Ask Sam Harris Anything #2
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 10 авг 2011
- Check out Bas Rutten's Liver Shot on MMA Surge: bit.ly/MMASurgeEp1
Sam Harris, author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Moral Landscape, answers questions submitted by users on Reddit.com.
Hear Sam talk about everything from meditation to religion, and see if one of your questions got answered!
To purchase Sam's books, click the links below:
The End of Faith: amzn.to/gIudHF
Letter to a Christian Nation: amzn.to/eTemcG
The Moral Landscape: amzn.to/jAPZur
I’m in a church listening to this with headphones 🤫 🤫 🤫
Feels good, huh?
Even better, learn to play and sing the Ghost-song "He Is", and play it during the next church recital. I guarantee you it'll fit right in there and you'll have a great helluva subversive time. Good luck! :-D
Randy Kowal the irreverence!!
WROOOOONNNNG place to listen to Sam Harris😂
😂
Limer jeez it’s just a joke. Chill out.
Ben Stiller is a smart guy
lol
OpiatedBliss
I've changed my mission slightly, now it's "kill all dumb people". I will start with Deepak Chopra..
Thank you! I've been listening to Sam for months and kept thinking he looks familiar lol
kris tashayner so he DOES look like Ben Stiller after all hahah
*****
Gem pliiiz
Hearing Sam Harris speak is such a treat for my brain.
"If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice." - Freewill | Rush
10:52 yessir
Talk about enjoying the moment for its own sake: I could listen and watch Sam Harris all day and never get tired.
"having to last forever" in order to have meaning. I think his view of this, is so useful to me.
If you think about it, makes no sense that meaning is derived from endlessness. One doesn't follow from the other. Nothing is meaningless just because it ends. And nothing is meaningful just because it doesn't end.
Well, you are most certainly right. That never occurred to me.
Man it's crazy coming back here 8 years later. I remember seeing this and then hearing his first post on Soundcloud. Now his podcast is huge and he's touring the world. Love you, Sam
That first question always gets the same answer from me: The meaning of life is life itself. You are ALIVE. You breathe air, you smell, you taste, you see, you feel. Do you really need more meaning than that? Do you really need more motivation to make of life as much as you can within the given frame of time?
I think this is easy to say if life is good for an individual but when someone's life experience is not, I imagine they see things very differently.
People want to know what the purpose of the existence of life is to begin with, and how best to live. To say that "life exists to exist" is somewhat tautological or circular.
That being said, I know exactly what you mean and it will have to suffice because it isn't yet obvious that there is meaning assigned to life from an external source. And frankly, that's okay too.
@@FormerlyKnownAsArt True. Myth may be useful in that regard. It can be very inspiring to hear that "destiny has a plan for you," but that doesn't necessarily make it true.
@@Xpistos510 Destiny or supreme plans have been used as justification for some pretty terrible atrocities. Inspiration can be negative as well!
Meaning is a subjective concept. Nothing has meaning. humans assign meaning to things. Out of some need I guess, to dumb things down so most can make sense of it
Sam has done good for me and my life, his views on the world and the science of the mind and consciousness have helped me personally beyond words and has given me so much insight in to myself and the other human beings I interact with, and im sure he has helped many thousands in the same way.
Such an extremely sharp mind. I'm honored to be able to listen to this man speak. Also rewind quite a few times to make sure I get his points of view
3:21 I like how he slipped in "for the most part"
ROFL
Sam's intellect should be enough to prove to any human being that we as a species should be far removed from the trappings of religious psychobabble.
You are obviously correct in a sense, and I was raised in a Christian household, but honestly never truly believed. I was in kindergarten when I overheard some classmates discussing "Santa." The one who seemed to have started the exchange kept bringing up extremely logical questions. Like:
"How does he make it to every house in the world in a single night?"
How do all he presents fit in the bag?"
"Have you or anyone you know ever seen a flying reindeer?"
He also claimed to have found the presents hidden in his parent's room the past year. A few more, (kindergarten was a while ago, and I'm almost 42 LOL) but this final salvo really made me think...
*The Chimney.*
"How does he get down the chimney? I don't know about your place, but the chimney at my house is way too small for a regular man to fit through, and if he's all fat, with the jiggly belly? No way."
