Major Controversies Surrounding Sam Harris: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Sam Harris.

Sam Harris is an American philosopher, neuroscientist, author, and podcast host known for his work on rationality, ethics, free will, consciousness, and the critique of religion. A prominent figure in the New Atheism movement, Harris challenges religious dogma and advocates for a science-based understanding of morality and human well-being. He explores the nature of consciousness, often discussing meditation and psychedelics. His work also touches on political issues, terrorism, and the implications of artificial intelligence, reflecting a broad intellectual scope rooted in science and reason.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2005: Referenced end of Gaza occupation.

In October 2023, during the Gaza war, Sam Harris voiced his support for Israel and noted that Gaza had not been occupied since 2005.

2006: Views on Islam Expressed

In 2006, Sam Harris described Islam as "all fringe and no center", and wrote in The End of Faith that "the doctrine of Islam ... represents a unique danger to all of us", arguing that the war on terror is really a war against Islam.

2006: Op-Ed on the Bush Administration

In 2006, Sam Harris expressed his support for criticisms against the Bush administration's war in Iraq and fiscal policies but also noted that liberalism has grown "dangerously out of touch with the realities of our world" regarding threats posed by Islamic fundamentalism.

April 2007: Debate with Rick Warren

In April 2007, Sam Harris debated with evangelical pastor Rick Warren for Newsweek magazine, furthering his public engagement on the topic of religion and ethics.

2007: "Four Horsemen" Debate

In 2007, Sam Harris participated in the famous "Four Horsemen" debate and asked fellow atheists, Hitchens, Dawkins, and Dennett, about the burden to be evenhanded in criticism of religion, acknowledging the spectrum of religious ideas and the need to take differences seriously, specifically between Islam and other religions like the Amish and Jains.

May 2010: Call to End Vatican Diplomatic Immunity

In May 2010, Sam Harris, along with Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Project Reason, called for the end of the Vatican's "diplomatic immunity" citing allegations of sexual abuse against the Catholic Church. This marked a strong stance against the Catholic Church's handling of abuse cases.

2010: Debate on the Future of God

In 2010, Sam Harris joined Michael Shermer to debate with Deepak Chopra and Jean Houston on the future of God in a debate hosted by ABC News Nightline, continuing his involvement in public discussions on religion and philosophy.

April 2011: Debate with William Lane Craig

In April 2011, Sam Harris debated with Christian philosopher William Lane Craig on whether there can be an objective morality without God. This debate addressed fundamental questions about the basis of morality.

October 2014: Affleck Criticism on Real Time

In October 2014, Sam Harris's views on Islam were described as "gross" and "racist" by actor Ben Affleck on the show Real Time with Bill Maher. This disagreement ignited a debate about Islamophobia and the validity of criticizing religious beliefs.

2014: Views on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

In 2014, Sam Harris criticized both the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas for committing war crimes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He stated that he believes Israel genuinely wants peace but its neighbors are more devoted to its destruction, and also noted Hamas's use of human shields and genocidal rhetoric.

2014: Views on Islam Reaffirmed

In 2014, Sam Harris said he considers Islam to be "especially belligerent and inimical to the norms of civil discourse", as it involves what Harris considers to be "bad ideas, held for bad reasons, leading to bad behavior."

2015: Islam and the Future of Tolerance Co-written

In 2015, Sam Harris and secular Islamic activist Maajid Nawaz cowrote Islam and the Future of Tolerance. In this book, Harris argues that the word Islamophobia is a "pernicious meme", a label which prevents discussion about the threat of Islam.

2015: Views on Gun Ownership

In 2015, Sam Harris wrote about owning guns, expressing understanding of the hostility towards gun culture but arguing for a rational case for gun ownership due to the unreliability of police and the potential for self-defense.

2015: Exchange with Noam Chomsky

In 2015, following an email exchange on terrorism and U.S. foreign policy, Noam Chomsky criticized Sam Harris for not being adequately prepared and called his work unserious, contributing to accusations of Islamophobia.

