Episode · The Rubin Report · 2016-01-22
Books mentioned on Skepticism, Conspiracy Theories, Libertarians | Michael Shermer | FREE SPEECH | Rubin Report
Dave Rubin discussed Skeptic by Michael Shermer. Michael Shermer discussed On Liberty by John Stuart Mill and The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Skeptic
Skeptic by Michael Shermer is a thought-provoking book that explores critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and the examination of extraordinary claims through the lens of a prominent science writer and magazine publisher.
Discussed“Well, given that I publish a magazine called Skeptic, I guess that's technically true. Yeah, and you run skeptic.com. So, you've got the We've got a book called Skeptic right here. Yeah.”
Where to get it
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On Liberty
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill is a foundational 19th-century philosophical essay that defends the liberty of the individual against the absolute power of the state and societal conformity.
Discussed“So you have to sort of run through the arguments that John Stuart Mill made in his On Liberty that okay, what if they're right? Okay, they can't be right. Yeah, but what if they're right just like a little bit, you know, then you'll learn something.”
Where to get it
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The Blank Slate
The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker is a widely read nonfiction book that challenges the traditional sociological doctrine that the human mind is entirely shaped by culture and environment at birth, arguing instead for a nuanced view of innate human nature and genetics.
Discussed“Well, because as Steven Pinker points out in The Blank Slate, the blank slate model that, you know, that culture determines everything and otherwise people are equal, that's more of a left-wing than right-wing view of human nature.”
Where to get it
