Exploring the objective reality of moral truth, the relationship between facts and values, and the complexities of navigating moral dilemmas and personal preferences. Delving into global well-being and aligning personal actions with universal ethical standards, while debunking fallacies in consciousness and morality debates.
Read more
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Science values epistemic objectivity but also relies on certain values like coherence and predictive power.
Understanding and maximizing human well-being requires converging on global goals and moral persuasion efforts.
Deep dives
Objective Basis of Morality Beyond Science
Morality, according to the podcast, rests on the reality of consciousness and the experiences of conscious beings, making it subjective in the ontological sense but not less real. While science is committed to epistemic objectivity in analyzing evidence without bias, it doesn't limit itself to studying only physical objects. The distinction between epistemological and ontological objectivity was discussed, emphasizing that science relies on certain epistemic values like coherence and predictive power, despite not being committed to ontological objectivity.
Maximizing Human Flourishing and Moral Truths
The podcast delves into the notion that there are frontiers of human well-being awaiting discovery, and certain interests and preferences may blind individuals to these possibilities. Understanding how to maximize human well-being is considered a separate project from merely describing moral behaviors. The aim is to converge on the same economic, political, and environmental goals globally to create a viable civilization. Projected moral persuasion is highlighted as the most crucial endeavor facing humanity, encompassing efforts ranging from climate change mitigation to global welfare improvement.
Defining Moral Truth and Consciousness-Centered Morality
The podcast challenges the skepticism surrounding moral truth, asserting that moral relativism shouldn't invalidate truth claims. Conceptions of objective morality centered on conscious creatures' well-being are defended, emphasizing that consciousness provides a legitimate starting point for discussing morality and human values. The importance of defining physics to constrain discourse is likened to defining morality based on maximizing human flourishing, distinguishing genuine moral concerns from subjective opinions.
Sam Harris revisits the central argument he made in his book, The Moral Landscape, about the reality of moral truth. He discusses the way concepts like “good” and “evil” can be thought about objectively, the primacy of our intuitions of truth and falsity, and the unity of knowledge.
If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode