Peter Boghossian on Critical Thinking, Failing Universities, and Why Debate Matters

What happens when ideology replaces critical thinking across academia? Philosopher, author, and former professor Peter Boghossian witnessed this firsthand at Portland State University, and his school was not an anomaly. Known for his role in the “Grievance Studies Affair”, exposing the low quality scholarship published in activist-oriented journals, Peter is worried about how this strange fringe of academia has come to dominate universities. He’s now working to revitalize and advocate for what should be the core of education - critical thinking, open debate, and the rigorous pursuit of truth.
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Our Website: www.dadsavesamerica.com
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Outline:
[0:00] Philosopher, author, and father
[1:57] How tenure corrupts academic journals
[13:40] Grievance studies and hoax papers
[21:08] Reasoning vs rationalizing
[29:46] Can ideology infect the hard sciences?
[36:40] What makes people vulnerable to dogma?
[46:24] Critical thinking isn’t allowed at school
[50:47] Debate is a corrective mechanism
[58:30] Why is debate under attack?
[1:10:30] How can we protect our civilization?
[1:18:41] Did the “New Atheists” create wokeism?
[1:28:45] Truth, faith, and morality
[1:42:23] What does a flourishing society look like?
Dad Saves America is a channel dedicated to celebrating heroic fatherhood while teaching the next generation of fathers strategies they can utilize in parenting their children. We believe strong children come from a strong family. We’ve had many experts in the studio, including Jonathan Haidt, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Troy Kotsur, John Mackey, Ben Askren, and Adam Carolla.
#collegecampus #freespeech #opendebate

[@drpeterboghossian]

Thanks so much for having me on your show, John.

[@annschroeder3889]

I am literally 20 minutes away from finishing this discussion, and listening to two mature men discussing ideas and differing viewpoints in a constructive, respectable, kind and understanding manner, has been such a joy. Thank you both for sharing this discussion for the rest of us to enjoy 😊

[@karentaylor4685]

As a primary teacher who trained in a Brazilian university, I cannot thank you enough for constantly bringing up Paulo Freire. I thought he had only succeeded in ruining education in Brazil!

[@DadSavesAmerica]

My brother, it was a true honor. I hope we modeled our values for everyone and I’m so humbled by the unique challenges you present to me as a deeply ideological person who is prone to seeking alignment with first principles at every turn.

[@Sean_Plays_Guitar]

Wonderful conversation, gentlemen.

[@StanGraham1]

I love you both!!

[@AndyJarman]

You Tube has told me I cannot express my views on this platform.

[@generalpurpose6517]

Me too

[@nickross6364]

Me too. I keep getting banned for 24 hours. For any negative talk of muslims or gazans.

[@NeraBuffy]

Same for making jokes about tword mating call alanusnackubar

[@scillyautomatic]

Welcome to the club!

[@neomacchio4692]

Ditto. The KZbin fascists are doing their thing. They hate America.

[@te4110]

Believe it or not, when I was at Stanford from ‘85-‘89, a course on “Critical Thinking” was required for all freshmen! How things have changed! (… and all the classics of “Western Civilization” for the first two years of college!)

[@Stafus]

Financial profit is only derived from the deliberate and forceful creation of a large working class. Feudalism is to blame for that, then the capitalist took advantage of that ready made class system. without that foundational class system capitalism could not exist. The hierarchies of feudalism and capitalism are pyramid shaped, while every natural hierarchy of competence is a bell curve (IQ bell curve) with few at the top and bottom and the majority in the middle. Pyramid hierarchies are artificial and integral to capitalism/profit, there has to be a very large base of low paid workers in a capitalist hierarchy in order for profit to be generated. Financial profit is not possible in a natural (bell curve) hierarchy because there aren't enough people at the bottom to skim labor value from. Capitalism is not contrary to feudalism, capitalism is the lying rat that feudalism gave birth to.

[@scillyautomatic]

@@Stafus 😂 crtl C, crtl V 🙄🤦🏿‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏽‍♂️

[@Stafus]

@@scillyautomatic emojies are for babies.

[@aidananstey9848]

​@@Stafus Isn't a large working class preferable to a large poverty class?

[@Stafus]

@@aidananstey9848 you are brain dead.

[@CharlesPonsford]

This man is the salt of the Earth. We need more people like him.

[@Johnconno]

The common clay, the common touch, the universal man eh?