"And there's usually a fire going. How come he doesn't get burnt?"
He was also insistent that his cousin's house had a wood stove, he holds up his hands about 6 inches apart, saying "The whole thing is only this big, but he still came."
The other boy, who clearly was quite attached to the idea kept saying some variation of "it's magic." to which the the question-asker would always shake his head and answer with some form of "No, I mean like _really,_ and it's not just the fat man. The Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy, too. It's all lies!
That seemed to shake the "it's magic" kid, and I let out a "Whoa..."
Which made them notice me, and the one smiled, and said "I know, right?!" Then he laughed loudly.
I spent the rest of the day mulling over everything, and was unable to come up with anything that wasn't basically "it's magic." The fireplace/wood-stove thing made he dwell on MY cousin, who's house didn't have any fire thing. The past year, I had been over there and asked how he got in their house. My cousin had no idea, so we asked his dad... who just said something like
"Well, how do you get in or out, Santa can't use a door?" that seemed to placate my cousin, but it always stuck in my head.
Now, more than ever.
School let out after much longer, and when my mom picked me up, I asked her. Initially, she said yes, but I had the top questions ready.
The whole world?
Flying reindeer?
How come the fire doesn't burn him?
And the chimney?
She kind of sighed , then started on the whole "parents just want to give gifts, to make you happy without needing thank yous" thing.
I held up a hand, and said "So then, It isn't real. But what about the Easter bunny, and the tooth fairy?"
She looked surprised, and went "well, they're also just because parents love their kids so much..."
I said "so it IS all lies. What about Jesus? He's a lie too?"
She looked shocked, and stammered "Nuh... No. He's real."
I was about as convinced then as I am today
But that is the day that it all made sense. Every time it came up later, and she'd start in about her favorite bible verse, "For god so loved the world..." it always sounded eerily similar to "parents love their kids so much."
So it never rang true.
Still to this day, I've yet to hear a single answer to why god put the tree in the garden, killed everyone in the flood, or god loving Jesus so much that he allowed him to be nailed up on the cross, or frankly anything else that didn't amount essentially to "because I said so" and every time I used the word "lie" my mom would usually get all defensive and start crying.
#BitchPleaseQuitCryingAndStopLying
So I stopped attacking her unless she had pissed me off.
Sorry for rambling out a mini-novel... but the short answer is:
Because people are -fucking- stupid.
Once again, you're correct. The various churches have been suppressing thought, and burning people alive for a long time. For centuries, it was very taboo for people to even read the buy-bull, and even once that became legal, it was still a long, long time before translating it into "the common tongue" didn't get you burned alive, or otherwise tortured to death.
So, the real answer is:
People are _fucking_ stupid, the ones that aren't are evil beyond description.
*** *** ***
"It's hell up there in heaven too, for all that it is worth.
Heaven is just a little lie of mine, to make it hell on Earth."
Interesting story. I share your sentiment, although when talking to religious people now, including my family members, I prefer to take a non-confrontational Socratic approach. I've learned that you're unlikely to change the minds of others through hostility.
The fact you said "Sam's intellect" means you're ignorant at best and know nothing about religion
@@chadz393 I see you comment on more than one person's comment. Why don't you actually try making a decent rebuttal to things in the video? Instead of just spewing garbage and sitting there thinking you are so clever....
@@chadz393 You haven't said anything of substance.
Sam has such a smooth, soft voice, I could listen to him forever.
He's a very enlightened individual, I really appreciate the upload.
Do you feel dumb after that 6 year old comment
@@chadz393 why would he?
@@chadz393 he died 4 years ago
Thank you for both of these very interesting and helpful posts, which I just finished watching. (Writing this on 30 July 2019.)
I can't help but see you as akin, in so many ways, to humanity's great teacher, encourager, and friend Carl Sagan.
Your calm, fair-minded, and deeply thoughtful demeanor remind me so much of him.
Thank you, again. 👍 ❤️
He knows how to talk.
Something we all should learn from.
@Mark Steven have you conversed with every single man on earth?
Mark Steven have more conversations! Sam is just an example of a very thoughtful person with an incredibly sharp handle on language.
All these autistic nerds nitpicking your very simple and appropriate complement
@@eveninggreys3190 Yes it does happen. There is however a very good remedy. Be as exact as you can in a statement. Dont give autistic nitpickers like me the chance to nitpick by providing no opportunity. It is so simple.
