Dwarkesh PodcastOct 28, 2020

Charles Murray - Human Accomplishment and the Future of Liberty

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for Charles Murray - Human Accomplishment and the Future of Liberty on Dwarkesh Podcast.

Guest: Charles Murray

Notable books mentioned: The Discoverers by Daniel Borsten, Dictionary of Scientific Biography, The Decadent Society by Ross Douthat, Human Accomplishment

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Charles Murray - Human Accomplishment and the Future of Liberty

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Episode summary and strongest books

Charles Murray - Human Accomplishment and the Future of Liberty mentions The Discoverers by Daniel Borsten, Dictionary of Scientific Biography, The Decadent Society by Ross Douthat, and Human Accomplishment with timestamps, quotes, and episode context.

The Discoverers Dictionary of Scientific Biography The Decadent Society Human Accomplishment

3 books from this episode

The Discoverers

Daniel Borsten

i read a book by daniel porsten called the discoverers

Dictionary of Scientific Biography

a set of books called the dictionary the scientific biography

The Decadent Society

Ross Douthat

i guess the title is the decadent society and he's basically making the point that that's where we are now

Guest: Charles Murray

Episode summary

I ask Charles Murray about Human Accomplishment , By The People , and The Curmudgeon's Guide to Getting Ahead . Watch on YouTube . Listen on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or any other podcast platform. Read the full transcript here . Follow Charles on Twitter . Follow me on Twitter for updates on future episodes. Timestamps (00:00) - Intro (01:00) - Writing Human Accomplishment (06:30) - The Lotka curve, age, and miracle years (10:38) - Habits of the greats (hard work) (15:22) - Focus and explore in your 20s (19:57) - Living in Thailand (23:02) - Peace, wealth, and golden ages (26:02) - East, west, and religion (30:38) - Christianity and the Enlightenment (34:44) - Institutional sclerosis (37:43) - Antonine Rome, decadence, and declining accomplishment (42:13) - Crisis in social science (45:40) - Can secular humanism win? (55:00) - Future of Christianity (1:03:30) - Liberty and accomplishment (1:06:08) - By the People (1:11:17) - American exceptionalism (1:14:49) - Pessimism about reform (1:18:43) - Can libertarianism be resuscitated? (1:25:18) - Trump's deregulation and judicial nominations (1:28:11) - Beating the federal government (1:32:05) - Why don't big companies have a litigation fund? (1:34:05) - Getting around the Halo effect (1:36:07) - What happened to the Madison fund? (1:37:00) - Future of liberty (1:41:00) - Public sector unions (1:43:43) - Andrew Yang and UBI (1:44:36) - Groundhog Day (1:47:05) - Getting noticed as a young person (1:50:48) - Passage from Human Accomplishment Get full access to Dwarkesh Podcast at www.dwarkesh.com/subscribe

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What is Charles Murray - Human Accomplishment and the Future of Liberty about?

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for Charles Murray - Human Accomplishment and the Future of Liberty on Dwarkesh Podcast.

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What are the main takeaways from Charles Murray - Human Accomplishment and the Future of Liberty?

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The conversation centers on human accomplishment.
A second recurring theme is Apollo mission vs simulation.
Referenced books include The Discoverers by Daniel Borsten and Dictionary of Scientific Biography.
The strongest audience signal points to Readers interested in broad histories of science and human accomplishment and researchers, historians of science, and anyone seeking authoritative biographical information on scientists.

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Which books are mentioned in Charles Murray - Human Accomplishment and the Future of Liberty?

