance of Taiwan’s ties with the West due to its strategic location and its role as a major producer of 90% of the world’s advanced semiconductors. He asserts that if Taiwan falls from Western influence, China emerges victorious.The discussion also covers Taiwan’s close watch on the U.S. election, which they believe will significantly impact their future. Additionally, we explore topics such as nuclear weapons, the potential gun rights for Taiwanese citizens, and the social resilience of the population during wartime. This intense conversation provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between Taiwan, China, and the United States.Watch this episode on YouTube.

Wael Taji Miller is a Visiting Fellow at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium’s School of Psychology. Taji’s research focuses on the intersection of innovation, evolved psychology, and contemporary societal challenges.We discussed social and cultural evolution, particularly the implications of losing our capacity to engage differing viewpoints. We agreed that the erosion of the possibility of dialogue with those who hold opposing perspectives poses a threat to society. This is a kind of cultural decay that's linked not only to entrenched ideologies but also to the challenges posed by modern technology, which too often amplifies division rather than fostering understanding.Watch this episode on YouTube.

Mia Hughes is an Ottawa-based British journalist and researcher for Michael Shellenberger's nonprofit, Environmental Progress. Mia authored the WPATH Files report, which exposed widespread medical mistreatment of children, adolescents, and vulnerable adults in the realm of gender-affirming care. We were both in Lisbon, Portugal, for the Genspect conference—which uncoincidentally coincided with WPATH’s conference. (NB I reached out to WPATH organizers and speakers to have a conversation about their reasoning for gender-affirming care. As expected, I received no responses. Throughout this conversation I made an effort to steelman WPATH arguments.)Mia and I began with the concept of "Gender Soul." This led to a discussion about medical interventions in gender-affirming care.Watch this episode on YouTube.

StealthGPT can write academic papers. It can also write peer-reviewed papers and Ph.D. theses. And it can write them in such a way that they are undetectable by AI. In this conversation, I talk with Jozef Gherman, creator of StealthGPT.Jozef on XWatch this episode on YouTube.

In this conversation with author and consultant Africa Brooke, we discuss addiction, self-sabotage, and self-censorship. Africa shares her journey from Zimbabwe to the United Kingdom and how it shaped her understanding of the world and herself—including her struggle with a ten-year alcohol addiction. Writing became a lifeline as did helping others to understand and identify self-sabotage: what are we trying to escape from, and why do we fall into destructive patterns? Africa's book, "The Third Perspective" Watch this episode on YouTube.

Dr. Jan Bentz is a lecturer and tutor at Oxford who specializes in the convergence of medieval and modern philosophy. We covered a wide range of philosophical themes, truth, delusions of utopia, applied epistemology, the importance of friendship, the nature of realism, and if we can claim to know something absent the “dogma” of the scientific method.How does caring for others influence our epistemology? Jan delved into the nature of identity, arguing that when it is rooted in the "I" (Descartes) it can lead to more problems than when it is based in a shared reality (which allows for the acceptance of others).Watch this episode on YouTube.

Dr. Staley has taught computer science at UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly SLO, and Principia College. He has also built software, managed development projects, and co-founded several small software companies. We explored the age-old question of how to measure right and wrong, especially in the context of advancing technology, AI, and robotics. We also discussed the philosophical implications of AI and consciousness and more!Watch this episode on YouTube.

I had the pleasure of conversing with Kirsten Hall Herlin, an Assistant Professor at UATX, a distinguished scholar of literature, and the managing editor of the Genealogies of Modernity Journal. We discussed the intricacies of writing and the role of literature in shaping our lives and understanding the world.Kirsten and I explored the impact of AI and Critical Social Justice on the humanities. Could AI ever win a Pulitzer Prize? Does human consciousness play a crucial role in the writing process? Are the nuances of personal experience, emotional understanding, and subjective thought beyond AI’s reach? Or can those be faked? We also considered how societal division has affected the humanities and whether great literature can help unite us.Watch this episode on YouTube.

I had a conversation with Joesph Henrich, a distinguished anthropologist and evolutionary biologist at Harvard. Renowned for his interdisciplinary research on cultural evolution and the origins of WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) societies, Joseph is a deep dude.We had a wide-ranging discussion on topics such as cultural learning, social contagion, and the WEIRD phenomenon. We explored the interplay between truth and religion, the economic and political impacts of kinship structures, and cognitive development in non-schooled environments. Additionally, we talked about David Deutsch’s work on falsifiability and its role in building systems of knowledge, divination, witchcraft, rationality, and the question of who might be considered the "weirdest" people in the world.Watch this episode on YouTube.

Yasmine Mohammed and Peter Boghossian discuss women's oppression under Islam and Western Feminism's silence on the issue.Follow Yasmine:Free Hearts Free MindsYasmine Mohammad Podcast Yasmine's book, "Unveiled: How the West Empowers Radical Muslims"Clarity CoalitionYasmine on Instagram, Facebook, and XWatch this episode on YouTube.

While in Denver with the University of Austin for the Life of Mind Tour, I had a deep conversation about philosophy with Alex Priou. Alex is a professor, philosopher, author, and contributor to The New Thinkery podcast. We talked about the fragility of civilization, what constitutes a good life, and what happens when one's beliefs have been hijacked by ideology. Alex on XWatch this episode on YouTube.

Greg Lukianoff (FIRE organization) is doing crucial work in promoting free speech and defending the rights of individuals who have faced repercussions for their speech. We discussed schools on FIRE's Free Speech List and the associated violators as well as the teacher’s unions’ ideological capture. The conversation took an unexpected turn when we began talking about people we know in the public space—Greg then used the phrase "name-dropping”. More from Greg:Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Greg on XWatch this episode on YouTube.

Alan Davison is one of the leading international scholars in the field of cultural history of the long nineteenth century, focusing on the intersection of music and visual culture, portraits of musicians and the reception and representation of the famous Hungarian composer-pianist Franz Liszt.In this episode, Alan and Peter discuss Critical Theory, the ideological capture of universities, and why bad ideas flourish in academic settings.Watch this episode on YouTube.

Jeremy Carl is a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute and has had a varied career, primarily in the public policy arena. His work at Claremont examines nationalism, immigration, technology, and a variety of other subjects. Prior to joining Claremont, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior under President Trump.In this episode, Peter and Jeremy discuss Jeremy's new book, The Unprotected Class: How Anti-White Racism Is Tearing America Apart. They discuss this topic as well as Critical Race Theory, Social Justice, and more. Jeremy on X: https://x.com/realJeremyCarlJeremy's website: https://www.jeremycarl.com/Watch the episode on YouTube.