Conversations with Peter Boghossian

Latest Episodes:

"The Case For Colonialism:" What DEI Gets WRONG | Peter Boghossian & Bruce Gilley Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

Bruce Gilley is a professor of political science at Portland State University. Bruce wrote an article in 2017 for Third World Quarterly titled, "The case for colonialism." This enraged people who called for him to lose his academic position and be stripped of his PhD. The article was retracted due to credible death threats. In 2023, he published a book by the same name. Before his academic career, Bruce worked as a journalist in Hong Kong. This experience strongly influenced his views about colonialism. In 2021, we produced a series on my channel called, "Decolonize Explained" where Bruce debunks the myths around colonization. In this conversation, Bruce and I spoke about the Harvard plagiarism scandal, DEI, and the broader academic landscape. Then, we switched the topic to his book, "The Case For Colonialism." We discussed the reality of colonialism and what history gets wrong, as well as what may have occurred absent colonialism. The conversation concludes with a discussion about what is next for Bruce's career. More from Bruce:

Guest essay by Bruce on Peter's Substack
Bruce's series on Peter's channel
Bruce's research and book, "The Case For Colonialism"
Bruce on X

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Spectrum Street Epistemology with Nina Power and Carl Benjamin Jan 05, 2024

Show notes

In Fall 2023, philosopher and author Nina Power and cultural critic and polymath Carl Benjamin joined Peter for a Spectrum Street Epistemology exercise in Hampstead Heath, London. They explored controversial claims about a variety of socio-political and cultural topics. Nina and Carl have been on Peter's channel before, but this is their first Spectrum Street Epistemology episode. Peter's interview with Nina Power / Carl Benjamin Nina received a Ph.D. in philosophy from Middlesex University and an MA and BA in philosophy from the University of Warwick. She was a senior lecturer in philosophy at Roehampton University and has taught at various British universities. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the British Philosophical Association. She co-hosts the podcast The Lack with Helen Rollins and Benjamin Studebaker. Carl Benjamin, AKA "Sargon of Akkad," is best described as a free-speech activist, staunch critic of identity politics, and champion of English Liberalism. When YouTube and Google shadowbanned his channel in 2019 for wrongthink, Carl continued creating content on Akkad Daily. In November 2020, he launched a new media venture: Lotuseaters.com. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Are Multiculturalism and Diversity Strengths? | Peter Boghossian & Eric Kaufmann Jan 02, 2024

Show notes

Eric Kaufmann 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.

After two decades, Eric decided to relinquish his full professorship in Politics at Birkbeck College, University of London for the University of Buckingham, stating his case in an article for The Critic called "From monoculture to counterculture: why I am leaving Birkbeck for Buckingham".

Peter and Eric discussed multiculturalism and its effects on society, immigration policy, differences between the current state of the US, Canada, and the UK, meritocracy, how to solve the capture of elite institutions, Social Justice, and more. The two even place bets on the future of Critical Social Justice and other cultural issues and will revisit the bet in six months.

Follow Eric on X.

The European Conservative interview with Eric Watch this episode on YouTube.

At High School Debates, Debate Is Not Allowed | Peter Boghossian & James Fishback Dec 22, 2023

Show notes

For years, James Fishback has been dedicated to formal debate as a competitor and coach. In 2019, James launched "Incubate Debate," a nonprofit organization bringing no-cost, free-speech debate tournaments, workshops, and camps to students across Florida. The organization seeks to overcome economic hardship and increasing censorship in national debate events. In May, James wrote an article, "At High School Debates, Debate Is No Longer Allowed," for The Free Press. He exposed the punishment debaters receive for "what they say and how they say it," and the ideological constraints judges enact in tournaments. In June, James wrote a second article for The Free Press about tournament punishments based on debaters' comments on social media—completely unrelated to their debate performance. In lockstep with the rest of academia, ideas on the debate stage are being censored on the basis of "safety" and ideological conformity. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Has the Enlightenment Failed? | Peter Boghossian & Faisal Al Mutar Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

