Shows
The Good FightGeoffrey Hinton on Artificial IntelligenceYascha Mounk and Geoffrey Hinton discuss how AI works—and why it’s a risk.
Geoffrey Hinton is a cognitive psychologist and computer scientist known as the “godfather of AI.” He was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, along with John Hopfield.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Geoffrey Hinton discuss what neuroscience teaches us about AI, how humans and machines learn, and the existential risks of AI.
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2025-10-301h 05
The Good FightThe Good Fight Club: Trump’s New Ballroom, a Looming Attack on Venezuela, and Why Social Media Explains the Rise of PopulismFrancis Fukuyama, Mona Charen, and Yascha Mounk dissect this week’s news.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk, Francis Fukuyama and Mona Charen discuss Trump’s latest actions, from demolishing the East Wing of the White House to demanding compensation from the Justice Department; whether the Trump administration’s bombing boats in Venezuela might lead to further military action; and the link between social media and populism.
Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford University. His latest book is Liberalism and Its Discontents. He is also the author of the “Frankly Fukuyama”...
2025-10-2540 min
The Good FightQuico Toro on CharlatansYascha Mounk and Quico Toro explore why we fall for them—and how to protect ourselves.
Quico Toro is a contributing editor at Persuasion, the Director of Climate Repair at the Anthropocene Institute, and writes the Substack One Percent Brighter. He is the author, with Moisés Naím, of Charlatans: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Hucksters Bamboozle the Media, the Markets, and the Masses.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Quico Toro explore whether fraudsters are motivated by self-deception or the desire to scam, how the internet and our society enable charlatans, and how to...
2025-10-1859 min
The Good FightDavid French on The Mess We’re InYascha Mounk and David French have a therapy session about politics.
David French is a columnist for The New York Times. His most recent book is Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and David French discuss how politics has changed since 2017, where the Democrats have gone wrong, and how Donald Trump’s second term is different to his first.
If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on...
2025-10-091h 11
The Good FightQuentin Skinner on LibertyYascha Mounk and Quentin Skinner discuss whether the liberal conception of freedom is overly narrow.
Quentin Skinner is the Emeritus Professor of the Humanities and Co-director of The Centre for the Study of the History of Political Thought at Queen Mary University of London. His latest book is Liberty as Independence: The Making and Unmaking of a Political Ideal.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Quentin Skinner discuss the “republican” conception of liberty, whether it can found a real political alternative to the status quo, and what that tells us about the liberal traditi...
2025-10-041h 12
The Good FightKatie Herzog on Drinking Your Way SoberYascha Mounk and Katie Herzog discuss how to treat alcoholism.
Katie Herzog is the co-host of the podcast Blocked and Reported and the author of Drink Your Way Sober: The Science-Based Method to Break Free from Alcohol.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Katie Herzog discuss Katie’s experience of alcoholism, the weaknesses of Alcoholics Anonymous, and why quitting cold turkey may not be the only way to overcome alcoholism.
Email: leonora.barclay@persuasion.community
Podcast production by Jack Shields and Leonora Barclay.
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2025-09-271h 06
The Good FightRandi Weingarten on the State of America’s Public SchoolsYascha Mounk and Randi Weingarten also discuss whether teachers unions are to blame for prolonged school closures during the pandemic.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, has been attacked by the far right as “the most dangerous person in the world,” and is the author of Why Fascists Fear Teachers.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Randi Weingarten discuss why education is needed for a free society, the impact of social media on learning, and the school closures during covid.
Email: leonora.barclay@persuasion.community
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2025-09-231h 01
The Good FightDamon Linker on The Spiral of Violence in AmericaYascha Mounk and Damon Linker discuss the fallout from the assassination of Charlie Kirk—and what happens next.
Damon Linker is a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Pennsylvania and writes the subscription newsletter “Notes from the Middleground” at Substack. He is the author of The Theocons and The Religious Test. He is currently working on a book for Princeton University Press about Leo Strauss and his influence on the American right.
In this conversation, Yascha Mounk and Damon Linker discuss reactions to the murder of Charlie Kirk, what it shows about polari...
2025-09-1646 min
The Good FightDavid Brooks on… Yascha MounkDavid Brooks interviews Yascha Mounk to mark the paperback edition of The Identity Trap.
Yascha Mounk is the founder and editor-in-chief of Persuasion. His latest book is The Identity Trap, which is out in paperback with a new afterword on September 23.
David Brooks is a columnist for The New York Times and a contributor to The Atlantic. He is a commentator on The PBS Newshour. His latest book is How To Know A Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and David Br...
2025-09-131h 19
The Good FightTyler Cowen on AI (Rerun)Yascha Mounk and Tyler Cowen also discuss AI and the state of the world economy.
Tyler Cowen is an American economist, columnist, and blogger. Cowen is the Holbert L. Harris chair in economics at George Mason University, and is the co-author, with Alex Tabarrok, of the blog Marginal Revolution.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Tyler Cowen discuss the likely economic futures of Europe, Asia, and Africa; how the United States should approach competition with China; and what role young people should ascribe to personal financial advancement in...
2025-08-301h 15
The Good FightMusa Al-Gharbi on Why We Have Never Been Woke (Rerun)Yascha Mounk and Musa Al-Gharbi discuss why so many members of elite groups like to pretend they’re oppressed.
Musa al-Gharbi is an assistant professor in the School of Communication and Journalism at Stony Brook University. His most recent book is We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite.
In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Musa Al-Gharbi discuss the tendency of certain elite groups to lay claim to marginalized identities as a form of symbolic capital; the challenges posed by "asymmetric multiculturalism," in which we encou...
2025-08-271h 01
The Good FightChristine Rosen on the Harms of the Digital AgeYascha Mounk and Christine Rosen discuss the societal consequences of always being online.
Christine Rosen is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. She is also a monthly columnist for Commentary magazine, one of the cohosts of The Commentary Magazine Daily Podcast, a fellow at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, and senior editor at The New Atlantis.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Christine Rosen discuss the perils of online dating, the impact of public shaming, and why the internet makes it harder to develop a sense...
