Human 23: Dr. Peter Boghossian

Philosopher, educator and author

Peter Boghossian is an American philosopher. His academic career has focused on critical thinking and scientific scepticism, with a focus on bringing the tools of professional philosophy to people in a wide variety of contexts. Along with an array of academic publications, Peter has also contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and Scientific American (along with many more). He has published two books; A Manual for Creating Atheists (2013), and How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide (2019). Further, Peter has been a councilman for the state of Oregon, the chairman of the Prison Advisory Committee for Columbia River Correctional Institution, and an international speaker for the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.

In his spare time, Peter enjoys hanging out with his dogs, doing Jiu Jitsu, and playing Dungeons & Dragons. He can be found on Twitter @peterboghossian

Peter is a human mammal. Here are his thoughts:

What brings you the most joy in life?

The thing that brings me the most joy in my life is the feeling I have when I am responsible for someone’s success. My daughter just received her driving permit and helping her learn to drive brings me joy. 

What does success mean to you?

I think of success in terms of my personal life in general and my relationship life in particular. To me, success means having relationships based on virtue. It means speaking openly and honestly with friends and knowing that they’ll do the same. Success is cultivating enduring friendships. 

What do you see as your greatest achievement?

My relationships. 

What are you most grateful for?

People. 

My grandparents, my parents, my children, my friends, my wife, my health, my dogs. I’m also incredibly grateful that this country took in my grandparents in during the Armenian genocide. 

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I have Crohn’s disease and lived in chronic and severe pain for decades. 

Who or what has had the biggest influence on your life? 

My dad and my mentor, Frank Wesley. 

The Nazis picked up Frank on Kristallnacht and imprisoned him in Buchenwald. He later got out and went back to liberate the same camp in which he was held captive. Frank prevented invading soldiers and prisoners from murdering the concentration camp guards—the same guards who were unspeakably cruel to him and countless others. 

Frank was a model of decency and intellectual humility. We were once at a formal event together and the host asked people to go around the room and introduce themselves. I’m not sure why, but everyone thought that was an opportunity to rattle off their professional accomplishments. When it was his turn, Frank, who had an astonishing array of professional achievements, said, “My name is Frank and I am a chicken farmer.” 

What do you regret?

Not adopting another child. 

Has there been a defining moment in your life? Can you tell us about it?

The death of my parents. I held both of my parent’s hands at their death. 

At my mother’s funeral someone fell asleep. My first thought was to tell my mom because I knew she’d find it funny. It was in that moment that I truly realized I’d never say anything to her again. The magnitude of the loss was so utterly unfathomable that I became paralysed and ceased sobbing. 

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An astronaut. 

What advice would you give your younger self?

One word, “parrhesia.”

Always speak openly and honestly, especially in the face of adversity. As Hitchens wrote, “Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity… the grave will supply plenty of time for silence.” 

If you want to have a life worth living, work to make relationships worth having. The only way to do that is through parrhesia. Be honest. Be open. Have unwavering integrity. Never be sneaky or false. Don’t lie. Be more concerned with what is true and less concerned with what people think of you. Know that every time you’re not forthright you’re committing an injustice by bringing yourself and those you love further from the good life. Only if you say what you mean will people know what you mean. And only if others say what they mean will you know what they mean. You cannot have an authentic relationship unless someone knows what you mean and you know what they mean. And if you don’t have authentic relationships, you’ll never be truly happy or truly in love because other people won’t know you for who you are but for who they think you are. Parrhesia cuts through all of this. It’s an indispensable condition for a good life and a prophylactic against most sorrows. 

What is the most important thing we can teach kids in school?

To value asking themselves, “How could my beliefs be wrong?” and change their minds accordingly. (Philosophers refer to this as “defeasibility,” or sometimes “disconfirmation.”)  

If you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose and why?

My mother. I’d want to tell her about her grandchildren. 

What do you doubt most?

I’m not sure I understand the question. If I doubted something a lot I wouldn’t believe it, or it would “barely” be a belief. But I don’t think you’re asking me what I don’t believe the most. Do you mean which belief do I hold that I’m so barely confident in that if I had any less confidence I’d not believe it? If that’s the question I’m not sure there’s a “most.” Many of my beliefs fall into this category. For example, whether our species will survive long enough to become spacefaring; or if we’re at the end of history and all economic, political, and social systems that we could have developed we already would have; or that there’s no other intelligent life in the universe, microbial or otherwise; or that an AI would have better methods of answering moral questions; or that there’s a rational argument to persuade one to not be deceitful; or that justice is more important than compassion; or that all people yearn to be free.   

When did you last have a significant change of mind?

I’ve very recently come to the conclusion that eating animals is morally wrong.

What is the role of luck in our lives?

Quite significant. Luck plays a role in our lives not only in conspicuous ways like accidents that kill us, but in ways we don’t even think about. For example, if children are raised without an adult male in the home they’re far more likely to commit a violent crime. Whether one is born into a home without an adult male is a matter of luck, as are so many other factors we don’t even consider, like whether or not your born in a refugee camp, or to abusive parents, or not receiving adequate nutrition in formative years, etc.  

Do you have a favourite quote? What is it? Why do you like it?

Nope.

What would you do with your life if you had unlimited financial resources?

Take children out of orphanages and place them with loving families; fix K-12 schools in the least well-off neighbourhoods, starting with giving every child two nutritious and tasty meals a day; rescue dogs and start homes for old and abused dogs. Those are tasks that can be achieved with far less than unlimited resources. I’d hire competent project managers and have them see these through to their completion. Meanwhile, I’d completely devote myself to the homelessness epidemic. I’d attempt to truly understand the problem and work with our best and brightest to develop solutions to end homelessness. I’d set clear metrics and make sure targets are met. If they were not met, I’d find smart people to help me figure out why, then I’d re-establish the metrics and begin again. If I failed, I’d repeat. And if I kept failing, I’d publicly state that I failed and make public all that was learned. 

If you could have the definitive answer to a single question, what would you ask?

How would I know it’s the definitive answer? That would entail a superintelligence or mystical force. Placing that aside, if I didn’t have to answer immediately, I’d ask others I respect and then crowdsource it. My assumption is that this would generate a better question than I could. 

What concept/fact/idea should every human on the planet understand?

Defeasibility. (See my answer above.) 

Do human beings have free will?

No.

Do you believe in God?

No.

Could we be living in a simulated universe?

Yes, we could. But we have no evidence to justify the claim that we’re living in a simulated universe.

Will the continual development of technology have a net positive or negative influence on humanity?

A net positive, no question about it. 

What is the single greatest achievement of humanity?

The Socratic method.

What do you see as the biggest existential threat to humanity?

This is outside my area of expertise. I’m tempted to say some ecological problem, like global climate change, but my intuition tells me it’s likely a known unknown, like a planetary collision or a rogue AI. 

What does it mean to live a good life?

To have left the world better off than when you came in, and to have loved and been loved.  

What is a good death?

To be surrounded by those who love you and to have children you brought into this world hold your hand as you leave. 

Thanks for your time, Peter!

Twitter: @peterboghossian

Website: www.peterboghossian.com

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