God is a Delusion | Oxford Union Speech - Alex O'Connor
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- Опубликовано: 17 янв 2024
- Thanks to the @OxfordUnion for permission to repost this speech.
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Meeting another philosopher on a boat by chance and being invited to a debate feels very appropriate for a philosopher
'By Chance'. If only you had an inkling. Nothing happens by chance. If you don't believe me, study astrology for the next 35 years, every day, and then we can talk again. Until then, continue to throw God out with the orthodox religion bathwater.
Alex has his progressed Sun conjunct Saturn next year (2025). Death of a father figure. Chat later then, and I'll tell you more about this universe that God created.
Take your medicine @@newtonbelieved
@@newtonbelieved bro idk what drug you're on, but I want it!
A deluded person who meets another deluded person feels very appropriate to reinforce the delusion.
“You’re about to find out as you meet your maker” actually got a chuckle out of me… you nailed the delivery on that one
He does have good comedic timing, lol!
Well that's too late
We will see how smug he is on judgement day
@@enki647 How smug will you be when you are watching Alex on judgement day?
@@enki647 I bet every generation believes there's gonna be a judgement day and it never happens
if he continues on this trajectory of philosophical discourse, Alex will easily be listed among this generation's greatest orators and thinkers. phenomenal work, sir.
He already is, but I hope his reach continues to grow. We need more logic and reason in our societies.
I have to agree, just listening to him and watching his stuff feels like reading the other philosophical classics I've read so far. I always find myself thinking harder and researching more after absorbing his content.
@@kadenhansen948 if you like his content, I highly recommend reading “reason; the only oracle of man” by Ethan Allen. You can read it for free off of google books. It gives great insight into one of America’s founding fathers who was adamantly against organized religion. For a book that was writ 225 years, Ethan Allen makes some great points.
That doesn't make him, or Dawkins, right. He speaks of 'sheer coincidence' in meeting someone. May he live long enough to find out that absolutely nothing happens by coincidence. Coincidence is an illusion resulting from synchronicity, most likely designed to fool leading thinkers like this, in that they are never able to see beyond the veil. Everyone you meet in life is by design. Speak to me in 40 years, son. At your age, I too, thought there was nothing.
I just wish he looks at Islam again because his first debate was a disaster, (when I say disaster I mean that some disingenuous things happened and our religion wasn't portrayed properly)
Since i discovered Alex I am always impressed by his candor, I have become a better conversationalist listening to him connect thoughts and ideas. But it also reminds me that I need to organize my studies and focus more on tasks. Cut out Television and activities that aren't related to my work.
Duh. And who cares.
@@ChristIsLord7 i mean, you replied.
agree.
I feel the same way
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. LOL
Seeing the Oxford Latin slogan in the thumbnail, “The Lord is my light”. I can’t help but see the irony here.
The fall of man, from light into the darkness of ignorant bliss.
@@danstaification God shot my dad in the gall bladder and robbed the bishops of the church of England for being the son proceeding from the father
@OniLeafNin, very pertinent observation!
Greetings from Brazil.
@@Santos.Sarmento du nada um brasileiro aq
Their lord is satan!!
I'm a simple guy. I see a video of Alex, I watch it.
Ah, good to see like-minded souls 🥃
@@oluwolechaviro9937Wait but we have already established that there is no such a thing as a soul
you could have just pressed the like button and called it a day. but no
@@yonaoisme That's what I usually do.
There are worse habits to have😅
Imagine if every human being was as logical and well spoken as this young man, one can only dream. The next Christopher Hitchens
That is the problem. Humans are not rational, and merely use rationality to justify their emotional conclusions.
Scientific rationalism is not a viable path forward for humanity because it assumes the vast majority think, reflect, ponder, and then act on that pondering.
Atheists may not need God, but the vast majority of the non-intellectuals do.
He’s already past hitchens imo. Hitchens had a tendency to argue with more emotion than rationality
bow the knee and worship, every person must have an idol ..... pop idol, sporting idols...celebs
this is crazy.. I've been watching you since we were both kids.. man how time flies
I've been watching since I'm an old man. And now I'm even older !
Respectfully
It really is! I started watching when I was a young teenager, and I always assumed Alex was 20-something man. Imagine my surprise when, 2 years before I myself went to college, Alex announced he was going to uni! And now I’m a full blown tax paying adult and Alex has only continued to grow and mature as a rhetorician and philosopher
Impressive. I miss Christopher Hitchens immensely but with brilliant young orators such as Alex, someone dedicated to the truth, give me some hope that it did not die with him. 🥂
As much as I love Alex and his logic and intelligence, Hitchens was just way more ruthless and more cynical which I enjoyed quite a lot.
Did not die with him?
Alex is farrr better than Hitchens when it comes to truth and Philosophy.
Hitchens was a polemicist he wasn't a debator or a philosopher.
@nomen6 Presently? No not at all.
Infact, it's not even close. Though I do think him surpassing Christopher is an inevitability if he continues and persists along this path. Give him 10 more years.
He's growing quick, but still has a long way to go.
@@nomen6 _"Alex is farrr better than Hitchens"_
Better? This is neither a sport nor competition.
