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Michael Shermer joins us to discuss his newest book, The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom.

Hosts
Trevor Burrus
Research Fellow, Constitutional Studies
Aaron Ross Powell
Director and Editor
Guests

Dr. Michael Shermer is Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, Executive Director of the Skeptics Society, and a columnist for Scientific American.

This week we’re joined by Michael Shermer to talk about his book The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom (2015).

What exactly is science, and how does a belief in science advance culture? How are natural rights related to science? How does Shermer define human flourishing—and how does science and reason help us achieve it? What’s the difference between science and pseudoscience, and how can we tell? What, if anything, does government have to do with all this? And lastly, how do scientific beliefs change over time?

Show Notes and Further Reading

Michael Shermer, The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom (book)

Stephen Greenblatt, The Swerve: How the World Became Modern (book)

Benjamin R. Barber, If Mayors Ruled the World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities (book)

Sam Harris, The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values (book)

Peter T. Leeson, The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates (book)