2025-08-091h 00
The Good FightThomas Chatterton Williams on the Age of False CertaintyYascha Mounk and Thomas Chatterton Williams explore what the summer of 2020 showed about America.
Thomas Chatterton Williams is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of Losing My Cool, Self-Portrait in Black and White, and Summer of Our Discontent. He is a visiting professor of humanities and senior fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College, a 2022 Guggenheim fellow, and a visiting fellow at AEI.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Thomas Chatterton Williams discuss why the summer of 2020 played out as it did, the subsequent backlash, and why ideas cor...
2025-08-021h 01
The Good FightDan Williams on MisinformationYascha Mounk and Dan Williams discuss fake news.
Daniel Williams is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sussex. He writes the Conspicuous Cognition newsletter, which brings together philosophical insights and scientific research to examine the forces shaping contemporary society and politics.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Dan Williams explore whether the term misinformation is defined too broadly, how to judge if something is fake news, and what is meant by the “everyone is biased” bias.
Podcast production by Jack Shields and Leonora Barclay.
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2025-07-1946 min
The Good FightAlex Thompson on the Decline of Joe BidenYascha Mounk and Alex Thompson discuss who knew what—and when.
Alex Thompson is a national political correspondent for Axios and the co-author, with Jake Tapper, of Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Alex Thompson discuss when Biden’s mental state first became concerning, the cover up, and the motivations of Biden’s team and of other members of the Democratic Party during that period.
Podcast production by Jack Shields and Leonora Barclay.
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2025-07-121h 06
The Good FightIrshad Manji on Understanding Each Other in Turbulent TimesYascha Mounk and Irshad Manji also discuss how to have dialogue with ideological opponents.
Irshad Manji is the founder of Moral Courage College, which equips people worldwide to turn heated issues into healthy conversations and sustained teamwork. Her latest book is Don’t Label Me: How to Do Diversity Without Inflaming the Culture Wars.
In this week’s episode, Yascha Mounk and Irshad Manji discuss how it feels to become a U.S. citizen during turbulent times, how to have conversations about controversial topics without being canceled, and how to resist the temptation of being righ...
2025-06-2833 min
The Good FightPeter Hessler on ChinaYascha Mounk and Peter Hessler describe how China has changed over the last 30 years–and where it might go next.
For more than a quarter of a century, Peter Hessler has been a staff writer for the New Yorker. In 1996, he joined the Peace Corps and taught English language and literature to college students in Fuling, a small city on the Yangtze River. In 2019, Hessler returned to China, teaching at Sichuan University during the pandemic. His most recent book, Other Rivers (2024), is about his time in Sichuan.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Peter...
2025-06-211h 11
The Good FightMark Lynas on Nuclear WarYascha Mounk and Mark Lynas on how to avoid armageddon.
Mark Lynas is an author, campaigner and speaker. He is science advisor with the Climate Vulnerable Forum and policy lead with WePlanet, a pro-science environmental advocacy network active in over 20 countries. His latest book is Six Minutes to Winter: Nuclear War and How to Avoid It.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Mark Lynas discuss how likely a nuclear war is, what a nuclear winter would look like, and how to avoid it.
Podcast production by Jack Shields and...
2025-06-0752 min
The Good FightQuico Toro on How to Save the ClimateYascha Mounk and Quico Toro explore what’s holding environmentalists back.
Quico Toro is Director of Climate Repair at the Anthropocene Institute, a contributing editor at Persuasion, and writes the Substack One Percent Brighter.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Quico Toro discuss outdated ideas within environmentalism, why we need to decarbonize—and how technology can save us.
Podcast production by Jack Shields and Leonora Barclay.
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2025-05-3152 min
The Good FightPaul Krugman on Why International Trade is GoodYascha Mounk and Paul Krugman also explore whether the Euro was a mistake.
Paul Krugman is the Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He was a columnist for The New York Times from 2000 to 2024. In 2008, Krugman was the sole winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to new trade theory and new economic geography.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Paul Krugman discuss the value of economic models, the Euro crisis, and how to make a fruitful intellectual contribution in...
2025-05-241h 35
The Good FightSarah Longwell on What Voters Really ThinkYascha Mounk and Sarah Longwell also discuss who—if anyone—can save the Democrats.
Sarah Longwell is the publisher of The Bulwark, which she helped found in 2019. She regularly conducts focus groups with voters across the political spectrum and hosts the podcast “The Focus Group,” which is in its fifth season, and co-hosts “The Next Level” podcast and “The Secret Podcast.”
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Sarah Longwell discuss which voter segments support Donald Trump, what might change their minds, and which potential candidates could help the Democratic Party stage a comeback.
If you h...
2025-04-261h 09
The Good FightLarry Summers on Harvard’s Showdown With TrumpYascha Mounk and Larry Summers also discuss the administration’s tariffs.Lawrence H. Summers is the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus at Harvard University. He served as the 71st Secretary of the Treasury for President Clinton and the Director of the National Economic Council for President Obama.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Larry Summers discuss why tariffs are so concerning, how Harvard should react to the Trump administration cutting its funding, and whether the Democratic Party can become a credible opposition.
2025-04-1950 min
The Good FightEmily Oster on What’s Gone Wrong with Modern ParentingYascha Mounk and Emily Oster also talk about what public health authorities fell short during the pandemic.In addition to being a Professor of Economics at Brown University, Emily Oster is the founder and CEO of ParentData, a data-driven guide to pregnancy, parenting, and beyond. Emily is also a New York Times best-selling author, whose books include Expecting Better, Cribsheet, The Family Firm and The Unexpected. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Emily Oster explore how parents can make data-driven decisions, if screen time for kids should be a...
2025-04-1255 min
The Good FightJason Furman on “Liberation Day”Yascha Mounk and Jason Furman also discuss the flaws in Build Back Better.Jason Furman is the Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy jointly at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and the Department of Economics at Harvard University. Previously Furman served as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors under Barack Obama.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Jason Furman discuss the economic record of the Biden administration, whether the abundance agenda is the way forward—and what the recent news about tariffs really means.