[@nigelralphmurphy2852]

like, salt in your coffee

[@RobNeeth]

He is from the epicenter of woke, and completely avoids discussing who exactly produces woke. He's a coward, at best.

[@antbrown9066]

Thanks Peter. (and Dad for hosting this) Good to see some courage, reason and truth….. even if you are an atheist! 😀 This topic of conversation needs expanded. You are a minority. Truth is under threat - but will eventually expose the cancerous growth of deception….

[@Stafus]

Financial profit is only derived from the deliberate and forceful creation of a large working class. Feudalism is to blame for that, then the capitalist took advantage of that ready made class system. without that foundational class system capitalism could not exist. The hierarchies of feudalism and capitalism are pyramid shaped, while every natural hierarchy of competence is a bell curve (IQ bell curve) with few at the top and bottom and the majority in the middle. Pyramid hierarchies are artificial and integral to capitalism/profit, there has to be a very large base of low paid workers in a capitalist hierarchy in order for profit to be generated. Financial profit is not possible in a natural (bell curve) hierarchy because there aren't enough people at the bottom to skim labor value from. Capitalism is not contrary to feudalism, capitalism is the lying rat that feudalism gave birth to.

[@marc_rosenberg]

One of the best pods with Peter. Thank you!

[@lizgilbert9129]

I'm a just-retired university librarian. Thank you Peter for your ongoing efforts trying to explain the Dantesque world of academic publishing. Covid showed how adding funding bodies to the model makes it putrid and toxic (I don't have words for how terrible it is, and most academics, including Brett and Heather, don't have a firm handle on it) Regarding religion and atheism. Among people I know the most strongly vehement advocates of "social justice"are ex-Catholics,now dogged unbelievers. I think they don't even realise where their beliefs were born, but Liberation Theology, paternalism, guilt and hierarchy probably have a lot to do with it. "Just be kind" has never been an effective governance strategy.

[@Stafus]

Financial profit is only derived from the deliberate and forceful creation of a large working class. Feudalism is to blame for that, then the capitalist took advantage of that ready made class system. without that foundational class system capitalism could not exist. The hierarchies of feudalism and capitalism are pyramid shaped, while every natural hierarchy of competence is a bell curve (IQ bell curve) with few at the top and bottom and the majority in the middle. Pyramid hierarchies are artificial and integral to capitalism/profit, there has to be a very large base of low paid workers in a capitalist hierarchy in order for profit to be generated. Financial profit is not possible in a natural (bell curve) hierarchy because there aren't enough people at the bottom to skim labor value from. Capitalism is not contrary to feudalism, capitalism is the lying rat that feudalism gave birth to.

[@HannaMaman]

@@Stafus

[@notloki3377]

wonderful conversation. peter boghossian is one of my favorite thinkers at the moment, along with bret weinstein.

[@neomacchio4692]

And Douglas Murray!

[@notloki3377]

@@neomacchio4692 He's been wrong on isreal, but yeah he's been right on a lot of stuff.

[@melissajones5985]

Dad is such a good interviewer! Peter's always marvelous.

[@DadSavesAmerica]

I appreciate that! Thank you!

[@dayamitrasaraswati6276]

This was the most brilliant conversation I ever heard! Thank you so much for exploring these topics that get one to use critical thinking! I have learned a lot and will listen to this video again and again. Thank you!🙏

[@DadSavesAmerica]

Thank YOU. What an amazing thing to say about a two-hour conversation!

[@dayamitrasaraswati6276]

Loved it!👍

[@polarisjustdothework2258]

I’ve heard two different times now from mental health professionals that they are “flying a plane while building it…” which tells me that this rationale is one that is being circulated within these new movements. How do you think that’s gonna turn out for us?

[@coraleefarrell1066]

Flying a plane while still building it, reminds me of a joke about the 'optimist' who, while falling off a skyscraper says, "Well, so far, so good !" womp womp🥴

[@zumamaya2396]

If Boeing is the manufacturer we're in big trouble 😂

[@stevenlightfoot6479]

At 35:16 we should clarify, the ideologues in Silicon Valley supporting identity politics are not engineers, but computer programmers, and are largely (amazingly) non technical and don't deal in physics, but basically deal in language. Actual Engineers by their very nature are generally against identity politics, or any politics.

[@airman122469]

I like to call them code monkeys. Because they are.