The accent adds 50 IQ points
You mean English accent. Because a Scottish accent is British and that would be -50 IQ points
Oh dear. As a Brit, I just want to say that it really doesn't. There are so many idiots out there in the UK who can oil their way around with a refined accent (Cameron is one).
Of course to you it doesn't. But us in the USA. When Brits speak they automatically sound intelligent because of their accent. @@lorddevonshire6382
Calling an English accent British is as stupid as calling every person from Argentina to the border of Canada real Americans.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Great speech, intelligent, articulate and well spoken. When we leave fairy tales and tribalism behind, then we will know peace
🤔
I think we need both
leave fairytales behind, sure. how do you think the universe was created?
Well how about who created god then@@Channel507
The only fairy tale is the false assertion that Atheism provides something original when actually it is parasitical - all comes via Theism!
Proof is in the pudding: theists founded modern science; theists take over 90% of Nobel Prizes; no atheist has discovered Universal Laws - if so who? Present western culture is founded on the rock of monotheism
The greatest thinkers, mathematicians and philosophers in Ancient Greece sought after one God, as have the geniuses that came after them - eg Issac Newton, Francis Bacon, Galileo...to name a few among thousands. Even the Christians anti-biotics and vaccines give you a longer life; scientists who sought God for direction, put faith in their experiments.
Atheists have zero/nothing of their own, no original starting point - their world view of everything, espec. God, depends on God-faith !, comes thru the lens that theists have provided, since the time dot. No evidence for ANY atheist civilization that has ever existed as their fore-runner
Belief in God/s, the supernatural, the unknown, the creator of all, is the status quo - not its opposite
Auf Deutsch gesagt:
Ich feiere diesen jungen Genius.
Alex O'Connor ist erstklassig. 🏆
Alex so impressed with all that you're doing lately. Nice to see you getting big and mainstream well known. Keep it up!
He speaks from both sides of his mouth.
The insult of the simple minded. Life isn't as black and white as that.@@juansuarez705
@@juansuarez705 No, he simply does not misrepresent or make belittling strawmans of the religious arguments. His stance as an atheist is very clear
"If we expect atheism, what would we find and what do we find?"
We DO find a universe of heat in DIRECT contradiction to THE MOST PROVEN of all laws known to man:
"Thermodynamics is THE ONE LAW of UNIVERSAL content which will NEVER be overthrown"--Einstein
"Anyone challenging thermodynamics has no hope...only total humiliation"--Eddington
1st LAW--"heat NEVER comes from cold"...ERGO: this universe of heat DID NOT begin
2nd LAW--"heat goes ONLY to cold"...ERGO: this universe WILL go to equilibrium--it hasn't; IT CAN'T BE ETERNAL
AND "ALEX" HAS NO THIRD OPTION...try, try, try as the Penroses "perpetual motion machine" theories pretend
--ruclips.net/video/xIHMnD2FDeY/видео.html
Above is the be-sainted Richard Dawkins sitting mute/deaf/sub-moronic as ACTUAL, ACCOMPLISHED biologists,
Nobel laureates in biology Hartwell & Altman, along with co-chair of human genome mapping Craig Venter
ALL SAYING "it is IMPOSSIBLE that humans will EVER know life's origin". WTF! WTF! WTF!??
THAT'S Dawkins' sine qua non!! Certainly not "selfish genes", as though that adds ANYTHING to Darwin.
--No one expects anything out of this simp "Alex". So it falls to me to explain Einstein's,
"Did God have a choice in the creation of the world?"
archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/millennium/m1/overbye.html?source=post_page
WTF do you IMAGINE Overbye means conferring that as the greatest insight in 1,000 years?! Overbye of MIT in physics.
HERE I'll make it so easy even "Alex" could have a go: history.aip.org/exhibits/einstein/essay-einsteins-third-paradise.htm
No one alive has more ability or insight explaining Einstein's meaning than does Holton (alive at 101);
Jewish refugee at 16 of Hitler...Ph.D. in mathematics/professor Harvard...reads and knows Einstein as native German.
It means that the Abrahamic God had "no choice other than THIS UNIVERSE when insisting faith alone would absolve"
AND SO "ALEX"; in this universe absolutely refusing to prove meaning you have uncontaminated choice for or against faith.
THE ONLY FUCKING UNIVERSE THAT GOD COULD HAVE!!
@@universecreator988You know for a people so powerfully represented and chosen as his divine conduits of the infinite creator of all time and space you sure have delicate little egos so easily bruised by simple logic that even a child could make sense of.
What an exceptional role model and public speaker!
I've been following him since the beginning of his channel, when he was just in his bedroom with books on his desk. It's nice to see how things have changed for him, and how he's grown as a thinker and speaker.
@@thehigherevolutionary LoL I could literally have written your comment myself. I have followed Alex since the early days, here on YT. Do you remember he had the drawer from Beauty and the Beast and the inflatable globe 🤗
Agreed.
That drawer though@@-Thauma-
@@resinsminia 😊
This kid has really come into his own. I remember his videos before he left for university.
Keep working young man!
How did you get to the university alex? Was that agency you used or something else?
