E134: Atheism’s Decline, Consciousness, and The New Right w/ Ross Douthat

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Apr 13, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Ross Douthat, a New York Times columnist and author of 'Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious,' tackles the decline of new atheism and the intellectual appeal of institutional religion. He challenges listeners to rethink the relationship between faith and reason, diving into the intersection of consciousness and materialism. The conversation also explores the role of AI in understanding consciousness and the moral dilemmas posed by transhumanism, making it a captivating exploration of modern spirituality.

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INSIGHT

Mind Over Matter

Mind is primary in our experience, not matter as materialism suggests.
The universe's design and mind-matter interactions point to a potential higher power.

INSIGHT

Bias Against Agency

There's a societal bias towards emergent explanations over agentic ones.
This bias connects to materialist views, downplaying individual influence.

INSIGHT

Why New Atheism Failed

New atheism failed because its critique of religion applied to secular ideologies too.
Secular optimism declined, making atheism less appealing in uncertain times.

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Today on Upstream, Ross Douthat joins Erik Torenberg to discuss his new book 'Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious,' exploring the decline of new atheism, the intellectual defense of institutional religion, and the intersection between traditional Christianity, Silicon Valley, and modern materialism.

This episode originally aired on Moment of Zen (April 12, 2025).

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RECOMMENDED PODCASTS:

🎙️Moment of Zen

Every week, Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, Antonio Garcia Martinez and frequent special guests discuss what's happening in technology, business, politics, and beyond.

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15KYOzvDzAQvqX0z0SpHEJ

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moment-of-zen/id1661672738

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LINKS:

Ross Douthat: https://www.nytimes.com/column/ross-douthat

Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious: https://www.zondervan.com/p/believe/

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X / TWITTER:

@DouthatNYT

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

Ross explains we're at a cultural inflection point where secularization has plateaued and there's evidence of religious revival.
New atheism has declined as the world hasn't become more reasonable despite becoming less religious.
Ross argues religion is intellectually defensible based on fine-tuning of the universe and the hard problem of consciousness.
He contends that merely appreciating religion's social benefits isn't enough—genuine belief is necessary.
The AI discussion explores whether consciousness might exist beyond materialist explanations.
They examine tensions in the "New Right" between tech-optimists and religious traditionalists.

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