Conversations with Peter Boghossian

Philosophy professor and elite climber Bill Ramsey argues that a life without struggle cannot be fulfilling. The same honesty demanded by a rock face should be demanded of us by reason. Watch full video here. Follow Peter Boghossian

Angela Todd is the founder of PDX Real, a Portland Oregon based citizen journalist covering politics, crime, and the realities facing the city. Watch full video here. Follow Peter Boghossian

Europe is sleepwalking into a demographic crisis it may not survive. Jan Vandebeek, Dutch researcher and data scientist, joins Peter Boghossian to lay out the hard numbers behind mass immigration into Europe, the failure of multiculturalism, and what happens to liberal democracy when the population replacing it doesn't share its values. This is not a conversation about feelings. It's a conversation about data, sovereignty, and civilizational survival. Watch full video here. Follow Peter Boghossian

Hakim El Karoui is head of the Paris office of Brunswick, a UK-based communications consultancy. He has authored the report on Islam in France, Un islam français est possible, and Nouveau monde arabe, nouvelle politique arabe pour la France (the New Arab world, a new "Arab policy" for France). We discuss Islamism in France, the Far-Right and Far-Left, assimilation, and more. Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Nicolas Pouvreau-Monti is director and co-founder of the Observatoire de l'Immigration & de la Démographie (OID), a French think-tank that provides objective facts and data as well as legal recommendations for sensible immigration policies and effective border control in France and Europe. We discuss immigration data, integration challenges, the rise of Islam and anti-Semitism, political constraints, and more. Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Thibault de Montbrial is a prominent French lawyer, security expert, author, and public intellectual known especially for his work on internal security, counter-terrorism, and public order in France. He spent over 30 years working against radical Islam and its growing threat in France and Western Europe. He shares his firsthand experiences, insights on the socio-political dynamics, and the challenges of addressing radical Islam while confronting societal denial and political inertia. Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Franklin Camargo has a number of radioactive beliefs. He thinks America's incarceration rate is too low. That Trump is the most pro-gay president in American history (I baited him on that one). We get into his beliefs and I challenge him with arguments from left, right, center, and stratosphere. Franklin is a political commentator who fled Venezuela after the Maduro regime accused him of terrorism for the crime of debating a professor in class. As he tells it, the director of his university said to him, "This is a communist and revolutionary university. If you don't like it, go to Harvard." If only he knew! Watch this episode on YouTube and read more on Substack. Follow Peter Boghossian

Shabbos Kestenbaum is a 26-year-old Orthodox Jewish Harvard graduate who sued his university for failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment and violence on campus. A week earlier, we'd had Raymond Ibrahim on the show. During that taping, our cameraman, a young man, got heated enough about what he was hearing that he interrupted the recording to challenge Raymond's claims. So when Shabbos came on the following week, I decided to give the cameraman a proper seat at the table. Watch this episode on YouTube and read more on Substack. Follow Peter Boghossian

Peter Boghossian, Reid Nicewonder, and Brett Hall review the show "Pluribus." Watch this episode on YouTube. Listen to Part 1 of this conversation. Follow Peter Boghossian

Eric Meder is a privacy advocate who teaches people how to escape the "surveillance state." Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

The resurgence of Nazi sympathizers on the American Right demands unflinching scrutiny. That's why I sat down with John Kirbow, a US Army PSYOP veteran and counter-extremism expert, to dissect "Hipster Nazism". Hipster Nazism is a slick, social media-savvy strain of Jew hatred that's infiltrated conservative circles. Our conversation cuts straight to the core: How do these narratives spread? Why do societies fail to counter them effectively? Kirbow draws on behavioral science, psywar tactics, and real-world examples, including screenshots of Nazi doublespeak, to reveal the psychology of radicalization. We explored meme warfare, satire as a weapon, and the need to transcend tired Left-Right binaries in favor of defending liberty, dignity, and the Constitution against all threats. It's a dialogue that equips viewers with tools to spot and dismantle this poison before it metastasizes further. Watch this episode on YouTube and read more on Substack. Follow Peter Boghossian