Delighted to see Alex making it big. Hes a great clear speaker.
Yes another religious speech by a atheist. thanks
@@joman388Yes, you are right.
@@joman388so funny to me how the religious LOVE to call atheism religious lol. "Yes, we recognize that being religious is dumb, so we'll just say 'I know you are, but what am I?' haha, got you so good!!!".
@@DatHombre Your little joke was utterly halarious. Religion. a pursuit or interest of supreme importance. That fits atheism ,wouldnt you say illregardless if you think it is dumb.Do you always think definitions are dumb or just this one? thanks
@@joman388 God, how much I love when people use secondary definitions to try to "prove their point" lol. Reminds me of when "racism" was "changed" a few years ago to "prejudice with power, so only white people can be racist", and people would bring up that cherry picked definition to prove their point.
Like gee, I wonder why you chose not to list any of the other definitions? You had to have read all of them first since they were at the top, but you then went to the next when you saw that it didn't back your point, right?
And you know the one you listed could be used for anything, right? "I collect stamps all the time, collecting them is my interest of supreme importance- it's my religion!". Like it's very obviously the "colloquial" definition.
But most importantly, do you seriously think that atheists are as interested in their lack of belief in God as theists are in their belief? Let's put it this way- if all theists left the Earth, do you think atheists would all sit around and talk about how much they don't believe in a god? Obviously not- what would there even be talk about lol? Now, if all atheists left the Earth, would theists still sit around and think about God? Yes, every single day lol. The only reason that "a-theism" even has any meaning is BECAUSE theists exist- like what do we call a non-unicorn believer? And how often do non-unicorn believers think about their lack of belief? Never, unless someone who believes in unicorns tells them to believe in them ("or you'll burn for eternity!!!" lol).
Alex, I extend my profound gratitude. Over the course of several years, I have ardently admired your accomplishments, witnessing with awe the remarkable evolution and exemplary proficiency you have demonstrated.
I thought you were seeking sophia, not sophism.
@helviov No deceit here. Just pure love baby! ❤️
So in order to feel better about being a terrible person, and the fact that you are a slave and a hostage to your sins which you cannot hope to control, you worship Alex for deceiving you in to believing that man created God and that actually your sins are not sins at all, because there is no right or wrong. And yet... every day you are reminded of the consequences of sin and the horrific world we live in where everyone worships themselves instead of God. So you watch Alex again... and gain momentary relief from the distraction. Every day you are confronted with the reality that if there is no right or wrong... why is everything going so wrong in the world and in my life?
What if I told you that there was a way to be completely free from your lusts and desires, to break free from the cycle of sin and consequence over and over again, to no longer be a slave to your selfish desires? What if like magic, you woke up one day and were twice as good of a person as you were before? What if you experienced true happiness, and true love? What if it were as easy as making a wish in a well? What if all of these things made more sense than you could ever dream of and all you had to do was see for yourself?
It is all of these things and more. Will you come back to the light?
@@jebediah4780you are off your rocker mate
Tell me one thing I've said that is wrong or crazy in any way, good luck! And guess what, that message also applies to you and anyone else who reads it. :)@@invalidopinion5384
Great speech. I love that this guy debates without needle and stuck to the seeking the truth and asking the difficult questions.
Your idol is Alex!! Lol
@@bootsie280 lol! Hardly!
Where can we watch the full video?
would love to see it too, kindly tag if you find it...
I met your channel when you were speaking from your room, and now you’re on tv and big debates. So proud of you, brother. Keep up the good work 👏🏻
I agree - the beard works, it completely throws people off when they hear not only a well constructed argument, but one that is presented with some wisdom and humility - out of someone who looks to be too ' fresh-faced' - I really appreciate the attitude of someone who wants to do more than 'win' the debate and score points - the difficult work is to find common ground and agreeing basic aims for the discussion
Mee too i saw him in his room😊😊
Did you and his channel become good friends?
Alex is the only philosophy person I keep coming back to and agreeing with every single thing he says. Always needle sharp and straight to the point. Always effective and clear. Very much appriciated 🤗
if only there was a noun in use in common parlance that stands for 'philosophy person'
He's just reaffirming your biases, it's easy to agree. Go and seriously watch somebody you disagree with every single thing on, and then consider they might be right.
@delocon sure, always a good idea. But it's also good to watch arguments from your own side to implement what you've learned from the other side.
I used to watch him “religiously” until he became vegan and started preaching about that
actually, it's likely not (just) that simple. Your bias is that it is. He's made some terrific points that few would dispute, like the example of the three bishops terminated for stepping outside the "official" box. Yes, there's more digging to be done, but on the surface the point is well made. @@delocon
Remember when the lesser of the Hitchens brothers stormed out of a interview with this gentleman
On point as usual. Thanks Alex!
An erudite and concise speech, as always, from Mr O'Connor.
Was it though? It's basically: Let's ignore all the arguments for God's existence, and instead focus on psychology.
@@Scynthescizor His point was that psychology seems to be the main argument for religion.
