Why don’t Americans trust anything anymore, and what can we do about it?
Ben Shapiro took up that question at the University of Austin (UATX) on April 26, headlining the Spring Founders Celebration with a talk on the decline of America’s core institutions and what it would take to rebuild them.
Shapiro was introduced by historian and UATX co-founder Sir Niall Ferguson.
UATX co-founder Joe Lonsdale followed with a one-on-one conversation on the future of higher education, lessons from two decades of running a media company, and what Christians and Jews can learn from each other.
A student Q&A then moved through Lincoln, Tucker Carlson, the fractures inside Israeli politics, the rise of populism, and the costs of life lived on social media.
UATX President Carlos Carvalho closed the evening with remarks on the kind of student UATX is trying to form, and the case for building a new university from the ground up.
00:00 — UATX President Carlos Carvalho
03:16 — Niall Ferguson introduces Ben Shapiro
07:26 — Why UATX is important
08:09 — Why Americans hate each other
10:12 — Emotivism
11:57 — The death of politics
12:30 — Hannibal Lecter skin suits
12:53 — Conspiracy theories
14:11 — Why people don't go to church anymore
15:04 — Vaccines
16:02 — Social engineering & weak professors
17:08 — The last time Harvard meant veritas
17:49 — Epistemic humility
18:30 — Read the Federalist Papers
19:56 — War of all against all
21:03 — Capitalism & soul sickness
22:42 — Tribalism
23:38 — JS Mill and debate culture
26:09 — How to restore our institutions
26:40 — Why UATX matters
27:52 — Joe Lonsdale interviews Ben Shapiro
28:10 — What is a college degree worth?
29:46 — What Jews should learn from Christians and vice versa
32:21 — Candace Owens
34:24 — Audience Q&A: Abraham Lincoln & the Declaration of Independence
36:10 — Q&A: Constitutional boundaries
38:31 — Q&A: Tucker Carlson
42:09 — Q&A: American ingratitude
45:02 — Q&A: How to unite our country
48:42 — Q&A: How to repair our institutions
51:41 — Q&A: The three most important words in the English language
54:25 — Q&A: The future of populism
57:08 — Q&A: Lizard brains
59:43 — Q&A: How Israeli politics work
01:04:03— Q&A: How to strengthen America
01:07:29— Q&A: Practical advice for students
01:09:07— Standing ovation for Ben Shapiro
01:09:36— President Carlos Carvalho's speech
01:11:08— How to raise lions
By the way, Ben Shapiro adapted his UATX remarks into an essay for The Free Press. Read it here.
What Does Freedom Look Like Beyond Earth?
Spaceflight is leading to a rethinking of the human body, and extraterrestrial settlement will rewrite human politics. Astronauts, scientists, and political thinkers convene at UATX May 8-9 for the Torchlight Summit to discuss biosovereignty and the next frontier.
Meet UATX Near You
UATX is on the road with the High School Honors Program, bringing advanced high schoolers college-level seminars, real conversations with our faculty, and time with our students. Next up:
San Francisco Bay: May 29-30
Austin: June 20-21
Or: Visit Austin This Summer for Two Weeks
Our Summer Fellowship is a two-week residential program for advanced high school and college students.
When: June 20–July 3
Courses:
American Political Thought
Democracy in Crisis
The Age of Sensibility
Build an LLM From Scratch
Plus: Write an essay on the Declaration of Independence for a chance to win a $2,500 award toward the Fellowship.
The fairest and most transparent admissions process in America.
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