[@scillyautomatic]

PB has been a guest on a number of Christian's programs recently. I hope he is coming around to, at least, respect Christians. Clearly he has seen the benefits of Christianity on culture. But he seems to be one of the last red-pilled atheist that is still rather demining and sarcastic when he speaks of anyone of faith. Thanks for having him on!

[@scillyautomatic]

1:13:33 His first thought is always, "Jesus walked on water".

[@brianmeen2158]

Peter realizes the structure of religion is important for society but also realizes many take religion too far. I think he’s going to realize there isn’t another system that will work as well as Christianity though

[@scillyautomatic]

@@brianmeen2158 I think you're right. It has been interesting to watch his journey.

[@user-nj9ru4ef2w]

@@brianmeen2158 plenty of systems will work better than christianity. The problem is you need to get rid of western culture/ideology, which is basically the source of all evil in order to arrive there.

[@veronicabatteham9864]

I have also been doing a lot of thinking ,it's the absurdity of everything ,it's a pandemic of insanity ,

[@cb8289]

One of the best conversations I've heard in quite a while. Thank you both for a wonderfully rational discussion on a complex collection of ideas. Reason, evidence and argument. That's how my dinner table was laid out for me growing up :)

[@linmorell1813]

Writing 7 articles in 7 years supported by peers to get tenure has taken higher education to where it is now it seems. The papers which were produced by PB et al is just so incredibly clever.

[@Aviva121]

Amazing brilliant discussion. Will listen again… and again.

[@georger6624]

And thank you very much Professor for doing the paperwork and putting us across to the average person

[@lugnutlarry1764]

Great conversation gentleman, I really enjoyed this.

[@AngelWest58]

Great discussion. Thank you!

[@federatedsubjectareas6904]

There are many mirrors here in the “Agile” software development paradigm that has emerged over the last 2 decades. A overwhelming focus on short term goals, production of software above any other consideration, devaluation of forethought, forward planning and documentation. I find it interesting that this paradigm has emerged and embedded itself into the epistemology of the vast majority of IT projects.

[@karenwright4890]

Great interview! It’s encouraging to see respectful conversations

[@TimCCambridge]

~ Hi. Thanks for this. Without an Earth " B " we can't compare ( replicate ) to an Earth " A ". To the immature ideologically captured mind, the grass is always greener on an idealised Earth B... They wish to impose Earth B onto Earth A. If you pick a flower and give it to a child, what withers first? The attention of wonder or the flowers form? Attention to wonder is the wise guiding quality of the mature mind.

[@TeaParty1776]

The Enlightenment is an ideology which protects mans focused mind. Not all ideologies are idealist. The Pragmatist attack on principles is absurd and desstructive. When philosophy evades mans need for rational principles, religion will provide fantasy principles.

[@metgirl5429]

This was excellent Thank you both Listening to thinking men 🕊

[@toddcollins6403]

I quite enjoy these intellectual discussions and these two gentlemen's musings. Im just a house painter and am completely untroubled by today's institutional upheavals; im rather wholly focused on getting a lot tangibly accomplished each day. Id advise these fellas to get out and do some elemental work regularly. They will be happier.

[@levi5073]

Great interview.

[@111cheyanne]

So nice to see and hear “reason” and emphatically rationalized thought, might, and should be our new raison d’être...

[@johnvahl762]

I first heard inclusion used in a good way, including disabled students into general swimming lessons. I did that before the term was used. I signed up my son with autism into regular swim lessons with his brother. They both enjoyed the classes, but his brother advanced. My son with Autism would not put his face in the water, so he couldn't get out of the level 1 class.

[@TeaParty1776]

What about disabled Presidents?

[@user-nj9ru4ef2w]

inclusion is when you get kicked out of your swim club you've been in for half your life because you have a proper moral conscience and refuse to kneel down to western woke evil

[@kingclover1395]

I read those phony papers that they submitted to the academic journals and they were genuinely hilarious. The funniest thing I've read in years. I laughed my ass off. They were hard to find online though and I had to download them into my files on the computer and everything, which I found very difficult because I usually don't do any of that stuff. And I never did find all of them.

[@AnneRoe-kp1hs]

This is a great interview, Is life just an episode of Fr. Ted ?

[@fastfreddy3103]

Not smart enough to be a research scientist but worked as a laboratory technician to a few top people. Medical research. Seems to me that peer review is the key thing. My impression was that many tried to avoid this or do minimal review.

