Conversations with Tyler: Luke Burgis on Mimetic Desire, AI, and Catholicism

About this episode

A wide-ranging conversation about how desire, faith, and technology shape modern life. In this full-length Conversations with Tyler episode, Tyler Cowen and guest Luke Burgis explore mimetic desire, social contagion, Catholicism, and the cultural pressures of the achievement era. This condensed summary distills the key ideas into a quick listen, highlighting Burgis’s case for “good contagion,” his surprisingly hopeful view of AI, and his critique of burnout culture in the Anglo world. You’ll also hear his thoughts on liturgy, ritual, intermediary institutions, jazz clubs, pornography, and why the church should resist becoming too mimetic with the surrounding culture. If you’re interested in…