Ask Sam Harris Anything #2
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Harris takes questions from a variety of online sources. Entire clip is an hour, so to jump to an individual question, click on the links at the YT site and/or read below:
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
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
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 readers.
To purchase Sam's books, click the links below:
The End of Faith: http://amzn.to/o6zwds
Letter to a Christian Nation: http://amzn.to/piv7cS
The Moral Landscape: http://amzn.to/n2OFmb
Visit his blog at http://www.samharris.org
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
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
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 readers.
To purchase Sam's books, click the links below:
The End of Faith: http://amzn.to/o6zwds
Letter to a Christian Nation: http://amzn.to/piv7cS
The Moral Landscape: http://amzn.to/n2OFmb
Visit his blog at http://www.samharris.org
Aug 13, 2011 11:40 AM
Re: Ask Sam Harris Anything #2
Also available as a YT Playlist, which we do not support here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qX_d4TDmz0&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=SPA9B3BA2C767C1B43
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qX_d4TDmz0&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=SPA9B3BA2C767C1B43
By: spam_vigilante
Re: Ask Sam Harris Anything #2
I have a question for Sam Harris: why should I give a crap what Sam Harris thinks?
By: NoBiggie
Re: Ask Sam Harris Anything #2
On your web browser, you'll find a button marked "back" or with a graphical left-pointing arrow; sometimes both. It's usually conveniently located in the upper left corner.
Re: Ask Sam Harris Anything #2
Obviously, you believe that us reading your opinion is of more importance than his.
I am not in agreement.
Does this not speak volumes about the level of welcomeness you are experiencing of late?
I am not in agreement.
Does this not speak volumes about the level of welcomeness you are experiencing of late?
By: spam_vigilante
Re: Ask Sam Harris Anything #2
Wait a second, are you guys implying you don't want me to post here?
Well geez, why hasn't anyone just said so? Instead it's just been a lot of negativity, I thought you guys were just being Debby Downers.
Well geez, why hasn't anyone just said so? Instead it's just been a lot of negativity, I thought you guys were just being Debby Downers.
By: NoBiggie
Re: Ask Sam Harris Anything #2
What makes you think that your comments are not loved?
I find it moderately annoying that you think your shit doesn't stink and that everyone would want to read your comments rather than to watch a bright and articulate guy like Sam Harris state his case. That's all I had to say.
I'm sorry if this wasn't abundantly clear to you.
I find it moderately annoying that you think your shit doesn't stink and that everyone would want to read your comments rather than to watch a bright and articulate guy like Sam Harris state his case. That's all I had to say.
I'm sorry if this wasn't abundantly clear to you.
By: spam_vigilante
Re: Ask Sam Harris Anything #2
I'm starting to honestly worry about you guys. It was all fun and games for a while but you all seem to be wearing a bit thin.
Just for you spam, I'll stop posting for at least a month and let you get back to making inane comments with strangers. Honest!
Just for you spam, I'll stop posting for at least a month and let you get back to making inane comments with strangers. Honest!
By: NoBiggie
Re: Ask Sam Harris Anything #2
It is now August 15th. See ya on September 15th or thereabouts. It's a shame to see you go, as you really bring some fireworks to this joint. Please leave the light on.
Re: Ask Sam Harris Anything #2
6 and 8 are interesting.
In 6 he posits that the very life of person A is worth more than the life of person B, if person A is more creative, better connected, wealthier , more intelligent. He also talks about a hostage crisis involving president Bush. The life of president Bush is supposedly worth more than that of the other hostages, because Bush is in charge of maintaining the US global empire. Okay, I gave the hypothetical president a name and I substituted "leader of the lone superpower" for part of what it actually means. Aside from the fact that Harris reveres that which I judge to be a supreme evil, I'm left wondering whether he actually remembered what he was trying to argue. He was making the point that the lives of creatures that are able to experience life more deeply are superior to the lesser flames. That is why, he argues, insects are worth less than us. So why does he go off on this utilitarian tangent? It's simply not relevant. He even ends up conflating the utilitarian argument about the relative value of human lives with the initial argument (that some supposedly experience life more deeply and that that somehow translates to a person's intrinsic worth). I quote, "Anyone who's smarter than me (=you), anyone who's happier, anyone who's capable of much richer and deeper experience, who's going to help the world in ways I could never dream of,... that person's more important than me (=you)." So there you have it, he melds two entirely different calculation principles. It certainly makes his radical claims SEEM less objectionable. I'm always left wondering whether he does shit like this on purpose.
Answer 8 is also interesting. He admits that he has precious few respectable allies in his political jihad against 'Islam'. He doesn't seem to think that this says anything about the course he has chosen, which isn't surprising since he seems to think of himself as being beyond the petty squabbles of political thinkers. Instead, the leftist are suffering from selective blindness. He sees all. But judging by the effort he makes to insert "suicide terrorist" wherever he believes he can get away with it, one might be forgiven for believing that all this man sees is suicide terrorism; as if it's worse than (state) terrorism, as if it's a more pressing issue than war, or more evil than war.
In 6 he posits that the very life of person A is worth more than the life of person B, if person A is more creative, better connected, wealthier , more intelligent. He also talks about a hostage crisis involving president Bush. The life of president Bush is supposedly worth more than that of the other hostages, because Bush is in charge of maintaining the US global empire. Okay, I gave the hypothetical president a name and I substituted "leader of the lone superpower" for part of what it actually means. Aside from the fact that Harris reveres that which I judge to be a supreme evil, I'm left wondering whether he actually remembered what he was trying to argue. He was making the point that the lives of creatures that are able to experience life more deeply are superior to the lesser flames. That is why, he argues, insects are worth less than us. So why does he go off on this utilitarian tangent? It's simply not relevant. He even ends up conflating the utilitarian argument about the relative value of human lives with the initial argument (that some supposedly experience life more deeply and that that somehow translates to a person's intrinsic worth). I quote, "Anyone who's smarter than me (=you), anyone who's happier, anyone who's capable of much richer and deeper experience, who's going to help the world in ways I could never dream of,... that person's more important than me (=you)." So there you have it, he melds two entirely different calculation principles. It certainly makes his radical claims SEEM less objectionable. I'm always left wondering whether he does shit like this on purpose.
Answer 8 is also interesting. He admits that he has precious few respectable allies in his political jihad against 'Islam'. He doesn't seem to think that this says anything about the course he has chosen, which isn't surprising since he seems to think of himself as being beyond the petty squabbles of political thinkers. Instead, the leftist are suffering from selective blindness. He sees all. But judging by the effort he makes to insert "suicide terrorist" wherever he believes he can get away with it, one might be forgiven for believing that all this man sees is suicide terrorism; as if it's worse than (state) terrorism, as if it's a more pressing issue than war, or more evil than war.
By: wadadde
