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Great Debates

120 debates and counting — history's greatest minds, brought back to argue. Read them here, watch them on the channel.

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Amundsen vs Scott: should the pole reward cunning or courage?

ROALD AMUNDSEN vs SCOTT go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Amundsen vs Scott: dash or endure?

ROALD AMUNDSEN vs SCOTT go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Amundsen vs Scott: who conquered the Pole rightly?

ROALD AMUNDSEN vs SCOTT go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Aquinas vs Hume: can reason reach God?

THOMAS AQUINAS vs DAVID HUME go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Austen vs Dickens: drawing room or the streets?

JANE AUSTEN vs DICKENS go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Austen vs Wharton: who wrote society's true face?

JANE AUSTEN vs EDITH WHARTON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Austen vs Wilde: should wit reveal the heart or dazzle the room?

JANE AUSTEN vs OSCAR WILDE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Bach vs Wagner: should music serve heaven or overwhelm the soul?

J.S. BACH vs RICHARD WAGNER go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

P.T. Barnum: Villain or Genius?

Beethoven vs Mozart: should music obey grace or defy it?

BEETHOVEN vs MOZART go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Beethoven vs Mozart: is genius labor or lightning?

BEETHOVEN vs MOZART go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Beethoven vs Mozart: does music please or defy?

BEETHOVEN vs MOZART go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Borges vs Tolkien: should a story be a map or a labyrinth?

BORGES vs J.R.R. TOLKIEN go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Borges vs Tolstoy: a labyrinth or a life?

BORGES vs LEO TOLSTOY go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Caleb vs Claude: Should AI Tell You the Truth With No Filter? (The Full Debate)

HOST vs CALEB go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Caleb vs Claude: Should AI Ever Tell You the Truth With No Filter?

HOST vs CALEB go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Capa vs Adams: should a photograph shock or soothe?

ROBERT CAPA vs ANSEL ADAMS go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Catherine the Great vs Peter the Great: who truly forged Russia?

GREAT vs GREAT go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Champollion vs Young: who truly cracked the hieroglyphs?

CHAMPOLLION vs THOMAS YOUNG go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Champollion vs Young: who unlocked the hieroglyphs?

CHAMPOLLION vs THOMAS YOUNG go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Mercator vs Ptolemy: how should we flatten the round Earth?

MERCATOR vs PTOLEMY go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Cleopatra vs Elizabeth I: seduce the throne or shun it?

CLEOPATRA vs ELIZABETH I go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Chanel vs Dior: should fashion free the body or sculpt it?

COCO CHANEL vs CHRISTIAN DIOR go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Rockefeller vs Carnegie: should a fortune be hoarded or given away?

ROCKEFELLER vs CARNEGIE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Copernicus vs Brahe: does the Earth move or hold still?

COPERNICUS vs TYCHO BRAHE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Cortés vs Bolívar: conquer a continent or free it?

HERNÁN CORTÉS vs SIMÓN BOLÍVAR go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Curie vs Lavoisier: who truly tamed the invisible?

MARIE CURIE vs LAVOISIER go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Darwin vs Wallace: can natural selection make a mind?

CHARLES DARWIN vs WALLACE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Da Vinci vs Michelangelo: The Renaissance Grudge

DA VINCI vs MICHELANGELO go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Debussy vs Wagner: should music dissolve or dominate?

CLAUDE DEBUSSY vs RICHARD WAGNER go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history

Diogenes vs the Clout Chase

Einstein vs Tesla ROAST: He Married His Cousin, He Loved a Pigeon

EINSTEIN vs TESLA go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Einstein vs Gandhi: does truth bend matter or men?

EINSTEIN vs MAHATMA GANDHI go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Escher vs Vasarely: does the eye lie or awaken?

M. C. ESCHER vs VASARELY go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Jung vs Freud: what drives the mind?

SIGMUND FREUD vs CARL JUNG go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Escoffier vs Carême: should cuisine be an empire or a monument?

ESCOFFIER vs CARÊME go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Carême vs Escoffier: who plated modern cuisine?

CARÊME vs ESCOFFIER go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Escoffier vs Carême: should cooking be spectacle or system?

ESCOFFIER vs CARÊME go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Chanel vs Schiaparelli: should fashion whisper or shock?

