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

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

Casey Luskin
February 9, 2026
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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. …

Did Gavin Newsom Witness His Mother’s Murder?

Wesley J. Smith
February 6, 2026
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Euthanasia

Are We Just Animals? A Tempting Delusion

J. Budziszewski
February 5, 2026
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Human Exceptionalism

Woman Euthanized and Her Face Transplanted in Spain

Wesley J. Smith
February 4, 2026
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Euthanasia

Animal Research Points to Potential Pancreatic Cancer Cure

Wesley J. Smith
February 2, 2026
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Public Health

An Ethical Alternative to IVF

Arina Grossu Agnew
February 2, 2026
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Bioethics

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Podcast

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. …

Dr. Michael J. New on Abortion, the Dobbs Decision, Sidewalk Counseling, and the Annual March for Life

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Michael J. New
January 19, 2026
The struggle over the legality of abortion has roiled the country for more than fifty years. On one side, the pro-life movement insists that innocent life must be protected by the government and in morality from conception to natural death. On the other, “pro-choice” advocates insist that abortion is medical care and that the decision of whether to terminate a pregnancy belongs solely to the mother and her doctor. Few issues have so bitterly divided the country for as long as abortion has, with the exceptions of Abolition and the Civil Rights movements. Pro-life advocates are often stereotyped as being merely pro-birth, that is, only caring for a baby until he or she is born. But is that true? And what drives committed pro-life advocates to expend so much time and energy …

Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick on the Nature of Evil

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Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
December 29, 2025
Is evil a metaphysical reality, or is it merely a word we use to describe intentionally destructive behavior or horribly painful outcomes? If evil is real, what is its nature? Can one believe in the existence of evil without having a religious understanding of reality? And if evil does exist, does that mean good must also? My guest today, a priest in the Orthodox Church, has some informed opinions on these questions. The Very Rev. Archpriest Andrew Stephen Damick is Chief Content Officer of Ancient Faith Ministries, the former pastor (2009-2020) of St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, and author or co-author of The Wolf and the Cross (2025), The Lord of Spirits (2023), and several other books, all from Ancient Faith Publishing. He has been podcasting since …

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