Can Science Tell Us Right from Wrong? The Great Debate Panel

The Great Debate Panel

Speakers: Steven Pinker, Sam Harris, Patricia Churchland, Lawrence Krauss, Simon Blackburn, Peter Singer and Roger Bingham.

A lively panel discussion between Steven Pinker, Sam Harris, Patricia Churchland, Lawrence Krauss, Simon Blackburn, Peter Singer. If human morality is an evolutionary adaptation and if neuroscientists can identify specific brain circuitry governing moral judgment, can scientists determine what is, in fact, right and wrong?

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The Great Debate
On November 6th, 2010 a panel of renowned scientists, philosophers, and public intellectuals gathered to discuss what impact evolutionary theory and advances in neuroscience might have on traditional concepts of morality. If human morality is an evolutionary adaptation and if neuroscientists can identify specific brain circuitry governing moral judgment, can scientists determine what is, in fact, right and wrong? The panelists were psychologist Steven Pinker, author Sam Harris, philosopher Patricia Churchland, physicist Lawrence Krauss, philosopher Simon Blackburn, bioethicist Peter Singer and The Science Network's Roger Bingham.

Recorded live at the Arizona State University Gammage auditorium.

"The Great Debate" was sponsored by the ASU Origins Project in collaboration with the ASU Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law Center for Law, Science and Innovation; the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge; and The Science Network.

www.thesciencenetwork.org

Category:

Education

Tags:

• thesciencenetwork
• steven pinker
• sam harris
• patricia churchland
• lawrence krauss
• simon blackburn
• peter singer
• roger bingham
• morality
• science
• moral values
• secular humanism
• philosophy
• debate

[AtheistdotEDU]

Thanks for posting this. I really appreciate it. Good stuff.

[KYLYKaHYT]

@AtheistdotEDU  YW, glad you enjoyed it. :)

[sulljoh1]

@sylviabombs15 Watch the atheist Peter Singer debate Dinesh on religion, then tell me he's gay. The one who is missing here is Dan Dennett.

[saburius]

Thank you so much for posting this! I love Sam Harris and Lawrence Krauss.

[lupabuatchannel]

I Really Like The Video From Your Steven Pinker, Sam Harris, Patricia Churchland, Lawrence Krauss, Simon Blackburn, Peter Singer and Roger Bingham.

[cenedywong]

Your Video Is Very Useful Sharing Speakers: Steven Pinker, Sam Harris, Patricia Churchland, Lawrence Krauss, Simon Blackburn, Peter Singer and Roger Bingham.

[MrKingatheist]

@MrKingatheist unnecessary*

[MrKingatheist]

@jamesstephenbrown I completely agree with that! I just wanted to clarify what you meant without jumping to any necessary conclusions. We certainly are on the same wavelength.

[jamesstephenbrown]

@MrKingatheist Thanks, by the way for attempting to understand a fairly convoluted, and truncated point, that is probably not suitable for a youtube comment.

[jamesstephenbrown]

@MrKingatheist Thanks for your reply.

I didn't mean to say that morals don't exist. I was making the point that believers and non-believers are in the same position when developing them

I am not meaning to suggest that morals are arbitrary either, I think we are hard-wired by evolution to bear the experiences of others in mind, empathy etc, this leads us to develop morals based on things we ought to do to thrive and fit with others. So those morals stem from real world realities

[MrKingatheist]

@jamesstephenbrown Are you saying then morals don't exist? Not 100% sure what your saying, want to check.

[vivaramones1]

what a waste of my life!