Reclaiming Common Sense in a Pandemic of Lunacy

Intelligent Design the Future

Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture

Science, Life Sciences, Society & Culture, Philosophy, Astronomy

4.3 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2026

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Bad ideas have consequences. We don't have to look far to see evidence of it. Every day the news headlines are filled with conflicting versions of the same story. Biological facts are treated as “opinions,” logic is labeled as “hate,” and to speak up for common sense is seen as a revolutionary act. We're seeing this in every area of life, including science. So what's going on? How can we get back to clear thinking and respectful discourse? Helping us answer those questions today is J. Budziszewski, a professor of government, philosophy, and civic leadership at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the new book Pandemic of Lunacy: How to Think Clearly When Everyone Around You Seems Crazy. In his book, Professor Budziszewski patiently explains 30 delusions that beset us in the modern age. Ranging over the topics of morality and happiness, politics and science, family and sexuality, the real and the unreal, and God and religion, Budziszewski makes the case for sanity in accessible, commonsense language. In Part 1 of the conversation, we start zooming into some of the bad ideas that are specifically relevant to science and the arguments for intelligent design. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.

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0:00.0	So I want to encourage people that they can make contact with their common sense again,
0:05.1	that it's okay, and that the loony ideas around you really are loony.
0:11.2	You're not crazy because if you don't agree with them,
0:15.0	that it's possible to stay clear of them, that all is not lost,
0:18.8	that you don't have to despair and wonder if you're going nuts.
0:23.1	ID, The Future, a podcast about evolution and intelligent design.
0:29.1	Every day, the news headlines are filled with conflicting versions of the same story.
0:34.7	Biological facts are treated as opinions.
0:37.3	Logic is labeled as hate, and to speak up
0:39.9	for common sense is seen as a revolutionary act. And we're in this every area of life, and that includes
0:46.4	science. Well, what is happening to the world? What is wrong with us? Welcome to ID the Future. I'm your
0:52.5	host, Andrew McDermott. Helping us explore the answer to
0:55.7	these issues and questions today is Jay Bougeshefsky, a professor of government, philosophy,
1:01.5	and civic leadership at the University of Texas at Austin. Internationally recognized for his work
1:07.2	on natural law, self-deception, happiness, and ultimate purpose, he is widely
1:12.2	read on the unraveling and possible restoration of our common culture. Among his 20 previous books
1:18.7	are what we can't not know, how to state Christian in college, and how and how not to be happy.
1:25.2	His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, First Things,
1:28.5	National Review, and the Weekly Standard. Well, Jay, welcome to the podcast. Well, thanks. I'm glad to be on.
1:35.2	Absolutely. Well, my introduction to you and your work, besides hearing your name mentioned
1:39.6	by colleagues at the Discovery Institute, was actually reading your 2008 book, maybe a little earlier,
1:46.0	True Tolerance, Liberalism and the Necessity of Judgment.
	...

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