The Human Progress Podcast

Steven Pinker, cognitive psychologist and bestselling author, offers expert analysis on optimism, meaning, religion, and morality. He explores why society feels pessimistic, the role of negativity bias in media, and how statistical literacy reveals real progress. He also discusses secular sources of purpose, trends in anxiety and suicide, and how modernity reshapes community and moral thinking.

Our editor Marian Tupy speaks with writer and policy scholar Brink Lindsey about his new book The Permanent Problem: The Uncertain Transition from Mass Plenty to Mass Flourishing.They discuss why material abundance produces dissatisfaction, the decline of marriage and community, bureaucratic stagnation, and the cultural and institutional innovations needed to produce mass satisfaction without scarcity.

Zion Lights, science communicator and environmental advocate who shifted from Extinction Rebellion to championing nuclear power. She explores why energy abundance, not scarcity, underpins health, education, and development. She explains how nuclear became misunderstood and argues for human-centered policies that prioritize reliable, clean energy and dignity over drastic degrowth.

Johan Norberg, historian and author of Peak Human, explores what creates and ends golden ages. He discusses openness, trade, tolerance, legal and economic institutions, and how war or orthodoxy shut flourishing down. He traces patterns from Athens and Rome to Song China, Renaissance Italy, the Dutch Republic, and the industrial era, and argues for defending openness to sustain progress.

Chris Ferguson, a psychology professor and author, dives into American mental health and societal narratives. He questions the 'loneliness epidemic' and the distinction between time spent alone versus feelings of loneliness. Ferguson argues that digital connections, like gaming, can be meaningful and defends social media's nuanced impacts. He critiques overdiagnosis trends and examines how cultural narratives shape mental health perceptions. Ferguson emphasizes a balanced view of progress and suggests intellectual humility and stoicism as remedies for public discourse.

Scott Winship joins Marian Tupy to discuss how bad measurement choices distort the picture of poverty and inequality in the United States.

Yaron Brook, advocate for free markets and former executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute, joins Marian Tupy to tackle the New Right's pessimistic populism. They dissect Matt Walsh's negativity, attributing American despair to media sensationalism and educational failings. Brook discusses the GOP's shift post-Reagan and highlights key events like 9/11 and the financial crisis that eroded public confidence. He champions reason and individualism over tribalism, promoting a future driven by pro-reason thinkers who appreciate capitalism's benefits.

Marcos Falcone, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute specializing in Latin America, delves into Javier Milei's electoral victory and its implications for Argentina. They explore Argentina's historical decline from global prosperity and the country's classical liberal roots. Marcos highlights Milei's ambitious reforms, including budget balancing and potential dollarization to stabilize the economy. He also contrasts Milei's libertarian policies with Trump's views, discussing the anticipation of regional liberal policy shifts arising from Milei's governance.

Peter Boettke joins Marian Tupy to examine the institutional foundations of the modern world. Check out his book, The Historical Path to Liberty and Human Progress.

Sarah McLaughlin joins Chelsea Follett to discuss the rising influence of foreign authoritarian governments on college campuses.Check out her book, Authoritarians in the Academy: How the Internationalization of Higher Education and Borderless Censorship Threaten Free Speech.Please note that we recorded this interview before Kirk’s murder, so he is not mentioned, though we believe that event makes conversations like this one even more relevant.