Conversations with 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 accomp...

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. S...

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 w...

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, nuan...

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...

Sean Nottoli is a Danube Institute researcher, self-identified conservative, and a political renaissance man. We discussed China and the US, energy, Iran and Israel, and more. Watch this episode on  YouTube  and read the accompanying  Substack post . Follow Peter Boghossian

Like most honest people, Morgan Marietta, formerly Dean of Economics, Politics & History at the University of Austin (UATX), is repulsed by the dishonesty that's consumed our academic institutions. I'm sure you've heard most of the reasons why academies need open inquiry and honest conversation before, but I particularly liked Morgan's comment, "There's a conformist answer and those answers are bo...

Danny Kaplan is a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at The University of Austin. Danny has forgotten more about math and statistics than I will ever know, and I found it wondrous and delightful to explore my ignorance with him. Indeed, advanced math or even basic math is almost never something I think about, and I've been unclear whether not knowing it hindered me in a...

It's critically important that what you want to be true does not influence your beliefs about what is actually true. I found this happening to myself in this sobering conversation. I don't want to believe much of what philosopher Benedict Beckeld says about a majority of Muslims or his claim that we should abandon the term "Islamism." We discuss the West, Islam, Jews, and more in this fascinating...

In the aftermath of October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a savage assault on Jews and ignited a global bonfire of hatred, we've witnessed a surge in attacks against Jews. Synagogues have been defaced, Jewish students harassed on campus, Jews assaulted and even lit on fire, and online bile spewed endlessly. These are manifestations of an enduring plague. Prolific author and public intellectual Adam...

Dr. Calum Nicholson has become a close friend. We first met in Hungary in 2021. Since then, we've had countless spirited dinners together while hashing out the world's problems over bottles of wine. He's sincere, thoughtful, and not afraid to question assumptions. With neoliberalism being all the rage, a key question in this conversation was: Is the neoliberal order collapsing? Similar to a recent...

This is one of the best and most important conversations I've ever had. Dr. Ralph Schoellhammer is an Austrian political scientist, Head of Center for Applied History at MCC Budapest, scholar, and a terrific person. He's forthright in his speech, incredibly well read and knowledgeable, thoughtful, open to criticism, and intellectually nimble. This episode features discussions on economics, touchin...

"Fantasy politics" is the best descriptor of what we're currently witnessing in Western political discourse. That phrase is from my interview with author, public intellectual, and Danube Institute fellow Philip Pilkington . Philip has numerous zingers in this interview, like: "Now they've created a roach motel in Britain," "The West is in terminal decline," and "68% of the people in Britain think...

Gavin Haynes is a good dude. Smart, too. He's a fellow at the Danube Institute, which is how we met. This is far more of a conversation than an interview. And for the record, every time I've been with Gavin he's used at least three words which are not in my active vocabulary. I love that! We talked about Dominic McKenzie Cummings, the OODA loop, culture, and more. Watch this episode on YouTube . F...

Naomi Epps Best, a whistleblower who blew up the cesspool with a Wall Street Journal OpEd, has splattered the ideological sewage on her colleagues. I invited Best on my show to amplify the discharge. Subscribe for more in-depth conversations: @drpete @drpeterboghossian Follow Naomi Epps Best X:  @naomieppsbest Substack: Clinically Incorrect   ⸺SUPPORT MY WORK⸺ Newsletter | https://boghossian.subst...

"London is over. It's so over." In this Conversation with Peter Boghossian, Peter and UK political commentator and GB News' Matt Goodwin walk through Budapest while dissecting mass migration's devastating toll on the UK's economy, culture, and safety. From free speech clampdowns to integration failures, this raw, fact-driven talk exposes a nation on the brink of cultural collapse. Guest: Matt Good...

Is liberalism collapsing under the weight of its contradictions? In this Conversation with Peter Boghossian, Peter sits down with economist and political thinker Philip Pilkington to examine the unraveling of liberalism, not as a policy failure, but as a philosophical dead end. From John Locke's contract theory to the chaos of contemporary identity politics, Pilkington argues that liberalism has b...

What if the people shaping public policy are the most deluded among us? In this episode of Conversations with Peter Boghossian, Peter and Dr. Scott Scheall, Associate Professor of Philosophy & Economics at the University of Austin (UATX) dig into what happens when ideology overrides mission. From California's literal wildfires to the metaphorical ones burning through our institutions, the two expl...

Mia Hughes and Peter Boghossian tackle the NYT's "The Protocol," a six-part podcast that sanitizes the horrors of transgender medicalization and sterilization. They unpack its heavily filtered themes. Mia Hughes, leading expert and critic of The WPATH Files, revealed ghoulish medical abuse in "gender-affirming care" targeting kids, teens, and vulnerable adults.

In this episode of Conversations with Peter Boghossian, Peter speaks with Dr. Howland who traces how historical atrocities resurface in today's progressive rhetoric. From the psychology behind Nazi youth and post-Holocaust Europe to the ideological alignment between liberal activism and Jew hating narratives, the discussion spans generations of hatred cloaked in "righteous" causes.  Jake shares ho...

I had a fascinating conversation with Dr. Patrick Gray , Dean of the Center for Arts and Letters and Professor of Literature at the University of Austin (UATX). We spoke about issues of free speech as they pertain to college campuses.   Patrick brings a nuanced perspective: He's a defender of free speech but insists it needs guardrails. Patrick argues that pushing universities to adopt the Chicago...

Harry Saul Markham , a 25-year-old recent graduate of University College London (UCL), takes a keen interest in addressing threats to democracy, social cohesion, and the rights of minorities. In his roles as a Junior Research Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy and an Advisory Board member of Academics for Academic Freedom, he has been involved in media intervie...

I spoke with US commentator and author David Pakman , host of the wildly popular progressive YouTube channel, The David Pakman Show . David just published a new book, "The Echo Machine: How Right-Wing Extremism Created a Post-Truth America". It's extraordinarily rare for a left-leaning figure to accept my invitation to come on the show and have a conversation, and I'm grateful David did. Our conve...