Peter Boghossian is an American philosopher who served as an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Portland State University for ten years.
His academic focus spans atheism, critical thinking, pedagogy, scientific scepticism, and the Socratic method.
A very funny prank
Peter authored A Manual for Creating Atheists and (with James Lindsay) How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide.
It is one of my favourite and most recommended books.
In 2018, Peter and two other academics – James Lindsay and Helen Pluckrose – published a series of hoax papers in academic journals that promoted gender studies and critical race theory.
The papers were initially peer-reviewed and published but later rejected after the hilarious prank was revealed.
It showed that journals were publishing papers without properly evaluating their quality or rigor.
People were triggered
In 2019, Portland State University’s institutional review board accused Peter Boghossian of ‘research misconduct’ for writing hoax papers, essentially indicating that the university was embarrassed and wanted to hold Peter accountable.
Then, in late 2021, Peter resigned from the university, citing harassment and a lack of intellectual freedom.
He has since become a vocal critic of wokeness and cancel culture on college campuses.
His book is brilliant
His book (linked above), How To Have Impossible Conversations, is about about how to have productive, civil discussions with people who have different opinions, providing practical advice on how to listen actively, ask open-ended questions, and avoid common conversational pitfalls.
It formed the foundation of our conversation.
It has also formed the foundation of much of my work.
Here is my conversation with Peter.