@@Scynthescizor yikes. take the first part of your statement, end with political agenda, and you have exactly what he speaks clearly about with the conversion story he elucidates here. then the very clearly goes through several arguments which apparently went over your head, one of which would be the suffering built into design, then the history and very nature of suppression built into belief, etc etc. maybe listen with less bias my guy. as your claim is pretty cringe tbf
@@MattFitzgerald-it2zp Right, which is incredibly stupid and intellectually dishonest.
@@DanielBoonelight ... I didn't say Alex made no arguments. I said he addressed none of the arguments that theologians/philosophers make for God's existence.
Alex, looking ahead for your debate with Dinesh D'Souza. Keep up the good work man.
Love from 🇮🇳
Is he open to debating felons?
Not sure what could be gained from "debating" with a mendacious propagandist and pathological liar like D'Souza.
@@judoyodan😂😂😂
Waffle D'Souza? 😂😂
Is the perpetual Man-Child not in jail? I could of sworn he was.
The process of creating our gods is a gradual accrual of qualities, powers, status, and relationship. As the godly accolades mount, the contradictions beg for exposure. Here, human imagination faces human rational thought. Bravo!
Man's natural state is to worship an unknown greater something.. or a being, a Creator, unknown - a nourisher, warmth, food, love, protection... provider - it's instinctive from conception
The developing child in the womb shows me that
CS Lewis articulated the exact same case against religion's central truth claim, and later in life he vigorously proclaimed its philosophical inadequacy.
CS Lewis was an idiot. Only evangelicals think he was philosophically significant.
and? your point?
any of Lewis’s philosophical points you would like to bring up that led him to his conclusion.
Not the Mic drop you think it is.
@@convinceme6676 I don't know what mic drop means, but my point was, the argument that he is making is old, and it has been answered many times...including by persons like Lewis who once thought it to be profound and unanswerable. Lewis's books "Miracles," "The Problem of Pain," and "Mere Christianity " each give excellent answers.
@stephenwright4973
CS Lewis was a moron. What he thought profound is trite.
@@stephenwright4973 dude, hes saying that if you have a counter, post the counter, not the idea that there is one lol
I see the Union crowds are still as turgid and listless as they were back in my day (mid-90s). Great speech, well-delivered.
Some of them, particularly the fellow behind Alex to the right, seems totally flaccid.
Amazing ! Thanks for all you do Alex !!
Phenomenal performance, Alex!
I truly enjoy your content.
Great work.
Thank you for continuing the great fight.
Your humor makes your message more powerful because we all need to laugh more at the human condition.
Nicely done. 😊
What is great about this fight? I understand Alex is obviously a son of the revolution, but still
@@LotterywinnerifyFor over two thousand years now authoritarian religion (Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism and whoever I've forgotten are not) has strangled the evolution of the human mind and society as a whole leaving us so backwards and so demented that we pretend that we've advanced yet religious zealots are no different to the same individuals who'd bash each others brains out with a rock in bronze age middle east because their views about the talking magical moonwalking baby of Mary the clearly not a virgin woman didn't match their own.
That's why the fight is awesome because like anything in life there becomes a time where holding onto the blanket and keeping the nightlight on only weakens you because authoritarian religion does not offer real truth, real development and real personal accountability for the empowerment of the self it offers escape denials and balme shifting All in the pursuit of personal and selfish comfort.
lol the fight towards what ? and when is it won ?
@@cuzins101 Once delusional children realise that a sky dweller doesn't run their life.
@@Paulstrickland01 ok then what?
Alex never ceases to amaze. What an incredible mind. Incredible content Alex. Thank you.
Evolution is brutal. Agreed. A mind forged purely from the furnace of evolution finding it repugnant. How on earth does that make any jot of sense?
He's a maggot buddy 🤣
Hes dumb, a fool says in his heart there is no god
He spoke such eloquent BS🤗😆
@@ERS2fast4U , BS to those unequipped to offer any substantial rebuttal...
Alex is as cool as a cucumber and his thinking and ability to express himself are very impressive.
You really have become a great orator, Alex. Absolutely impressive performance.
Yes, like all the great nihilists, impressive in their complete wrong branch of the tree. I wasted 20 years trying to get Dawkins to see the light, and now we have another. This time, I am not going to waste my time, secret knowledge is just that. Protected.
@@newtonbelieveddo you do stand up 😂
@@newtonbelieved Sure.
Dude you are popping off right now, 1 million subs for sure this year
There were moments here where I heard Hitch's voice coming through. Very well done, and you have an exciting future ahead.
Except he's more nice! heheh
@@kencreten7308 He's a big fan of Hitchens, but also does a great critique of him in a youtube video, you can learn from your mentors without putting them beyond criticism ..
Great presentation Alex considering the short notice to prepare. Cheers.
Now that's is how i want to sound like when making a speech, eloquent, smooth and rational
Alex is exceptional. So happy to see all his progress.
This is like watching Hitchens resurrected. And I mean that as a big compliment. Keep it up man. Cheers.
Alex is far, far more logical than Hitchens.
Might be, I meant more style of speech, presence and charisma. Which you either have or don't have.
And this guy has it.@@PrestonJacobstheSweetrobin
he's got that Hitchens-coolness 😎 (the Christopher that is, not the other one 😂)
He will be better than Hitchens. I looking forward to this!
