Apr 22, 2026
Richard Carrier is the author of Sense and Goodness without God, On the Historicity of Jesus, The Scientist in the Early Roman Empire, and many other books, chapters, and articles. With a Ph.D. in ancient history from Columbia University, he specializes in the modern philosophy of naturalism, the origins of Christianity, and the intellectual history of Greece and Rome.
In today’s episode, Richard defends the premise that a government run along secular humanist principles is the best form of societal governance. His two core tenets are that human interests matter above all, and that rational, evidence based reasoning makes everyone better off. Richard and Leslie explore these two concepts in depth, then compare secular humanism to other possible governing philosophies.
Further reading and watching:
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The Christian Nationalism vs. Secular Humanism “Debate” (more of a harangue, and does a poor job of representing either perspective) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwJOsq2tI80
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Richard’s analysis of the “Debate” https://www.richardcarrier.info/archives/38824
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Richard’s written debate on animal experimentation: https://www.richardcarrier.info/archives/18837
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Richard’s paper: Objective moral facts exist in all possible universes https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/8/1061
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