An Empiricist's Guide to the Search for God

The Ricochet Podcast

Ricochet

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.7 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 17 October 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Charles Murray's inquiries into social science have resulted in the publication of a number of the most important (and controversial) academic books of the past half-century. It's safe to say he enjoys complexity and taking a stand — and yet there's one big question that Mr. Murray spent half his life dismissing, and the second half marveling at without quite settling. Today, he sits down with Steve, Charlie and a visiting Peter Robinson to discuss his most personal work yet, the just-released Taking Religion Seriously.

Plus, our trio of merry hosts basks in the Democrats' disarray and they take a closer look at the Supreme Court's hearing in the Callais case that will settle the contradictions between the 14th Amendment and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

Sound clip from this week's open: Justice Brown Jackson spars with an attorney during the Callais v. Louisiana hearing.

Transcript

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0:00.0	All right. Shall we get started?
0:02.3	No, the real reason that I'm returning to this podcast is that over the weekend,
0:07.9	somebody referred to Steve Hayward as the new me, and I thought, that's it.
0:14.6	The difference is that the remedy under the ADA and other anti-discrimination laws is not
0:20.3	stereotyping.
0:22.1	It's not race-based. I take your point. I take your point. But you're saying then that if the
0:29.1	problem of no access is about race, it's just too bad. It's the Rickashay podcast with Stephen Hayward,
0:40.4	Charles C.W. Cook, someone named Peter Robinson,
0:44.7	talking today with Charles Murray about his new book, Taking Religion Seriously.
0:46.7	Let's have ourselves a podcast.
0:49.7	I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence.
0:51.4	I don't think he knows what he said either.
0:57.0	Welcome everybody to RICOay podcast number 762.
1:02.3	It's Stephen Hayward sitting in the host chair today for the still vacationing James Lillix,
1:10.3	joined as usual by Charles C.W. Cook and somebody on my screen who was identified as Peter Robinson.
1:14.9	Although I'm doubtful, well, in the age of AI, Peter, I'm skeptical. It's really you.
1:17.8	I'm busy, so this is actually a hologram.
1:23.8	Right. Okay, good. Where are you today? Are you out here in sunny California?
1:27.2	I'm at home. I'm at home. I am indeed in sunny California. Yes.
1:28.3	I am preparing.
1:29.3	We're having a big deal at the Hoover Institution next week, a celebration of the life and work
1:34.3	of Thomas Sol.
	...

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