The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom

The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom

Author: Cato Institute January 21, 2015 Duration: 1:14:26
Cato Event Podcast
NewsCommentaryGovernmentPolitics
We hear a lot about moral decline these days. Michael Shermer, the author of Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, and eight other books on the evolution of human beliefs and behavior, argues that the scientific way of thinking has made people — and society as a whole — more moral. The Age of Reason and the Enlightenment led theorists to apply scientific reasoning to the nonscientific disciplines of politics, economics, and moral philosophy. Instead of relying on the woodcuts of dissected bodies in old medical texts, physicians opened bodies themselves to see what was there; instead of divining truth through the authority of an ancient book, people began to explore the book of nature for themselves through travel and exploration; instead of the supernatural belief in the divine right of kings, people employed a natural belief in the right of democracy. Abstract reasoning, rationality, empiricism, and skepticism, Shermer says, have profoundly changed the way we perceive morality and, indeed, move us ever closer to a more just world. With advance endorsements from Steven Pinker, Jared Diamond, and Michio Kaku, this book is likely to provoke lots of debate.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Step inside the Cato Institute's renowned Washington, D.C. events without leaving your desk. The Cato Event Podcast brings the lecture hall and briefing room directly to you, featuring unfiltered audio from live policy forums, author discussions, and Capitol Hill briefings. Each episode captures the substance of these gatherings, where scholars, policymakers, and leading thinkers engage in detailed conversations about liberty, governance, and current affairs. You'll hear substantive debates and thoughtful commentary that cut through the noise of daily headlines, offering deeper analysis on the issues shaping legislation and public discourse. This isn't a produced studio show; it's a front-row seat to the kind of candid exchanges that happen when experts gather to challenge conventional wisdom. The Cato Institute, through this podcast, provides a direct conduit to these discussions, emphasizing a perspective rooted in individual freedom, limited government, and free markets. Tune in for a raw, intellectual experience that goes beyond soundbites, perfect for anyone who wants to understand the foundational ideas behind today's political news.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 102

Official website RSS
Cato Event Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Don’t Worry, Be Happy: The Cato Institute’s HumanProgress Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:00
Evidence from academic institutions and international organizations shows dramatic improvements in human well-being. These improvements are especially striking in the developing world.Unfortunately, there is often a wide…
Is ISIS Economically and Socially Sustainable? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:46
Shatz and Shapiro are co-authors of the forthcoming, Foundations of the Islamic State: Management, Money, and Terror in Iraq, 2005-2010 (RAND).Please join us for a discussion by two experts on one of the most important a…
"A Loaded Weapon": The Growth of Executive Power [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:11
In discussions with his advisers, President Obama has been heard to worry about "leaving a loaded weapon lying around" for future presidents, Newsweek reported just before the 2012 election, in an article titled "Obama's…
Poverty, Inc. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:17
The global poverty aid industry is big business, with the West spending more than a trillion dollars in the past decade on programs to promote development. Filmed in 20 countries, Poverty, Inc. unearths the uncomfortable…
Chasing Ghosts: The Policing of Terrorism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:13
Since 2001 the United States has created or restructured more than two counterterrorism organizations for every apprehension it has made of Islamists apparently planning to commit terrorism within the country. Central to…
100 Years of Democracy and Education: A Critical Examination [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:51
There is, perhaps, no bigger name in American education than John Dewey, and he wrote, arguably, nothing more influential than Democracy and Education, which turns 100 years old this year. How has the book held up over t…
Colombia: Peace at Any Price? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:51
Colombia’s half-century war with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and remains Latin America’s longest armed conflict. After more than three years of…

«1...131415161718192021...33»