The Discoverers by Daniel Borsten, Dictionary of Scientific Biography, and The Decadent Society by Ross Douthat are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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Top triggers

human accomplishment(3)Apollo mission vs simulation(1)devotion vs secular causes(1)institutional sclerosis(1)liberty and accomplishment(1)postwar economic recovery(1)reference resource(1)

Mention sentiment

Deep Dive(5)Highly Recommended(2)Critical Analysis(1)Passing Reference(1)

Audience signals

Readers interested in broad histories of science and human accomplishmentresearchers, historians of science, and anyone seeking authoritative biographical information on scientistsreaders interested in cultural decline, modern conservatism, and comparisons between historical and contemporary societal stagnationlisteners interested in intellectual history, the history of science and arts, and readers who want a broad, panoramic survey of human achievementsReaders interested in the role of religion versus secular humanism in motivating societal progress (academics, cultural critics, and intellectually curious general readers)Listeners interested in political philosophy, history of ideas, and the relationship between governance and innovation

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

The Discoverers

Daniel Borsten

Best for Readers interested in broad histories of science and human accomplishmentOften cited around human accomplishment

“Guest says in the mid-1980s he read a book by Daniel Borsten called The Discoverers which influenced him.”

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Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: human accomplishment

For: Readers interested in broad histories of science and human accomplishment

Key quote: “i read a book by daniel porsten called the discoverers”

The host mentions The Discoverers as the book that inspired him to attempt a panoramic work on human achievement. He explains Borsten's book was a collection of biographies and not the integrated panorama he wanted, which motivated him to write his own comprehensive book over five intense years.

ASIN: 0394726251

Buy on Amazon

Dictionary of Scientific Biography

Best for researchers, historians of science, and anyone seeking authoritative biographical information on scientistsOften cited around reference resource

“Guest references 'a set of books called the dictionary the scientific biography' as a definitive catalog used as a resource.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: reference resource

For: researchers, historians of science, and anyone seeking authoritative biographical information on scientists

Key quote: “a set of books called the dictionary the scientific biography”

The guest mentioned the Dictionary of Scientific Biography as a definitive catalog and resource used for authoritative information. They referenced it to support factual or historical details during the discussion.

ASIN: 0684147793

Buy on Amazon

The Decadent Society

Ross Douthat

Best for readers interested in cultural decline, modern conservatism, and comparisons between historical and contemporary societal stagnationOften cited around postwar economic recovery

“Mention that the New York Times columnist wrote a book called 'The Decadent Society' arguing contemporary societal decadence.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: postwar economic recovery

For: readers interested in cultural decline, modern conservatism, and comparisons between historical and contemporary societal stagnation

Key quote: “i guess the title is the decadent society and he's basically making the point that that's where we are now”

The host mentions The Decadent Society while comparing post–World War II recoveries of Germany and Japan to the stagnation seen in Britain and France, using the book to frame contemporary Western decadence. They argue Ross Douthat's thesis that a society can be decadent yet comfortable, with creative work becoming more derivative and spectacular simulacra replacing bold national projects.

ASIN: 1797103199

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Human Accomplishment

Best for listeners interested in intellectual history, the history of science and arts, and readers who want a broad, panoramic survey of human achievementsOften cited around human accomplishment

“Speaker refers to the final paragraph and reads the last paragraph of 'Human Accomplishment', mentioning a story about medieval stone masons and gargoyles.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: human accomplishment

For: listeners interested in intellectual history, the history of science and arts, and readers who want a broad, panoramic survey of human achievements

Key quote: “let's begin with human accomplishment the pursuit of excellence in the arts and sciences i first want to ask you what motivated you to write this book”

The host introduces Charles Murray and uses Murray's book Human Accomplishment as the start of a detailed discussion about surveying the panorama of achievement in arts and sciences. They explain the motivation: dissatisfaction with prior works (e.g., Daniel Boorstin's The Discoverers) that felt like disconnected biographies rather than a comprehensive panorama, and wanting to create the broader overview they couldn't find.

