Making Sense with Sam Harris

Episodes page 2 of 6

1. #450 — More From Sam: Resolutions, Conspiracies, Demonology, and the Fate of the World

   30 Dec 2025 · 28 min

   In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events. They discuss Sam's 2025 New Year's resolutions, the benefits of meditation, Sam's conversation with Ross Douthat, AI risks,…

2. #449 — Dogma, Tribe, and Truth

   22 Dec 2025 · 23 min

   Sam Harris speaks with Ross Douthat about religion, modernity, and what can steady a culture that feels increasingly unmoored. They discuss the case for faith in an age of digital disembodiment, declining birthrates,…

3. #448 — The Philosophy of Good and Evil

   8 Dec 2025 · 25 min

   Sam Harris speaks with David Edmonds about moral philosophy and effective altruism. They discuss Edmonds's book Death in a Shallow Pond, Peter Singer's famous drowning child thought experiment, arguments for and…

4. #447 — The Unraveling of American Power

   4 Dec 2025 · 20 min

   Sam Harris speaks with Peter Zeihan about Trump's second term and its economic and geopolitical consequences. They discuss Zeihan's failed 2024 election prediction, the unprecedented unraveling of American power,…

5. #446 — How to Do the Most Good

   1 Dec 2025 · 22 min

   Sam Harris speaks with Michael Plant about the philosophy of happiness and effective altruism. They discuss the nature of well-being, Nozick's "Experience Machine" thought experiment, the validity of self-reported…

6. #445 — More From Sam: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Billionaires, Thanksgiving Political Debates, & Rapid Fire Questions

   26 Nov 2025 · 19 min

   In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss Marjorie Taylor Greene's recent apology for her…

7. #444 — America's Zombie Democracy

   17 Nov 2025 · 21 min

   Sam Harris speaks with George Packer about American democracy and authoritarianism. They discuss Packer's article "America's Zombie Democracy," the erosion of democratic institutions, the Justice Department's…

8. #443 — What Is Christian Nationalism?

   10 Nov 2025 · 2 h 00 min

   Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Wilson about his book Frequently Shouted Questions about Christian Nationalism. They discuss Wilson's debates with Christopher Hitchens, the landscape of American evangelicalism,…

9. #442 — More From Sam: Public Speaking, Nuclear War, & Christian Nationalism

   3 Nov 2025 · 18 min

   In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss how Sam overcame his fear of public speaking, the…

10. #441 — The Threat of Civil War

    31 Oct 2025 · 22 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Stephen Marche about his book The Next Civil War: Dispatches from the American Future. They discuss tensions between the United States and Canada, what a modern American civil war might actually…

11. #440 — A World in Crisis

    24 Oct 2025 · 25 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Robert D. Kaplan about his new book, Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis. They discuss climate change, demographics, the primacy of order over freedom, why Russia is a country in decline,…

12. #439 — How to Lose a Democracy

    14 Oct 2025 · 23 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Damon Linker about the erosion of American democracy. They discuss the right-wing populist movement, the mechanisms by which Trump is consolidating authoritarian control, the Insurrection Act,…

13. #438 — "More From Sam": Israel-Hamas Deal, Qatari Air Force Base, Trump, Charlie Kirk, Ezra Klein, & Rapid Fire Questions

    11 Oct 2025 · 28 min

    In this latest episode of the "More From Sam" series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss the Israel-Hamas peace deal, the plans to build…

14. #437 — Two Years Since 10/7

    6 Oct 2025 · 20 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Dan Senor about the state of the world two years after the October 7th attacks. They discuss the rise of global antisemitism, immigration and the failure of Western nations to contend with the…

15. #436 — A Crisis of Trust

    3 Oct 2025 · 25 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Michael Osterholm about his new book, The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics. They discuss the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the major mistakes made in the…

16. #435 — The Last Invention

    2 Oct 2025 · 37 min

    Sam Harris introduces the first episode of The Last Invention, a new podcast series on the hype and fear about the AI revolution, reported by Gregory Warner and Andy Mills. Gregory Warner was a foreign correspondent…

17. #434 — Can We Survive AI?