Hitchens with much more class and composure.
Wow! Concise and precise! This boy is something!
How beautifully articulate and well-said!!
Alex has no chill and I love it.
Nah he’s pretty chill and well composed
As someone with mystic beliefs that are not based in a theistic God, I am genuinely happy with this talk due to it's simple reasoning off of dogmatic ideation instead of going after abstractions.
As a former alter boy myself, you rock, Alex! Well done
Such a fine, well-spoken young man ❤
Fine and well spoken but utterly wrong. The fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom. thanks
@@joman388I fear Jehovah as much as I fear Zeus or Sauron.
@@antondovydaitis2261 I assure you ,your lack of fear will only be temporary.The evidence is overwhelming for the God of the bible. thanks
@@joman388.I am sure there as much evidence for Jehovah as there is for Vishnu.
And I am pretty sure you don't believe that Vishnu is real.
Really, if you weren't so absorbed with fantasy, you might actually be able to do some good.
@@antondovydaitis2261You apparently are so absorbed in your fantasy that you dont know there is no such thing as good,without God. Good for you.thanks
Subscribed. Mr O'Connor you have my full support! I look forward to hearing more from you sir. Thank you!
I love how he has done his research, he has studied religion deeply. He is a wise man.
God is the epitome of Holiness because He is sinlessly perfect, A sinner (liar, sexually immoral, taking the Lord’s Name in vain, thief etc) cannot be in the presence of God or else he will be utterly consumed therefore repent of your sins and put your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour to go to Heaven
Bruh I remember watching your vids when you first started. You were sitting in your room with the books in the background.
It’s insane how far you’ve made it and how much further you’ll go. I knew you’d blow up if you just stayed the course.
Alex, in my view, you're brightening a space, in your own way, that had dimmed considerably at the passing of Christopher Hitchens. I appreciate you, and look forward to hearing more!
Don't forget Rochard Dawkins.
@@bengeurden1272Dr. Dawkins is a scum who supported Nazirael 🤢🤢
he's our new Hitchens. been a subscriber for a long time now and he just keeps getting better
your new idol to bow down before, your man-god who will be immortal
I've watched this channel for years now, and I'm glad to see that people are getting to see just how good Alex speaks and articulates his thoughts.
how well*
I am heavily spiritually aligned. But faith needs room for doubt and skepticism. This is where your speeches come in. I'm in awe of your eloquence every time I watch your videos.
I like how you said "faith needs room for doubt and skepticism". I'm a Christian believer but I'm struggling with some doubts. So I appreciate your honesty. I need to ponder your words.
Respectfully...
It is hard to understand how a loving God would create so much suffering.
I asked Him about it, and he told me that there was nothing to fear because we are God , and after we die , we'll be God again.
The ego is an illusion.
Suffering is a necessary part of this simulation to juxtapose love.
We're here as God's tentacles to feel and experience it all so he can learn through us.
I still find it hard not to fear suffering, but I'm not as concerned about death anymore.
@@johnbrzykcy3076 why would you struggle when god is personal?
@@isupportthecurrentthing.1514 so you're saying that suffering is fine cos it's all in his plan> so i cause as much suffering as i possibly can cos, well it's okay by god, it will lead to a greater good.
see how daft your religion is? there is no god.
@@isupportthecurrentthing.1514God created the possibility to sin just how a woman creates the possibility for her child to sin when she gives birth to him, but He didn’t create it. We created it. Also how are we God? We are not God, straight up
Eloquently put as always, Alex.
Assalamualaikum, Hassan :)
@@thegrunbeld6876 wa alaykum Assalam
Huge Respect for you. These topics needs to be addressed. As we can see what's happening on the world.
Why is the complete debate not available anywhere??
Wonderful as always, Alex.
What a refined gentleman Alex is
A very refined Silly Socialist SHILL.
I am not really concerned about what any particular person BELIEVES. You may believe that there is an old man with a white beard perched in the clouds, that the Ultimate Reality is a young blackish-blue Indian guy, that the universe is eternal, that Mother Mary was a certifiable virgin, or that gross physical matter is the foundation of existence.
The ONLY thing that really matters is your meta-ethics, not your meta-physics.
Do you consider any form of non-monarchical government (such as democracy or socialism) to be beneficial?
Do you unnecessarily destroy the lives of poor, innocent animals and gorge on their bloody carcasses?
Do you believe homosexuality and transvestism are moral?
Do you consider feminist ideology to be righteous?
If so, then you are objectively immoral, and your so-called "enlightened/awakened" state is immaterial, since it does not benefit society in any way.
he is
Alex is a cross between richard dawkins and christopher hitchens. The new voice in opposition to religion. Bravo.
Tha's an extremely bad comparison as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are terrible thinkers
@@Insane_ForJesus Shame they manage to trump more or less every speaker with logic like asking do they believe a man called Noah lived till 950 years old.
@@Insane_ForJesus Lol
@@NeilMartin98 they're pretty decent on religion but uh- they have some bad takes, like Richard Dawkins saying he "respects Peterson's fight for freedom of speech" in Canada.