[@MrCalebgrayson]

i use an epistemology of motivation technique where i lay out a claim on a grid of T/F and Pro/Con. if P then how does it benefit you and how does it harm you and also for -P. this i think helps flesh out the hidden motivations people have for beliefs OTHER THAN the desire for truth which i think is not a very high priority for most people.

[@s2a1ha1j2a]

From 1:29 on is very well done. To assume there is no value in suffering is questionable. Finding the space in that without being masochistic or oppressive is the key. We have our work cut out for us . . . DIALOGUE please. Well done John, and thank you Peter. Blessings

[@RobNeeth]

If only all our ancestors, for all of history, independently, had warned us against a specific demographic having social influence. Then, surely, we wouldn't allow our entire civilization to be undermined by every single industry wherein they are the majority. Surely, then, there wouldn't be sensitive and caring men, feigning intelligence and the desire for progress, while avoiding - at all costs - placing even a shred of blame on that demographic. How stunning and brave.

[@Triplesteeple]

Indispensable discussion for any lover of learning, anyone serious about thinking, or those concerned about culture n country. 👌

[@CandidDate]

They're called institutions for a reason. Granted someone outside the institution may have beef with it.

[@keithlongley362]

I would love to hear Ayn Rand, dissect these abstract ideas of postmodernist, and challenge them on their reality of their perceived utopia.

[@annamacbriar2766]

To be clear, Foucault was not a booster of power/knowledge. He was attempting to unmask it.

[@richardanderson-ze3sk]

Love you guys. Can you plod a little more?

[@oliverjamito9902]

Pop thank you for attending unto our OWN! Pop remember " WHO said if Ye LOVE ME"? Love you too!

[@pippadora]

Addressed to both Peter and Dad, where did the concepts of right and wrong come from? Or the respect for the elderly? I believe the San Koi, had both and even make a prayer of forgiveness when killing prey for the village. Was that instictive? Or a form of spirituality at one with the universe....

[@abbyscarlett8729]

An analogy of ‘the master’s tools’ at around 59:50 is “a divided house cannot stand”. The ideologues use an irrational logic to support their insane narrative (the conclusion that they started with and worked their way backwards from). When you use logic back at them, the whole thing falls apart. Peter is brilliant.

[@user-nj9ru4ef2w]

Not really. He's not properly steelmanning their position. He's framing it in a way that anyone would find ridiculous and irrational, which means it's not a steelman. Peter talks a lot about epistemology and debate and understanding all sides and yet his own beliefs he can't defend at all if you watch his interview with Alex O'Connor. And I tend to agree with him on most issues.

[@codex3048]

We haven't had an "epidemic of cowardice." We are experiencing what 1970s "liberation" movements (which Boghossian supported) become once they have secured institutional power. Their "liberation" depends on others' subjugation. Their "oppression" transmutes into a desire to oppress others. All this was known and documented while Boghossian was still in short pants. He just chose to ignore it until it reached his office.

[@coonazz98]

We all grow up. Or at least we should.

[@carolmcln5028]

Kinda like Bill Ackman not speaking out against anti-racism’s white hatred until it morphed into anti-semitism.

[@TeaParty1776]

goose-stepping thru the institutions

[@carolynbrightfield8911]

I mention their three names in a comment, and the comment disappears. Other channels.

[@TraceyHenderson-ys2iq]

Fear of “epistemic violence” or lack of emotional resilience?

[@jonathangilmore3193]

When I asked people in the 1960s what the purpose of college was, they invariably responded, in one way or another, “to joust with prevailing canons of thinking!” How it has changed, not simply within the “woke” Academy, but, seemingly, to one degree or another, in most of our institutions. Right-leaning public intellectuals criticize the Academy for its “wokeness,” whereas Left-leaning intellectuals critique neocons in the DOD, or similar. The other guy or group, is the problem, not me!

[@ms-jl6dl]

Only one group holds all the power - not a fair comparison. How many news outlets,universities,famous people,rich people,NGO's (mean creators of public opinions) are "right wing"? 1%? One side decides everything and has total domination of public spaces for the last 40 years,so it is to blame for everything,or at least 90% of it.

[@brianmeen2158]

@@ms-jl6dl which makes me wonder how did the right lose all of the institutions? Did they give up along the way or are their arguments that inefficient?

