Conversations with Peter Boghossian

Clint Russell is the host of Liberty Lockdown and the Co-Host of The Best Political Show. He is running for Vice President under the Libertarian ticket. The conversation begins with a discussion about Clint's run for VP, what Libertarianism is, and the problems presented by the political binary in America. Peter and Clint agree on how massive money printing causes many of America's economic ills, but goes largely ignored by both Trump and Biden. This leads to a fascinating conversation about the Federal Reserve System (the central bank), America's reckless foreign policy, WWIII fears, and much more. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Nate Sala and Peter Boghossian discuss the importance of engaging in respectful conversations and the need for cognitive liberty. They explore topics such as the nature of belief, logic, and the role of religion in society. Nate Sala is the founder of The Wise Disciple, a website and YouTube channel teaching Christians how to properly engage arguments against Christianity. Follow Nate on X. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Peter Boghossian and Julie Bindel discuss women’s self-defense and the challenges women face in dealing with male violence. They debate the effectiveness of self-defense measures and the responsibility of society in addressing the issue. Julie Bindel is a feminist campaigner, writer, and investigative journalist. Her latest book is Feminism for Women: The Real Route to Liberation (Little Brown, 2021), which explores the tsunami of misogynistic backlash that feminists have encountered this past decade and more. More from Julie: BookXSubstackWatch this episode on YouTube.

Peter Boghossian and Steven Bonnell II, better known as "Destiny," have an intense 90-minute discussion in which the two explore social media’s intensification of political divides, virtue signaling, and what to do about toxic discourse. Peter invites Destiny to cross-examine his beliefs, which Destiny does with gusto. They also discuss people's reluctance to engage opposing views, "grifting," Hungary, virtue signaling, echo chambers, epistemology, and more! Destiny is a live-streamer, gamer, and political commentator. Destiny's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@destiny Destiny on X: https://twitter.com/TheOmniLiberal Watch this episode on YouTube.

Katharine Birbalsingh is a British teacher and education reform advocate. She is the founder and Headmistress of Michaela Community School, a free school established in 2014 in Wembley Park, London. Despite achieving remarkable results for students, Michaela faces political resistance due to its traditional approach, and prioritizing hard work and academic rigor over identity politics. Katharine discusses this opposition (which mostly comes from the political left) as well as the importance of integration among students. The discussion extends to broader societal issues at the intersection of race and education. Katharine instituted a prayer ban at the school, and an incident between a Muslim student and the school was taken to the High Court of Justice. On April 16th, 2024, the High Court ruled in Katharine's favor. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Kara Dansky is a feminist, lawyer, and author of The Abolition of Sex: How the “Transgender” Agenda Harms Women and Girls. In this interview, Kara's shirt reads "infamous TERF writer," a label given to her by commentator Sam Seder after he reacted to an interaction on Twitter/X between Kara and Christopher Rufo. The conversation begins with rapid-fire commentary on feminism, surrogacy, pornography, and other issues that affect women. This sets up the rest of the conversation, which deals with the encroachment on women's rights by the trans and gender identity movement. Kara touches on the political aspects of this cultural battle, concluding that neither Democrats nor Republicans are truly making a difference in women's rights issues. She explains the dangers of gender identity ideology to the main goal of radical feminism: protecting women. Kara serves as the president of the US chapter of Women’s Declaration International and previously served on the board of the Women’s Liberation Front. She started her law and policy career as a public defender and went on to serve as executive director of the Stanford Criminal Justice Center, senior counsel at the ACLU’s Center for Justice, and general counsel at the District of Columbia Sentencing Commission. Kara on X Watch this episode on YouTube.

Dr. Marik is an accomplished physician with special knowledge in a diverse set of medical fields, with specific training in Internal Medicine, Critical Care, Neurocritical Care, Pharmacology, Anesthesia, Nutrition, and Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He is a former tenured Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk, Virginia. In January 2022 Dr. Marik retired from EVMS to focus on continuing his leadership of the FLCCC and has already co-authored over 10 papers on therapeutic aspects of treating COVID-19. In March 2022 Dr. Marik received a commendation by unanimous vote by the Virginia House of Delegates for “his courageous treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients and his philanthropic efforts to share his effective treatment protocols with physicians around the world.” In this conversation at the FLCCC conference, Dr. Marik and I discuss fraud and corruption in medical institutions, as well as the distrust in Big Pharma after the pandemic. More from Dr. Paul Marik: XBooksMore about the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC): SubstackThe FLCCC Alliance CommunityherePeter Boghossian’s talkhuge winWatch this episode on YouTube.