Which references Peterson's transphobic bullshit
Hopes he becomes the opossition on gender ideology too.
Is there a link to the full debate?
Thanks
There might be a playlist of the different speakers. For some reason Oxford Union haven't released the full debate as a video though.
Thanks
He mentioned in his interview with Dawkins that he'd recently had a debate at Oxford union and lost. I thought this might be from it
Have just recently come across this guy. Subscribed.
Your vocal mannerisms are starting to remind of Christopher Hitchens, Alex. Brings a tear to my eye.
i'm gay too
@@bobbyg309it's not that kinda party fruity tooty.
Which is hilarious considering Hitchens debating style/oratory is probably the only thing Alex respects about Christopher anymore lmao.
Don't forget Richard Dawkins.
It reminded you? It is practically a carbon copy of Hitchens. Plagiarism almost
Fabulous! Greatly enjoyed it. Still don't get why your side has lost the debate. Maybe we will be able to watch the rest of in in the future as well?
That bow tie is intense
his eloquence is literal gold in my ears
Im convinced Alex is going to become one of the biggest modern age philosophers
Me too, it's going to be amazing reading his books, watching his debates.
Why? He's not a philosopher at all. He's just another material realist, we have had these guys for a while and they just don't work. He's great at scientific reason, but he is not a philosopher by a mile, mostly because he refuses to acknowledge anything post-Kantian.
No he wont🙂
*atheists
Yep. I think that's inevitable. Amazing.
The days of some funky draws seem so long ago. Keep up the amazing work!
I'm not here with attempt to counter, but could someone explain the origins of faith? I just want to try and understand that as it appears to be what all religious belief stems from yet completely irrational within the context of logical thought? What's the scientific/psychological explanation for the presence of faith in one's mind? ( hopefully I've managed to express my question well enough).
Whoa, that's a good question! I'd have to think about it, but surely greater minds than ours have theorised on that one? What are your thoughts on that?
So....Could the question be accurately rephrased as: why do some people have faith when other don't? ie is there a psychological or scientific (biological?) explanation?
And how does religious belief survive when it is so irrational? Why doesn't logical thought counteract it?
I mean, you've only got to look at some of the comments here to get an idea of how people think on both sides. IMO, faith is the suspension of logical thought. One can't exist where the other one is. So having faith, at best, results in cognitive dissonance, or believing in a whole host of things that are irrational. When those things get reasonably challenged, you get all kind of toxic behaviour because there really isn't a rational defence.
Is there any biological cause for that? I don't know. I think people have primal motives for clinging to religious beliefs: fear of death; tragedy and heartache and the comfort they find in god; it's easier to live by prescribed rules; their upbringing (eg: fearing and shaming, brainwashing)...The list could go on.
Right ok, but why doesn't the concept transfer to far more compelling odds such as believing one's going to win the lotto? The competition exists, it's definitely happening and anyone can buy a ticket. However, I've never heard anyone, myself included saying "I'm on for a few million this weekend, In fact I've just resigned!"
What about the acceptance of "trusting God's will"?
When it comes to cognitive dissonance, as you say conflicting ideas cannot exist in tandem but, now I'm not going to use the terms rational/ irrational any further as unfortunately they don't serve the discussion well enough, but how can I have a faith in God and also in say Sherlock Holmes? haha
Do we have to accept that regardless of definition or academia, faith seems to be a kind "dark matter/dark energy" ( the irony of those terms is not lost on me here btw) making up 95% of let's say, a universe that we simply don't understand?I dont mean literally of course. Does that make any sense?
I have a faith in God/God's will that ok here's one... can logic exist without the existence of the illogical, why does one have to render the other useless?
@@lauraj8429
@@YoungTowser Interesting. I don't think the odds of winning the lottery are compelling - I don't do the lottery, because as much as I'd love to win it, the odds are so slim, it's not worth playing / hoping. So not only would I not resign because I'm playing the lottery, I wouldn't play it in the first place.
Well, conflicting ideas DO exist in tandem. That's why you have scientists who understand that creationism can't be true, but they hold their religious beliefs separately, in a different box, if you will. If it's a matter of deciding to believe rather than being an atheist, due to the fact that none of us really know - well that's a personal decision, I guess? Personally, I feel more at ease rejecting the notion of god and accepting there are things I don't understand. Less cognitive dissonance = less confusion.
Forgive me if any of your points went over my head... But, can logic exist without the existence of the illogical? Yes. Believing in something illogical doesn't mean everything logical that you DO believe in becomes automatically useless.
'I meant compared to a atheist's view towards the existence of God@@lauraj8429
Great speech, Alex - sent you an email about an event this summer, btw :)
Well done Alex!
This hits the nail on the cross
Maybe to a moron like you it does
Jesus was tied to a cross.
Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
I'm asking but where does it say that in the bible.@@zapkvr
I am even less afraid of Jesus than I am of Zeus or Sauron, @@HebrewsElevenTwentyFive
Great Alex , really inspirational 😊😊
I am sure I will have more to say but my initial response to you Alex is that we cannot rely on average human expectations to decide whether a God or gods exist.
