Human Exceptionalism | Discovery Institute

Center on Human Exceptionalism

The mission of Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism is to affirm and uphold the intrinsic nature of human dignity, liberty, and equality. In resistance to a growing movement against unique human personhood, we aim to revitalize a commitment to the traditional Western view of human rights and human responsibilities — summed up by the term “human exceptionalism.” Read more

Humanize

Microbes Over People?

_{Wesley J. Smith
March 17, 2025
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Human Exceptionalism}

Only a philosopher could claim seriously that humans owe significant moral duties to microbes. But NYU bioethicist Jeff Sebo delivers precisely that thesis in his new book The Moral Circle: Who Matters, What Matters, and Why (W.W. Norton, 192 pp.). Don’t look for a sanctity of human life argument here. Rather, Sebo takes readers on a step-by-step simplified course in moral philosophy. He writes that moral standing depends on whether duties are owed to the entity or being under consideration. If so, these entities or beings belong in “the moral circle” and possess “intrinsic value.” The general idea that most life has at least some intrinsic value is unobjectionable. But Sebo takes it to an extreme. He advocates widening the moral circle so radically …

At Last, the Medical Establishment’s Support for “Gender Affirming Care” Begins to Crack: Wesley J. Smith; March 17, 2025; 5; Health Care

Bobby Schindler on the 20th Anniversary of the Death of Terri Schiavo: Bobby Schindler; March 17, 2025; 3

Wesley J. Smith Talks Human Exceptionalism on Family First New Zealand: Editor and Wesley J. Smith; March 13, 2025; 1; Euthanasia

PETA Sues NIH for Violating Its “First Amendment Right” to Talk to Monkeys: Wesley J. Smith; March 12, 2025; 5; Animal Welfare

Stand Up for (Ideological) Science 2025 Day!: Wesley J. Smith; March 10, 2025; 4; Scientism

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Podcast

Bobby Schindler on the 20th Anniversary of the Death of Terri Schiavo

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Bobby Schindler
March 17, 2025}

For those who may not remember, Terri Schiavo was a profoundly cognitively disabled woman who became the subject of a legal and cultural battle that made international headlines. The case became a bitter and protracted conflict between Michael Schiavo, Terri’s husband who wanted to pull her feeding tube, and the Schindler family that fought to save their child and sister’s life. In the end, the courts granted Schiavo permission to do as he wanted. It took two weeks for Terri to die. This year marks the 20th anniversary of her death, and it seems a good time to take stock of the meaning and legacy of her case. Wesley’s guest is Terri’s brother, Bobby Schindler. He is president of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network that advocates for the medically …

David V. Hicks on the Myths We Live By

_{David V. Hicks
March 3, 2025}

We live in an increasingly secular age in which religious believers — particularly Christians — are accused of believing in myths, meaning false stories. But are religious myths really false? Moreover, do modernists have their own myths by which they live? And why do humans create myths and what societal purposes do they serve, anyway? The classical educator and Orthodox Christian David V. Hicks has thought deeply about these questions, which he explores in a fascinating new book: The Stones Cry Out: Reflections on the Myths We Live By. In the known universe, only man quests for both “meaning” and “truth.” Hicks notes that myths are our primary means of pursuing these dual human exceptionalist pursuits. The myths about which he writes are not just religious …

Ira Byock, M.D., on the Crisis in Hospice Care

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Ira Byock
February 10, 2025}

The creation of the modern hospice movement was a major advance in the care for people with terminal illnesses. Alas, in recent years, hospice has entered something of a crisis, with too many facilities offering inadequate care and some patients receiving short shrift of services to which they are entitled. To get to the bottom of the problem, Wesley invited one of the movement’s leading lights, Dr. Ira Byock, to discuss what has gone wrong with hospice and what can be done about it. Ira Byock, M.D., F.A.A.H.P.M., is a leading medical authority, author, and public advocate for improving care for people living with serious medical conditions. He is an active emeritus professor of medicine and community & family medicine at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. He …

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