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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
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
Sam Harris speaks with Anne Applebaum about the erosion of democracy at home and abroad. They discuss the Sudanese civil war and the outside forces involved, America's retreat from global leadership, the impacts of USAID cuts, gerrymandering, the integrity of U.S. elections, the capitulation of Republican representatives to Trump, tariffs, what a post-Trump world could look like, JD Vance as a potential successor to the MAGA movement, Israel's actions in Gaza, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
Sam Harris speaks with Jonah Goldberg about Trump 2.0 and wealth inequality. They discuss the horseshoe theory, illiberalism on the Right and the Left, the fallout of the Trump-Epstein controversy, cracks in Trump's cult following, the difference between MAGA activists and average republican voters, why the Democrats still haven't course-corrected, problems with the "abundance agenda," socialism and economic populism, the pitfalls of the far-left's approach to solving wealth inequality, Israel's standing on the world stage, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
Sam Harris speaks with Paul Bloom about AI and current events. They discuss the state of LLMs, the risks and benefits of AI companionship, what it means to attribute consciousness to AI, relationships with AI as a form of psychosis, Trump's attacks on science and academia, what Trump may be trying to hide in the Epstein files, how damaging Trump's connections to Epstein might be, MAGA's obsession with conspiracy theories, questions surrounding Epstein's death, Paul's research on revenge, Sam's falling out with Elon Musk, where things went wrong for Elon, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
Sam Harris speaks with David Frum about the current state of American politics. They discuss the extent of Trump's corruption, his immigration crackdowns, what's going well under Trump 2.0, Trump's support for Ukraine and Israel, U.S. foreign policy, nuclear proliferation, Israel's security and internal political conflicts, perceptions of the war in Gaza, the Trump administration's professed support for Jews, the fallout of DOGE, Trump's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
Sam Harris speaks with Marc Lipsitch about pandemic preparedness. They discuss what we learned from Covid, loss of trust in institutions, how to effectively communicate scientific information in the current media landscape, vaccine hesitancy, the safety of mRNA vaccines, the origins of Covid, gain-of-function research, virus hunting, the Trump administration's assault on scientific research and universities, future pandemic threats, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe. Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That's why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life's most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
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 Nazi Grok, immigration, ICE raids, Jeffrey Epstein, how to stay focused in the age of distraction, and rapid fire questions. Produced by Griffin Katz
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 Epstein's "client list," how to safeguard democracy, populism, wealth inequality, the allure of socialism, how to manage feeling overwhelmed by current events, and rapid fire questions. Produced by Griffin Katz
Sam Harris speaks with Haviv Rettig Gur about Israel and her enemies. They discuss Israel's war with Iran and America's role in the conflict, Israel's military capabilities, Iran's nuclear program, what a ground invasion of Iran could look like, how Iranians view the regime, antisemitism, the history of Zionism, Islam and jihadism, extremism on the Israeli far right, religious fanaticism, Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Ehud Olmert, the hostages in Gaza, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
In this latest episode of the "More From Sam" series, Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss the assassination of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and the recent uptick in political violence, Elon's comments about Trump's involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, Iran, deportations, the LA protests, Sam's recent appearance on Jordan Peterson's podcast, and rapid fire questions. Produced by Griffin Katz
Sam Harris speaks with Daniel Kokotajlo about the potential impacts of superintelligent AI over the next decade. They discuss Daniel's predictions in his essay "AI 2027," the alignment problem, what an intelligence explosion might look like, the capacity of LLMs to intentionally deceive, the economic implications of recent advances in AI, AI safety testing, the potential for governments to regulate AI development, AI coding capabilities, how we'll recognize the arrival of superintelligent AI, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe. Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That's why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life's most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. This episode was originally recorded on June 4th, but in light of today's events, Sam and Jaron recorded an additional segment (on June 5) about the latest news on Trump and Musk's fallout, which is included at the end of this episode. They also discuss the real results of DOGE, the Big Beautiful Bill, Jordan Peterson, the role of religion in modern society, and other topics. Produced by Griffin Katz