    16 Sep 2025 · 36 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares about their new book, If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: The Case Against Superintelligent AI. They discuss the alignment problem, ChatGPT and recent advances…

18. #433 — How Did We Get Here?

    6 Sep 2025 · 22 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Dan Carlin about the decades-long buildup to our current political moment. They discuss the growing powers of the presidency, executive orders, different factions within the Republican Party, the…

19. #432 — The Undoing of America

    27 Aug 2025 · 26 min

    Sam Harris speaks with David French about Trump's assault on American democracy. They discuss Trump's persecution of political opponents, abuse of the pardon power, Congress's ineffectiveness, David's proposed change…

20. #431 — What Is Happening on College Campuses?

    25 Aug 2025 · 23 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Michael Roth about the state of higher education in the U.S. They discuss whether concerns about wokeness were overblown, how colleges should handle campus protests, where universities should…

21. #430 — "More From Sam": Trump, Gavin Newsom, Class War, DOGE, & Rapid Fire Questions

    22 Aug 2025 · 15 min

    In this latest episode of the "More From Sam" series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss Trump and his attempts at peace deals, Gavin…

22. #429 — The New World Order

    11 Aug 2025 · 27 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Anne Applebaum about the erosion of democracy at home and abroad. They discuss the Sudanese civil war and the outside forces involved, America's retreat from global leadership, the impacts of…

23. #428 — Political Extremism

    7 Aug 2025 · 27 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Jonah Goldberg about Trump 2.0 and wealth inequality. They discuss the horseshoe theory, illiberalism on the Right and the Left, the fallout of the Trump-Epstein controversy, cracks in Trump's…

24. #427 — AI Friends & Enemies

    25 Jul 2025 · 23 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Paul Bloom about AI and current events. They discuss the state of LLMs, the risks and benefits of AI companionship, what it means to attribute consciousness to AI, relationships with AI as a form…

25. #426 — How Bad Is It?

    23 Jul 2025 · 28 min

    Sam Harris speaks with David Frum about the current state of American politics. They discuss the extent of Trump's corruption, his immigration crackdowns, what's going well under Trump 2.0, Trump's support for Ukraine…

26. #425 — Are We Prepared for the Next Pandemic?

    21 Jul 2025 · 27 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Marc Lipsitch about pandemic preparedness. They discuss what we learned from Covid, loss of trust in institutions, how to effectively communicate scientific information in the current media…

27. #424 — "More From Sam": Nazi Grok, ICE, Epstein, Social Media, Rapid Fire Questions

    16 Jul 2025 · 27 min

    In this latest episode of the "More From Sam" series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss Nazi Grok, immigration, ICE raids, Jeffrey…

28. #423 — "More From Sam": Democracy, Populism, Wealth Inequality, News-Induced Anxiety, & Rapid Fire Questions

    8 Jul 2025 · 19 min

    In this latest episode of the "More From Sam" series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss Epstein's "client list," how to safeguard…

29. #422 — Zionism & Jihadism

    19 Jun 2025 · 2 h 04 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Haviv Rettig Gur about Israel and her enemies. They discuss Israel's war with Iran and America's role in the conflict, Israel's military capabilities, Iran's nuclear program, what a ground…

30. #421 — "More From Sam": Political Violence, Iran, Deportations, Protests, & Rapid Fire Questions

    17 Jun 2025 · 18 min

    In this latest episode of the "More From Sam" series, Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on…

31. #420 — Countdown to Superintelligence

    12 Jun 2025 · 20 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Daniel Kokotajlo about the potential impacts of superintelligent AI over the next decade. They discuss Daniel's predictions in his essay "AI 2027," the alignment problem, what an intelligence…

32. #419 — "More From Sam": Elon vs. Trump, Religion, Jordan Peterson, & Rapid Fire Questions

    6 Jun 2025 · 15 min

    Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. This episode was originally recorded on June 4th,…

33. #418 — A Future for Democrats

    2 Jun 2025 · 46 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Congressman Ritchie Torres about the future of American politics. They discuss how growing up in public housing inspired Ritchie to pursue a career in politics, how the Biden administration…