Jens Heycke was educated in Economics and Near Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago, the London School of Economics, and Princeton University. Since retiring from the tech startup industry, he has worked as an independent researcher and writer on culture and ethnic conflict, conducting field research around the world, from Bosnia to Botswana. The conversation begins with the cultural term “melting pot,” which was a commonly used term in recent American history. Backed by his research, Jens explains why it is harmful to identify people based on race or immutable characteristics. This led to further conversation about the integration of immigrants, affirmative action, identity politics, and more. Midway through the conversation, Peter steelmans claims from Jens's book, Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Fire. The resulting discussion is as fascinating as it is *truly* diverse—Jens pulls data and anecdotes from the 40 countries he visited while researching and writing his book. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Karys Rhea is a producer of "American Thought Leaders" and "Fallout" at The Epoch Times and a fellow with The Jewish Leadership Project. She also works with the Middle East Forum and Baste Records. She has appeared on Newsmax, OANN, Real America’s Voice, NTD News, and a variety of podcasts, and her articles can be found in Commentary, NY Daily News, Newsweek, The Federalist, Washington Examiner, and more. The conversation begins with the current state of antisemitism on American college campuses. Karys underscores the hypocrisy of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) administrators when it comes to the hatred of Jews on college campuses, and in some cases, the encouragement of discrimination under the guise of leftwing intersectional values. The discussion then evolves into broader hatred of Jews: its historic and current tropes, leftwing vs rightwing antisemitism, misconceptions, and more. Later, Peter and Karys talk about Israel, Zionism, and Russian influence in how and what the Western world is taught about Jews. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Peter Boghossian and Reid Nicewonder, President of Street Epistemology International, are joined by one of their intellectual heroes, David Deutsch. The conversation begins with an exploration of the contagious nature of ideologies, where good intentions can lead to intellectual pitfalls. The three discuss the challenges posed by Social Justice ideology, scrutinizing its evasion tactics in the face of critique and the broader societal implications, such as corrupting peer-reviewed literature and hindering open discourse. Street Epistemology principles underscore the conversation as an antidote to hindering discourse. Other topics in this discussion include problem-solving, philosophy, the Fermi Paradox, cosmic exploration, and more! David Deutsch was born in Haifa, Israel, and pursued his physics studies at Cambridge and Oxford Universities. After spending several years at the University of Texas at Austin, he returned to Oxford, where he currently resides and works. More from David: WebsiteBooksTo learn more about Street Epistemology, take the free self-directed course, Navigating Beliefs, here. Watch this episode on YouTube.

Matt Goodwin is a professor of politics at The School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent in Kent, UK. His writing and research primarily focus on radical right-wing politics and Euroscepticism in the British context. Amongst others, his writing has appeared in publications such as The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Guardian, and the Evening Standard. He also serves on the Social Mobility Commission via the British Department of Education. Peter and Matt build upon their previous interview and discuss illegal immigration and its effects on society and politics. Matt predicts that mass migration will cause a political rightward shift and a severe backlash from the political left. Matt and Peter then discuss the consequences, including an increase in polarization as a result of the political tumult 2024 is likely to bring. More from Matt: previous interviewTwitter/XSubstackWatch this episode on YouTube.

Vaishnavi Sundar is a feminist, writer, filmmaker & activist from Chennai, India. Her creative work focuses on various human rights issues faced by Indian women. Her previous film "Dysphoric" brought attention to the harms caused by gender identity ideology and her current film, "Behind the Looking Glass", delves into the lives of women whose partners have (or want to) transition. She makes films under her production company, Lime Soda Films, and also founded a group of female filmmakers called Women Making Films. Her upcoming novel will explore the war on merit and the progressive obsession with everyone being the same. More from Vaishnavi: Talks Latest filmWatch this episode on YouTube.

Bestselling author & journalist Lionel Shriver is known for her “under-expressed, unpopular, or downright dangerous” views. She is the author of more than two dozen novels, but her latest book is more personal. In “Abominations: Selected Essays from a Career of Courting Self-Destruction,” Lionel presents a collection of her most provocative material on topics ranging from religion and mortality to gender and immigration. As a novelist, Lionel is an advocate for artistic freedom. She recently described censorship in the publishing industry in her Roger Scruton lecture at Oxford, titled “When Cowed Creatives Capitulate: Conformity and Bad Art.” She is particularly critical of the loss of beauty, style, and wit in modern fiction due to “rectitudinous, censorious, and sanctimonious” ideologies. Lionel’s novels include “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” which the BBC adapted to film, and New York Times bestsellers “Should We Stay or Should We Go,” “So Much for That,” and “The Post-Birthday World.” She is a columnist for The Spectator and her articles have been published by The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, New York Times, and The Economist, among others. Watch this episode on YouTube.

English YouTuber and commentator Stephen Woodford and Biologist Dr. Colin Wright discuss their differences about sex and gender. Moderated by Peter Boghossian. Follow Stephen: X @rationalityrules Follow Colin: XSubstackPrevious conversationWatch this episode on YouTube.

Erin Friday from Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans (PITT) joins Peter Boghossian to discuss a California ballot initiative that seeks to protect kids from harmful gender policies. Sign the petition: https://protectkidsca.com/ More from PITT: SubstackTwitter/XYouTubeBookWatch this episode on YouTube.

