Part 4 of 6 - Morality (Audio) - Sam Harris & Richard Dawkins conversation - 12 April 2011

[Wyldwulf]

Harris' schpiel about free will paints himself into a philosophical corner. It means that the atheist and the "deluded" both come to their cultural and intellectual states not by brainwashing or influence- that no free will means no free thought, and no free thought means no true reasoning, and that one's belief is not his to "choose", that there is no reason to attempt to change cultures course, and that the inevitable retort to this comment is not a free thought either.

[ped200014]

@Wyldwulf why?

[holzy44]

@Wyldwulf reductionist reasoning like this gets us no where. True as it may be that our decisions are wholly influenced by our environment, it doesn't erase the fact that we have the "choice" what to do from moment to moment, and of course we must hold people accountable for their "decisions" even though they are only a subconscious mental calculation.

[ItsameAlex]

Sam Harris mentioned Ricky Gervais- epic.

Ricky Gervais also mentioned in his blog that he would like to do a ''talking religion'' with Harris, Dawkins and Hitchens (poor Dennet). I hope that happens.

[spacellama23]

@ItsameAlex That would make me SO happy.

[ItsameAlex]

@spacellama23

Hitchens was still alive when I wrote that.

Hitchens is dead now :(

So it can't happen with those exact specifications.

But maybe Dennet can take his place.

Or Eliezer Yudkowsy (look him up if you haven't heard of him).

Or Karl Pilkington :p His expression would be just fun to watch as the other speak high level intellectual stuff ;-)

[kx32ta1]

When did this take place?

[ItsCWG]

@kx32ta1 12 April 2011

[ItsameAlex]

@ItsCWG

where's part 5?