What are your interests?
Select categories to help us recommend content for you.
Let's Go!
Close queue History
Play full episodes to fill your queue.
Fathom beta logo
   
Making Sense with Sam Harris

Making Sense with Sam Harris

388 Episodes • By Sam Harris • www.samharris.org
Join neuroscientist, philosopher, and five-time New York Times best-selling author Sam Harris as he explores important and controversial questions about the mind, society, current events, moral philosophy, religion, and rationality—with an overarching focus on how a growing understanding of ourselve ...more
Science Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality
Making Sense with Sam Harris
Making Sense with Sam Harris
@makingsensewithsamharris
mute button
#364 — Facts & Values
Sam Harris revisits the central argument he made in ... more
Apr 23 2024 28m
Objective Moral Truths in Human Society
Chapter 1 14 mins
Science, Morality, and Well-Being
Chapter 2 12 mins
The Moral Landscape
Chapter 3 1 min
The Moral Landscape
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#363 - Knowledge Work
Sam Harris speaks with Cal Newport about our use of ... more
Apr 15 2024 51m
Harnessing Traditional Knowledge for Innovation
Chapter 1 10 mins
Cult of Productivity in Digital Age
Chapter 2 14 mins
Impact of Social Media on Culture
Chapter 3 9 mins
The Impact of Twitter on Society
Chapter 4 10 mins
Rethinking Productivity in Knowledge Work
Chapter 5 5 mins
Principles of Slow Productivity
Chapter 6 1 min
Adapting Principles for Knowledge Workers
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#362 — Six Months of War
Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Murray and Josh Szeps... more
Apr 9 2024 54m
Ethical Challenges of Using Human Shields
Chapter 1 12 mins
Support for Israel Against Jihadism
Chapter 2 5 mins
Analysis of Gaza Conflict and Implications
Chapter 3 13 mins
Middle East Conflict and International Perceptions
Chapter 4 9 mins
Israel's Future and International Relations
Chapter 5 12 mins
Support Erosion in Israeli Conflict
Chapter 6 40 sec
Israeli Families as War Refugees
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#361 — Sam Bankman-Fried & Effective Altruism
Sam Harris speaks with William MacAskill about the i... more
Apr 1 2024 1h 25m
Consequences of EA Leadership Failure
Chapter 1 17 mins
Effective Altruism Post-Mortem With Will McCaskill
Chapter 2 6 mins
Examining Rationality and White-Collar Crime
Chapter 3 12 mins
Unraveling the FTX Fraudulent Scheme
Chapter 4 11 mins
Exploring Ethics and Intensions at FTX
Chapter 5 4 mins
Discussion on Effective Altruism and Wealth
Chapter 6 11 mins
Impact of Scandal on Effective Altruism
Chapter 7 9 mins
Effective Altruism Movement Critique
Chapter 8 9 mins
Challenges and Reflections on Effective Altruism
Chapter 9 2 mins
Influence of Will McCaskill on Ethics
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#360 — We Really Don’t Have Free Will?
Sam Harris speaks with Robert Sapolsky about the wid... more
Mar 27 2024 39m
The Analogical Debate on Free Will
Chapter 1 10 mins
Free Will vs Determinism
Chapter 2 3 mins
Debating Free Will and Emergence
Chapter 3 18 mins
Emergent Complexity and Downward Causation
Chapter 4 4 mins
Epigenetics, Predictability, and Free Will
Chapter 5 26 sec
Making Sense Podcast Subscription Information
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#359 — Getting Used to It
Sam Harris speaks with Cass Sunstein about habituati... more
Mar 19 2024 31m
The Impact of Misinformation in Politics
Chapter 1 11 mins
The Power of Noticing and Habituation
Chapter 2 7 mins
Lessons on Happiness, Meaning, and Variety
Chapter 3 4 mins
Midlife Crisis and Happiness Wealth
Chapter 4 5 mins
Wealth, Happiness, and Experience
Chapter 5 1 min
Government Response to Conspiracy Theories
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#358 — The War in Ukraine
Sam Harris speaks with Yaroslav Trofimov about the W... more
Mar 11 2024 36m
Azov Battalion and Russian Nazi Definition
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#357 — America & World Order
Sam Harris speaks with Bret Stephens about America’s... more
Mar 4 2024 32m
The Dark Psychological Tropes of Tyranny
Chapter 1 14 mins
American Leadership and Russia
Chapter 2 17 mins
War in Ukraine and Foreign Policy
Chapter 3 47 sec
Critique of Israel's Policies
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#356 — Islam & Freedom
Sam Harris and Rory Stewart debate whether Islam pos... more
Feb 28 2024 29m
Understanding the Diversity Within Islam
Chapter 1 11 mins
Islamophobia and Public Discourse
Chapter 2 12 mins
Understanding Islamophobia and Religious Beliefs
Chapter 3 4 mins
Danger of Leaving Islamic Faith
Chapter 4 48 sec
Religion and Apostasy Discussed
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#355 — A Falling World
Sam Harris speaks with Peter Zeihan about the unrave... more
Feb 21 2024 48m
End of Bretton Woods Era
Chapter 1 7 mins
Geopolitical Analysis With Peter Zion
Chapter 2 12 mins
Geopolitical Shifts and American Isolationism
Chapter 3 5 mins
US-Iran Relations and Regional Policy
Chapter 4 3 mins
Iran's Provocations and Regional Consequences
Chapter 5 12 mins
Future of Israel and European Challenges
Chapter 6 5 mins
Demographic Shifts and Economic Impact
Chapter 7 1 min
Germany's Potential Demographic Decay
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#354 — Is Moral Progress a Fantasy?