2016: Support for Hillary Clinton and opposition to Donald Trump

In 2016, Sam Harris supported Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Party presidential primaries against Bernie Sanders, and in the general election, he strongly opposed Donald Trump's candidacy despite calling Clinton "a terribly flawed candidate".

2016: Chomsky's Criticism

In a 2016 interview with Al Jazeera English's UpFront, Noam Chomsky further criticized Sam Harris, saying he "specializes in hysterical, slanderous charges against people he doesn't like", adding to the controversy surrounding Harris's views.

April 2017: Podcast with Charles Murray

In April 2017, Sam Harris hosted Charles Murray on his podcast, discussing topics including the heritability of IQ and race and intelligence. This sparked controversy and criticism, with accusations of promoting "pseudoscientific racialist speculation".

2018: Criticism from Robert Wright

In 2018, Robert Wright criticized Sam Harris in an article in Wired, stating that Harris ignored his own cognitive biases and engaged in faulty arguments in his book The End of Faith.

2018: Criticism of Donald Trump

In 2018, Sam Harris criticized Donald Trump for lying, stating that Trump "has assaulted truth more than anyone in human history".

November 2020: Statement on not identifying with the intellectual dark web

In November 2020, Sam Harris stated that he does not identify as a part of that group.

2020: Described as 'Counter-Jihad Left' Champion

In 2020, Jonathan Matusitz, Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida, described Sam Harris as "a champion of the counter-jihad left", highlighting his stance and criticism of certain aspects of Islam.

2020: Support for Andrew Yang and comments on Hunter Biden's laptop

In 2020, Sam Harris supported Andrew Yang in the Democratic primaries and introduced Yang to Joe Rogan. After the election, he dismissed the significance of Hunter Biden's laptop, arguing that even extreme scandals would not change his opposition to Donald Trump.

2021: Resignation from the 'Intellectual Dark Web'

In 2021, Sam Harris stated that he had "turn[ed] in [his] imaginary membership card to this imaginary organization", referring to the Intellectual Dark Web.

October 2023: Support for Israel during the Gaza war

In October 2023, during the Gaza war, Sam Harris voiced his support for Israel. He opposed the argument that Israeli settlements in the West Bank provoked Hamas, noting Gaza had not been occupied since 2005, and condemned the October 7 attacks.

2023: Criticism of COVID-19 commentators

In 2023, Sam Harris criticized commentators for pushing what he considered to be "patently insane" views on COVID-19, accusing them of believing COVID-19 policies were a way of implementing social control. He also said that if COVID-19 had killed more children, there would be no patience for vaccine skepticism.

2023: Reasons for leaving the Intellectual Dark Web

In 2023, during an interview with The Daily Beast, Sam Harris explained that he had broken away from the intellectual dark web due to disagreements with Bret Weinstein, and Maajid Nawaz's "obsession" with COVID-19 conspiracy theories and criticism of COVID-19 policies. He also expressed disappointment with Dave Rubin.

July 2, 2024: Interview on Bias Against Israel

On July 2, 2024, Sam Harris's interview with a former Knesset member discussed the bias against Israel at the United Nations, the nature of double standards, Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza, antisemitism, anti-Zionism, the "Zionism is racism" resolution at the UN, the lie that Israel is an apartheid state, the notion that Israel is perpetrating a 'genocide' against the Palestinians, the Marxist oppressed-oppressor narrative, and the false moral equivalence between the atrocities committed by Hamas and the deaths of noncombatants in Gaza.

2024: Endorsement of Kamala Harris and criticism of Democrats

In 2024, Sam Harris endorsed Kamala Harris in the United States presidential election. After Kamala Harris lost the election, he criticized Democrats for embracing identity politics, gender identity, and the Biden administration for poor handling of immigration at the southern border.

June 2025: Support for Operation Midnight Hammer

In June 2025, Sam Harris supported Operation Midnight Hammer, which authorized military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities amid the ongoing Iran–Israel war.

July 2025: Reservations Regarding Support for Israel

In July 2025, Sam Harris wrote about his reservations regarding his support for Israel, citing allegations of corruption against Benjamin Netanyahu and the influence of religious extremists on the Israeli government, despite his previous support for the war.