Published On Apr 25, 2024
Arjun Khemani is a 17-year-old writer and podcaster who dropped out of high school to help lead support at Airchat, the social network co-founded by Naval Ravikant.
As the host of the Arjun Khemani podcast, Arjun has spoken to a wide range of guests including David Deutsch, David Perell and Naval Ravikant. His Substack, Progress Good, “serves as a defense against the anti-Enlightenment tradition, exploring progress, rationality, and optimism.”
Arjun joins the show to discuss why education should be voluntary, the moral case for selfishness, the pessimism of ultimacy and MUCH more!
Important Links:
- Arjun’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/arjunkhemani?s=20
- Progress Good - https://www.arjunkhemani.com/ (Arjun’s Substack)
Show Notes:
0:00:00 Intro
0:00:44 Main podcast
0:02:16 The Myth of the Good Old Days
0:07:48 The Citadel of Science
0:10:56 Generational Warfare
0:15:24 Why Education Should Be Voluntary
0:19:21 Misunderstanding Money
0:29:55 Escaping the Altruism Trap: the Case for Selfishness
0:39:20 Coercion & Moral Righteousness
0:50:16 The Pessimism of Ultimacy
0:52:37 The Hunt for Better Problems
0:59:54 Arjun’s Leap Into the Unknown
1:07:36 Reimagining Education
1:18:03 What’s Next?
1:20:31 Arjun as Emperor of the World
Books Mentioned:
- One Summer: America 1927; by Bill Bryson
- The New Inquisition: Irrational Rationalism and the Citadel of Science; by Robert Anton Wilson
- The Road to Serfdom; by Friedrich Hayek
- The Lessons of History; by Will & Ariel Durant
- Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behaviour; by David R. Hawkins
- Deschooling Society; by Ivan Illich