The Fear of Religious Fundamentalism

6min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Professor Tamler: You can believe something that we all clearly believe to be false and still be a good person. Even your students in class who may adhere to these fairly strict religious beliefs, they are the kind of people who are most open-minded. This is when I challenge you to spend a month in a sort of a Christian fundamentalist community as pen and stammler. It's just pure madness by word salad on scientifically illiterate people.

Bestselling author and friend of the podcast Sam Harris joins Tamler and Dave for a marathon podcast. (Seriously, pack two pairs of astronaut diapers for this one). We talk about the costs and benefits of religion, dropping acid in India, and the illusory nature of (a certain kind of) free will. Then we go at it on blame, moral responsibility, hatred, guilt, retribution, and vengeance. Sam thinks these are antiquated responses based on a belief in spooky metaphysics, Tamler thinks they are important components of human morality, and Dave just wants everyone to get along and be reasonable (like that nice Kant fellow).

Time markers (roughly)

0:00-47:00 Intro and costs and benefits of religion

47:00-77:30 Drugs, the self, free will

77:30-- Blame, guilt, vengeance, moral responsibility, desert.

Links