Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity

In this week’s episode we discussed Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s provocative “Theory of Stupidity,” written during his resistance to the Nazi regime. Drawing from his letters and prison writings, Bonhoeffer argues that stupidity is more dangerous than evil, not a lack of intelligence, but a moral and social failure that spreads in times of power and propaganda. We unpack what he meant, why he believed stupidity thrives under authoritarianism, and how his insights remain strikingly relevant in today’s polarized world.