There's really only one question for any economist or political scientist to be asking right now: What will we be post-Trump? An imperialist dictatorship rampaging across the world? An industrial superpower? Impoverished and corrupt? Michael Every and I took our stabs at answering the question. Watch this episode on YouTube and read more on Substack. Follow Peter Boghossian

During my in-person interview with Raymond Ibrahim in LA, both of the cameramen freaked out and walked off the set. Two out of two! Our conversations touched on various aspects of Islam. Raymond's book Raymond's YouTube channel & X Watch this episode on YouTube and read more on Substack. Follow Peter Boghossian

Author and friend of the show Lionel Shriver comes on to discuss the immigration topics in her new novel, "A Better Life." Buy Lionel's new novel, "A Better Life" Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Kevin Dahlgren covers what's going on on the streets of Portland, Oregon. His work covers homelessness, addiction, policy, and other factors that have led to the decline of this city. Truth on the Streets Substack Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Author Steven Goldman comes on the show to discuss Albert Einstein's impact on philosophy. Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

I'm very grateful that British Muslim apologist Subboor Ahmad came on the show. Subboor is a debater, writer, and podcaster who engages topics in philosophy, atheism, and evolutionary biology from a staunchly Islamic perspective. He has a master's degree in philosophy from Birkbeck, University of London, and he focuses on critiquing evolution and atheism while traveling globally to teach Muslims how to articulate Islam to non-Muslims. Watch this episode on YouTube and read more on Substack. Follow Peter Boghossian

Dave Silverman remains the most uncompromising atheist I've ever met (coming from me, that's quite the statement), and we've been friends for over a decade. Even when we've been on opposite sides of culture-war issues, we've never traded a harsh word. In this conversation, we talk about why identitarian leftists are unwilling to defend their beliefs, the Atheist movement, #MeToo, and more. Watch this episode on YouTube and read more on Substack. Follow Peter Boghossian

Matt Thornton is one of my closest friends. We have, as Aristotle describes, a friendship of virtue—one I'm profoundly grateful for. It was a genuine pleasure to sit down with Matt and discuss violence, Jew hatred, and the strange idea that has gained so much traction lately: "Silence is violence." Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Lubna is a YouTuber covering political and social affairs in Britain. As a British woman with Pakistani and Indian heritage, she facilitates discussions about Islam in Britain, current events, and more. Find Lubna's latest book here: https://amzn.eu/d/3R8p662 Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Eliah Overbey is an Assistant Professor of Bioastronautics at the University of Austin. (She also co-founded the Space Omics and Medical Atlas, a biobank that's generated over 90% of publicly available astronaut omics data, and integrating samples from missions like Inspiration4, NASA's Twins Study, and JAXA projects. She specializes in studying genomic and molecular changes in astronaut health during spaceflight. I had the opportunity to ask every question I've ever had about astronaut health, and then some more on top of those! Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

I love science fiction (fantasy's a distant second), but reading fiction always gnaws at me with guilt. That changed after talking with Clay Greene, Assistant Professor of Literature at the University of Austin (UATX). Clay dismantled my doubts, proving literature is far more than an escape. It is ammunition for the War. By helping me reflect on some of my favorites, Joe Haldeman's The Forever War and Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Clay changed my view. Fiction tackles civilizational woes directly, and it is one of the many things worth fighting and dying for. Thanks to our conversation, I'm dusting off my sci-fi stack. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

