Date published: TBC
Hitchens denounces capital punishment not merely as flawed or racist, but as an irredeemable assertion of state power over life and death. Framing the death penalty as “human sacrifice,” the argument rejects the notion that any government has the moral authority to execute its citizens, exposing the practice as a relic of absolutism incompatible with democratic and Enlightenment values.
Date published: TBC
Every restriction on expression prepares the ground for future repression. From Oliver Wendell Holmes to modern European thought-crime laws, he shows that the suppression of any opinion - however offensive - ultimately endangers all of them.
Date published: TBC
The illusion of God is a critique of theism that reveals the flaws in religious metaphysical claims. Hitchens argues that these claims are not true, but rather false and rooted in humanity's infancy as a species. They also highlight the limitations of human understanding and the dangers of totalitarianism that come with believing in a creator or designer.
Date published: TBC
A critique of religious extremism, arguing that it often leads to cruelty, violence, and repression. Hitchens also argues that religious extremism can lead to horrific acts of violence, as seen in the example of a young girl in Somalia. The author further criticizes the association of religion with totalitarian regimes, suggesting that these regimes often mimic religious structures and ideologies. The text concludes with a discussion on religious pluralism, using the contrast between South and North Korea as an example.
Date published: TBC
Socialism must include beliefs in the equality of all human divisions, cooperation for civilization, the common treasury of the Earth, absence of God and the need for maximizing happiness in this life. Hitchens emphasizes the principle of "from each according to ability, to each according to need" and believes that class struggle is central to societal dynamics. He sees a need for transcending selfishness and fostering collective humanity due to the shared fate of modern times.
Date: April 7, 1997
Hitchens denounces capital punishment not merely as flawed or racist, but as an irredeemable assertion of state power over life and death. Framing the death penalty as “human sacrifice,” the argument rejects the notion that any government has the moral authority to execute its citizens, exposing the practice as a relic of absolutism incompatible with democratic and Enlightenment values.
Date: October 16, 2006
Every restriction on expression prepares the ground for future repression. From Oliver Wendell Holmes to modern European thought-crime laws, he shows that the suppression of any opinion - however offensive - ultimately endangers all of them.
Date: May 14, 2007
The illusion of God is a critique of theism that reveals the flaws in religious metaphysical claims. Hitchens argues that these claims are not true, but rather false and rooted in humanity's infancy as a species. They also highlight the limitations of human understanding and the dangers of totalitarianism that come with believing in a creator or designer.
Date: TBC
A critique of religious extremism, arguing that it often leads to cruelty, violence, and repression. Hitchens also argues that religious extremism can lead to horrific acts of violence, as seen in the example of a young girl in Somalia. The author further criticizes the association of religion with totalitarian regimes, suggesting that these regimes often mimic religious structures and ideologies. The text concludes with a discussion on religious pluralism, using the contrast between South and North Korea as an example.
Date: November 11, 1986
Socialism must include beliefs in the equality of all human divisions, cooperation for civilization, the common treasury of the Earth, absence of God and the need for maximizing happiness in this life. Hitchens emphasizes the principle of "from each according to ability, to each according to need" and believes that class struggle is central to societal dynamics. He sees a need for transcending selfishness and fostering collective humanity due to the shared fate of modern times.