Iraqi-American Faisal Al Mutar is a human rights activist and the founder of Ideas Beyond Borders, a non-profit organization countering extremism and misinformation through global access to new ideas. He came to the U.S. as a refugee in 2013 and received the President's Volunteer Service Award in 2016 for his commitment to education. This year, Ideas Beyond Borders won Atlas Network's Middle East & North Africa Liberty Award. Peter and Faisal are close friends. In this conversation, they discuss the persistent attack on enlightenment values in the U.S. and how this affects young people. Peter and Faisal are both atheists and they consider how the decline of religious belief has opened doors to alternative manifestations of tribal and authoritarian impulses, including in groups of supposed heterodox thinkers. Faisal also shares his views on the role religion plays in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This podcast was filmed October 30, 2023 at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship Conference in London, England. More from Faisal:

"Are Western Values Worth Defending?" Peter Boghossian & Faisal Al Mutar with Freethinkers of PSU (2017)
Follow Faisal on X and Facebook.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Gender Crusade | Peter Boghossian & Miriam Grossman, MD Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

Psychiatrist Miriam Grossman has been exposing falsehoods in the sex and gender industry since 2006. Miriam has been a featured expert in many documentaries, including The Daily Wire's "What is a Woman?" and Fox Nation's "The Miseducation of America." She has testified in Congress, lectured at the British House of Lords, and spoken before the United Nations. Her expert psychiatric opinion is frequently sought for witness testimony and court reports. Jordan Peterson wrote the foreword to Miriam's recent publication, "Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrist's Guide Out of the Madness." Her book offers practical advice to manage and prevent psychological and medical harm in the transgender assembly line. In 2009, Miriam published "You're Teaching My Child What?," an exposé on ideological sex education curriculum used in public schools. A paperback edition with a new preface will be released on September 26, 2023. Follow Miriam on Twitter Watch this episode on YouTube.

How the Left Can Make Its Way Back | Peter Boghossian & Umut Özkırımlı Dec 07, 2023

Show notes

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.

Billboard Chris Plays Spectrum Street Epistemology Dec 01, 2023

Show notes

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.

Changing Tide on Gender Ideology | Peter Boghossian & "Billboard Chris" Elston Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

Chris Elston became an activist for the public awareness of child sex "transitions" more than three years ago. He's been harassed, attacked, and even suffered a broken arm for the message on his billboard: "Children cannot consent to puberty blockers." In this conversation with Peter Boghossian, Chris explains how the public reception of his message has changed alongside increasing awareness about the myths promoted by gender ideologues. Peter and Chris compare notes on their techniques for engaging strangers in controversial discussions in the public square. Chris shares various arguments he frequently hears from gender activists and how he addresses them. Peter highlights his use of the "real reason check" in Spectrum Street Epistemology to get to the foundation of a belief. They also discuss the difficulty people have changing their minds in real time, the coercive influence of tribal thinking, and who will be held accountable for medical malpractice on children. Chris briefly mentions the new Dutch documentary about the history of the Dutch Protocol for gender transition. This podcast was filmed October 30, 2023 at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship Conference in London, England.

Billboard Chris on X and Instagram
Previous discussions with Billboard Chris: "Moving the Needle on Gender Ideology" (Billboard Chris, Andy Ngo, and others) "Nearly Impossible Conversations" (Billboard Chris & James Klug)
Law firm for Detransitioners

Pastor Paul VanderKlay & Peter Boghossian Play Spectrum Street Epistemology Nov 24, 2023

Show notes

This is one of Peter's favorite conversations. Pastor Paul VanderKlay is incredibly thoughtful, sincere, and open. He brings meaningful conversation beyond the walls of his church in California. Paul became a well-known YouTuber for his faith-based commentary on the philosophy of Jordan Peterson. Paul's interest in sharing ideas among people who come from diverse backgrounds and beliefs inspired him to develop a conversation strategy called "Estuary" with his colleague, Pastor John Van Donk. Estuary groups now exist online and at locations around the world.

Paul joined Peter Boghossian for a Spectrum Street Epistemology conversation in London. They explore topics related to the curiosities each has about the limits of the other's beliefs. Peter, an atheist, aims to understand Paul's perception of heaven, the value of non-Christian religions, and the importance of spiritual health. Paul is curious about the fissure in the atheist community, how an atheist would respond to a question from God, and if atheism would be necessary in a world without pain. Various claims provide moments of reflection for both gentlemen in this profoundly honest conversation.

Pastor Paul VanderKlay serves the Living Stones CRC (Christian Reformed Church) in Sacramento, California. His podcast is available on YouTube and in audio format on various podcast platforms.

Follow Paul:

Watch this episode on YouTube.

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