[@debbielondon1809]

"The musings of ideologues." I took on a PhD later in life and found the mind-bending ideological lenses through which you were obliged to look at your subject. (In my case translation). Btw In the West our identity used to be based on what we DID - you see it in UK surnames - Smith - Thatcher - Baker etc.

[@paulgodden4974]

and where we were from - places became surnames too. Mine comes from French 'Godwin de Kent' = Godwin of Kent. We were through our names linked to jobs and places - very much holding identity to them.

[@denverdon3450]

"Inclusion" The first I heard about that was in a book that I read while attending Mercer University in 1987, by Allen C. Bloom "The Closing of The American Mind" where he wrote about the Standards of testing for admittance into Universities had to be lowered so that blacks could be included.

[@TeaParty1776]

Blacks "educated" at poorly run, underr-funded public schools

[@rebeccainmotion]

I have just realized that I am not intelligent enough to keep up with Peter Boghossian

[@oliverjamito9902]

Students shared "i" AM will say, remember HE is not poor! Remember HE is the RICH YOUNG RULER NATIONS RESTING UPON HIS SHOULDER!

[@dustthatsings6406]

Now that was funny...! 15:59: '...I think her name was Helen Helen Wilson, closely examined the genitals of something crazy like 10,000 dogs but never in the heavy rain and then she used black feminist criminology, which literally had nothing to do with it...'.

[@thunkjunk]

Hey...that Beyond Belief conference didn't seem like an atheist religion forming to me.

[@pruff3]

I love this high-brow version of Punk'd

[@xelix5358]

How is eating 'the body of Christ' not at odds with reality? And why would any religious person not want to be dead sooner if they believe what awaits them after life is communion with god - wouldn't you want to get to that part asap? There's a lot to reality like the survival instinct that's at odds with religion when you really think through the implications as Peter shows. Religion may look better compared to totalist secular ideologies like wokism but in essence they're both totalist worldviews and as such prone to extremes unlike secular humanism and liberalism in the classical sense.

[@DadSavesAmerica]

This is a profound set of questions you’re asking. I ask them of myself as a Catholic as well. How is this not just effective storytelling mumbo jumbo? I don’t know. I can appeal to the authority of the church and its 2000 years of philosophers. But that’s not an answer either. So I’ll say that I’m on that question journey with you. It sure is interesting that Communion is s ritual that survived 2000 years, though, is it not? That’s longer than any national constitution on earth. Weird. It’s a well adapted meme, if nothing else. But I bet it’s more. Maybe it’s a recognition that our nature is embodied. Ideas are great, but practice requires actions and encounters. That seems right to me. This is part of why the ivory tower sucks. Get a bunch of high IQ people in a room, none of whom can swing a hammer, and you end up with nonsense that makes Catholic mysticism look like basic math. About that. It’s really weird that math works as a universal, pre-existence structure of language, isn’t it? Where did math come from? Where did matter come from? Did math pre-date matter? Is there reality where math is different? Spend some time with those two questions and the claims of the Eucharist seem not so crazy. Not a proof. But a call to humility and curiosity. Did that make any sense? Hope it’s useful.

[@xelix5358]

@@DadSavesAmerica I forgot to say how much I enjoyed the interview and your thoughtful questions. This is what we should be doing in schools and uni's. From a secular perspective there may be (paradoxically) a survival utility in religious belief in that broadly speaking it enforces group cohesion and individual sense of belonging, identity and worth among others, and there is emotional and mental comfort in getting the answer to everything. Creating religions or neat all-encompassing narratives and ideologies could be sort of wired in. But I also think that by rationalizing religion as a truth claim (in this case upon belief) there's the possibility that people construe the effect as a cause. I'm not sure what you mean by 'math is a structure of language' - language is not a mathematical construct but I guess you mean in terms of a semiotic system for reflecting and probing reality. If we assume we don't know where math came from, it's a legit question for the scientific method inquiry (as Peter explained it) and we can be open to any kinds of answers on evidence including those that don't suggest a supreme being as the only possible one. Math could be akin to a language of matter (in the e=mc2 sense) so it doesn't have to come from somewhere outside it. Much as human language doesn't seem to come from outside the human species, I mean we can theorize and imagine but so far there's no indication it pre-existed rather than it emerged as the species did. But in the final count, I think Peter's principle (which is key to the scientific method) to be open to being proven wrong is fundamental. Sorry for being long-winded.

