Sam Harris speaks with Ross Douthat about religion, modernity, and what can steady a culture that feels increasingly unmoored. They discuss the case for faith in an age of digital disembodiment, declining birthrates, and looming AI-driven upheaval. They also debate tribalism and dogmatism, whether secular societies can generate durable moral consensus, the foundations of ethics, consciousness and well-being, mathematics as a clue to ultimate reality, and, briefly, demonology. Ross Douthat is the host of “Interesting Times,” from New York Times Opinion. The show explores a future that feels more open and uncertain than ever, mapping both the New Right and the new world order through interviews and conversations with leading thinkers and newsmakers. He is the author of Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, which was published in 2025. His other books include The Decadent Society and The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery. Website: www.nytimes.com/column/interesting-times X: @DouthatNYT Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/449-dogma-tribe-and-truth
Sam Harris speaks with David Edmonds about moral philosophy and effective altruism. They discuss Edmonds’s book Death in a Shallow Pond, Peter Singer’s famous drowning child thought experiment, arguments for and against thought experiments, “trolleyology,” consequentialism, the origins of the Effective Altruism movement, the controversial strategy of “earning to give,” Derek Parfit’s influence on contemporary ethics, the backlash against effective altruists, Angus Deaton’s critique of the efficacy of foreign aid, and other topics. David Edmonds is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford University and a former BBC radio journalist. He is the author or editor of many philosophy books (and one on chess!), which together have been translated into over two dozen languages. His books include the international best seller Wittgenstein’s Poker (with John Eidinow), a biography, Parfit: A Philosopher and his Mission to Save Morality, and a children’s book, Undercover Robot. David also hosts a couple of philosophy podcasts. Philosophy Bites, which he makes with Nigel Warburton, has had over 45 million downloads. Website: http://www.davidedmonds.info/ X: @DavidEdmonds100 Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/448-the-philosophy-of-good-and-evil
Sam Harris speaks with Peter Zeihan about Trump’s second term and its economic and geopolitical consequences. They discuss Zeihan’s failed 2024 election prediction, the unprecedented unraveling of American power, Trump’s tariff policies, the AI bubble, deglobalization and supply chain vulnerabilities, China’s demographic and economic collapse, the degradation of military readiness, Trump’s incompetent foreign policy team, Steven Witkoff’s role as a Russian propaganda conduit, Melania Trump’s unexpected effectiveness as Ukraine’s unofficial ambassador, the 28-point peace plan and its $100 billion bribe, the repatriation of kidnapped Ukrainian children, and other topics. Peter Zeihan is a globally recognized authority on geopolitics and global strategy. He helps audiences and organizations understand how the world works by combining deep expertise in demography, economics, energy, politics, technology, and security. Through his analysis, Peter helps clients prepare for an increasingly uncertain future. Website: https://zeihan.com/patreon/ X: @PeterZeihan Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/447-the-unraveling-of-american-power
Sam Harris speaks with Michael Plant about the philosophy of happiness and effective altruism. They discuss the nature of well-being, Nozick's "Experience Machine" thought experiment, the validity of self-reported happiness data, the conflict between the experiencing self and the remembering self, Derek Parfit's "Repugnant Conclusion," the disconnect between moral intentions and consequences, why treating depression is more impactful than cash, the massive disparities in charitable impact, the potential effects of AI on human flourishing, the meaning crisis in a post-work future, and other topics. Dr. Michael Plant is a philosopher. He's the Founder and Director of the Happier Lives Institute, where he and his team use well-being science to identify the best ways to improve global happiness. HLI provides charity recommendations and advises philanthropists and policymakers on how to maximize their impact. Michael also serves as a Research Fellow at Oxford University's Wellbeing Research Centre. He has a PhD in Philosophy from Oxford, where he was supervised by Peter Singer, and he's a co-author of the 2025 World Happiness Report. Website: www.happierlivesinstitute.org X: @MichaelDPlant Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/446-how-to-do-the-most-good
In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss Marjorie Taylor Greene’s recent apology for her role in divisive politics, the Triggernometry interview backlash, wealth inequality, the myth of the self-made man, Sam’s conversation with Pastor Doug Wilson, the politics of Sam’s audience, and strategies for navigating difficult political conversations over Thanksgiving. Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/445-more-from-sam-marjorie-taylor-greene-billionaires-thanksgiving-political-debates-rapid-fire-questions