Wow! Sam is truly an intelligent and articulate man with a lot of great ideas. He is able to think with reason, without letting political correctness getting in the way, why still being a moral person truly concerned about the wellbeing of the ENTIRE human race.
These are the ideas to being us all into the 21st century, hopefully sooner rather than later. Think how scary it is that many people are still living, in a mental sense, the middle ages yet have access to 21st century weapons capable of incredible destruction.
Take a shot every time Sam says "moment".
Are you trying to kill me?
Mastikator Not at this present moment.
went to alcoholic coma in the first 20 minutes
Did it with rum. Was a dribbling pirate in 20 flat.
***** What have I done...
I love that tiny smirk when he reads the first question
By listening Sam Harris I get feeling of hope
Remember, if you're ever having an existential crisis, simply listen to the first 4 minutes of this vid and you'll be just fine and dandy in no time!
"He doesn't respect the wood."
-Larry David
It's a shame that there aren't more of these kinds of talks. I think everyone benefits from this kind of interview and perspective from someone as knowledgeable as he is. I look forward to more content from him.
I much prefer listening to Sam chat about something to a camera than in a debate. It seems to be less full of rhetoric.
***** Exactly yeah it's just a nicer feel. Much in the same way that I like to watch people with similar views discussing a topic.
Maybe its because you don't have to listen to a creationist speak.
Wilbur Jenkins I just think it's better to hear somebody talking casually about their beliefs, rather than having intense rhetoric in a debate.
New favourite word: rhetoric.
Philosophy On Ice Because it's 2 hours watching debaters dodge interesting questions. They aren't challenging their own beliefs, only preserving their reputation.
Amazing man. So articulate and an excellent writer too.
Sam Harris is a great man!
Don't put the cart before the horse. Choices come from beliefs, but beliefs aren't chosen. At best, beliefs can come from choosing to expose yourself to things you're aware my have the potential to convince you to believe. This is pragmatic though. Technically, yes, choice might not even exist. I don't know. But notice how I can't choose to believe in determinism?
love your videos man. keep up the good work.
Makes my day and makes me laugh 😆
His voice is actually so calming, he could be talking about anything and I'd be hypnotised!!
I’ve never heard a person with such a beautiful command of the English language.
You had me from "Software glitch of the human mind". Awesome!
"To use the enemys tactics is to become the enemy, then the struggle is in vain"
I cant remember where I heard this quote, but I live by every day.
7:30 Wow, mind blown right out of the park. Thanks for that moment of enlightenment Mister Harris. I'm going to be thinking about this for days, if not weeks.
I would love to hear what Sam has to say about addiction, and ways to diminish the feelings of addiction from a subjective perspective and also “neuroscientific” perspective.
I love the product placement mug, because everyone drinks from a cup with the handle pointing away from them.
a wonderful article by Isaac Asimov: The Relativity of Wrong.
The entire article talks about the way science furthers knowledge.
There is a short version online but the entire version really says, in Dr. Asimov's way, just what Dr. Harris says about how science changes.
Asimov says that when people thought the Earth was flat they were only 8 inches per mile wrong. This is not very wrong but is enough to make a globe rather than a table.
Excellent article by Asimov and excellent video by Harris.
joed My all time favorite author!
Love the videos bro! Keep it up!
I just spent the past hour or so talking to some Jehovah's Witnesses about religion, evolution, and all of that jazz. It's so refreshing to come here and listen to Sam Harris's smooth, intelligent delivery after listening to deluded religious people babble on about nonsense.
The whole "free will" thing is so fascinating to me.
lindas1st but it isn't your choice and you cannot help it!
@@rossevans2814 ah yes this reply for the millionth time
That's why in some of his other talks he's said that although free will is an illusion that we can act as if it's not. The best example of this is to think of your best friend, in most given situations you probably know how they will act, because you know so much about them and their background. But just because you know how they will act, doesn't make their action any less meaningful or important.
''moustache twirling evil'' I love that phrase
I love how this video is set up, it feels like i'm having a one-sided conversation with Sam....which is a good thing.