James Klug and I had wide-ranging conversation at the Center for Inquiry in Los Angeles. James is behind some of the most viral clips that expose ideological inconsistencies on the left and right, though these have targeted inconsistencies across the political spectrum, including the identitarian left. We talk about immigration, left vs right beliefs, and more. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Carlos Carvalho, President of the University of Austin (UATX), recently told me, "UATX is Navy Seals training for the mind". It's no surprise, then, that when I ask 19-year-old UATX student Merrick Meardon difficult philosophical questions, he was more than capable of sustaining a high level of discourse about concepts of "abiding significance". (Hat tip to the late philosopher Dan Dennett who popularized this phrase.) Merrick and I didn't know what we'd talk about when we sat down together, but we both knew the unspoken assumptions: You will be held to task for your ideas; our conversation will likely not be intellectually easy; if I detect a mistake in your reasoning you'll know about it, and I expect the same courtesy from you; there are no limits on the content or how deep the conversation will go. Merrick attends the University of Austin, and that's the normative expectation. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Young people are having less sex. There are a lot of speculations as to why, e.g., digital distractions, increasing mental health issues, delayed independence and increased economic pressure, rising autism rates, changing cultural norms, etc., but ultimately, we don't really know why. Helping me unpack these issues is none other than Rikki Schlott, best-selling author, New York Post columnist, and friend of the show. Rikki is writing her next book about sex and dating, and I found it fascinating to learn about how sexual and dating norms were shifting. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Glen Weyl is an economist, researcher, and social technologist known for his work on political economy, technology, and democratic innovations. In this conversation, we talk about religion, tech, AI, and more. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Frances Widdowson is a former professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary. She was attacked by indigenous activists during a Spectrum Street Epistemology session at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. She tells her story in this episode of Conversations with Peter Boghossian. Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Should you fuck your first cousin? This most idiotic of questions now directly confronts us at scale. Instead of talking about myriads of other problems society faces, we are reduced to have a conversation about inbreeding. Why? Because this is standard practice among millions of people immigrating to Western countries. Dr. Colin Wright and I discuss inbreeding and its prevalence in different societies. Dr. Colin Wright is an evolutionary biologist and CEO/Editor-in-Chief of Reality's Last Stand. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

"Corey Feldman vs. The World" is the best documentary I've ever seen. It's a candid glimpse into how fame corrupts, twists, and damages one's perception of reality. Corey Feldman (born in 1971) is an American actor and "musician" who was once uber-famous. He rose to fame as one of the most prominent child stars of the '80s, forming the iconic duo "The Two Coreys" with Corey Haim. His blockbuster coming-of-age and adventure films include Gremlins (1984), The Goonies (1985), Stand by Me (1986), The Lost Boys (1987), License to Drive (1988), and Dream a Little Dream (1989). Documentary filmmaker Marcie Hume follows Corey and his "angels" on his musical tour, living on the tour bus and capturing every moment. It is a descent into… I don't even know what… a controlling, sex- and drug-fueled cult that gets darker and more fucked-up with each tour stop. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Salih Hudayar, a politician and advocate for Uyghur independence, provides critical insight into the Uyghurs in China, explaining their history and the severe human rights violations they face. We discuss the ongoing oppression Uyghur people face under the Chinese Communist Party. Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Adam Szetela finished his Ph.D. in the Department of Literatures in English at Cornell University. Before Cornell, he was a visiting fellow in the Program on the Study of Capitalism at Harvard University. He is the author of That Book Is Dangerous! How Moral Panic, Social Media, and the Culture Wars Are Remaking Publishing. In this episode, Adam and I discuss the death of the publishing industry, "sensitivity readers," the cancellation of authors, and more. Adam's site: Adam's book: Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Allen Porter is a philosopher who specializes in continental philosophy, with an emphasis on Heideggerian existential phenomenology. We began our conversation by talking about wokeism, an ideology rooted in "lived experience." From there, we moved on to talking about transhumanism. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

In this show, Brett Hall and I review the show "Pluribus." Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Hamza Andreas Tzortzis is an Islamic apologist and the founder and CEO of Sapience Institute. Hamza and I only scratched the surface of this conversation about Islam. The goal was not to solve theological, political, metaphysical, or divisive social issues in 60 minutes. The goal was to introduce you, the audience, to what and how one thoughtful, controversial, and highly educated Muslim who has devoted his life to Islam thinks about basic issues in Islam…and to pave the way for future conversations. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Jennifer Sey is the former CMO of Levi's and Founder of XX-XY Athletics, a clothing brand standing up for female athletes and fair competition. In this conversation at the Genspect Conference, Jennifer and I discuss her brand, the issue of males in female sports, and much more. Jennifer on Instagram: Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Our TPUSA event at UC-Berkeley was chaos. Rioters outside and an extraordinary police presence inside. The environment was extremely tense. This is a clip from the event where I talk about having difficult conversations. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