Sam Harris speaks with George Packer about American democracy and authoritarianism. They discuss Packer's article "America's Zombie Democracy," the erosion of democratic institutions, the Justice Department's independence, Congressional dysfunction, the weaponization of the military, Trump's unprecedented corruption, the public's failure to recognize democratic collapse, shamelessness as political superpower, the role of hypocrisy, potential threats to the 2026 midterm elections, hyperpartisanship and the loss of shared reality, the mainstreaming of white nationalism on the right, the damage done by wokeness and identity politics on the left, the Epstein files as a potential breaking point for MAGA, the post-Trump Republican landscape, wealth inequality and economic pain as catalysts for change, the role of status in American politics, social media's toxic effects on discourse, and other topics. George Packer is an award-winning author and staff writer at The Atlantic. His books include The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America (winner of the National Book Award), The Assassins’ Gate: America in Iraq, and Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century (winner of the Hitchens Prize and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for biography). He is also the author of two novels and a play, and the editor of a two-volume edition of the essays of George Orwell. His latest novel is The Emergency. Website: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374614720/theemergency/ Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/444-americas-zombie-democracy
Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Wilson about his book Frequently Shouted Questions about Christian Nationalism. They discuss Wilson’s debates with Christopher Hitchens, the landscape of American evangelicalism, young-earth creationism, pre- vs. post-millennialism, the concept of dominionism, what Christian nationalism actually means, the supposed failure of secularism, the separation of church and state, religious tests for public office, women’s suffrage, homosexuality and sodomy laws, capital punishment for adultery, the biblical case for slavery, the foundations of morality without God, Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, heaven and hell as consequentialist frameworks, the nature of miracles, and other topics. Douglas Wilson is the senior minister of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. He serves on the board of New St. Andrews College, and is one of the founders of Logos School. He is married to Nancy, and they have numerous grandchildren and a growing number of great grandchildren. He is also the author of many books, including his most recent, Frequently Shouted Questions About Christian Nationalism. Website: https://dougwils.com X: @douglaswils Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/443-what-is-christian-nationalism
In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss how Sam overcame his fear of public speaking, the ongoing threat of nuclear war and the new Netflix movie A House of Dynamite—which was inspired by episode #210 of Making Sense, the resurgence of Christianity, Sam’s upcoming conversation with Pastor Doug Wilson, and lightning round questions. Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/442-more-from-sam-public-speaking-nuclear-war-christian-nationalism
Sam Harris speaks with Stephen Marche about his book The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future. They discuss tensions between the United States and Canada, what a modern American civil war might actually look like, the key risk factors for a civil war, diversity and immigration, extremism on the right and the left, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the assassination attempts on President Trump, conspiracy theories, how a civil war might be avoided, the possibility of secession, and other topics. Stephen Marche is a novelist and essayist, and the author of On Writing and Failure and The Next Civil War, among many other works. He has written features and essays for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Esquire, and The Walrus. He collaborated with artificial intelligence on the first AI-generated novel reviewed in The New York Times, Death of an Author. His most recent novel, The Last Election, was co-written with Andrew Yang. Website: stephenmarche.comX: @stephenmarche Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/441-the-threat-of-civil-war
Sam Harris speaks with Robert D. Kaplan about his new book, Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis. They discuss climate change, demographics, the primacy of order over freedom, why Russia is a country in decline, political extremism and the migration crisis in Europe and the UK, Israel’s military successes, what the world could look like in the aftermath of the war in the Middle East, antisemitism on the left, how a war in the Pacific could cause a global economic catastrophe, whether the U.S. could win a war with China, President Biden’s legacy, the pitfalls of globalization and social media, whether we can ever return to a “normal” America, and other topics. Robert D. Kaplan is the bestselling author of twenty books on foreign affairs and travel, including Adriatic, The Good American, The Revenge of Geography, Asia’s Cauldron, Monsoon, The Coming Anarchy, and Balkan Ghosts. He holds the Robert Strausz-Hupé Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. For three decades, he reported on foreign affairs for The Atlantic. He was a member of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board and the U.S. Navy’s Executive Panel. Foreign Policy magazine twice named him one of the world’s “Top 100 Global Thinkers.” Website: https://robertdkaplan.com/ Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/440-a-world-in-crisis
