Podcasts Culture Decoding the Gurus Special: Interview with Sam Harris on Gurus, Tribalism & the Culture War

Special: Interview with Sam Harris on Gurus, Tribalism & the Culture War

Published: Oct. 30, 2021, 8 a.m.

Sam Harris probably needs no introduction in our neck of the info-sphere as he is seemingly never far from the spotlight... or the occasional controversy.

We\u2019ve had some nice things to say about Sam, but we\u2019ve also made some harsh criticisms, particularly regarding a short episode he released which seemed to suggest it was necessary to practice introspective meditation in order to fully understand why his political and culture war views were correct.

Although we\u2019ve never done a \u2018proper\u2019 episode on Sam, we have always stated that anyone we discuss is welcome to come on the show and discuss (or dispute) our charges \u2013 which is exactly what Sam is doing here!

This interview is split into two sections. In the first, we discuss Sam\u2019s app and whether it might encourage guru dynamics and the role of meditation and (non) self-awareness in forming an accurate political outlook. We put some of our criticisms to Sam especially regarding guru dynamics, issues of introspective verification of truth claims, and the potential for abusive practices and manipulation by gurus.

In the second section, we turn to some of the more controversial topics that have sprung up around Sam over the years. Sam responds to proposals that he might be as tribal as the rest of us suckers, and he defends himself against accusations that he might have selective empathy and blind spots towards the rightish side of the political spectrum. We talk about tribalism and the potential distorting effects of personal relationships, as well as anthropologists, Islamism, wokism, right-wing extremism, and how political biases manifest themselves on the left and right.

Although the format is an interview, it does get quite \u2018debate-y\u2019 at times. And it\u2019s probably true that we don\u2019t come to a grand reconciliation of views at the end. However, nobody storms off, so what you get is a frank and friendly but robust exchange of views.

We hope you enjoy it.

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