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

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

Wesley J. Smith
March 3, 2026
2
Transgenderism
California reprehensibly enacted a law that prohibits school administrators and teachers from informing parents about their child’s gender confusion. It is almost beyond belief that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals quashed a trial court injunction against the law — but then again, it is the Ninth Circuit. Thankfully, in a per curiam emergency-docket ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court just restored the injunction against enforcement. From Mirabelli v. Bonta (citations omitted, my emphasis): California’s policies will likely not survive the strict scrutiny that Mahmoud demands. The State argues that its policies advance a compelling interest in student safety and privacy. But those policies cut out the primary protectors of children’s best interests: their parents. …

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

Arina Grossu Agnew
February 26, 2026
2
Bioethics

Internationalists Want WHO to Have Power Beyond Mere Guidance

Wesley J. Smith
February 26, 2026
2
Public Health

Melissa Ortiz on the Disability Rights Movement

Melissa Ortiz
February 23, 2026
2

U.K. Hospital Unilaterally Cuts Off Life Support of Disabled Patient over Family Objections

Wesley J. Smith
February 19, 2026
4
Health Care

Jesse Jackson Opposed Terri Schiavo’s Intentional Death by Dehydration

Wesley J. Smith
February 18, 2026
2
Human Dignity

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Podcast

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. …

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 …

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