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Greg Epstein

  • Humanist Chaplain, Harvard University and MIT
  • Author

About

Greg Epstein guides and inspires students, scholars and staff in his dual roles as Humanist Chaplain at both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Grounded in values centered on compassion and collaboration, he stands as a leader in ethics, providing insights relevant to learning, technology, and business. For nearly two decades, Greg has built his name as one of the world's most prominent humanist chaplains—professionally trained clergy supporting the ethical and communal lives of nonreligious people. Marked by rapid growth, 29% of US adults now identify as religiously unaffiliated, representing significant cultural shifts away from traditional systems and institutions.

Focused on building a better world, Greg applies critical thinking to contemporary issues such as the future of work, the shape of communities, and how beliefs about morality and humanity intertwine with technology. He speaks frequently about the need to create lives with meaning and purpose, with values elevating and connecting all peoples. His voice resonates with those raising discussions around human rights: the right to health, education, freedom and democracy, and the fight for justice.

Humanism is about human relationships and connection. We need the presence of other people in our lives in good times and in bad. We've all been so isolated this past few years, and we've seen that when everything is mediated through technology and when we just kind of talk past each other politically without trying to really understand each other as humans, life gets very lonely, very isolating and often very dangerous.

In his New York Times bestselling book Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe, Greg detailed his call to action for the millions of people living good, ethical, and meaningful lives without religion. Later, as Ethicist in Residence at TechCrunch, Greg explored the ethics of companies and technologies shifting our definition of what it means to be human. Timely for the world filled with devices and artificial intelligence, Greg expands on these themes in his next book, Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World's Most Powerful Religion, and Why It Desperately Needs a Reformation.

Personable with a philosopher's soul, Greg thoughtfully provokes audiences to consider positive, progressive options to personal and structural concerns. Well versed in forums, from seminars at schools and universities to political stages including the Democratic National Convention and the US Congress, his talks resonate with groups exploring paths to better connect internally with members and externally across divides.


photo credit: Cody O'Laughlin

Content

Topics

  • Good (With or) Without God: How the Most Secular Generation in US History is Reinventing American Pluralism—and Politics More than 30% of US young adults are now nonreligious, according to sources like Pew and Gallup. But what do these emerging leaders believe and value? How will America change as GenZ increasingly shapes its direction? Greg shares insights from two decades as a prominent representative of humanism and the religiously unaffiliated, sometimes known as “atheists, agnostics, and allies.” With diverse experiences from Harvard and MIT to the White House and the halls of Congress, and in urban and rural public schools, and even the world of Silicon Valley, Greg delivers his uplifting message: our diversity and inclusion is our strength.
  • Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World's Most Powerful Religion and Why It Desperately Needs a Reformation We need a reformation in the religion of technology, marked by parallels to secular faiths: hierarchies, sacred texts, and digital altars with revered deities like Elon Musk. As an expert building positive ethical values within emerging communities, Greg sparks questions for all: what is the extent we should turn to technology as a higher power? Are there better, more humane ideals and institutions for modern lives? How do we differentiate between upgrades with constant demands for seeming convenience, and innovation with more humane products to truly improve life?
  • Technology as Ritual and Addiction A personal, professional, and scientific journey into tech addiction, the war on attention, and how to beat it. Greg considers present and future options, including alternative devices and shifts in attitudes towards tech, spurred by a potential youth-led rise of the luddites. Building on insights from therapists and social workers in the tech space, Greg offers his own understandings from counseling the brilliant and exceptional—but often deeply anxious and troubled—young people at Harvard and MIT, standing at the vanguard of unprecedented ways in life.

Keywords: author, secularism, pluralism, humanism, technology

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