Harris argues that the Nazi Holocaust and the Nazi euthanasia program (sterilizing and killing people deemed mentally defective) exemplify the consequences of rejecting the principle of universal human equality, making it a dangerous precedent that might justify maintaining speciesism as a safeguard.

normativepending

Speaker

Sam Harris

Evidence Quote

The Nazis prior to the Holocaust in full swing just deciding, okay, well, it's time to sterilize all of these you know, mental defectives and you know, now that we're sterilizing them, why why don't we just start killing them en masse because these aren't lives worth living.

Source

Animal Minds & Moral Truths: A Conversation with Peter Singer (Episode #342)Sam Harris
Created: 8/12/2026, 6:38:38 PM

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