At the Comedy Cellar in NYC, in a basement crammed with 180 seekers of unvarnished truth, Coleman Hughes, Dov Davidoff, and I laughed and philosophized. We didn't show up to pamper fragile egos or flash virtue badges; we plunged into the messy underbelly of sexuality, identity, and the existential void that's stranding men (esp. young men) in a swamp of self-doubt, feminization, and cultural derangement. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

In this conversation, Mia Hughes and I discuss the launch of her recent Genspect campaign, "Restoring Clinical Clarity on Gender Distress". Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Do not be deceived by Jesse Peltan's age. Referred to as Elon Musk's energy consigliere, the man is a living encyclopedia of all things energy-related. But he's not merely an encyclopedia; he's razor-sharp with thoughtful, feasible solutions to our impending energy crisis. Jesse on X: Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

In this conversation, Mia Hughes and I discuss transgender procedures and the language and obfuscation that allows them to occur (especially on children). We also discuss insane stories that she has uncovered while researching transgender issues. I found this conversation with Mia Hughes fascinating and deeply disturbing. This is the fourth conversation I've had with Mia and the second Spectrum Street Epistemology we've done together. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Frances Widdowson is a former professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary. She was attacked by indigenous activists during a Spectrum Street Epistemology session at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba. She tells her story in this episode of Conversations with Peter Boghossian. Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Ridvan Aydemir, better known online as Apostate Prophet, is an Ex-Muslim, Turkish-German YouTuber known for critiquing Islam. Watch this episode on YouTube. Follow Peter Boghossian

Rarely have I met anyone whose beliefs and broad view of the world comport so well with my own. So, it was a genuine pleasure to sit down with Lionel Shriver in person (our last interview was online, and I don't like those nearly as much) and solve some of the world's problems. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Farzad Mesbahi is an expert on Tesla and futurism. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. Discussions of trans, Muslim immigration, the death of the West, the decline of civilization, political assassinations, and such take a toll on me. So, it's refreshing to switch gears (pun intended) and discuss some optimistic futurism with a genuine expert. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Dr. Péter Krekó is an economist, political scientist, European public intellectual, professor, the executive director of the Budapest-based independent think tank Political Capital, and a fierce critic of Viktor Orbán and his administration. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Raymond Ibrahim is a no-nonsense historian and blunt commentator on Islam and its intersections with the West. He pulls no punches. We strolled through Central Park on a crisp summer afternoon, in deep conversation. We walked, sat (as we both are getting over a knee injury), and conversed about everything from the historical roots of Islamic ideology to the crumbling facades of modern societies. Sometimes the best way to unpack complex ideas isn't in a sterile studio, but on a walk in the park. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

I have a specific point of disagreement with my friend Brett Hall, the Australian science educator, renowned podcaster, and consigliere to figures like David Deutsch and Naval. And while we have broad agreement on a number of issues and even share a core identical epistemological commitment (Truth), we do have a more than pesky disagreement: What role, if any, should belief, including using the word "belief," play in one's epistemology and vocabulary? Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

In this episode, I talk with Matt and Max Smith, co-authors of The Preparation: How To Become Competent, Confident, and Dangerous. Watch this episode on YouTube Follow Peter Boghossian

In NYC, two people stopped me on the street and commented on my conversation with philosopher and linguist Benedict Beckeld. One man told me, and I quote, "It changed my life." Obviously, then, due to the overwhelmingly positive responses and because Benedict challenged some of my core beliefs, it was a no-brainer to have another conversation with him. Our conversation in NYC was forthright, nuanced, I'm sure controversial to many, and I found it genuinely engaging. We talked about the decline of the West, Islam, and much more. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian

Rod and I have far more in common than not, and I am honored to call him a friend. He's thoughtful, interesting, supportive, kind, humble, sincere, and fun to hang out with. Metaphysical and political differences should never, ever get in the way of friendship. And yet those differences and divisions are what we've endured culturally and socially for the last 15 years, at least. We've mediated our friendships through metaphysical and political lenses, and we've all suffered. We've become lesser because we've misprioritized what matters: Virtue, kindness, decency. Watch this episode on YouTube and read the accompanying Substack post. Follow Peter Boghossian