Sam Harris speaks with Damon Linker about the erosion of American democracy. They discuss the right-wing populist movement, the mechanisms by which Trump is consolidating authoritarian control, the Insurrection Act, the Right’s weaponization of wokeness, the potential for civil unrest, Trump’s punishment of Democrat-run cities, the new Christian Right, and other topics. Damon Linker is a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Pennsylvania, and the author of the Substack newsletter Notes From the Middleground. He is also the author of The Theocons and The Religious Test. His essays and reviews have appeared in numerous outlets, including The New York Times, The New Republic, The Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. He is currently writing a book for Princeton University Press about the political philosopher Leo Strauss and his contested influence on the American Right. Website: https://damonlinker.substack.com X: https://x.com/damonlinker Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/439-how-to-lose-a-democracy
In this latest episode of the “More From Sam” series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss the Israel-Hamas peace deal, the plans to build a Qatari air force facility in Idaho, why Trump lies about golf, the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the reactions from the Left and the Right, what Ezra Klein got wrong in his piece about Kirk, Sam’s relationship with Christopher Hitchens, Bari Weiss and The Free Press, and rapid fire questions. Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/438-more-from-sam-israel-hamas-deal-qatari-air-force-base-trump-charlie-kirk-ezra-klein-rapid-fire-questions
Sam Harris speaks with Dan Senor about the state of the world two years after the October 7th attacks. They discuss the rise of global antisemitism, immigration and the failure of Western nations to contend with the spread of Islam, the dramatic reshaping of the Middle East, the ongoing war in Gaza, Trump's proposed peace plan, criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel’s biggest military and public relations mistakes during the war, President Trump’s surprising reliability as an ally to Israel, antisemitism on the Left and the Right, Tucker Carlson, Zohran Mamdani, and other topics. Dan Senor is a foreign policy expert and host of the Call Me Back podcast. He is the co-author of two New York Times-bestselling books: Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle (2009) and The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World (2023). Senor served as a senior Department of Defense official and chief spokesperson for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, for which he was awarded the Pentagon’s highest civilian honor. He has also served as a foreign policy advisor for multiple Republican presidential campaigns and in the U.S. Senate. Website: https://arkmedia.org/call-me-back/ X: https://x.com/dansenor Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/437-two-years-since-10-7
Sam Harris speaks with Michael Osterholm about his new book, The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics. They discuss the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the major mistakes made in the public health response—including lockdowns, school closures, and border policies—the science of airborne versus droplet transmission, the promise and controversy of mRNA vaccines, the reality of vaccine adverse events, the politicization of vaccine hesitancy, and the erosion of scientific institutions like the CDC and HHS under the Trump administration. Looking forward, they explore the characteristics of a future, more deadly pandemic—what Osterholm calls “The Big One”—and what we should be doing to prepare for it. Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, is Regents Professor, McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, a professor in the Technological Leadership Institute, College of Science and Engineering, and an adjunct professor in the Medical School, all at the University of Minnesota. In early 2025, Dr. Osterholm and colleagues founded the Vaccine Integrity Project, a key initiative dedicated to safeguarding vaccine use in the US. He is also author of the new book, The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics. Website: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/ X: @mtosterholm Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/436-a-crisis-of-trust
Sam Harris introduces the first episode of The Last Invention, a new podcast series on the hype and fear about the AI revolution, reported by Gregory Warner and Andy Mills. Gregory Warner was a foreign correspondent in Russia and Afghanistan, and the East Africa bureau chief for NPR. He created and hosted the podcast Rough Translation. He also publishes stories on This American Life and in The New York Times. Andy Mills is a reporter and editor, formerly of The New York Times, where he helped create their audio department and shows like The Daily and Rabbit Hole. The Last Invention is a limited run series with eight total episodes. You can find it anywhere you listen to podcasts, where episodes will be released weekly. You can sign up for their mailing list on Substack at https://longviewinvestigations.substack.com/, and you can also subscribe on their website at longviewinvestigations.com. Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/435-the-last-invention
