Making Sense with Sam Harris

Sam Harris

  • 21 minutes 5 seconds
    #456 — American Fascism

    Sam Harris speaks with Jonathan Rauch about the emergence of fascism in American politics. They discuss Rauch's article, "Yes, It's Fascism," the 18 criteria of fascism, the glorification and unapologetic use of state violence, "might is right" foreign policy, the politicization of law enforcement, the complicity of the rich and powerful, blood and soil nationalism, the influence of Carl Schmitt, the resilience of American institutions, and other topics.

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    4 February 2026, 7:00 pm
  • 11 minutes 44 seconds
    #455 — More From Sam: Guns, Propaganda, AI, and Power Unbound

    In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events. They discuss the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the lack of outrage from gun culture, the escalating humanitarian crisis in Iran, Melania Trump's pay-to-play documentary deal, the societal implications of AI-driven job displacement, the fascistic social media imagery of the Trump administration, Sam's youthful misadventures with psychedelics in Muir Woods, and other topics.

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    30 January 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 17 minutes 3 seconds
    #454 — More From Sam: Minnesota, Greenland, Iran, S**thole Countries, and More

    In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron dive into the chaotic start to 2026. They discuss the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis, the Trump administration's response and rhetoric, the "evil Chauncey Gardiner" approach to acquiring Greenland, the potential fracture of NATO, the humanitarian crisis in Iran, Sam's upcoming conversation with Ben Shapiro, the radicalization of Scott Adams, and the unrecoverable error Democrats are making regarding trans activism.

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    21 January 2026, 8:45 pm
  • 21 minutes 50 seconds
    #453 — AI and the New Face of Antisemitism

    Sam Harris speaks with Judea Pearl about causality, AI, and antisemitism. They discuss why LLMs won't spawn AGI, alignment concerns in the race for AGI, Pearl's public life after the murder of his son Daniel, the post-October 7th shift toward open anti-Zionism, the overlap between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, the misuse of "Islamophobia," Israel's fracture under Netanyahu, confronting anti-Zionism in universities, and other topics.

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    16 January 2026, 7:30 pm
  • 21 minutes 23 seconds
    #452 — Is Wokeness Finally Dead?

    Sam Harris speaks with John McWhorter about language, ideology, and moral certainty. They discuss the rise and persistence of "wokeness" and DEI, the legacy of George Floyd's death, the role of social media in amplifying moral panic, how identity shapes perceptions of Israel-Palestine, the linguistics of Donald Trump, the rise of casual speech, conspiracy thinking, positions McWhorter has reconsidered, and other topics.

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    7 January 2026, 6:45 pm
  • 9 minutes 29 seconds
    #451 — The One Resolution That Matters Most

    As digital distraction increasingly fragments our attention, Sam explains why mindfulness is a practical skill for reclaiming clarity and presence. Begin a mindfulness practice using the Waking Up app, and make training your mind the foundation for everything else in the year ahead.

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    31 December 2025, 5:53 pm
  • 27 minutes 55 seconds
    #450 — More From Sam: Resolutions, Conspiracies, Demonology, and the Fate of the World

    In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events. They discuss Sam's 2025 New Year's resolutions, the benefits of meditation, Sam's conversation with Ross Douthat, AI risks, Tucker Carlson's midnight encounter with a demon, the fracturing on the right, antisemitism on the right and the left, the Bondi Beach massacre, the Epstein files, accusations made by Joe Rogan and Bret Weinstein, and the collapse of shared reality, which Sam argues is the central problem driving many of these crises.

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    30 December 2025, 8:20 pm
  • 23 minutes 29 seconds
    #449 — Dogma, Tribe, and Truth

    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.

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    22 December 2025, 6:30 pm
  • 24 minutes 46 seconds
    #448 — The Philosophy of Good and Evil

    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.

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    8 December 2025, 7:15 pm
  • 20 minutes 22 seconds
    #447 — The Unraveling of American Power

    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.

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    4 December 2025, 6:40 pm
  • 21 minutes 49 seconds
    #446 — How to Do the Most Good

    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.

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    1 December 2025, 5:30 pm
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