Morality & Religion Podcasts

The Secular Moral Alternative to Dawkins and Ayaan Hirsi Ali

August 5, 2024

1 min read

Podcast audio:

In this episode of New Ideal Live, Ben Bayer examines a discussion between Richard Dawkins and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, explaining why so-called secular humanists have been unable to offer a rational moral alternative to religion.

Among the topics covered:

Ali’s rationalizations for her religious conversion;
Why Western civilization is not purely Christian;
How religious belief relies on arbitrary claims;
Dawkins’ failure to offer a rational moral alternative to Christianity;
Why a rational morality requires an uncompromising commitment to truth.

Mentioned in this podcast are Bayer’s articles “The Old Morality of New Religions,” “Debunking the Supernaturalism That Haunts Secular Ethics,” and Onkar Ghate’s essay “Finding Morality and Happiness Without God.”

The podcast was recorded on July 31, 2024. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Watch archived podcasts here.

Image credits: Getty Images/Christian Marquardt; Getty Images/David Levenson.

SUPPORT ARI

If you value the ideas presented here, please become an ARI Member today.

Do you have a comment or question?

Share this article:

Ibis Slade

Ibis Slade is a junior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute and a content creator. He focuses on American intellectual and moral history.

VIEW ALL ARTICLES

Copyright © 1985 – 2024 The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI). Reproduction of content and images in whole or in part is prohibited. All rights reserved. ARI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions to ARI in the United States are tax-exempt to the extent provided by law. Objectivist Conferences (OCON), Ayn Rand Conference (ARC), Ayn Rand University (ARU) and the Ayn Rand Institute eStore are operated by ARI. Payments to OCON, ARC, ARU or the Ayn Rand Institute eStore do not qualify as tax-deductible contributions to the Ayn Rand Institute. AYN RAND, AYN RAND INSTITUTE, ARI, AYN RAND UNIVERSITY and the AYN RAND device are trademarks of the Ayn Rand Institute. All rights reserved.