2025-04-051h 12
The Good FightYascha Answers Your Questions #2In this week’s conversation, Persuasion editor-in-chief Yascha Mounk was joined by listeners of The Good Fight for a “mailbag” episode, speaking about everything from domestic and global politics to AI. Larry Diamond’s piece The Crisis of Democracy can be found in Persuasion.Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight.If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone.Email: podcast@persuasion.community Website: http://www.persuasion.comm...
2025-04-0205 min
The Good FightJonathan Rauch on the Politicization of ChristianityYascha Mounk and Jonathan Rauch also discuss patrimonialism in the United States.Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institution and a member of the Persuasion Board of Advisors. His latest book is Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Jonathan Rauch discuss the decline of religion and its impact on society, the long-term future of religion in America, and why patrimonialism is the best frame for understanding the Trump administration.
2025-03-1255 min
The Good FightYascha Answers Your Questions #1I’m really proud of the community that has grown up around The Good Fight, Persuasion and my own Substack. That’s why I was excited to welcome paying subscribers to join me for a live session—so I could answer your questions personally.We had a great discussion: About the idea of a foreign policy for the middle class. About the state of free speech in Europe. About how to tell when the rule of law has broken down in the United States. About the prospects for a third party. And about so much more.Our next...
2025-03-0407 minThe Good FightOren Cass on the Case for TariffsYascha Mounk and Oren Cass discuss the reasoning behind Trump’s economic policy.Oren Cass is the founder and executive director of American Compass and author of The Once and Future Worker: A Vision for the Renewal of Work in America.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Oren Cass discuss the decline of manufacturing in the U.S., whether there is any coherence to Trump's economic policy, and if the Democrats or Republicans are the more natural home for working class voters. This...
2025-02-081h 16The Good FightEric Kaufmann on “The Third Awokening”Yascha Mounk and Eric Kaufmann also discuss "asymmetrical multiculturalism" and the global fertility crisis.Eric Kaufmann is a professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham, where he directs the Centre for Heterodox Social Science. Kaufmann is the author of The Third Awokening (entitled Taboo in the UK), Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration and the Future of White Majorities, and Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Eric Kaufmann discuss why much of mainstream liberalism has become unmoored from its classical principles; how we can push...
2025-02-011h 10The Good FightFrancis Fukuyama on Trump 2.0Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama discuss the first few days of the Trump administration–and what it means for domestic and foreign policy.Francis Fukuyama is a political scientist, author, and the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. Fukuyama’s notable works include The End of History and the Last Man and The Origins of Political Order. His latest book is Liberalism and Its Discontents. You can find his blog, Frankly Fukuyama, at Persuasion.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Fr...
2025-01-281h 07The Good FightYanis Varoufakis on What Comes After CapitalismYascha Mounk and Yanis Varoufakis discuss whether the dominance of large cloud-focused tech companies signals the arrival of a new economic order.Yanis Varoufakis is an economist, politician, and the former Greek Minister of Finance. Varoufakis is the author of Another Now: Dispatches from an Alternative Present and Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism.In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Yanis Varoufakis discuss whether the extraction of "cloud rent" by Big Tech heralds a return to an earlier, pre-capitalist form of commerce; the technological and economic future of Europe (and of...
2025-01-251h 09The Good FightWhat Are Children For?Yascha Mounk and Anastasia Berg discuss the case for having—or not having—kids.Anastasia Berg is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Irvine and an editor of The Point magazine. Berg is the co-author, with Rachel Wiseman, of What Are Children For? On Ambivalence and Choice. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Anastasia Berg discuss why many couples delay having children and the affirmative case for valuing human life; the moral and ethical implications of the decline in global fertility; and whether a world wi...
2025-01-1856 minThe Good FightFraser Nelson on Great BritainYascha Mounk and Fraser Nelson discuss the Labour government’s shrinking popularity and the challenges facing a post-Brexit Britain.Fraser Nelson is a British political journalist who was editor of The Spectator from 2009 to 2024. Nelson is also a columnist for The Times.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Fraser Nelson discuss social dysfunction in the UK; how and why Britain should pursue welfare reform; and Fraser's fight to keep the United Arab Emirates from purchasing British newspapers including The Spectator and The Telegraph. This tr...
2025-01-111h 16The Good FightTyler Cowen on EverythingYascha Mounk and Tyler Cowen also discuss AI and the state of the world economy.Tyler Cowen is an American economist, columnist, and blogger. Cowen is the Holbert L. Harris chair in economics at George Mason University, and is the co-author, with Alex Tabarrok, of the blog Marginal Revolution.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Tyler Cowen discuss the likely economic futures of Europe, Asia, and Africa; how the United States should approach competition with China; and what role young people should ascribe to personal financial advancement in...
2025-01-081h 14The Good FightNoam Chomsky on Identity Politics, Free Speech, and China (from 2021)Noam Chomsky and Yascha Mounk discuss America and the world, past and present.Noam Chomsky, professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has for many decades been one of the most prominent critics of U.S. foreign policy.In a conversation from 2021, Noam Chomsky and Yascha Mounk discuss the theory of universal grammar, whether identity politics can be left-wing, and how the world should treat an ascendant China.This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity....
2024-12-2855 minThe Good FightBonus: Noah Smith on the Rise and Fall of "Neoliberalism"Yascha Mounk and Noah Smith discuss the neoliberal era and the role of unions in America.Noah Smith is a writer and a former professor of finance at Stony Brook University. Smith is the author of the Substack Noahpinion.In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Noah Smith discuss the rise of the YIMBY ("Yes, in my backyard!") movement; why childcare, housing, and health care costs are so high in the United States; and what it would look like to embrace a genuine "abundance agenda."T...
2024-12-1911 minThe Good FightAlice Evans on Why Equality FailsYascha Mounk and Alice Evans discuss why women have won equality in some countries but remain at the margin in many others.Alice Evans is a senior lecturer in international development at King's College London and the author of the forthcoming book The Great Gender Divergence.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Alice Evans discuss the influence of cultural and religious norms in promoting or stifling gender equality; how we can advocate for improvements in gender equality while minimizing the risks of backlash; and why fertility has plum...