Sam Harris speaks with John Gray about the possibili... more
Feb 16 2024 40m
Philosopher's Focus on Liberalism
Chapter 1 17 mins
Threats to Freedom in Modern Society
Chapter 2 11 mins
The Erosion of Intellectual Freedom
Chapter 3 6 mins
Iraq and Technological Challenges
Chapter 4 5 mins
Impact of Technology on Values
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#353 — Race & Reason
Sam Harris speaks with Coleman Hughes about race, ra... more
Feb 11 2024 56m
Color Blindness and Political Weight
Chapter 1 16 mins
Misrepresented Views and Misunderstandings
Chapter 2 4 mins
Color Blindness in Public Policy Argument
Chapter 3 6 mins
Color Blindness and Cultural Diversity
Chapter 4 13 mins
Race, Crime, and Color Blindness Goal
Chapter 5 13 mins
Controversial TED Talk on Color Blindness
Chapter 6 1 min
Dei
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#352 — Hubris & Chaos
Sam Harris speaks with Rory Stewart about the frayin... more
Feb 4 2024 29m
Erosion of the Liberal World Order
Chapter 1 14 mins
The Fraying World Order
Chapter 2 5 mins
Challenges of Nation-Building in Afghanistan
Chapter 3 8 mins
Nation Building in Conflict Zones
Chapter 4 51 sec
The State of Afghanistan's Transition
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#351 — 5 Myths about Israel and the War in Gaza
If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is B... more
Jan 29 2024 42m
The Moral Dilemma of Fighting Terrorism
Chapter 1 8 mins
Jihadism and Israel's Fight
Chapter 2 5 mins
Debunking the Genocide Myth
Chapter 3 13 mins
Child Suicide Missions and Threat of Jihadism
Chapter 4 14 mins
The Complexities of the Israel-Palestine Conflict
Chapter 5 56 sec
Building a Peaceful Future
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#350 — Sharing Reality
Sam Harris speaks with Jonathan Rauch and Josh Szeps... more
Jan 23 2024 42m
Constitution of Knowledge and Free Thought
Chapter 1 9 mins
Constitution of Knowledge for Reality-Based Community
Chapter 2 10 mins
Knowledge and Journalism in the Constitution
Chapter 3 7 mins
Journalism and Viewpoint Diversity Complexity
Chapter 4 4 mins
Journalism, Diversity, and Elite Consensus
Chapter 5 8 mins
Challenges of Reality and Social Media
Chapter 6 49 sec
Choose Integrity Over Fame and Money
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#349 — Generosity, Cynicism, and the Future of Doing Good
Sam Harris speaks with Chris Anderson about generosi... more
Jan 16 2024 1h 3m
Finding the Good, Not the Bad
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#348 — The Politics of Antisemitism
Sam Harris speaks with Rabbi David Wolpe about the g... more
Jan 5 2024 40m
Israeli and Diaspora Jews
Chapter 1 10 mins
Anti-Semitism and the Current DEI Regime
Chapter 2 9 mins
Understanding and Exploring Antisemitism
Chapter 3 17 mins
Antisemitism and the Right-Wing Problem
Chapter 4 1 min
Exploring the Current State of Anti-Semitism
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
Not AI Processed
Previews and search are not yet available for this episode.