[@user-nj9ru4ef2w]

I'm not religious, but this thinking is the source of wokeism and the source of all problems in human society imo; that we should chase after whatever gives us the most personal benefit immediately without consideration of anything else. Even if you did believe in heaven (which I don't), I don't see why you'd need to die asap. What about spreading the good news to make sure as many people end up in heaven as possible? What about the feelings of your earthly relatives and friends? etc etc etc. There's so much to consider other than what will feel good for me and benefit me. This obsession with me me me in western culture is exactly what is causing all of the problems.

[@user-nj9ru4ef2w]

but secular humanism is just circular logic. Everything you're doing is just for feeling good. And feeling good is just our brains predicting what will benefit us in terms of survival and gene propagation. So everything we do is to survive and propagate our genes, for the purpose of survival and gene propagation. It makes no sense. It's circular and completely meaningless.

[@user-3282]

If someone is truly spiritual and religious, they wouldn't need an organised tax-free religion to assert or believe it.

[@TeaParty1776]

Religion is based on intrinsic values. Thus changing an evil reality is obligatory.

[@undergroundpublishing]

Since we are steamrolling into WWIII, and then the biblical end of days, it's probably best to be even more self-focused than ever.

[@TeaParty1776]

self-focused, ie, head up ones.....

[@donaldrobertson1808]

Franz Boaz showed how American academia could be broken

[@jboushka]

This is what Warren Smith and David Rubin (and Jordan Peterson) always tell us!

[@CariMachet]

No to dialectic > Hegel is death > there is a multiplicity >>> dialectic is not the path

[@michaellipschitz7230]

Thanks guys ,quite brilliant,haven’t even finished yet .But how the media and the population has got sucked or battered into this perhaps needs political or personal psychological analysis a/ Mike

[@jones6119]

Being less wrong more often, good goal

[@davebarbadillo]

Consider Origen, the the first council of Nicaea AD325 the Council of Chalcedon AD451 and all the other councils, they were working out the Trinity. Some how, Jesus and his advice had to be Godly... that stood for quite a few years until Marxist theory. The problem is, if you personally follow Christ's advice, things tend to endure. We carry our cross, forgiving our enemies. It's good for society too as it honours marriage and encourages us to live in peace. Woke is a religion, we must see it for what it is: contradictive, lacking in clemency and destructive.

[@l.w.paradis2108]

No. Plato was a philosopher.

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

1:24:43 Yikes. So that's what's talked about instead...

[@oliverjamito9902]

Students will say why desired all thy feet? Without preserve Permanent Foundation for thy feet to rest upon?

[@oliverjamito9902]

Yes, some will say who are you? If can't recognize don't belongs!

[@oliverjamito9902]

Seats will say, now who are these principalities and who am I? Sitting upon HIS SEAT? KEEP WATCH

[@Joe-dime-a]

Fucking shameful, this stuff was actively ignored/encouraged for multiple decades - I pray you 2 mean well but this is just depressing for us young adults we put most of it together by the time we were in middle school

[@oliverjamito9902]

Face to face! Yes, some will say who are you?

[@oliverjamito9902]

Students will say, what is the Footstool? All HIS shared Feet resting upon!

[@Kimani_White]

1:28:45 There's no article of faith required for a solid, rational foundation of morality and spirituality. Intrinsic values are literally the motive valences of sentient being itself. Positive states of being inhere a positive intrinsic value, and are worthwhile for their own sake. Conversely, negative states inhere a negative intrinsic, and so may only have extrinsic value based on situational utility. The existential value of a subject's experiences can be assessed in terms of their net valence, and the moral value of individuals can be assessed in terms of the their motive character's net valence. *The Principle of Reciprocity* _(i.e. the parameter of justice)_ is effectively the *Law of Identity* applied to motive states, along with the choices and actions generated from them. Simply put, one's own moral worth is identical to how they're generally inclined to value others. From these foundational givens, one can logically extrapolate objective principles of ethics, and even axiology in general.

[@TeaParty1776]

Values are products of the focused mind relative to life. There are no intrinsic values regardless of the content of the unfocused mind.

[@Kimani_White]

@@TeaParty1776 Feelings are part of a subject's being, existing prior to, and independent of, any focused intellectual activity. Values are, at an ontological level, just the positive/negative valences of our moods and attitudes.