They may be totally removed from what we may expect to see and as you mentioned there could be a grand plan that transcends our ability to grasp at the moment.
A lot of things are far out of humanity's reach yet we're all so convinced about the truth of reality. Meditation, self reflection and deep thought are probably the easiest paths to 'god' at the moment. Personally, I don't think god is that far away at all :)
@@Krubus Right on. I fully agree my friend.
Be blessed.
3:54 Sorry to nitpick, but I wouldn’t say atheism is synonymous with materialism. There are many people who identify as atheist or non-theistic who also claim to have a rich spiritual life.
9:19 I also say this because I’ve spent far too much time listening to apologists: Your opponents will almost certainly disagree with the claim that “faith is belief without evidence.” They’ll claim that the evidence is all there, and faith is just trust.
1. True. But I guess even theists conflate those two, so this error is easy to make!
2. Of course apologists claim that evidence is everywhere. But if you press them to present said evidence, they either fail, refuse to give concrete examples, or come up with their own definition of evidence, usually the kind a respectable sceptic will deny.
And at some point you know all the responses that just repeat themself, so you gonna draw the line and stick with your definition AND conclusion, despite what others say.
@@DundGDo you not know philosophy? You're asking physical evidence of the metaphysical. Could you tell me that laws exist using your logic?
What does 'Spiritual' mean?
2) And they would be right in my opinion.
You can be not convinced by their arguments, but as long as they present some evidences, I think this definition of faith should not be used. Not to say that you can’t believe in sth if there are no evidences, but i don’t think it is inherently woven into faith.
@@DundG But there are two dictionary definitions for faith, and neither of them are "belief without evidence". The first definition is "complete trust or confidence in someone or something", and everyone has faith of some type. The second definition is "strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof."
But lack of proof does not mean lack of evidence, just a lack of overwhelmingly convincing evidence, although I have a feeling that God could fully reveal himself to a skeptic and the skeptic would still not be convinced.
Nicely delivered; well said.
If they were still alive, i am sure Plato and Socrates would be honoured to see how far their thoughts have come and see how thorough in his thinking alex is
The guy in the background right of the screen...😂
Looks like he is thoroughly bored or damn tired. 😂😂😂❤
The guy beside him is on his phone. Lol
I am an atheist. As soon as anyone can present objective,(non biblical), testable, verifiable evidence for “god” , I am in. Until that point its in the same category as the loch ness monster, ghosts and fairies.
Right but how do you explain the nature of reality without the Loch Ness monster? Hmm? Answer me that “atheist” /sarcasm
@@jonathan4189lochness was jesus's dog
Life requires the existence of perfectly tuned laws of physics over billions of years to make life and an enviroment for that same life to evolve in for another billion(s) years finely tuning genetic code to create humans. We can say basically 1 of 2 things, it was all RANDOM steps that worked systematically and created intelligent life without wanting or there was a supreme intelligent force that intended to use forces to create the universe we know otherwise no intelligent design would be seen on such a scale.
@@Dan16673my god it all makes sense now. The Merovingians, area 51, the arctic circle, all of it! 🤯
@@texmexspmthat Intelligence would be completely indistinguishable from the natural process you just described.
Very very well said.
Plain as day ... well said! Bravo! Creatively executed! Well researched! You got my attention!
At last! A worthy successor to Christopher Hitchens.
Pretty amazing how incredible good you speak. Its not only the words but everything. Keep it up man. Please never stop.
Absolutely fantastic speaker. I think you’re a rare gem of civility and eloquence in modern discourse.
I love you man one of the best philosophers in the 21st century. You explain truth like the alphabet..
My first time ever hearing Alex. I’m sad that I’m late to the party but I’m happy to be here ❤
Excellent
I'm confused by your question of what we would expect the world to look like if it were created by a god vs if it existed by accident.
Yes, if it existed by accident we might expect things to be messy, since without an organising force things do seem to get messy. But why would you expect it to be neat and lovely if it were created by a god? Would the perfect creator create something that was ceaseless pleasure? Is the best book one where all of the characters are having a great time the whole way through? Is the best tune one where it's your favourite note playing forever? Or does good creation tend to involve ebb and flow, peaks and troughs, tension and resolution?
We tell such stories because we live in such a world. Our narrative structures say nothing about the origins of the cosmos. The problem arises because of the omnipotence and omnibenevolence claims of many Christians. If God lack either attribute, then the universe would make sense as we observe it, but with both, their narratives fall apart in the face of scrutiny.
@@Rogstin that's a classic question that has been answered ad nauseam. The Christian story is that God created the world good, gave man the responsibility to do either good or bad, and then when man rebelled, God cursed the entire world as punishment for that sin, and thus all pain and suffering and death are perfectly just results of this rebellion.
That's why we say "thank God!" when somebody survives an accident. A skeptic would say "If God were real, that accident would never have happened!", but a rational person would respond, "God had no obligation to prevent that accident in the first place, and yet here I am still alive." That's essentially what "grace" means in the Scriptures. An undeserved gift.
So this falling apart in the face of scrutiny exists nowhere but in your imagination.
@@juilianbautista4067 _that's a classic question that has been answered ad nauseam._ And the answer is?