A revisit, and worth the effort to reset reason to daily existence. Thx man
1. Eternity and the meaning of life 0:42 2. Do we have free will? 4:43 3. How can we convince religious people to abandon their beliefs? 14:52 4. How can atheists live among the faithful? 19:09 5. How should we talk to children about death? 21:52 6. Does human life have intrinsic value? 26:01 7. Why should we be confident in the authority of science? 30:36
How can you say he's a charlatan? I'm sorry Joseph Smith was a charlatan, not Sam Harris.
In my opinion, Sam Harris is articulate, he's not a hate monger, and he's not trying to scam the public for a bunch of money. I admire him.
@@lucerogal What if Sam Harris is Lucifer, systematically trying to get people away from God using what he calls reason and logic?
Naaaw. He's awesome.
Joseph smith had lots of children, sam only has a few. So, when you're insulting joseph you're insulting a whole lot of people.
@Ohsew You haven't achieved anything great in your life, yet criticize those who have done great things. Try it, try founding your own religion and getting people to follow it. Not as easy as you probably think. Joseph Smith was a great leader. Had flaws like everyone else, but most people are charlatans of one sort or another- only a few are able to parlay that into greatness.
Aaron Silver-Pell
Irony is totally lost on you...
Scientology is what you suggest..
A sci-fi writer took your suggestion and created his own religion.
The point you’re missing is...
Every religion is invented at some time in history ...
And they’re all created by charlatans...
Except your religion.
^^^ this is how every religious person thinks...
My religion is true, all the other religions are con tricks created by men...
Think about it
This is the greatest speaker I know of.
Thank you for acting these sessions. They're illuminating & expansive. Very helpful! I laughed at that first question & felt sorry for the questioner.
The commercial before the video was for Morman's! LOL
He is way too smart for most people. Too intellectually honest as well.
I wish being in love would last forever.
Some reflections 6 years later:
“The magic of our first love is our ignorance that it can never end.” -Benjamin Disraeli
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” ― Dr. Seuss
“My first love, I’ll never forget, and it’s such a big part of who I am, and in so many ways, we could never be together, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not forever. Because it is forever.” ―Rashida Jones
“A man is lucky if he is the first love of a woman. A woman is lucky if she is the last love of a man.” ― Charles Dickens
I must have read it somewhere as it differs from Disraeli:
“The beauty of first love is not knowing it may end.”
If no one claims it, it’s mine.
Be careful of what you wish for.
@@TheEternalOuroboros People think about wishes more so than circumstances. There is a reason it doesn't, a good one.
I should include that in my prayers!
4 years later me and my girl are more in love than ever and i don't see it ever stopping. But only because of hard work. You cant sit back and watch what happens to your relationship, you have to work to maintain and even improve it over time. Compromises, open ears, empathy, etc. are all essential to a healthy successful relationship.
Thanks Sam Harris!
Please explain your reasoning. How does duration affect meaning? Is an end point required for meaning, is that what you are saying?
How can so many people still believe in a god in 2014?
I think the deepest question is, that what is the underlying reason people believe in a god or gods. The reasons differ a lot, but for many it's the feeling of worthlessness of every second.
From personal experience, after having gone through a lot of tough times at a young age, I've made it through, and unconsciously/subconsciously I built a framework with which to survive through certain hard times. This has however backfired on me greatly. It has really shined a light on how going through traumatic events when you're not ready to handle them properly, and surviving through them without breaking down, can change the way your mind works.
Compared to many people who lose all faith in their future through tough times, I've somehow subconsciously managed to build a feeling of meaning to things, that is very hard to disassemble without breaking down. Ive always been rational, since childhood, I've never believed in any gods, and I've always liked to think fearlessly. But after all that I've gone through in the past few years, I have no doubt about understanding how some people, who just try to survive, will find religion comforting. And comforting is a great understatement, I'm not linguistically adept enough to find a more suitable word for the feeling. It has a lot to do with the framework with which one thinks, and it's a giant web of multiple motives trying to balance themselves.
Social pressures, low IQs, high poverty rate, stubbornness, profit, and just not thinking deeply enough...thats just a few reasons people still believe. I've noticed every person that truly still believes also has spent no time learning about science from a non biased standpoint. They might try to learn, but once the science states something that conflicts with their views, they dismiss all of science.
