Episode 25: The Legacy of Christopher Hitchens, with Dr. Ben Burgis

Christopher Hitchens was perhaps the wittiest and most vibrant of the atheist “Four Horsemen” until his passing in 2011. In addition to religious criticism, over his long career as a writer and journalist, “Hitch” turned his critical pen against many figures, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, Henry Kissinger, and even Mother Teresa. But his career was not without controversy, particularly his support for the Iraq War in 2003, which seemed to contradict his socialist politics. To talk about Hitchens’s complex legacy – and other subjects including cancel culture, YouTube debates, and the links between socialism and atheism – we are joined by Dr. Ben Burgis, a philosophy instructor at Rutgers University and author of “Christopher Hitchens: What He Got Right, How He Went Wrong, and Why He Still Matters.”For bonus content, available exclusively to our supporters on Patreon, we talk with Ben about his recent interview with Christopher’s brother, Peter Hitchens, and about Hitch’s legendary affinity for drinking.For more on Ben: https://benburgis.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCByZMNYpHFEetI0s3deYH2gTwitter: https://twitter.com/BenBurgisChristopher Hitchens: What He Got Right, How He Went Wrong, and Why He Still Matters: https://redemmas.org/titles/36536-christopher-hitchens--what-he-got-right--how-he-went-wrong--and-why-he-still-mattersCanceling Comedians While the World Burns: A Critique Of The Contemporary Left: https://redemmas.org/titles/34877-canceling-comedians-while-the-world-burns--a-critique-of-the-contemporary-leftCharlie Kirk debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VWFlteBniwFollow Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NathGAlexanderNathan’s website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/If you find the podcast valuable and want to support it, check out our Patreon page, where you will also find bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/beyond_atheism You can also contribute by going to https://anchor.fm/beyond-atheism and clicking the “Support” button. We are grateful for every contribution.