Making Sense with Sam Harris #167 — A Few Thoughts on White Supremacy
Aug 26, 2019
The discussion dives into the backlash surrounding views on white supremacy and its comparison to jihadism. There's an emphasis on the importance of intellectual honesty in sensitive topics. The speaker addresses the complexities of each ideology, advocating for empirical data to clarify the prevalence of these extremist beliefs. Additionally, they tackle the challenges of navigating nuanced conversations while keeping sight of truth and understanding.
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Intellectual Honesty
- Sam Harris prioritizes intellectual honesty, even if it means acknowledging valid points from terrible people.
- He explores ideas regardless of their source, leading to misunderstandings about his own views.
Quantifying Support for Extremism
- Harris questions the level of support for white supremacist and jihadist ideologies.
- He emphasizes the importance of quantifying this support to understand the true scope of each threat.
Comparing Support for Jihadism and White Supremacy
- Harris suggests that support for jihadism is more widespread than support for white supremacy.
- He believes this difference is significant and not accidental, stemming from ideological factors.