Then they use some of what they learned and fill in the parts they don't agree with with God, which is terribly dishonest.
indoctrination before the age of reason. I never encountered religion during that period in my life so when I did encounter it I could never buy it.
Someone I can't remember said that imagine the same people who are telling you not to touch that hot stove are also telling you that you're evil wicked and disgusting without this particular god forgiving you. As the poor child grows up imagine all the internal self defense mechanisms this poison produces in their mind.
I'm also pretty sure that some people just don't want to believe they could be such suckers, so they defend it against all logic.
I think one really big reason is simply because they were raised to believe it since birth. And any question an inquisitive child asks is answered with some sort of "Gotta have faith" response. In my experience as an adult with other adults that believe, a lot of times it is low intelligence that forces them to believe. They can only comprehend the simplest of answers to scientific questions.
because most people are fucking idiots
Is Dr. Harris in heaven right there?
Well it's all white and there's a pretty flower...
Zach Shaver
PhD in neuroscience
lentorpe
He's a B.A. in philosophy as far as I know
lentorpe no such thing as a doctorate in neuroscience. Its a title used by everything from writers to doctors, surgeons and psychologists. Its just means you have an interest, from your own field, in the neuro-(insert anything, psychology, biology, pharmachology etc) of that field. Also doctorate usually refers to the D.Phil title (takes anywhere from 10 to 20 years and is rooted in 1800 German academia, look here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Philosophy#Scandinavia) then there is the "light" version, Ph.d takes a bout 3 years. some places you need a masters degree to start a Ph.d and some places (Uk and Us i think) you "only" need a Bachelors degree. So you statement dosent really say anything...at all. a "doctorate" can mean anything from a Us version of what 7 years to a 15-25 year degree.
Zach Shaver
Well he got his PhD in 2009, years after releasing both The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation. What sets him apart from Joe Rogan is much more his writing than credentials.
"without religion, good people would still do good things...bad people would do bad things.
...but to get good people to do BAD things, that often requires religion'...
suuuuuuch a good line!
Just so uplifting to listen n learn from this utterly brilliant scientist.
Always watch uncle Sam at 1.25x if you don't want to fall asleep.
×0.5 is eternal sleep.
i want to spend a day in sam's awesome brain!
I appreciate Sams work. Keep doing what you believe in despite the hate you may receive.
Can someone please make a compilation of all the little noises Sam makes whilst he's thinking of a word
Great observation! I thought I was the only one who noticed the noises 😎
Regarding freewill, how come no matter where I look, no one is talking about the ideas I have at night while stoned? Conspiracy???
thinking the same thing.
haven't you watched the television they can see you right now the tv can hear your thoughts
#1 YOLO!
listen to you.conformation of the teaching of juddu kishnurmiti you have.You have gone one step giving example in language that is used in this present.happy to see a refreshing take.
Why is there a link to am MMA clip?
I agree w/ u exactly about the "afterlife"....it is not necessary for a meaningful life.
This is so much more interesting than some dude named Jesus...
You mean the interpretation of Jesus that's been handed down to us over millennia. Try Jesus' update, A Course in Miracles. You may be pleasantly surprised and perhaps interested in what he has to say to us today. Much of it aligns nicely with what Sam is saying here, especially around death and free will. Just an invitation. 🤗
@@BharataWinghamLaughaYoga you are advocating perpetuating a lie. Never good, especially to the young, impressionable and vulnerable
@@mr.d.8121 and you are the arbitrator of truth? Mr. Wingham is not shoving lies down the throats of the youth. The progressive left is doing a great job of that.
@@MrFrank107 And what about the progressive right? All truthtellers, like this Donald guy in the US od A or the Boris guy in the UK?
@@MrFrank107 yeah coz religion never does that......
Dr,you are brilhant,in the way you think. I Have learned so much from your point of view.
Wow... that is so deep! I feel the same way. Good response.
I want to give this a thumbs up and I had already given it thumbs up,there needs to be the double thumbs option
Went**
Harris, Dawkins, Hitchens. The only people on earth whose arrogance and condescending manner is delightful and totally acceptable. Always the smartest guys in the room.
bobbyblueblaze there is nothing arrogant or condescending about any of these guys. They are super humble and polite unless they are faced with overwhelming bigotry or false certainty.