2024-12-141h 07The Good FightRichard Reeves on the Gender GapYascha Mounk and Richard Reeves discuss why most young men aren’t becoming reactionary.Richard Reeves is the founder and president of the American Institute for Boys and Men. He is the author of Dream Hoarders and, most recently, Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It (which was recently included by Barack Obama on his summer reading list).In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Richard Reeves discuss whether young men propelled Donald Trump to victory in the 2...
2024-12-071h 22The Good FightCass Sunstein on Campus Free SpeechYascha Mounk and Cass Sunstein discuss the meaning of free speech and how it should be applied on campus.Cass Sunstein is an American legal scholar and the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard University. Sunstein was the Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under Barack Obama, and is considered to be the most widely cited legal scholar in the United States. Sunstein is the author, with Richard Thaler, of Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness, The World According to Star Wars, and Campus Free Speech: A Poc...
2024-11-3046 minThe Good FightMelissa Chen on the "Singaporean Model"Yascha Mounk and Melissa Chen also discuss the rise of China and the future of US-China relations.Melissa Chen is a Singaporean journalist and activist. She is a contributing editor to The Spectator and co-founder of Ideas Beyond Borders.In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Melissa Chen discuss the unique cultural and political landscape of Singapore and its "competitive authoritarian" system of government; how the US went wrong in its policy of engagement with China; and what the Trump presidency portends for relations between the two countries....
2024-11-231h 01The Good FightIvan Krastev on The New Global OrderYascha Mounk and Ivan Krastev discuss what Trump’s reelection will mean for the future of the world.Ivan Krastev is a political scientist, the chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia, Bulgaria, and permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. Krastev is the author of After Europe and, with Stephen Holmes, of The Light that Failed: A Reckoning.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Ivan Krastev discuss the advent of the Trump era in American politics; why liberals need to eschew their n...
2024-11-1656 minThe Good FightFrancis Fukuyama on Trump 47Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama discuss what a Trump victory means for America, its allies, and the world.Francis Fukuyama is a political scientist, author, and the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. Among Fukuyama’s notable works are The End of History and the Last Man and The Origins of Political Order. His latest book is Liberalism and Its Discontents. He is also the author of the “Frankly Fukuyama” column, carried forward from American Purpose, at Persuasion.In this week’s conve...
2024-11-071h 09The Good FightShikha Dalmia on Leaving LibertarianismYascha Mounk and Shikha Dalmia discuss American conservatism, the rise of authoritarian populism, and whether identitarians of the left are right or wrong on their fundamental goals.Shikha Dalmia, a writer and journalist, is the founder of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism and of The UnPopulist, an editorial partner of Persuasion.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Shikha Dalmia discuss her journey from socialist India to the American libertarian movement; how mainstream libertarianism failed to meet the challenge posed by Donald Trump; and the prol...
2024-11-021h 05The Good FightNorbert Röttgen on GermanyYascha Mounk and Norbert Röttgen discuss the war in Ukraine and Germany’s political, economic, and security crisis.Norbert Röttgen is a senior leader of the Christian Democratic Union. A former cabinet minister, he was chair of the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee from 2014 to 2021. Röttgen is the author ofDemocracy and War: Politics and Identity in a Time of Global Threats.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Norbert Röttgen discuss the insufficiency of Germany’s support of Ukraine (and theZeitenwende that wasn’t); the nascent pro...
2024-10-2656 minThe Good FightWhy Is This Race So Damn Close?Yascha Mounk, Ruy Teixeira, and Yuval Levin discuss why American elections are so close—and how one party could build a stable majority.Ruy Teixeira is the co-founder and politics editor of The Liberal Patriot, and the author, with John Judis, of The Emerging Democratic Majority and, most recently, Where Have All the Democrats Gone?: The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes. Yuval Levin is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Levin is the author of A Time to Build: F...
2024-10-231h 02The Good FightTeresa Bejan on VirtueYascha Mounk and Teresa Bejan discuss the secret history of free speech and why the word “problematic” is problematic.Teresa Bejan is a professor of political theory at the University of Oxford and a fellow of Oriel College. She is the author of Mere Civility: Disagreement and the Limits of Toleration and the forthcoming First Among Equals, which explores ideas of equality before modern egalitarianism.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Teresa Bejan discuss how liberals should think about the role of virtue in society; why a robust cu...
2024-10-191h 10The Good FightCharles Taylor on Identity and ModernitySign up for the Persuasion panel event in London: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trump-vs-harris-what-next-for-america-and-the-world-tickets-1026768591497Yascha Mounk and Charles Taylor discuss the modern struggle for meaning and belonging.Charles Taylor is a Canadian philosopher and Professor Emeritus at McGill University. Taylor is the recipient of both the Kyoto and Templeton prizes, and is the author of major works including A Secular Age and Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity. His most recent book is Cosmic Connections: Poetry in the Age of Disenchantment....
2024-10-121h 09The Good FightWhat Elites Really BelieveYascha Mounk and Ruxandra Teslo discuss luxury beliefs and the concept of "elite misinformation."Ruxandra Teslo is a PhD student in Genomics at the Sanger Institute in Cambridge, UK. She writes about science and culture at Ruxandra’s Substack.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Ruxandra Teslo discuss Rob Henderson’s concept of luxury beliefs, its key insights, and the misleading ways in which it’s often used; the academic study of “misinformation” and why we should be skeptical of (much of) it; and how cultural ideas about progres...
2024-10-051h 03The Good FightAmanda Ripley on How to Survive DisasterYascha Mounk and Amanda Ripley discuss what natural catastrophes reveal about human nature.Amanda Ripley is an American author and journalist. Her books include The Unthinkable: Who Survives when Disaster Strikes and High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Amanda Ripley discuss the pitfalls common to many survival scenarios and the psychological tools most helpful in avoiding them; whether the strength of one’s community ties or improvements in forecasting technology are of greater significance in the statisti...