If God made everything, He made it knowing everything. There is no justice in punishing the world for our rebellion, and there is no rebellion because God wanted it to happen. What justice is there in cursing Man when he did not yet know good and evil?
The narratives are great examples of explaining the world when you don't know much about it. They aren't that great the more you do learn.
God doesn't save people in accidents, safety equipment does. To suggest otherwise is disgusting. Why them and not them? Mysterious ways bullshit.
@@juilianbautista4067The issue is that there is no evidence for a god , not proof , but no evidence period , it is 100% make believe and has not produced ONE thing of value
For example the bible offers nothing on agriculture , metallurgy, finance , medication etc. If the book were based on anything other than fairy tales , and this goes to all religions, then you would imagine the system that god laid out to offer one material or procedural truth on anything of importance to humans
You can sit back and say well god likes to be coy , great so why should we construct our societies based on his arbitrary and vague nature ? If god isn't in the business of picking sides , interacting with humanity , getting his hands dirty in the fields why should any human ever care about this coy frightened god ? And if you are coming from an abrahamic tradition , why was god so involved in tribal genocide and policies of individual towns and cities in the past , but not today
I think the most egregious error in following a god , is they didn't come onto the scene when humanity did , they came much much much much later , so whether it is Islam or xianity or Buddhism , I have ancestors that predate all of these gods , so those ancestors of mine are all being punished or deprived of the correct spirituality because god didn't bother to show up ? No , I value my family WAY more than any weak sauce god claim from a dusty old book
@@Rogstin God knowing everything does not preclude removing the responsibility of people from them. Foreknowledge does not magically get everyone off the hook.
"What justice is there in cursing Man when he did not yet know good and evil?"
>> If you're referencing the story in the garden, it isn't that man knew nothing of right and wrong. Clearly Adam had to know that it was wrong to rebel against God since God told him not to do it. "Knowing good and evil" as it was stated in the original Hebrew means more like "deciding what is good and evil" or "experiencing good and evil" rather than "having intellectual knowledge of good and evil". The punishment was given precisely because Adam knew what good and evil were, and yet decided he would follow himself rather than his Maker.
"The narratives are great examples of explaining the world when you don't know much about it."
>> Pretending you know about the world doesn't magically make you rational for rejecting the story of creation. Evolution was invented by Darwin because he didn't know much about the cell and the complexity of the genetic code. The more you know about it the more implausible Darwinism becomes. See how that works? What you just said isn't even an argument. It's a non-claim. It says nothing about the veracity of the story. It only gives speculations about motives you know nothing about.
"God doesn't save people in accidents, safety equipment does. To suggest otherwise is disgusting. Why them and not them? Mysterious ways bullshit."
>> See, this isn't a rational comment but rather an emotional one. Maybe quit pretending you're smart and acknowledge you actually hate God. God gave man the knowledge of building safety equipment, so, checkmate.
Maybe next time, try not to rely on objective standards of morality and the transcendent laws of logic, both of which are supernatural and immaterial, before you argue against the very foundation of both, which is God.
I've only stumbled upon Alex today and I'm already a big fan - a real talent
Very well delivered speech, obviously practiced a bunch.
Doubt it, I listen to his podcast quite regularly and he can form thoughts like this on a whim. He’s a great orator.
You make me so proud to be a human. Such eloquence and so much powerful logic line after line.. sentence after sentence.
That's the affinity that gives me energy everyday go to do my job. I'm so happy to be a beliver a beliver of peer-reviewed EVIDENCE.
One random collection of atoms bumping into other atoms ultimately leading another collection of atoms to release and cause pleasure in another collection of atoms, making that collection proud to be part of a category of collections of atoms with limited difference from a pile of horse excrement or an ant colony. How ironic. It’s almost like you’re saying that logic, eloquence, and most of all humanity, are somehow “good.” Interested to hear how that works with your worldview.
@@HaydenPianoCovers it's simple it also makes me feel lucky. Makes me feel lucky to know that I was born human( the most capable animal on earth). But also, the fact that I was born in the 90s and I get to experience the 2020s relatively young.
What an extraordinary young man.
Congrats Alex!
Keep on being greater and greater
LOL at the *DOPEY* theists here :)
What makes theists dopey?
Most conversion stories start with a personal narrative. Fair enough, but I've heard a number of "de-conversion" stories and the knife cuts both ways. The truth is that for the most part people don't make life decisions for "rational" reasons. They make decisions for personal reasons and justify them later on.
I've noticed that people don't make observations based on rational reasons, but make observations based on personal reasons and then justify them later on.
I have been thinking this recently. It seems like people's decisions are made intuitively, or through emotions, or through authority... and all evidence is secondary as justification to rationalize that belief. Like no one is given all the evidence that say (as an example most people would argee on) the earth is a globe -- and then after that they make up their mind what they believe.
Alex, you're my hero
-Is that projection?
Ralsei, Deltarune
“The more the pain, the clearer the calling.”
Did he just say he is agnostic? Correct me if I heard wrong 😮
Agnostic means you don't know if you there is a God. He's an agnostic atheist (doesn't know if there is one and doesn't believe in one.)