Very Bad Wizards Episode 59: Tumors All the Way Down (With Sam Harris)
02:32:16
Conversions from New Atheism
- Sam Harris receives many emails from people who have abandoned fundamentalism.
- They credit Harris and other "New Atheists" for their changed worldview.
Sophisticated Religious Belief as Bullshit
- Sam Harris argues that so-called sophisticated religious moderates often employ unprincipled intellectual discourse.
- He criticizes Francis Collins' belief in immortal souls and free will for humans only.
Practice over Belief
- Tamler Summers' orthodox Jewish relatives encouraged him to practice Judaism without necessarily believing.
- This mirrors Sam Harris' encouragement to try meditation.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app 1 chevron_right 2 chevron_right 3 chevron_right 4 chevron_right 5 chevron_right 6 chevron_right 7 chevron_right 8 chevron_right 9 chevron_right 10 chevron_right 11 chevron_right 12 chevron_right 13 chevron_right 14 chevron_right 15 chevron_right 16 chevron_right 17 chevron_right 18 chevron_right 19 chevron_right 20 chevron_right 21 chevron_right 22 chevron_right 23 chevron_right 24 chevron_right 25 chevron_right 26 chevron_right 27 chevron_right 28 chevron_right 29 chevron_right 30 chevron_right 31 chevron_right 32 chevron_right 33 chevron_right 34 chevron_right 35 chevron_right 36 chevron_right 37 chevron_right 38 chevron_right 39 chevron_right 40 chevron_right 41 chevron_right 42 chevron_right 43 chevron_right 44 chevron_right 45 chevron_right 46 chevron_right 47 chevron_right
Introduction
00:00 • 2min
The New Atheists: A Fool's Errand
01:52 • 5min
The Unseemly Resurrection of Jesus
06:42 • 3min
The Fear of Religious Fundamentalism
10:07 • 6min
The Counterfactual Effect of Hitch and Dock on Religious Dogmatism
15:53 • 4min
The Importance of Belief in Religion
19:35 • 3min
The Cost of Authenticating Conscious Experience
23:01 • 3min
The Importance of Faith in Combating Religion
26:07 • 2min
The Contradiction Between Judaism and Atheism
28:00 • 2min
The Orthodox View of Judaism
29:43 • 2min
The Importance of Metaphysical Spiritual Beliefs in Religion
31:26 • 3min
The Cost-Benefit Analysis of Christian Missionaries
34:29 • 3min
The Problem With Dogma
37:42 • 5min
The Morality of a War
42:31 • 4min
The Importance of Moral Intuition
46:09 • 3min
The Importance of Love in Relationships
48:41 • 2min
The Importance of Being Committed to Your Relationship
50:37 • 2min
The Effects of Ecstasy on the Brain
52:52 • 3min
The Paradox of Meditation
55:30 • 5min
The Illusion of Free Will
01:00:42 • 6min
The Illusion of Self-Awareness
01:06:30 • 4min
The Illusion of Libertarian Free Will
01:10:03 • 2min
The Disadvantages of Transitions
01:11:52 • 6min
The Importance of Intuition in Moral Responsibility
01:17:29 • 4min
The Moral Implications of Disavowing Libertarian Free Will
01:21:41 • 2min
The Case of the Evil Genius and the Case of Ordinary Causation
01:23:46 • 2min
The Power of Intuitions
01:25:32 • 3min
The Differences Between Tumors and Schizophrenia
01:28:28 • 4min
The Illusion of Blame and Punishment in the Evil Neuroscientist Scientist Case
01:32:37 • 3min
The Importance of Intuition
01:35:25 • 2min
The Different Types of Manipulation
01:37:54 • 3min
The Difference Between Visual Illusion and Intuition
01:40:40 • 2min
The Importance of Intuition in Drunk Driving
01:42:37 • 3min
The Role of Moral Reasons in the System
01:45:27 • 5min
The Importance of Complete Information
01:50:26 • 2min
The Importance of Consequences
01:52:32 • 4min
The Fair Distinction Between Responsiveness and Consequences in Neuroscience
01:56:15 • 3min
The Importance of Love in Evolution
01:59:39 • 4min
The Importance of Love
02:03:19 • 2min
The Importance of Resilience in Decision Making
02:05:05 • 5min
The Moral Landscape and the Value of Hatred
02:10:00 • 3min
The Metaphysical Truth of the Ultimate Causality
02:12:41 • 5min
The Role of Emotions in Human Well-Being
02:18:08 • 2min
The Role of Emotions in Defeating Evil
02:19:59 • 2min
The Consequences of a Dialectical Stamate
02:22:27 • 4min
The Negative Effects of Knowledge on Human Frustration
02:26:18 • 3min
The Importance of Understanding Causes
02:28:55 • 3min
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- Sam Harris [samharris.org]
- Waking Up: A guide to spirituality without religion by Sam Harris [amazon.com affiliate link]
- Daniel Dennett reviews "Free Will" by Sam Harris [naturalism.org]
- Sam Harris responds to Dennett's Review of "Free Will" [samharris.org]
Special Guest: Sam Harris.