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

Are Some “Brain Dead” Patients Actually Alive? A Neurologist Examines Brain Death Criteria with Dr. Christopher DeCock

Arina Grossu Agnew
March 12, 2026
3
Bioethics
What is death? It’s the moment a human being ceases to exist. But when is that exactly? We tend to think we know the answer, but what if the question is not that simple, especially when it comes to brain death? In this episode of Bioethics Babe, pediatric neurologist Dr. Christopher DeCock examines one of the most important questions in medicine, law, and bioethics: What if the medical criteria used to declare someone brain dead are not actually proving what we think they are proving? Current brain death determinations are largely based on clinical brain death criteria developed by the American Academy of Neurology, including coma, absence of brainstem reflexes, and apnea testing. But do these tests truly demonstrate the cessation of all brain function, as the law …

Euthanasia of the Mentally Ill Increasing in the Netherlands

Wesley J. Smith
March 10, 2026
4
Euthanasia

The Trouble with Transhumanism: Wesley J. Smith’s Guest Appearance on Bioethics Babe

Wesley J. Smith
March 9, 2026
3

Ben Sasse and Rush Limbaugh: Life with Dignity

Wesley J. Smith
March 6, 2026
4
Human Dignity

Supreme Court Prevents California Schools from Hiding Kids’ Gender Confusion from Parents

Wesley J. Smith
March 3, 2026
2
Transgenderism

Designer Babies: When IVF Becomes Human Design with Dr. Tara Sander Lee

Arina Grossu Agnew
February 26, 2026
2
Bioethics

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Podcast

The Trouble with Transhumanism: Wesley J. Smith’s Guest Appearance on Bioethics Babe

Wesley J. Smith
March 9, 2026
Turnabout is fair play, they say. So on this episode of Humanize, Wesley is the guest, interviewed by the “Bioethics Babe,” the podcast of Center on Human Exceptionalism Fellow Arina Grossu Agnew. Arina and Wesley discuss the nature of transhumanism, its philosophical, moral, and political implications, its role as a substitute for religion, its threat to human equality, and whether we are quietly waging a war on human equality in the name of progress. Is transhumanism the next frontier of progress or a revival of eugenics in a biotech age? In this episode of Bioethics Babe, I sit down with attorney, award-winning author, and Humanize podcast host Wesley J. Smith to unpack the growing transhumanist movement, the push to engineer a “post-human” future …

Melissa Ortiz on the Disability Rights Movement

Melissa Ortiz
February 23, 2026
Disability rights is a global social and civil rights movement that advocates for equal opportunities, accessibility, and freedom from discrimination. The goal is to ensure that people with disabilities participate fully and equally in society free from barriers in employment, healthcare, architecture, and education. It has been more than thirty-five years since President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act. Yet, despite many years of advocacy, the scope, breadth, and goals of the movement are less known than activism for racial and sex equality. So, Wesley thought he would look into the movement to recount its successes and goals yet to be achieved. His guest is Melissa Ortiz, founder and principal of Capability Consulting, an award-winning speaker, and a …

Dr. Casey Luskin on the Genetic Differences Between Humans and Chimpanzees and Why They Matter

Casey Luskin
February 9, 2026
Chimpanzees, we are told, are the closest relatives to human beings. Indeed, for years scientists claimed that there is only about a one percent difference separating the human genome from that of chimps. Some advocates even claimed that means humans are mostly chimps, or that chimps are mostly human, eroding the principle of human exceptionalism. But research published last year disclosed that the “one percent difference” was badly off the mark and that the true genetic difference between humans and chimps is about 15%. But what does the genetic difference statistic mean scientifically, and whether one percent or fifteen, does it matter morally? Wesley invited one of Discovery Institute’s premier scholars to discuss these new findings and the meaning of it all. …

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