[@user-nj9ru4ef2w]

No, this is complete BS. This way of thinking is literally the source of all evil. It's also completely ridiculous because "positive states", as you put it, is just chemicals in our brains resulting from the structure of our neural networks to predict what will allow us to survive and propagate our genes best. So it's literally a prediction of a goal that is circular by itself; the goal of survival and gene propagation is for further survival and gene propagation. It's completely meaningless and pointless without an external reference for meaning.

[@aidananstey9848]

"The principal of reciprocity" Do unto others as you will have them do unto you? 😂

[@oliverjamito9902]

Students will say, these principalities calls themselves RENOWNED in front of WHO? Forgotten where all their shared Feet came from?

[@oliverjamito9902]

Without a Permanent Foundation for thy feet to rest upon?

[@MultipleGrievance]

When the APA to this day refuses to acknowledge something as obvious as compulsive sexual behavior in thier DSM, is thier REALLY A question as to why There's a replication crisis in psychology today??? Porn addiction, for instance, is probably THE most ubiquitous, impactful addictive behavior currently in the west. Practicing therapists and psychologists already know this as do their countless clients. Yet, if you are battling this horror as a young person, There are no official guidelines from the Premier institutions whose responsibility it is to represent the current science. Just think about that..........

[@sandman5211]

I started listening to PB some time ago and I like him very much. I cannot understand his atheism. As someone who is seeking truth maybe agnosticism would be a better position

[@oliverjamito9902]

Offsprings preserve and all our Meeks come and seat with Me! While will visit! Yes, face to face!

[@oliverjamito9902]

Fear come here in front! Remind! Instead fear HIM! After HE kills the body can kill thy soul! From who love with patience, mercy, and grace!

[@user-xr5wy3gj5m]

Oh Dad, ur such a wise old turkey

[@oliverjamito9902]

Angels who persevere and heard the WORD and Heirs Hosts will say, do not steal! Need not to steal in front of HIM. Remember HE rather to share! How else? Remember all thy lives was DESIRED 1ST! Shared HIS "i" AM, came with sincere conversations, and thy shared Feet resting upon HIS FOOTSTOOL!

[@donb5401]

Thinking types have poorly developed feeling function hence moral confusion

[@mikelitten7489]

I love Peter’s work but I can’t wrap my head around his being an atheist. If he focuses solely on truth (which I support 100%) how can he say there is no god if he can’t prove it? I say the same thing to Christians, they can’t prove god does exist. Neither can prove it, both say they’re right. It’s confusing to me.

[@bettybray5366]

The existence , or not, of god is about belief, not knowledge. Peter would be consistent if, given decent evidence of the existence of god, he changes his belief.

[@mikelitten7489]

@@bettybray5366 That would make him agnostic instead of Atheist would it not? I’m the same way, nobody can prove it, but if someone offered to take me somewhere and in the end I would know there was a God, I would go in a heartbeat. I’m not opposed to the idea, it’s just there is no proof one way or the other.

[@xelix5358]

So why he's not agnostic rather? Peter basically says he'll change his mind (about anything) in the event of conclusive evidence to the contrary (the principle of falsification). My guess is that if religions have not produced conclusive evidence of their belief and moreover, they insist to take that existence on belief rather than on proof or evidence, the working hypothesis is that it doesn't exist.

[@bettybray5366]

@@mikelitten7489 If I remember correctly, agnostic is someone that thinks it’s not possible to know if there’s a god or not and atheist is someone that doesn’t believe in god. So, as an atheist, you don’t believe because you haven’t seen any evidence that convinces you that it’s possible that there is a god, but could still revise that belief should you see some being with a fluffy white beard looking down at you from the heavens.

[@mikelitten7489]

@@bettybray5366 Google said “a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief” Atheist and Christians chose a side, agnostic is wait and see 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Jules-Was-a-Christian]

The ONLY problem with utilitarianism is, if that's what you consider yourself to be, it's just a clear indication that your arguments are too low-resolution. Because, we're ALL utilitarians, on everything, all the time, we just don't go by that name (usually) because it's so obvious. Seeking for things that work better, that are practically functional, as a society? Religious and social structures perceived as functional, adaptive, organizing systems historically? Reducing total pain and suffering, in a highly complex, multi-variate-type equation, with plenty of rounding errors? This is obviously what we're all constantly doing, it's like a synonym for the behavior of an adaptive. organism. It's too broad for most discussions, the nitty gritty involves which kinds of specific 'utility-functions' particular individuals typically apply, and how those come into contact with one another.

