Victor Davis Hanson: The Decline of Religiosity is More Worrisome Than the Rise of Artificial Intelligence
Podcast: Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words | The Daily Signal
Host: Jack Fowler
Episode Date: January 8, 2026
Recording Date: December 23, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, historian and classicist Victor Davis Hanson joins host Jack Fowler for the second installment of their “Sour 16”—a tournament-style discussion of issues that most deeply trouble Hanson about the modern West. The conversation tackles the decline of religiosity, educational collapse, the emasculation of young men, the economic and social decay of cities, and more. Listeners are treated to Hanson's deeply personal insights, rooted in classical history and modern experience, and his trademark blend of scholarly analysis and vivid anecdote.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Religiosity vs. Artificial Intelligence

Main Conclusion:
Hanson argues that the collapse of religious faith and tradition in the U.S.—the decline of “religiosity”—constitutes a greater threat to the nation’s fabric than advances in artificial intelligence.

• Transcendence vs. Nihilism:
  • “If you don’t believe in any transcendence, then it affects your humanism. That says you’re only here now. There’s no mystery anymore. … It’s just a nihilistic creed in my view.” (00:20, 31:39)
• Historical Importance of Judeo-Christian Tradition:
  • “It’s very important that you have a Judeo-Christian dominant tradition, with exceptions that you are tolerant of Buddhists and Muslims … without diluting the main tradition that affected the founders. … Christianity’s done a wonderful thing and the country will not survive without it.” (00:20, 36:38, 38:24)
• Contrast with AI Fears:
  • While AI presents risks—especially around control and misuse—Hanson believes secularization erodes societal purpose and cohesion more profoundly.
  • He sees value in AI, recounting practical benefits (medical report analysis), but warns against uncritical reliance, especially among students and educators.

Notable Quote

“I am very worried about secularism, atheism. … It’s very important that you have a Judeo-Christian dominant tradition … the country will not survive without it.” — Victor Davis Hanson (00:20, 38:24)

2. Personal Story—The Power of Faith in Crisis

Hanson recalls a life-threatening medical emergency in Libya—a ruptured appendix requiring surgery with little hope, scarce resources, and no anesthesia.

• Faith Under Duress:
  • Recounts praying for survival and refusing to convert when urged by a nurse.
  • “I have all my trust in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and the power of Christianity for even a sinner like me.” (03:09)
• Anecdote as Illustration:
  • The story reinforces Hanson’s convictions about the sustaining power of religious faith.

Notable Moments

“And she said, you need to pray to Muhammad and you can convert and you will live. And I said, I have all my trust in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior…” — Victor Davis Hanson (03:09)

3. America’s Educational Free Fall

Main Conclusion:
Hanson views the collapse in educational standards and achievement in the U.S. as catastrophic and symptomatic of a declining civilization.

• Experiences in Academia:
  • Over 21 years of teaching humanities, witnessed a dramatic decline in reading abilities and critical thinking among students.
  • “When I started in 1984 … nine readings...When I finished 21 years later, that same course had two readings, Homer and Sophocles. … I would say all of them could not read those things.” (14:54)
• Administrative Bloat and Lowered Standards:
  • “The administrative cast … was three times the size. … You betrayed your own brand. You said to everybody that we are meritocratic ... But that was not true.” (19:13–23:29)
• Historical Parallel—Civilizational Dark Ages:
  • Draws analogy to Greek and Roman collapses—loss of skills, mythic nostalgia for achievements that cannot be replicated.
  • “We still have that Mycenaean elite, but we don’t have an educated class to implement and to run the technology. … We’re going into the Dark Ages.” (24:24–29:31)

Notable Quote

“Just anybody who’s listening, just say to yourself, could this generation build the Hoover Dam, the Empire State Building ... I say no. No, no, no, no, no. They don’t have a skill. They’re too regulatory. They’re pure bureaucratic.” — Victor Davis Hanson (29:31)

4. The Emasculation of the American Man vs. Aging Populations

Main Conclusion:
Hanson sees the loss of traditional masculinity—compounded by economic, cultural, and sexual revolution factors—as more damaging than societal aging.