2024-09-2855 minThe Good FightMusa Al-Gharbi on Why We Have Never Been WokeYascha Mounk and Musa Al-Gharbi discuss why so many members of elite groups like to pretend they’re oppressed.Musa al-Gharbi is an assistant professor in the School of Communication and Journalism at Stony Brook University. His most recent book is We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite.In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Musa Al-Gharbi discuss the tendency of certain elite groups to lay claim to marginalized identities as a form of symbolic capital; the challenges posed by "asymmetric multiculturalism," in which we e...
2024-09-211h 00The Good FightLiberalism as a Way of LifeYascha Mounk and Alexandre Lefebvre discuss taking liberalism seriously as the main moral paradigm of our world.Alexandre Lefebvre is a professor of politics and philosophy at the University of Sydney. His books include Human Rights as a Way of Life and, most recently, Liberalism as a Way of Life.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Alexandre Lefebvre discuss the difference between political liberalism and liberalism as a comprehensive doctrine—or “way of life”; how we can uphold the core tenets of comprehensive liberalism—such as freedom, fairness, and...
2024-09-1455 minThe Good FightHow to Stop Campus From Boiling OverYascha Mounk and Raj Vinnakota discuss how to build a healthy campus community (and keep it).Raj Vinnakota is President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, co-founder of the SEED Foundation, and co-chair of the Civics and Civic Engagement Taskforce for the United States Congress Semiquincentennial Commission.In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Raj Vinnakota discuss the best strategies for building a campus environment conducive to genuine conversations and the free exchange of ideas and opinions; the key skills and knowledge required of administration, faculty, and students to...
2024-09-0746 minThe Good FightJames C. Scott on The Perils of State PowerIn one of his final extended interviews, which was recorded three years before his recent death, the late anthropologist James C. Scott and Yascha Mounk discuss the need to be vigilant about the ways in which states do violence to individuals and societies.James C. Scott was the Sterling professor of political science and anthropology at Yale University. Scott is the author of major works including Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed and Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States....
2024-08-3158 minThe Good FightTimur Kuran on Why We Lie About Our BeliefsYascha Mounk and Timur Kuran discuss the perceived social and political pressures that lead individuals to conceal their true beliefs—and what that means for our politics.Timur Kuran is Professor of Economics and Political Science and the Gorter Family Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University. He is the author of Private Truths, Public Lies: The Social Consequences of Preference Falsification and Islam and Mammon: The Economic Predicaments of Islamism.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Timur Kuran discuss how the phenomenon of people falsifying their prefere...
2024-08-241h 07The Good FightThe Promise and Perils of Contacting ExtraterrestrialsYascha Mounk and Douglas Vakoch discuss whether it is morally justified to alert aliens to humanity's existence.Douglas Vakoch is an American astrobiologist, extraterrestrial intelligence researcher, and the president of METI International, an organization devoted to transmitting messages to outer space. His books include The Drake Equation: Estimating the Prevalence of Extraterrestrial Life through the Ages and Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Douglas Vakoch discuss the case for and against trying to communicate with extraterrestrial intelligence; why we are yet to disco...
2024-08-171h 04The Good FightFreddie deBoer on “Peak Woke”Yascha Mounk and Freddie deBoer discuss whether the sweeping set of progressive ideas that came into force in 2020 has really begun to recede.Freddie deBoer is a writer, academic, and critic. He writes the Freddie deBoer Substack, and is the author of books including the Cult of Smart: How Our Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice and, most recently, How Elites Ate the Social Justice Movement.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Freddie deBoer discuss whether "woke" ideas have, rather than receding, become institutionalized; how the movement for bla...
2024-08-101h 15The Good FightAnne Applebaum on Autocracy, Inc.Yascha Mounk and Anne Applebaum discuss the new tools autocrats use to stay in power.Anne Applebaum is a staff writer for The Atlantic and a Senior Fellow of the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Her books include Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine and Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe. Her latest book is Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Anne Applebaum discuss how dictators use the system of international finance to maintain p...
2024-08-0349 minThe Good FightShalom Auslander on Self-Loathing and How to Overcome ItYascha Mounk and Shalom Auslander discuss the origins of the stories that make us feel bad about ourselves. Shalom Auslander is an American novelist, memoirist, and essayist. He is the author of Foreskin's Lament and, most recently, FEH: A Memoir.In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Shalom Auslander discuss how religious narratives inherited from the Judeo-Christian tradition affect our sense of self-worth; how to actually help oneself while steering clear of "self-help"; and how to begin the lifelong work of charting a path towards unconditional love and self-acceptance....
2024-07-271h 07The Good FightMatthew Yglesias on KamalaYascha Mounk and Matthew Yglesias discuss Kamala Harris' strengths and vulnerabilities, and what she needs to do to win.Matthew Yglesias is a writer and journalist, co-founder of Vox, and founder of the Substack newsletter Slow Boring. His latest book is One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Matthew Yglesias discuss how Kamala Harris can broaden her appeal before November; what explains the lack of substantial coverage of Biden’s cognitive impairments in the mainstream press before the June debate; and how...
2024-07-241h 19The Good FightEitan Hersh on the Perils of Political HobbyismYascha Mounk and Eitan Hersh discuss the importance of strategic political action that focuses on goals and outcomes.Eitan Hersh is Professor of Political Science at Tufts University, focusing on U.S. elections and civic participation. His latest book is Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real Change.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Eitan Hersh discuss how to engage with politics in ways likely to bring about meaningful change; how political hobbyism tends to coincide with misperceptions about vot...
2024-07-201h 02The Good FightRachel Kleinfeld on the Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump and the Rise of Political Violence in AmericaIn this emergency podcast, Yascha Mounk and Rachel Kleinfeld discuss how to prevent a spiral of violence.Rachel Kleinfeld is a senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Kleinfeld’s latest book is A Savage Order: How the World's Deadliest Countries Can Forge a Path to Security.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Rachel Kleinfeld discuss why political violence has been on the rise in recent years; which important resilience factors make America resistant to a civil war; and h...