[@brek5]

The hands being cut off and, "Well, what if something better came of that," is Pangloss 2.0, haha.

[@QIrons]

1:28:20 I notice a lot of atheists are woke, but I also notice a lot of Christians are woke. Wokism and Christianity are not mutually exclusive. I’m an anti-woke atheist myself. I appreciate Peter and James Lindsay and Michael Shermer because 90+ percent of people I agree with politically are “believers” and they often crap on atheists as if we’re all woke weirdos. Even Dave Smith and Dave Rubin went from being outspoken non-woke atheists to “believers” but with no revelation and no refutation of their solid arguments, etc, then go on to crap on atheists the same way, as if they don’t know the logical reasons they themselves were atheists 5 minutes ago.

[@user-nj9ru4ef2w]

woke is the natural extension of western culture's obsession with freedom and rights. An obsession with freedom and rights will necessary devolve into the freedom and rights to do whatever degenerate thing your body evolutionarily desires.

[@polarisjustdothework2258]

1:38:55 “We are made in the image of God”, that is the fundamental cornerstone of the faith. Belief in that is what everything else that means anything is built on; lack of belief in that is where everything starts to crumble…

[@jladdyost]

I am a huge fan of Peter Boghossian. I would like to ask him to argue against Hitler's practice of "euthanizing" people with low IQs and severe incurable diseases using only atheist reasoning.

[@oliverjamito9902]

Yes, for HIS OFFSPRINGS PRESERVE FROM all HIS HEIRS Hosts shared "i" AM and unto all our Meeks shared Feet resting upon HIS FOOTSTOOL! FOWL of the Air come remind! Lord and heaven above! Gratitude and Honor

[@oliverjamito9902]

Many will say WHO is that little child born "i" in the midst of the LIONS DEN? LIONS will say if ye can't recognize don't belongs unto thee!

[@robinlowell7908]

Agree

[@oliverjamito9902]

For many steals ends up exalting themselves above from Who? Yes, reaping yet, forgotten! Who gave the increase? A little child born "i" with a basket of bread and a Fish distributed freely and truly received. For many multitudes hungers! Students shared "i" AM will say, given ABLE! To determine who steal? And all received as intended in front! Can be kept nor not necessary. Why students? These same minds do not recognize thee! Students don't mind HUMILITY sitteth upon the lowest seat LASTS. A punching bag sitteth upon the lowest seat. To absorbed all punches, pointing fingers, nor trying to find blame. TILL THESE same minds gets tired in front! Punching the punching bag. Now is my TURN! Should I take advantage of thy tiredness? To finish Thee! Nor humility rather to carry thee! Just know I have loved thee! 1 footprint! Yes, instead after HE kills the body can kill thy soul!

[@saintlybeginnings]

1:34:34 - genuine Catholic Christian believe it because they’ve looked at the evidence and that evidence points to the truth of Christianity.. We find historical mega thinkers who started as agnostic/ atheist and do to honest intellectual curiosity came to belief in the Catholic Christian faith. It would be far easier if atheism was correct (at least on an individual level)..

[@dks13827]

High, or higher IQ is NOT wacist !!!!!!!!

[@jeanbotermans4210]

I believe this whole thing ultimately, and ironically comes from from republican ideals : the less government the better. This leads to consumerism, which now has infiltrated universities. In my country part of the financing of academia comes from the state. This gives the state some control over the mission of teaching institutions. This may be an intrusion of the state, but education is a common good. When there is no one to enforce principles of common good, that is, no authority, it becomes a free for all.

[@oliverjamito9902]

Offsprings preserve and unto all our Meeks! What is "civil"? Time come here in front!

[@TheKqkk]

since we are social beings there is no such thing as self-identification. i respect the efforts of Boghossian but he lost his way.

[@AbelbenAdam]

If you just add one ''0'' zero to every number related to this video and channel it suddenly looks normal. Wow

[@Parvenu90]

Shouldn't asking for evidence on a micro-aggression be a nano-aggression? Infinite re-aggression 😂☠

[@DadSavesAmerica]

It’s ever smaller aggressions all the way down!

[@oliverjamito9902]

Pop Peter thy little child born "i" liken unto a ROCK! Walking on water upon the sea of glass!

[@janetoliver9561]

Jesus says “I am the truth.” Peter’s highest value is truth. He is not that far from the Kingdom of God. Materialism locks that truth in a useful box.