Autoplay will start you at the beginning of the episode.
#347 — Finding Sanity in 2024
If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is B... more
Dec 31 2023 8m
Understanding the Perennial Spiritual Problem
Chapter 1 6 mins
Meaning Crisis, Importance of Meditation
Chapter 2 1 min
Navigating Uncertainty in 2024
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#346 — The Best Kept Secret In History?
Sam Harris speaks with Brian Muraresku about ancient... more
Dec 22 2023 39m
Dead Languages, Psychedelics, and Christianity
Chapter 1 9 mins
The Immortality Key
Chapter 2 10 mins
Ancient Mysteries and Psychedelic Controversy
Chapter 3 4 mins
Greek Civilization and Psychedelics
Chapter 4 13 mins
Ancient Mystery Religions and Early Christianity
Chapter 5 1 min
The Concept of Cannibalism in Christianity
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#345 — Resilience
Sam Harris speaks with Amanda Knox about her experie... more
Dec 18 2023 2h 4m
Life After Verdict
Chapter 1 15 mins
Amanda Knox
Chapter 2 13 mins
Interrogation and Misunderstandings
Chapter 3 3 mins
Understanding False Confessions and Psychological Implications
Chapter 4 8 mins
False Confessions and Manipulation in Justice
Chapter 5 15 mins
Wrongful Conviction and Biased Prosecution
Chapter 6 8 mins
Social Media's Impact on Amanda Knox's Reputation
Chapter 7 7 mins
Exoneration, Media Bias, and Seeking Equanimity
Chapter 8 7 mins
Intuitions and Attachment to Beliefs
Chapter 9 16 mins
Public Opinion and Innocence in Italy
Chapter 10 7 mins
The Complexity of Criminal Justice System
Chapter 11 6 mins
Social Media's Impact on Perception
Chapter 12 3 mins
Misinformation, Criticism, and Social Media
Chapter 13 9 mins
Identity and Perception on Social Media
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#344 — The War in Gaza
Sam Harris comments on the recent testimony of unive... more
Dec 12 2023 58m
Israel's Right to Self-Defense
Chapter 1 14 mins
Free Speech, Hypocrisy, and Moral Confusion
Chapter 2 8 mins
Israel Hostage Situation Emotional Roller Coaster
Chapter 3 12 mins
Debunking Claims in Israel
Chapter 4 14 mins
The Perpetual Conflict
Chapter 5 7 mins
International Response to Conflict and Kidnappings
Chapter 6 37 sec
Israeli Blames Hamas for Killing Peace
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#343 — What Is "Islamophobia"?
Sam Harris discusses the social and political conseq... more
Dec 6 2023 11m
Fanaticism and Moral Confusion in Societies
Chapter 1 9 mins
Islamophobia and Free Expression Challenges
Chapter 2 1 min
Muslims' Role in Combating Jihadism
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#342 — Animal Minds & Moral Truths
Sam Harris speaks with Peter Singer about important ... more
Nov 27 2023 1h 2m
Human Equality and Ethical Prioritization
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#341 — Gaza & Global Order
Sam Harris speaks with Yuval Noah Harari about the e... more
Nov 16 2023 54m
Understanding Ethnic Conflict and Seeking Peace
Chapter 1 16 mins
Israel's Crisis and Global Disorder
Chapter 2 18 mins
Netanyahu's Game and the Need for Unity
Chapter 3 5 mins
Ethnic Conflicts in Achieving Peace
Chapter 4 10 mins
Religious Extremism and Hope for Peace
Chapter 5 4 mins
Religious Fanaticism and Global Tensions
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full
mute button
#340 — The Bright Line Between Good and Evil
Sam Harris speaks about the ongoing war in Gaza, the... more
Nov 7 2023 59m
Misunderstanding the Motives Behind Suicide Terrorism
Chapter 1 12 mins
Understanding the Problem of Jihadism
Chapter 2 8 mins
Jihadism and Justifying Israel's Existence
Chapter 3 17 mins
Anti-Semitism's Rising Concerns in World
Chapter 4 10 mins
Threats
Chapter 5 3 mins
Insights Into Palestinian Culture and Extremism
Chapter 6 4 mins
The Honesty of Jihadist Motivations
Chapter 7 1 min
Jihadism's Persistence and Global Impact
Like
Clip
Share
Transcript
More
Play Full