ASIN: B08N138PGL

Buy on Amazon

Devotion to a Human Cause

Best for Readers interested in the role of religion versus secular humanism in motivating societal progress (academics, cultural critics, and intellectually curious general readers)Often cited around devotion vs secular causes

“Mentioned as 'the book devotion to a human cause' in discussion about what motivations (social justice, environment, truth, abstract humanism) are less compelling than devotion to God.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: devotion vs secular causes

For: Readers interested in the role of religion versus secular humanism in motivating societal progress (academics, cultural critics, and intellectually curious general readers)

Key quote: “you write in the book devotion to a human cause whether social justice the environment the search for truth or abstract humanism is by its nature less compelling than devotion to god”

The host references Devotion to a Human Cause while contrasting devotion to secular humanist goals (social justice, environment, truth) with devotion to God, arguing the latter is more compelling for motivating human accomplishment. They situate this book within a broader discussion of human progress narratives and their ability to withstand opposing cultural forces, noting a personal evolution in their views since writing Human Accomplishment.

ASIN: N/A

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Liberty

Best for Listeners interested in political philosophy, history of ideas, and the relationship between governance and innovationOften cited around liberty and accomplishment

“Reference to 'the last part of Liberty' and 'in the book you talk about your optimism' — discussing the book's views on future wealth and regulation.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: liberty and accomplishment

For: Listeners interested in political philosophy, history of ideas, and the relationship between governance and innovation

Key quote: “basically liberty as conceived by the founders uh by luck and the 18th century tradition is very young”

The host brings up Liberty while discussing how political and geographic factors influence innovation and human accomplishment, arguing that liberty as understood by 18th-century founders is a relatively recent development. They mention historical examples (China vs Europe) to explore how governance and geography may have dampened innovation, linking that to the concept of liberty in shaping achievement.

ASIN: 0271020881

Buy on Amazon

On Apollo

Best for Readers interested in space history, technological achievement, and debates about cultural decline vs scientific progressOften cited around Apollo mission vs simulation

“Reference to 'you wrote with your wife the book on Apollo' indicating a book about the Apollo program authored by the interviewee and his wife.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Apollo mission vs simulation

For: Readers interested in space history, technological achievement, and debates about cultural decline vs scientific progress

Key quote: “it's a very different accomplishment from actually taking the saturn v out on the launch pad and lighting that mother up and then sending it to the moon”

The host cites On Apollo to contrast genuine large-scale technological achievement with impressive but derivative simulations, arguing that going to the Moon was a fundamentally different accomplishment than creating realistic portrayals of it. They use the book as credentials (written by the guest and spouse) to frame a broader discussion about declines in scientific accomplishment across fields and whether cultural decadence or inevitable scientific maturation explains it.

ASIN: 1982654082

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Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences

Charles Murray

Best for listeners interested in history of arts and sciences and the author's workOften cited around human accomplishment

“Interviewer begins with 'let's begin with human accomplishment the pursuit of excellence in the arts and sciences' referring to the book the guest wrote.”

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Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: human accomplishment

For: listeners interested in history of arts and sciences and the author's work

Key quote: “let's begin with human accomplishment the pursuit of excellence in the arts and sciences”

The interviewer opens the conversation by naming the book to introduce the topic and acknowledge the guest as its author. The mention serves to frame the interview around the book's subject matter rather than to evaluate it at that moment.

ASIN: 0060577223

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By the People

Best for Readers interested in political economy, institutional change, and historical causes of societal progressOften cited around institutional sclerosis

“Speaker: "it's called by the people and it spends the first four chapters detailing all the ways in which this society is becoming more abundant"”

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Sentiment: Critical Analysis

Trigger: institutional sclerosis

For: Readers interested in political economy, institutional change, and historical causes of societal progress

Key quote: “there's an interesting pattern here that you talk about more in the by the people which is the institutional sclerosis is only evaded when there's something that just causes the downfall of everything that came before”

The host cites By the People while criticizing the persistence of institutional sclerosis and describing how societal institutions become ossified over time. They reference the book to explain that only disruptive breakdowns or significant changes have historically allowed societies to escape that sclerosis and spur rapid progress.

ASIN: 0385346514

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