BECOMING HUMAN

Becoming Human with philosopher Samuel Loncar
is a show for a species in transition.

Becoming Human was born from a new story of the human that I am seeking to live and share with others. The show brings my original research and my conversations, courses and interviews with artists, scientists, and writers to the widest possible audience.

BECOMING HUMAN: ORIGINS

Becoming Human: Origins (2020) tells the story of how an atheistic revolution in philosophy, beginning with Socrates and Jesus, remade religion and science, and set the stage for our post-human age. It argues that the dominant story of reason, science, and religion is a modern myth, and must be replaced if we are to make real progress.

The series begins by presenting Socrates as a revolutionary religious martyr and ends with the death of God and Reason, revealing the common connection between Protestant Christianity, the Enlightenment, Marxism, and Science. These movements are perceived as radically contradictory, but the source of their conflict is their common ancestry: they are all part of a single atheistic narrative—one that has never been told.

That story, recounted here, explains why atheists are religious, why antisemitism persists through all these movements, and why we have a current crisis around the question: What does it mean to be human?​​​

Becoming Human: Origins is based on a decade of research at Yale on science and religion, and it launched the Becoming Human Project: a multimedia project that brings philosophy as a way of life to everyone and seeks to build a community of creators pursuing a more meaningful life

“Samuel Loncar is
smart and persuasive
and a joy to listen to. . .”

Costica Bradatan, Ph.D.
Philosophy Editor, LA Review of Books
Professor of the Humanities in the Honors College at
Texas Tech University & Honorary Research Professor
of Philosophy at the University of Queensland

REVIEWS

“Engaging, thoughtful analysis of what it means to be human in our modern context. This show will challenge you to consider who you are and where you are. I think everyone interested in understanding philosophy, religion, and science should listen to this podcast.”
- WTM, Apple Reviewer

“Amazing! This brought up so many issues of thought and worked through them wonderfully. A must listen!”
- Saliah Anahana, Apple Reviewer

Available on Spotify, Apple, and Stitcher,
and other major podcast apps.

JOIN the BECOMING HUMAN PROJECT

Episodes 1-3 of Becoming Human: Origins is available on the Becoming Human podcast, and the series is now available to purchase. Join the Becoming Human Project today for special member rates on all audio courses, community access, and excluding member-only content.

“I haven’t ever been this excited about a podcast!”

Søren Kierkegaard: The Poet of Existence

Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher and religious thinker, created one of the most consequential bodies of writing in human history.

One of the greatest literary writers, he is also widely regarded as the most important philosophers and theologians to create much of the 20th century: movements like existentialism, modern theology, and even forms of modern nihilism can be traced back to the work of Kierkegaard.

Kierkegaard is known as a delightful and difficult figure; like Socrates, he is ironic and hard to understand. He is also my first great teacher, so to honor his personal and historical influence, I’ve created an 8 episode public lecture series, Soren Kierkegaard: The Poet of Existence (part one). The Existential Enlightenment: An Introduction to Søren Kierkegaard (part two) is available for purchase.

FEATURED CONVERSTATIONS

Makoto Fujimura is an internationally recognized artist who has developed a unique fusion of traditional Japanese painting, Nihonga, with abstract expressionism. In this conversation, Fujimura shares his story and his wisdom on how art is a way of becoming human, how it can help us live with suffering, and even reveal the divine world in everyday life.

Avi Loeb is the Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University and a best-selling author. In this conversation, Loeb discusses his book, Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth, which lays out his scientific hypothesis that 'Oomuamua, the first interstellar object detected in our solar system, is likely equipment from an Extraterrestrial civilization. We discuss the state of science, why it has been closed-minded about extraterrestrial life, and what the future of science, and humanity, might be.

Rabbi Jacobson is a best-selling author of Towards a More Meaningful Life and reaches hundreds of thousands daily through his YouTube channel. In this far-reaching conversation, we explore anxiety and “healthy angst,” why religion is declining and spirituality is growing, what the spirit is, why the “messianic age” is about the elevation of human consciousness, and how he would respond if he was representing humanity to a delegation of ethically advanced aliens, and they asked, “What is the matter with humanity?”