Making Sense with Sam Harris - Subscriber Content

#299 - Steps in the Right Direction

Oct 3, 2022

Sam Harris speaks with Russ Roberts about decision-making, moral progress, the limitations of economics, the power of books, wild and tame problems, Darwin's thoughts on marriage, decision analysis, incommensurate goods, free riding, counterfactuals, changing moral norms, Effective Altruism, free speech, meditation, and the illusion of free will.

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Introduction

00:00 • 3min

Academic Background and Pursuit of a Well-Lived Life

02:33 • 9min

The Value of Books and Understanding Wild Problems

11:54 • 5min

Exploring the Pros and Cons of Marriage

16:38 • 9min

Embracing Uncertainty in Exams

25:33 • 22min

Progress and Flaws in Ethical Intuitions

47:59 • 16min

Addressing Challenges of Free Speech on Social Media

01:04:12 • 20min

Exploring the Illusion of Free Will

01:24:21 • 28min

Personal Experience with Meditation Retreats and Transformative Effects

01:52:47 • 6min

The Relationship Between Free Will and Human Behavior

01:58:27 • 5min

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Sam Harris speaks with Russ Roberts about decision-making and the nature of moral progress. They discuss the shortcomings of economics as a science, the power of books, the difference between "wild" and "tame" problems, Darwin’s embarrassing thoughts about the value of marriage, the utility of decision of analysis, incommensurate goods, free riding, counterfactuals, how the decisions we make change us, the difficulty of predicting future experience, changing moral norms, Effective Altruism, free speech, whether we are making moral progress, social media, truth vs comfort, problems with consequentialism, rule-based consequentialism, free will, meditation, and other topics.

Russ Roberts is president of Shalem College in Jerusalem and the John and Jean De Nault Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He is the host of EconTalk: Conversations for the Curious and the co-creator of the Keynes-Hayek rap videos. He started EconTalk in 2006—past guests include Christopher Hitchens, Angela Duckworth, Milton Friedman, Martha Nussbaum, Thomas Piketty, Emily Oster, and Michael Lewis. His books include How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness, and his latest—Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us.

Website: russroberts.info

Twitter: @econtalker

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.

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