COCO CHANEL vs SCHIAPARELLI go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Faraday vs Kierkegaard: can the leap of faith be measured?

FARADAY vs KIERKEGAARD go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Freud vs Jung: Who'd Diagnose Your Doomscrolling?

FREUD vs JUNG go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Freud vs Jung ROAST: Cocaine, a Spirit Guide, and a Broken Friendship

FREUD vs JUNG go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Freud vs Jung: is the mind a cellar or a cathedral?

SIGMUND FREUD vs CARL JUNG go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Garvey vs Washington: uplift by ownership or by empire?

MARCUS GARVEY vs WASHINGTON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Gaudí vs Eiffel: should structure hide or confess itself?

ANTONI GAUDÍ vs GUSTAVE EIFFEL go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Le Corbusier vs Gaudí: should a home be a machine or an organism?

LE CORBUSIER vs ANTONI GAUDÍ go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Gaudí vs Wren: should stone kneel or command?

ANTONI GAUDÍ vs WREN go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Goethe's Final Wish

Grant vs Whitman: what does war truly cost?

GRANT vs WALT WHITMAN go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Gutenberg vs Caxton: press the Word or peddle the story?

GUTENBERG vs WILLIAM CAXTON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Gutenberg vs Caxton: who truly opened the book to the people?

GUTENBERG vs WILLIAM CAXTON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Gutenberg vs Cai Lun: what carries the word?

GUTENBERG vs CAI LUN go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Halsted vs Lister: should surgery scrub or spray?

HALSTED vs JOSEPH LISTER go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Tubman vs Douglass: fight in the shadows or the spotlight?

HARRIET TUBMAN vs DOUGLASS go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Harrison vs Marconi: should we master time or conquer distance?

JOHN HARRISON vs MARCONI go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Harrison vs Marconi: who really conquered distance?

JOHN HARRISON vs MARCONI go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Harvey vs Galen: does blood flow in circles or ebb like tides?

WILLIAM HARVEY vs GALEN go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Harvey vs Galen: does blood circle or ebb?

WILLIAM HARVEY vs GALEN go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Hemingway vs Fitzgerald: who drank the Lost Generation dry?

HEMINGWAY vs FITZGERALD go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Herodotus vs Thucydides: should history charm or dissect?

HERODOTUS vs THUCYDIDES go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Hokusai vs Monet: should a painter chase the wave or the light?

HOKUSAI vs CLAUDE MONET go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Hokusai vs Van Gogh: should the artist chase the wave or the fire within?

HOKUSAI vs GOGH go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Houdini vs Conan Doyle: is the spirit world real or a trick?

HARRY HOUDINI vs DOYLE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Jefferson vs Hamilton: should the republic plow or produce?

JEFFERSON vs HAMILTON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Jefferson vs Hamilton: farm or factory for the young republic?

JEFFERSON vs HAMILTON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Julia Child vs Fannie Farmer: should the cook trust her senses or the scale?

JULIA CHILD vs FANNIE FARMER go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Jung vs Freud: what lies at the bottom of the mind?

CARL JUNG vs SIGMUND FREUD go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Kahlo vs Van Gogh: must art bleed to be true?

FRIDA KAHLO vs GOGH go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Keynes vs Hayek: should the state steer the economy?

KEYNES vs HAYEK go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Lamarck vs Darwin: do creatures strive or does nature select?

LAMARCK vs CHARLES DARWIN go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Lewis vs Freud: is God comfort or illusion?

C.S. LEWIS vs SIGMUND FREUD go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Lincoln vs Douglass: should freedom come by law or by conscience?

LINCOLN vs DOUGLASS go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Linnaeus vs Buffon: should nature be filed or set free?

CARL LINNAEUS vs BUFFON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Lovelace vs Babbage: is the machine a mind or a mill?

ADA LOVELACE vs BABBAGE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Magellan vs Zheng He: circle the globe or command the seas?

MAGELLAN vs ZHENG HE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Marcus Aurelius vs the Endless Feed

Marx vs Smith: whose hand moves the market?

KARL MARX vs ADAM SMITH go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Marx vs Smith: who truly owns the wealth of nations?

KARL MARX vs ADAM SMITH go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Maxwell vs Newman: can science and faith share one mind?

