Leslie Allan – Harari’s Humanist Horror Story: Why History Matters

You may have been enthralled with Harari’s sweeping history of humankind in his Sapiens and Homo Deus. But even an acclaimed best-selling author can get the story terribly wrong—and in ways that do real damage to reputations. In this talk, Leslie Allan subjects Harari’s retelling of humanist history to critical scrutiny. Did humanism really fracture into three warring sects, giving us Stalin’s gulags, Hitler’s Holocaust and rapacious capitalism? Leslie disentangles Harari’s many confusions and shows what the historical record actually tells us about humanism and its legacy.

Leslie Allan is a long-time skeptic and humanist. He currently serves as a director for Humanists Australia and is author of Harari’s Humanist Wars of Religion: A Critique of Harari’s History of Modern Ideologies. Leslie’s essays, along with recorded talks on philosophy, religion and humanism, are available at RationalRealm.com