Um, I stand by my comment.
bobbyblueblaze
Fine, but if you don't have anything to say, disable comments.
I don't have anything to add to your comment. I clearly disagree and we both understand that. I'm not sure what type of dialogue you're looking for. Disable my comments? I'm all set, thanks.
bobbyblueblaze
well maybe you shouldn't make false and stupid statements in the first place?
a beer once a week with sam would be such a treat...
Can someone please put the time of the Q & As. So that we can skip forward to those that we are most interested in!
he reminds me of ben stiller...
he looks a bit like bradley cooper when he was slightly younger
IQ = 200
Very Liberal/Progressive Atheist
130-140
@Hersh Shorsh there isn't much support in the scientific community that there is a significant divergent construct of intelligence you call "verbal IQ". General IQ is plainly known as IQ or general intelligence, which measures largely in simple terms abstract problem solving. I have no idea what Sam is but I measured 140 and so I assume he's got to be at least 150 on the Weschler.
I know that this is a cliché but I'll share it anyway. I have always been counscious, when I have pleasant experiences, that I am very fortunate to have them. To be honest, it's not always easy for me to digest the unpleasant ones, but at least I am aware that each experience is a unique non repeatable part of the cosmos that reveals itself.
All I can say is that this guy just makes perfect sense to me. Every time I hear him or read his stuff it not only comes across as factual and in general provable, but positive and reasonable. To me, it's a realistic world view that could bring about hope across all socioeconomic, racial and national lines. Sam Harris speaks to an actual morality that doesn't choose sides. Religious morality is perpetually backed into its own corner of history and dogma. How precious THIS moment says it all.
Ben Stiller is bright men
hahahaha I just shat myself!!!
I'm not an atheist and I do believe in a higher power, but I agree religious people sometimes focus so much on the afterlife they forget about this life which is certain.
It's not that they "forget"....it's that it just makes logical sense to deem it not very important. If someone honestly believes that if they don't go to church every sunday they'll end up in an eternity of suffering...it makes perfect sense for them to go to church every sunday and "forget" about whatever else they could be doing..
AY 592 Give me an example of a religious person focusing too much on the afterlife and forgetting about this life and tell me why you think, in that example, they should remember this life instead.
AY 592 No, I mean give me a specific example of something that would happen in real life.
Like I tried to shoot for the example of someone not going to church but clearly that didn't accurately describe what you're talking about.
It's just obvious that if your religion tells you to also value this life it's logical to do so but if that's what you meant..don't you think your original comments should say something like "People who subscribe to a religion which tells them that they need to also focus on this life often tend to not focus enough on it"?
typical x generation nutter..
why worry about my 30 years after retirement.
why worry about 7 million years of afterlife in hell ..im having a great time with this 70 years here and now
thank you for 'dry is not a form of water'. great put down.
Hmmm. Interesting points you make. I thought deeply about your first opening argument, and was stunned at the ideas toward the end of your reasoning. Wondering if you have a blog or something I could subscribe to? I don't think I've met anyone with the insights and perspectives you have. Thank you for that, friend. Thank you.
Chemical reactions ARE real! So is love
I'm sure you mean, "love isn't really magical, it's physical, chemical reactions"
You can't say "love isn't real" and then say "it's a chemical reaction", because chemical reactions are real!
By 'love', you aren't referring to the real, chemical reaction view of it, but the poetic, transcendant view. That's why you thought a reductionistic understanding degrades it!
Really, something having actual mechanical causes and not being magic doesn't degrade it :)
what a STUPID first question.
I was totally thinking that!
A true man of the Enlightenment.....Immanuel Kant would love this ....
Apple user is a diagnosis. I will never trust him.
yeah, a little cultish for a supposed non culty
Hail the master race.
@@Kyle-pz7os Apple is one of the largest companies in the world. The cult line lost its meaning 15 years ago.
Harris/Clinton 2016
I just love this guy. He’s no Hitchens but we really don’t need another Hitchens though Dawkins is a pretty good at carrying Hitchens banner. This guy is himself and is a growing living part of the atheist movement which we can all be grateful for. He also brings a lot of good philosophical insights on a number of issues concerning morality, life the universe and everything. Just bought my first book by him though I’m pretty sure it won’t be my last. The other thing he is only going to improve with experience in the coming years. Something to look forward to I think.