MAXWELL vs NEWMAN go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Michelangelo vs Leonardo: brush, chisel, and bad blood

MICHELANGELO vs VINCI go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Montaigne vs Doomscrolling

Mozart vs Beethoven ROAST: The Deaf Genius vs The Filthy-Minded Prodigy

MOZART vs BEETHOVEN go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Napoleon vs Caesar: Two Emperors, Two Falls

NAPOLEON vs JULIUS CAESAR go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Napoleon vs Caesar: Two Emperors, One Fatal Flaw

NAPOLEON vs JULIUS CAESAR go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Napoleon vs Julius Caesar ROAST: Two Conquerors, Two Colossal Egos

CAESAR vs NAPOLEON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Napoleon vs Machiavelli: is virtue armor or obstacle?

NAPOLEON vs MACHIAVELLI go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Newton vs Leibniz: The 20-Year Lie in Your Calculus Class

NEWTON vs LEIBNIZ go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Newton vs Leibniz ROAST: The Calculus Feud That Got Personal

NEWTON vs LEIBNIZ go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Nietzsche vs Kierkegaard: what do we do with God's silence?

NIETZSCHE vs KIERKEGAARD go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Lovelace vs Babbage: does the engine dream or merely compute?

ADA LOVELACE vs BABBAGE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Jenny Lind vs Bessie Smith: should a voice soar or ache?

JENNY LIND vs BESSIE SMITH go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Nightingale vs Barton: should nursing count the numbers or hold the hand?

NIGHTINGALE vs CLARA BARTON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Nightingale vs Lister: does cleanliness or chemistry save the wounded?

NIGHTINGALE vs JOSEPH LISTER go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Nightingale vs Lister: does the ward heal or the surgeon?

NIGHTINGALE vs JOSEPH LISTER go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Nightingale vs Seacole: whose care crossed the battlefield?

NIGHTINGALE vs MARY SEACOLE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Olmsted vs Haussmann: should the city breathe or obey?

OLMSTED vs HAUSSMANN go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Palladio vs Wright: should a building obey rules or the land?

PALLADIO vs WRIGHT go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Pankhurst vs Anthony: break windows or bend the law?

PANKHURST vs ANTHONY go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Pankhurst vs Anthony: petition or protest?

PANKHURST vs ANTHONY go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Pasteur vs Koch: who cornered the germ?

LOUIS PASTEUR vs ROBERT KOCH go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Pasteur vs Koch: whose germ theory earns the crown?

LOUIS PASTEUR vs ROBERT KOCH go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Pasteur vs Nightingale: germs or the whole environment?

LOUIS PASTEUR vs NIGHTINGALE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Schopenhauer vs Comparison Culture

Seneca vs the Cult of Busyness

Stanislavski vs Brecht: should theatre make you feel or think?

STANISLAVSKI vs BERTOLT BRECHT go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Stanislavski vs Brecht: should the actor feel or make you think?

STANISLAVSKI vs BERTOLT BRECHT go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Tesla vs Edison: The War They Never Settled

TESLA vs EDISON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Tesla vs Edison: He Electrocuted an Elephant to Win

TESLA vs EDISON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Einstein & Tesla on the Electric Car

EINSTEIN vs TESLA go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Tesla vs Edison: whose current powers the future?

NIKOLA TESLA vs THOMAS EDISON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Tesla vs Edison: should power flow in waves or hold steady?

NIKOLA TESLA vs THOMAS EDISON go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Thoreau vs the Shopping Cart

Mark Twain vs Oscar Wilde ROAST: Two Legendary Wits, One Brutal Duel

TWAIN vs WILDE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Twain vs Wilde: The Wittiest Feud in History

MARK TWAIN vs OSCAR WILDE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Mark Twain vs Oscar Wilde: A Duel of Wits

MARK TWAIN vs OSCAR WILDE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Alan Watts vs Hustle Culture

Wells vs Verne: should science fiction warn or wonder?

H.G. WELLS vs JULES VERNE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Wollstonecraft vs Rousseau: should woman be reasoned or adorned?

WOLLSTONECRAFT vs ROUSSEAU go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Woolf vs Joyce: should the novel whisper the mind or flood it?

VIRGINIA WOOLF vs JAMES JOYCE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

Woolf vs Joyce: should the novel drift or explode?

VIRGINIA WOOLF vs JAMES JOYCE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.