The Illusion of Libertarian Free Will

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Most people I am absolutely convinced do have or think they have an experience of libertarian free will. People are living with the illusion that if you if you rewound the movie of their thoughts, there's a thinker that is not reducible to the flow of thought but there's a thinkers that is the come the author of thought that they could have done otherwise. Most people feel like selves and they feel like they're the thinkers of their thoughts so it doesn't make sense for us to deny something we don't even think we have in first place.

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.

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