Could you define what do you mean by 'chance' because I'm having a hard time understanding you train of thought. Atoms are mostly empty space but what does chance have to do with it?
Sam. I disagree with you on free will. Even ignoring the problem of indeterminism, and supposing that we could have complete knowledge of someone's mental state at a given moment, and supposing that we had rigorous laws that could predict how that state would evolve, we still run into the problem of computability. Even well-understood systems, like the weather or the solar system, are too complex to allow prediction beyond a certain threshold. A deterministic model of human behaviour can be no more than a philosophical abstraction, of no use in real life, whereas the free will model yields useful and well-tested heuristics. Such as, for example, rational argument, "moral suasion", laws, rewards and punishments and so on. Neither you nor I can understand, at a deterministic level, what effect your argument will have on my actions: you aren't pushing buttons, you are appealing to a rational, thinking willing "me". Saying that the self is an illusion makes as much sense as saying that temperature and pressure are illusions, because they are "really" reducible to the kinetic energy of particles. Temperature, pressure and consciousness are emergent properties, but properties nonetheless.
+Steve Paulsson I think it's a counter to religious argument that a god gives us complete free will and that it's our fault that we choose to disobey his commands. We don't have that. It cannot be my fault that I really have no idea that a god exists. That's all I got. I'm not arguing, just throwing in my 0.02
+Steve Paulsson Agreed that this speaker's arguments re: "free will" can only serve to increase his reader's confusions, especially as technical terms were not clarified from the start. I hope he does not write an eBook based on this talk (I have not read his relevant blog entries).
Olehenry1 This guy is a doctor of neuroscience. He's a best selling author. I copied and pasted his book list from Wiki
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason (2004). ISBN 0-393-03515-8
Letter to a Christian Nation (2006). ISBN 0-307-26577-3
The Moral Landscape: How Science Can
Determine Human Values (2010). ISBN 978-1-4391-7121-9
Lying (2011) ISBN 978-1940051000
Free Will (2012). ISBN 978-1451683400
Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without
Religion (2014) ISBN 978-1451636017
Islam and the Future of Tolerance (2015)[37] ISBN 978-0674088702
+Christopher Rankin All important facts to consider -- I appreciate your list. Now I understand his credentials and his popularity better; however, these facts do not change my perception of Harris' presentation (& my understanding of +Steve Paulsson arguments).
+Christopher Rankin And here I was in my ignorance thinking groupies were female. Hahahahaha. Fuck me, Sam. You're my hero. I want to bear your child if even it turns out to be a turd. Hahahahahaha.
1. Eternity and the meaning of life 0:42
2. Do we have free will? 4:43
3. How can we convince religious people to abandon their beliefs? 14:52
4. How can atheists live among the faithful? 19:09
5. How should we talk to children about death? 21:52
6. Does human life have intrinsic value? 26:01
7. Why should we be confident in the authority of science? 30:36
8. How can one criticize Islam after the terrorism in Norway? 35:43
experience/memory/habits and ultimately reaction>free will. the real question is how are we aware of self existence. your environment dictates your will. the ability to change the process of thought is what supports free will but only experience can influence you to change, but consequently change is the result of reactions.
45:20 --50:13 I like how he nailed down his point in that section.
I'm going to have to read your e book about free will. All you have said about it seems correct except your conclusion. The fact that all decisions are influenced by subliminal information and motivation does not mean you don't exercise free will because you can consciously effect decisions.
4:42. Always learning
8. How can one criticize Islam after the terrorism in Norway? 35:43 9. Should atheists join with Christians against Islam? 41:50 10. What does it mean to speak about the human mind objectively? 45:17 11. How can spiritual claims be scientifically justified? 50:14 12. Why can’t religion remain a private matter? 54:52 13. What do you like to speak about at public events? 58:09
Looks like Paul Rudds office in his skit on Tim and Eric
+GRYNreaper001 I have a REZA sequence I have been working on.
Thank you..very good
I'm just curious, why do you put that asinine watermark on Mr. Harris's video and work, attempting to "brand" it as your own?
This man just makes so much sense.
7 years of peace . The world has many years to come .
An FB friend uploaded this on her page and that's where I watched it, but I want to like it on RUclips because I loved the presentation.