The only thing better than an interview with Graham Linehan or Leo Kearse is doing Spectrum Street Epistemology with the two simultaneously! Peter Boghossian presents more than 20 claims to the gentleman, unearthing their perspectives on patriarchy, the looming technological singularity, limits of comedy, the BBC, and more. Graham Linehan is an award-winning television writer and the comic genius behind British sitcoms “Father Ted,” “The IT Crowd,” and “Black Books.” He is a vocal advocate for women’s rights and children’s safety. He recently published his bestselling memoir, “Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy.” Leo Kearse is an award-winning comedian with a new weekly show on GB News, “The Saturday Night Showdown.” He was banned from his venue at the Australian Perth Fringe Festival after his content was called transphobic--despite writing the material with a transgender woman he was dating. More from Graham: Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in ComedySubstackMore from Leo: WebsiteYouTubeWatch this episode on YouTube.

Author and journalist Andy Ngo and Professor Eric Kaufmann participated in a Spectrum Street Epistemology exercise in London. The conversation starts with a claim about banning Muslim prayer rituals in public schools. It continues by asking whether the UK should impose a five-year moratorium on immigration, a current debate in the country. This opened up a broader conversation about immigration, cultural assimilation, and national identity. Finally, they examine the question of whether the UK should surrender its current way of life if a majority of the population becomes Muslim in the coming decades. Andy Ngo is the author of the #1 national bestseller, Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy. His articles can be found in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Quillette, New York Post, Fox News, and other publications. Andy is Senior Editor at The Post Millennial. previous interviewLocalsDr. Eric Kaufmann is 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. previous interviewwebsiteWatch this episode on YouTube.

This is one of Peter’s favorite conversations, and his since gone mega viral on Instagram, even gaining attention from actress Queen Latifah. In Regent’s Park, London, Peter Boghossian conducted a Spectrum Street Epistemology with two children, a twelve-year-old boy and his younger sister. Peter began with claims about science, a topic both children preferred. After the young man demonstrated an extraordinary intellect, Peter upped the ante, presenting complicated claims regarding the limits of science and its relationship to morality and emotion. At the end of the discussion, Peter asked the young man if he would rather have a life guided by reason or emotion. He responded, “If you just have cold, hard reason without any emotion and human feeling, what does that make you? You won't be able to make kind decisions; you'll just be essentially a robot.” Watch this episode on YouTube.

Peter Boghossian joined two of his favorite Michaels for Spectrum Street Epistemology in Santa Barbara, California. Bestselling authors and esteemed public intellectuals Michael Shermer and Michael Shellenberger discussed a number of topics ranging from religion to alien life. Peter began with a claim that elicited points of agreement and disagreement: “Christianity is a better bulwark against ‘woke’ than humanism.” This opens a discussion of nihilism, objective vs. subjective views of reality, and moral realism and pragmatism. They consider the primal (and political) rejection of free speech, history’s moral arc, the limits of knowledge, and epistemic humility. Both gentlemen clarify their views on alien life and Mr. Shellenberger, a Christian, identifies the “most important” Biblical passage. Michael Shellenberger is an author, investigative journalist, and the founder & president of Environmental Progress, a nonprofit research organization. He also co-founded the California Peace Coalition, an alliance of parents of children killed by fentanyl and parents of homeless addicts. Michael is the author of “Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility” (with Ted Nordhaus), “Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All,” and most recently, “San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities.” Peter and Michael published “Woke Psychopathology: A Taxonomy” in October 2023. Michael Shermer is the world’s leading skeptic and Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine. He hosts the podcast The Michael Shermer Show and is a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. Dr. Shermer is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestsellers “Why People Believe Weird Things” and “The Believing Brain.” His latest book is “Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational.” Watch this episode on YouTube.

Peter presents Stella O'Malley and Menno Kuijper with various claims about the current transgender movement. Stella, a psychotherapist and author, and Menno, a video creator who is gay, both share a similar gender-critical viewpoint. Though, they disagree on some points, notably on whether the term "trans people" should even be used. This leads to a discussion on the importance of language, especially regarding trans issues. Finally, they discuss autogynephilia and consent. Stella O’Malley is a psychotherapist, bestselling author, public speaker, and parent with extensive experience in counseling and psychotherapy. Her latest book, "When Kids Say They're Trans," offers a resource for parents who want their children to flourish, but do not believe that hasty medicalization is the best way to ensure long-term health and well-being. Stella is also the founder and Executive Director of Genspect, an international organization that advocates for a healthy approach to sex and gender. XbooksMenno Kuijper has earned the prestigious award, “Gay of the Year”. He is a satirist and video creator whose content focuses on "a world overrun with gender woo" and how it undermines the rights and freedoms of women, girls, LGB people, and children. Menno's YouTube Channel Watch this episode on YouTube.