2024-07-1651 minThe Good FightElizabeth Anderson on EqualityYascha Mounk and Elizabeth Anderson discuss why intersectionality and talk about privilege don’t help to build a more equal society.Elizabeth Anderson, one of the most interesting contemporary political philosophers, is the John Dewey Distinguished University Professor at the University of Michigan. Her latest book is Hijacked: How Neoliberalism Turned the Work Ethic against Workers and How Workers Can Take It Back.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Elizabeth Anderson discuss the impact of unionization and structures of co-determination in achieving greater workplace equality; the need for a...
2024-07-131h 12The Good FightFrancis Fukuyama on Global Chaos (and Why You Don't Need to Despair About It)Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama discuss the state of democracy around the world.Francis Fukuyama is a political scientist, author, and the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. Fukuyama’s notable works include The End of History and the Last Man and The Origins of Political Order. His latest book is Liberalism and Its Discontents.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Francis Fukuyama discuss the triumph of the French far-right in the country’s first round of legislative elections...
2024-07-0654 minThe Good FightYuval Levin on the Coming RealignmentYascha Mounk and Yuval Levin discuss why neither Democrats nor Republicans have built a durable post-Cold War coalition—and how American politics could be transformed in 2028.Yuval Levin is an academic and the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Levin is the author of A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream and, most recently, American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation—and Could Again.In this week’s...
2024-06-291h 14The Good FightSimon Fanshawe on Merit and DiversityYascha Mounk and Simon Fanshawe also discuss how gay and lesbian rights were won—and what that should teach today’s activists.Simon Fanshawe is an activist, writer, and consultant who is a co-founder of Stonewall UK and the rector of the University of Edinburgh. His book is The Power of Difference: Where the Complexities of Diversity and Inclusion Meet Practical Solutions.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Simon Fanshawe discuss whether there is a tension between hiring for merit and hiring for the value of having different...
2024-06-221h 05The Good FightOlivier Roy on FranceYascha Mounk and Olivier Roy discuss the rise of the French right.Olivier Roy is a French political scientist and professor at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. His latest book is The Crisis of Culture: Identity Politics and the Empire of Norms.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Olivier Roy discuss how the new European far-right differs from the old; the French concept of laïcité, or secularism, and whether it goes too far in curtailing public religious practices; and whether a new appeal to univer...
2024-06-151h 09The Good FightBrad Wilcox on Why You Should Get MarriedYascha Mounk and Brad Wilcox discuss how marriage contributes to better outcomes for both children and adults.Brad Wilcox is Professor of Sociology and Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Wilcox is the author of Get Married.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Brad Wilcox discuss whether more people getting married really would improve their lives; why we might need a political and cultural environment more conducive to marriage; and what explains the...
2024-06-0854 minThe Good FightWilliam Galston on 2024 and Trump's ConvictionYascha Mounk and William Galston discuss why neither the Democrats or Republicans have been able to build a durable governing majority.William Galston is an author and academic who holds the Ezra K. Zilker Chair in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. Galston was also deputy assistant for domestic policy to President Bill Clinton. His latest book is Anti-Pluralism: The Populist Threat to Liberal Democracy.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and William Galston discuss why cultural questions have become as important as economic issues in deciding elections; why...
2024-06-011h 32The Good FightDaryl Davis on Befriending the KlanYascha Mounk and Daryl Davis discuss his lifetime of convincing Ku Klux Klan members to renounce racism.Daryl Davis is an American R&B and blues musician, author and social activist. Davis estimates he has been the direct or indirect cause for over 200 conversions from the Klan. He is also co-founder of the Prohuman Foundation.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Daryl Davis discuss how a childhood experience with racism inspired him to interview and befriend members of the Ku Klux Klan; the importance of remaining “pro-human” even i...
2024-05-251h 35The Good FightNellie Bowles on How the Revolution Went MainstreamYascha Mounk and Nellie Bowles discuss her career at The New York Times and reporting on the ground from urban “autonomous zones” in 2020.Nellie Bowles is a writer and reporter and the head of strategy at The Free Press, where she writes the TGIF column. Her book is Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Nellie Bowles discuss how she came to chafe against the institutional culture of The New York Times and why she left; how new power hi...
2024-05-181h 12The Good FightHelen Joyce on Youth Gender MedicineYascha Mounk and Helen Joyce discuss the evidence base for the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in young people.Helen Joyce is an Irish journalist and the Director of Advocacy at Sex Matters. She is the author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Helen Joyce discuss the findings of an independent review by Hilary Cass of gender identity services for children and young people in the United Kingdom; how government and public health institutions in the UK have come to ta...
2024-05-111h 23The Good FightEboo Patel on PluralismYascha Mounk and Eboo Patel discuss how interfaith work can serve as a model for engaging productively across differences.Eboo Patel is the founder of Interfaith America and the author of We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy. Patel also served as an advisor on faith to President Barack Obama.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Eboo Patel discuss how the dominant diversity paradigm in many institutions divides individuals into oppressors and oppressed; how universities can draw from the intellectual tradition of pluralism to encourage mut...
2024-05-041h 13The Good FightMike Pesca on How the Media Got PolarizedSign up for the Persuasion panel event in London: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trump-vs-harris-what-next-for-america-and-the-world-tickets-1026768591497Yascha Mounk and Mike Pesca discuss what real balance ought to look like in reporting hotly contested issues.Mike Pesca is a journalist and the host of "The Gist", the longest running daily news podcast in history. He spent a decade as a correspondent for NPR, guest hosting “All Things Considered” and “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.”In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Mike Pesca discuss why many news...
2024-04-271h 11The Good FightKwame Anthony Appiah on the Right—and Wrong—Way for Universities to Handle IdentityYascha Mounk and Kwame Anthony Appiah discuss cultivating thick identities (and thick skins).Kwame Anthony Appiah is a British-Ghanaian philosopher, Professor of Philosophy and Law and New York University, and the “Ethicist” columnist for The New York Times Magazine.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Kwame Anthony Appiah discuss why universities discarded an ethic of common humanity for a new form of identitarianism; how we can recognize and respect individual and cultural diversity without making it the main factor in our interactions; and why faculty must be agents...