• Economic Globalization:
  • Outsourcing left young men in central America with diminished prospects.
  • “So that was one thing that hurt young people. There were not jobs when I was graduating.” (42:58)
• DEI and Educational Failures:
  • Affirmative action and ideological education “demonized the young up and coming white class” and left many unskilled, in debt, and disillusioned.
• Changing Sexual & Gender Norms:
  • “We sensationalized nudity … then you get a schizophrenic idea. … The male’s reaction is: I’m not dating, it’s too dangerous. I’m going to go to porn. … It is a toxic brew.” (42:58–49:38)
• Yet, Glimmers of Hope:
  • Voices optimism from encounters with students at traditional and religious institutions.
  • “I do get encouraged. There is a new traditionalism. … I want to get married and have children.” (49:43)

5. The Ruin of American Cities vs. 'Basement' Workforces

Main Conclusion:
The visible and accelerating decay of U.S. cities—rising crime, corruption, collapse of public infrastructure—worries Hanson more than the “permanent basement” phenomenon.

• Personal Reflection on Work Ethic:
  • Hanson’s father established a strict culture of work, contrasting with today’s lack of engagement.
• Systemic Urban Failure:
  • “It’s not just the big ones. It’s things like Fresno and Stockton… The downtowns are gone.” (54:05)
  • Links urban blight to progressive governance: DEI leadership, mismanaged resources, regulations pushing businesses and people out.
• California as Case Study:
  • “They’ve destroyed California. Gavin Newsom should not be running for president … I pray to God and I’m a sinner and I have destroyed this state…” (55:35)
• Broader Trend:
  • Red states thriving; “the whole blue model” failing in city after city. (55:41–58:07)
• Predicts Cities Becoming Ghost Towns:
  • “You go in there and it was packed and it’s like a ghost town. Who wants to go and get mugged?” (58:11)

Notable Quote

“California is going to be worse than Minnesota. I think there’s going to be a hundred billion dollars in unemployment fraud and homeless fraud and all these other projects that have failed. … They can’t do anything.” — Victor Davis Hanson (55:04)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening Reflections on Religiosity (00:20, 31:39)
• Libyan Medical Emergency/Faith Story (03:09–12:08)
• Collapse of U.S. Education (14:54–29:31)
• Artificial Intelligence vs. Declining Faith (31:33–38:24)
• Masculinity & Social Upheaval (42:07–49:43)
• Decay of Cities & Workforce Withdrawal (52:07–58:39)

Memorable Quotes

• On Faith:
  “I have all my trust in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and the power of Christianity for even a sinner like me.” — Victor Davis Hanson (03:09)
• On Education:
  “You betrayed your own brand. You said to everybody that we are meritocratic...But that was not true.” — Victor Davis Hanson (23:29)
• On Societal Decline:
  “We still have that Mycenaean elite, but we don’t have an educated class to implement and to run the technology. … We’re going into the Dark Ages.” — Victor Davis Hanson (29:31)
• On Masculinity:
  “It is a toxic brew. The young male today, they don’t have the educational skills. … I’m worried about it. It’s really terrible.” — Victor Davis Hanson (49:38)
• On Urban Collapse:
  “They’ve destroyed California. Gavin Newsom should not be running for president … I pray to God and I’m a sinner and I have destroyed this state…” — Victor Davis Hanson (55:35)

Takeaway and Tone

Hanson brings a tone of urgent concern, blending scholarly gravitas with personal and sometimes humorous anecdotes. The discussion is frank about present-day American decline, yet maintains sparks of optimism based on experiences with younger generations at faith-based or traditionalist institutions.

Listeners who missed the episode will gain a clear sense of Hanson’s worldview: the erosion of faith, educational excellence, and traditional virtues—as well as urban decay and cultural confusion—pose existential threats to the West, far surpassing even the sci-fi specter of runaway AI.

Next Episode Preview:
Hanson and Fowler continue their “Sour 16” analysis, pitting these top anxieties against each other as they seek to identify the most pressing challenge facing America and the West.

Subscribe to listen to more from Victor Davis Hanson at victorhansen.com.