34. #417 — Philosophy for Life

    28 May 2025 · 23 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Donald Robertson about Stoicism and the good life. They discuss the relationship between wisdom and virtue, ancient versions of psychotherapy, parallels between Stoicism and Buddhism, practical…

35. #416 — "More From Sam": Biden's Big Lie, Review of Tapper Interview, Trump, & a Case Against Israel's Actions in Gaza

    23 May 2025 · 20 min

    Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss the Biden cover-up and how it…

36. #415 — The Cover-Up

    21 May 2025 · 24 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Jake Tapper about Jake's new book (with Alex Thompson), Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. They discuss how the mainstream media failed…

37. #414 — Strange Truths

    12 May 2025 · 23 min

    Sam Harris speaks with David Deutsch about quantum physics and current events. They discuss the "many-worlds" interpretation of QM, Schrödinger's cat, constructor theory, quantum computing and whether it will ever be…

38. #413 — "More From Sam": Trump & Israel, Corruption, Free Speech Violations, the Democrats, & Ezra Klein

    6 May 2025 · 27 min

    Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss whether Jews in the U.S. are safer…

39. #412 — Better Things & Better People

    2 May 2025 · 27 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Rutger Bregman about Rutger's new book, Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference. They discuss why it seems like we are at the hinge of human history, wealth…

40. #411 — The Victimhood Pandemic

    25 Apr 2025 · 31 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Scott Barry Kaufman about Scott's new book, Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential. They discuss victimhood culture, narcissism and psychopathy,…

41. #410 — The Whole Catastrophe

    20 Apr 2025 · 1 h 08 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Murray about Douglas's new book, On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization. They discuss Douglas's recent experience on Joe Rogan's podcast, the need for…

42. #409 — "More From Sam": Religion, Deportations, Douglas Murray vs. Rogan, & Bill Maher's Dinner with Trump

    16 Apr 2025 · 49 min

    Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to discuss current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. By far the most common feedback we hear from you…

43. #408 — Finding Equanimity in Chaos

    14 Apr 2025 · 1 h 50 min

    Dan Harris interviews Sam Harris for Dan's podcast, 10% Happier. They discuss how meditation helped Sam after evacuating his home during the LA fires, why Sam owns a gun, the ethics of violence, how to feel compassion…

44. #407 — Can We Ever Return to Normal Politics?

    9 Apr 2025 · 20 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Jon Favreau about the state of American politics. They discuss the Trump administration's wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, tariffs, why Trump's supporters don't care about his…

45. #406 — The Legacy of Christianity

    7 Apr 2025 · 25 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Tom Holland about his book, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World. They discuss the enduring influence of Christianity on the modern world, historical interpretations of…

46. #405 — "More From Sam": Tariffs, SignalGate, Trump, Elon, Douglas Murray, & Joe Rogan

    4 Apr 2025 · 20 min

    By far the most common feedback we hear from you guys is the following: "We want more from Sam." More of his thoughts on current events, more frequently. So that's what we're trying here, with this new exploratory…

47. #404 — What If Consciousness Is Fundamental?

    25 Mar 2025 · 2 h 21 min

    Sam Harris speaks with his wife, Annaka Harris, about LIGHTS ON, her ten-part audio documentary exploring the perplexities of consciousness and the cosmos. They discuss the hard problem of consciousness, whether…

48. #403 — Sanity Check on Trump 2.0

    10 Mar 2025 · 37 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Jonah Goldberg about the damage Trump is doing domestically and abroad. They discuss Trump's tariffs, Curtis Yarvin and the Tech Right, threats against Republicans who criticize Trump, why the…

49. #402 — The Geopolitics of Trump 2.0

    28 Feb 2025 · 33 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Niall Ferguson about the current geopolitical situation. They discuss how Trump is handling the war in Ukraine, Europe's changing relationship to the U.S., security concerns around Trump's…

50. #401 — Christian Nationalism and the New Right

    18 Feb 2025 · 33 min

    Sam Harris speaks with Katherine Stewart about her new book, Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. They discuss Project 2025, Christian nationalism, white supremacy, whether the…