2024-04-201h 07The Good FightVinay Prasad on What Went Wrong With COVIDYascha Mounk and Vinay Prasad assess the strengths and weaknesses of America’s public health response.Vinay Prasad MD, MPH is a hematologist-oncologist and Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco. In this week’s episode, Yascha Mounk and Vinay Prasad discuss the impact and efficacy of mask mandates and lockdowns; how the stifling of dissenting views among doctors and scientists harmed decision-making; and how we can improve our readiness for the next pandemic.This transcript has been...
2024-04-131h 03The Good FightAlexandra Hudson on Why Civility MattersYascha Mounk and Alexandra Hudson discuss how civility can be a tool for pursuing justice.Alexandra Hudson is a writer, an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy, and the founder of the publication Civic Renaissance. Hudson’s first book is The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Alexandra Hudson discuss how civility is different from mere politeness; why true civility can require engaging in uncomfortable conversations and delivering hard truths; and why certain social...
2024-04-061h 01The Good FightJonathan Haidt on The Anxious GenerationYascha Mounk and Jonathan Haidt discuss the end of the play-based childhood and the rise of the phone-based childhood.Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at NYU's Stern School of Business. He is also a member of Persuasion's Board of Advisors. Haidt is the author of The Righteous Mind and, with Greg Lukianoff, co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind. His new book is The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.In t...
2024-03-301h 05The Good FightJonathan Lynn on How Government Works (and "Yes, Minister")Yascha Mounk and Jonathan Lynn discuss why the dysfunctional relationship between politicians and civil servants made for great TV, and what that tells us about the nature of politics.Jonathan Lynn is an English writer, director and producer. Lynn is best known as the co-creator of the series "Yes, Minister" and its sequel, "Yes, Prime Minister." He also directed the films "My Cousin Vinny" and "The Whole Nine Yards."In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Jonathan Lynn discuss how his television comedy about the inner workings of Brit...
2024-03-231h 03The Good FightColeman Hughes on ColorblindnessYascha Mounk and Coleman Hughes discuss the difference between race blindness and racism blindness.Coleman Hughes is a writer and the host of Conversations with Coleman. His new book is The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Coleman Hughes discuss why race is a poor proxy for setting public policy; why being colorblind doesn’t mean disregarding one’s own cultural affinities; and how we can continue to make progress against racial discrimination without making the concept of race ev...
2024-03-161h 26The Good FightEd Luce on America in 2024Yascha Mounk and Ed Luce discuss the sense of impending disaster in American politics.Ed Luce is the US national editor and columnist at the Financial Times. He is also a member of the Persuasion board of advisors.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Ed Luce discuss what worries Americans most about the state of the country heading into the next election; the presumptive re-match between Biden and Trump; and why a second Trump term could be more dangerous than the first.Thi...
2024-03-091h 00The Good FightAlex Byrne on the Trouble with GenderYascha Mounk and Alex Byrne discuss how to understand the differences between sex and gender—and why it matters.Alex Byrne is a philosopher and a professor at MIT in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy. He is the author, most recently, of Trouble With Gender: Sex Facts, Gender Fictions.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Alex Byrne discuss the evolution of the concept of gender and whether it’s useful for understanding social reality; why pediatric gender medicine struggles with questions about how to properly care for you...
2024-03-021h 16The Good FightLarry Summers on What Went Wrong on CampusYascha Mounk and Larry Summers also discuss the promise and perils of artificial intelligence.Larry Summers is an economist, the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School, and a member of the board of directors of OpenAI. Summers is the former President of Harvard University, the former Secretary of the Treasury under Bill Clinton, and was a director of the National Economic Council under Barack Obama. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Larry Summers discuss how...
2024-02-241h 12The Good FightFrancisco Toro on Guatemala’s Political RevolutionYascha Mounk and Francisco Toro discuss the surprise election of Bernardo Arévalo and the broader state of Latin American politics.Francisco Toro is a Venezuelan journalist and the founder of Caracas Chronicles. He is also a contributing editor at Persuasion and the author of the Substack newsletter The Two Worlds of Climate.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Francisco Toro discuss the chances Guatemala's reformist president will set the country on a better path; whether El Salvador’s “millennial dictator” Nayib Bukele is a regional outlier or a sign of...
2024-02-171h 00The Good FightRicardo Hausmann on How Economies GrowYascha Mounk and Ricardo Hausmann discuss development economics and how globalization has changed the nature of knowledge.Ricardo Hausmann is an economist and the founder and Director of Harvard’s Growth Lab and the Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School. Hausmann has also served as Minister of Planning of Venezuela (1992-1993) and on the Board of the Central Bank of Venezuela.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Ricardo Hausmann discuss the effect of globalization on social stratification; how “brain drains...
2024-02-1059 minThe Good FightMartha Nussbaum on Living (and Eating) MorallyYascha Mounk and Martha Nussbaum discuss how to reflect on a life lived well.Martha Nussbaum is a philosopher and the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago. Nussbaum is the author of many books, including, most recently, Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Martha Nussbaum discuss the need for an overlapping consensus between citizens of profoundly different beliefs; how regarding animals as sentient beings might change our behavior towards them; and why one oug...
2024-02-031h 27The Good FightRuy Teixeira on How the Democrats Lost the Working ClassYascha Mounk and Ruy Teixeira discuss what Biden would need to do to rebuild a broad coalition for the 2024 election.Ruy Teixeira is a political scientist, the co-founder and politics editor of The Liberal Patriot, and the author, with John Judis, of The Emerging Democratic Majority and, most recently, Where Have All the Democrats Gone?: The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Ruy Teixeira discuss how Democrats lost the working class and what it might take to win it back...
2024-01-2758 minThe Good FightAlbert Wu on Taiwan’s Past, Present and FutureYascha Mounk and Albert Wu discuss how historical divisions explain the outcome of the island’s recent elections.Albert Wu is a Taiwanese historian and the author, with his wife Michelle Kuo, of the Substack newsletter A Broad and Ample Road.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Albert Wu discuss the electoral victory of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and what it portends for cross-strait relations; how the Kuomintang went from fighting the CCP in a bloody civil war to advocating closer ties with Beijing; and what Taiwan...