Sam Harris speaks with Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares about their new book, If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: The Case Against Superintelligent AI. They discuss the alignment problem, ChatGPT and recent advances in AI, the Turing Test, the possibility of AI developing survival instincts, hallucinations and deception in LLMs, why many prominent voices in tech remain skeptical of the dangers of superintelligent AI, the timeline for superintelligence, real-world consequences of current AI systems, the imaginary line between the internet and reality, why Eliezer and Nate believe superintelligent AI would necessarily end humanity, how we might avoid an AI-driven catastrophe, the Fermi paradox, and other topics. Eliezer Yudkowsky is a founding researcher in the field of AI alignment and the co-founder of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute. With influential work spanning more than twenty years, Yudkowsky has played a major role in shaping the public conversation about smarter-than-human AI. He appeared on Time magazine's 2023 list of the 100 Most Influential People in AI, and has been discussed or interviewed in The New Yorker, Newsweek, Forbes, Wired, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The Economist, the Washington Post, and other outlets. Website: https://ifanyonebuildsit.com/ X: @ESYudkowsky Nate Soares is the president of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute. He has worked in the AI alignment field for over a decade, and previously held positions at Microsoft and Google. Soares is the author of a substantial body of technical and semi-technical writing on AI alignment, including foundational work on value learning, decision theory, and power-seeking incentives in smarter-than-human AIs. Website: https://ifanyonebuildsit.com/ X: @So8res Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/434-can-we-survive-ai
Sam Harris speaks with Dan Carlin about the decades-long buildup to our current political moment. They discuss the growing powers of the presidency, executive orders, different factions within the Republican Party, the fragmentation of our society, Libertarianism, the growing prospect of political violence, racism and scapegoating, foreign interference in American politics, immigration, global trends towards autocracy, whether “gatekeepers” in the media are necessary, holocaust denialism, and other topics. Dan Carlin is a podcast host and journalist. He is best known for hosting the shows Hardcore History and Common Sense. Formerly a radio host and television news reporter, Carlin is renowned for his in-depth historical analysis and accessible storytelling approach. He is also the author of The New York Times bestseller The End Is Always Near: Apocalyptic Moments from the Bronze Age Collapse to Nuclear Near Misses (2019). Website: https://www.dancarlin.com/ X: @hardcorehistory Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/433-how-did-we-get-here
Sam Harris speaks with David French about Trump’s assault on American democracy. They discuss Trump’s persecution of political opponents, abuse of the pardon power, Congress’s ineffectiveness, David’s proposed change to Article II of the Constitution, whether democracy in the U.S. has passed the point of no return, the future of election integrity, Trump’s threats against Elon Musk, the weaponization of ICE, the dangers of deploying the National Guard in American cities, white evangelical support for Trump, Republican infighting and why only Trump can hold the MAGA coalition together, Trump’s unique political talents, the prospect of him remaining in power beyond two terms, and other topics. David French is a columnist for the New York Times, co-host of the Advisory Opinions podcast, and a visiting professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a constitutional lawyer and the former president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he earned a Bronze Star. His most recent book is Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. Website: https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-french X: @DavidAFrench Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/432-the-undoing-of-america
Sam Harris speaks with Michael Roth about the state of higher education in the U.S. They discuss whether concerns about wokeness were overblown, how colleges should handle campus protests, where universities should draw the line on extreme political views, DEI, why Jews should be wary of Trump’s proclaimed protections, perceptions of Israel, how the Trump administration is attempting to ideologically control institutions, diversifying viewpoints at universities, and other topics. Michael S. Roth is the president of Wesleyan University, where he has overseen major campus improvements—including the soon-to-be completed life sciences building—and launched interdisciplinary programs spanning public life, creative writing and criticism, the environment, film, East Asian studies, integrative sciences, and design and engineering. Under his leadership, Wesleyan completed a record-breaking fundraising campaign of more than $482 million, primarily for financial aid. An intellectual historian, Roth is also the author of several books, including Beyond the University: Why Liberal Education Matters (2014), which won the AAC&U’s Frederic W. Ness Award; Safe Enough Spaces: A Pragmatist’s Approach to Inclusion, Free Speech, and Political Correctness (2019); and most recently The Student: A Short History (2023). Website: https://www.wesleyan.edu/president/ X: @mroth78 Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/431-what-is-happening-on-college-campuses
In this latest episode of the “More From Sam” series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss Trump and his attempts at peace deals, Gavin Newsom as the potential 2028 Democratic nominee, rising class tensions and the ethical responsibilities of the ultra-wealthy, DOGE, & rapid fire questions. Produced by Griffin Katz Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/430-more-from-sam-trump-gavin-newsom-class-war-doge-rapid-fire-questions