Alex Rosenberg: Scientism, Naturalism, and Conscious Thought

In this episode of the Smarter Not Harder Podcast, our guest Alex Rosenberg joins our host Boomer Anderson to give one-cent solutions to life's $64,000 questions that include:

• What are the definitions of scientism and naturalism?

• Is there such a thing as free will, and if so, what implications does it have on the search for purpose in life?

• What is nice nihilism?

Alex Rosenberg is an American philosopher and novelist. He is the R. Taylor Cole Professor of Philosophy at Duke University, and is well known for contributions in the philosophy of biology, as well as the philosophy of economics. He has also written several books, including "The Atheist's Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life without Illusions" and "Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction."

What we discuss:

[00:00] Fundamental laws of physics are time symmetrical

[06:53] Naturalism requires letting go of everyday reality and embracing science.

[13:43] The second law of thermodynamics governs the emergence of organized adaptive systems.

[20:31] The content of conscious thought is an illusion.

[27:25] Self-help industry is exploiting people's credulity.

[34:10] Our continual dissatisfaction is a result of natural selection.

[40:58] Do we have free will?

[47:34] Nice nihilism is the doctrine that most of us behave in ways that are satisfying to the emotional responses of others.

[54:10] Living in the moment may not lead to happiness

[1:00:53] Seek professional advice driven by science for living smarter.

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Find out more from Alex Rosenberg:

https://alexrosenbergbooks.com/

https://scholars.duke.edu/person/alexrose

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