2024-01-2054 minThe Good FightRob Henderson on Foster Care, Social Class and the New American EliteYascha Mounk and Rob Henderson discuss his journey from poverty to the Ivy League—and how it has shaped his view of America.Rob Henderson is a writer and author of Rob Henderson’s Newsletter. His forthcoming book, Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class, will be released next month.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Rob Henderson discuss the importance of a stable family for children; the concept of “luxury beliefs”; and why some things are more important than social mobility.This transcript has been condens...
2024-01-131h 41The Good FightTyler Austin Harper on How to Fix American UniversitiesYascha Mounk and Tyler Austin Harper discuss the state of academia and the resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay.Tyler Austin Harper is a writer and an assistant professor of environmental studies at Bates College.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Tyler Austin Harper discuss how universities can reclaim their status as sites for the free exchange of ideas; why enrollment in the humanities has declined; and the ways in which the new progressive ideas concerning identity remain influential on campus and in our society.This transcript has been...
2024-01-061h 18The Good FightBranko Milanovic on GlobalizationYascha Mounk and Branko Milanovic discuss the history and trajectory of global inequality.Branko Milanovic is an economist and a professor in the Graduate Center at The City University of New York. Formerly a lead economist at the World Bank, he is the author, most recently, of Visions of Inequality: From the French Revolution to the End of the Cold War.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Branko Milanovic discuss Milanovic’s famous “Elephant Curve” graph and why global income growth is not as unequally distributed as he once thought; how we should think abo...
2023-12-241h 16The Good FightMary Harrington on FeminismYascha Mounk and Mary Harrington debate whether or not societies have made significant progress towards gender equality.Mary Harrington is a writer and a contributing editor at UnHerd. She is the author of Feminism Against Progress. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Mary Harrington discuss second-wave feminism and the downstream consequences of the sexual revolution; the unintended effects of industrialization and contraceptive use; and whether the contraceptive revolution has, as Harrington argues, brought about a greater commodification of female sexuality.This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for...
2023-12-1644 minThe Good FightPhilip Pettit on What It Means to Be FreeYascha Mounk and Philip Pettit discuss small-r “republicanism” and how to make sure people don’t suffer from domination.Philip Pettit is the L.S. Rockefeller University Professor of Politics and Human Values at Princeton University. His latest book is The State.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Philip Pettit discuss the intellectual traditions of liberalism and republicanism; how freedom from domination differs from freedom from interference; and what role the state plays in making people free.This transcript has been condensed and lightly...
2023-12-091h 18The Good FightTara Isabella Burton on the Myth of Self-CreationYascha Mounk and Tara Isabella Burton discuss the shift in modern societies away from external truths to a new gospel of finding one’s authentic self.Tara Isabella Burton is a writer and novelist. She is the author of Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World. Her latest book is Self Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Tara Isabella Burton discuss the trend towards religious non-affiliation and the rise of à la carte spirituality; the challenges such a world...
2023-12-0259 minThe Good FightTim Urban on EverythingYascha Mounk and Tim Urban discuss making better choices, managing human foibles, and distilling big ideas into clear words.Tim Urban is a writer and author of the blog Wait But Why. He is the author of What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Tim Urban discuss how to develop strong productive habits; the human tendency towards “chronocentrism”; as well as how American society has become troubled and why finding real solutions will require courage.This transcript has been condensed and lightly edi...
2023-11-251h 16The Good FightBethany Allen on How China Abuses its Economic MightYascha Mounk and Bethany Allen discuss the historical trajectory of the modern Chinese economy.Bethany Allen is the China reporter at Axios and the author of Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Bethany Allen discuss how China’s unique “party-state capitalism” can act both as a boon to and a drag on its economic growth; how China uses its economic power to enforce conformity and limit free speech around the globe; and what the future might hold for Taiwan.Thi...
2023-11-181h 23The Good FightRobert Sapolsky on Free WillYascha Mounk and Robert Sapolsky debate whether there is free will and if it would matter if there weren't.Robert Sapolsky, a neuroscientist and primatologist, is the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor and professor of biology, neurology and neurosurgery at Stanford University. Sapolsky is the author of Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. His latest book is Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Robert Sapolsky discuss whether, as Sapolsky argues, there is no such thing as free will; and what...
2023-11-111h 12The Good FightAnshel Pfeffer on Israel and the War in the Middle EastYascha Mounk and Anshel Pfeffer discuss how the war is transforming Israel, Palestine and the Middle East.Anshel Pfeffer is a British-Israeli journalist. He is a senior correspondent and columnist for Haaretz and the Israel correspondent for The Economist. Pfeffer is the author of Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu.In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Anshel Pfeffer discuss Israel's strategy for defeating Hamas and whether it is likely to succeed; why the global left has failed to grasp the horrors of 10/7; what implications the war...
2023-11-041h 04
The Good FightDavid Brooks on Knowing Others (and Ourselves)Yascha Mounk and David Brooks discuss the role of character development in building strong liberal societies.David Brooks is a writer and a columnist at the New York Times. He is the author of Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There and The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement. His latest book is How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and David Brooks discuss how he cam...
2023-10-281h 17
The Good FightYascha Mounk on The Identity TrapYascha Mounk is the founder of Persuasion. His new book, The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, was published this week.In this week’s conversation, Coleman Hughes and Yascha Mounk discuss the intellectual origins of the "identity synthesis"; how this novel ideology was able to become so influential so quickly; why its application to areas from free speech to cultural appropriation is a trap; and how to make a compelling case for the liberal ideals that are more likely to remedy injustices.This transc...
2023-09-301h 48
The Good FightYascha Mounk on Making Diverse Democracies WorkYascha Mounk is a professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, a contributing writer at The Atlantic, and the founder of Persuasion. His new book, The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure, was published this week.In this week’s conversation, Ravi Gupta and Yascha Mounk discuss why it is so hard to build diverse democracies, how we can overcome the deeply human instinct to discriminate against those unlike ourselves, and why he remains optimistic about the prospects of the “great experiment.”Th...
2022-04-231h 01