I fail to see how the addition of a hairdryer makes the claim more ridiculous or offensive. The end of faith religion, terror, and the future of reason. Steven pinker is a professor of psychology at harvard university, the author of several magnificent books about the human mind, and one of the most influential scientists on earth. Sam harris, lawrence krauss, steven pinker can science. Im around half way through listening to this, so keep this in mind, but i am not sure that peter harrison has read the complete book. The main four authors were richard dawkins, christopher hitchens, daniel. Waking up a guide to spirituality without religion by sam harris audiobook duration. Waking up a guide to spirituality without religion. Sam harris picked this as the first book in his book club. Harris and shapiro are on opposite sides of many political and ideological issues and at around 22 minutes into the interview shapiro questions harris on the basis for morality, argues that a judeochristian foundation is essential for a civilisation that values human rights above the values of the collective, that says that people are to be treated, to use the biblical phrase, as made. I asked steven pinker and sam harris, what is the most significant and stronglyheld belief youve possessed that youve subsequently changed your mind on. Harris rejects deontology, teleology, and some version of consequentialism as. He is also my friend, an occasional mentor, and an advisor to my nonprofit foundation, project reason.
In the aftermath, harris discovered that most peoplefrom religious fundamentalists to nonbelieving scientistsagree on one point. Sam harris is an american author, neuroscientist, philosopher, and podcast host. Ap after thinking about this a bit and sharing some of your hey, whoa whoa whoa there pinker. The end of faith 2004 sam harris recommended books 20 books. Sam has an incredibly beautiful description of taking psychedelics. Sam harris on daily routines, the trolley scenario, and 5 books. In the spirit of sams work, this is a place for reason and reasoned discussion. Waking up book by sam harris official publisher page.
Look at his introduction to his podcast with steven pinker. Sam harris is the author of the new york times best seller, the end of faith. In this elegant assessment of the human condition in the third millennium, cognitive scientist and public intellectual steven pinker urges us to step back from the gory headlines and prophesies of doom, which play to our psychological biases. Sam harris blames religious moderates for allowing extremism to flourish in the end of faith. For the millions of americans who want spirituality without religion, sam harriss latest new york times bestseller is a guide to meditation as a rational practice informed by neuroscience and psychology from sam harris, neuroscientist and author of numerous new york times bestselling books, waking up is for the twenty percent of americans who follow no religion but who suspect that. How science can determine human values is a 2010 book by sam harris, in which the author promotes a science of morality and argues that many thinkers have long confused the relationship between morality, facts, and science. We read and talk about both fiction and nonfiction books as a community. His dialog with daniel dennett who has written extensively on compatibilist free will demonstrated that sam harris is taking an intellectually honest approach. Steven pinkers most popular book is everybody lies. Books by steven pinker author of the better angels of our. His book the end of faith 2004, a critique of organized religion, appeared on the new york times best seller list for 33 weeks and also won the penmartha albrand award for first nonfiction in. Author of the end of faith, freewill, and other bestselling books. The case for reason, science, humanism, and progress. Sam harris and steven pinker live on stage in converstation.
Indeed, harris does not want us to remain neutral about his primary subject of faith. Sam harris, the new atheist with a spiritual side books the guardian. The end of faith won the 2005 pen award for nonfiction. Sam harris has studied philosophy extensively even holding a degree in philosophy from stanford and his book does an excellent job of representing a deterministic view of free will. Watch sam harris interview steven pinker about his new book enlightenment now. The original title of this essay was a mediumsized response to sam harris the end of faith, but i can already see that my writing will almost certainly run much longer than i intended. Harris is cofounder and ceo of project reason, a nonprofit foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values. The end of faith by sam harris is a landmark book for me. How science could determine human values in 2010, the longform essay lying in 2011, the short book free will in 2012.
In this first waking up book club event, were streaming live from the dolby theatre in hollywood. Steven pinker has 46 books on goodreads with 641512 ratings. Sam harris quotes author of letter to a christian nation. Find someone who holds you the way steven pinker holds sam. He expresses his arguments so starkly that anyone who reads them cant remain neutral. Psychologist steven pinker talks about his provocative new book that argues the decline of violence with sam harris. It is time secularists took a stronger stand against religion, says steohanie merritt. Sam harris this is sam harriss second appearance on the show. And then sam harris would just repeat what he had already said in different words. Now full disclosure im not even a vegan but does anybody else find sams response rather weak. In this episode of the waking up podcast, sam harris speaks with eric weinstein and ben shapiro about the breakdown of shared values, the problem with identity politics, religion, free will, the primacy of reason, and many other topics.
The fact that sam can be fluent in so many topics is astonishing. Sam harris, one of the most famous atheists in the world because of his book the end of faith. Check back often to see what books sam is recommending or mentioning on the making sense podcast. Theres a big nuanced discussion to be had about what is in bad faith and what is tribalism is so. Sam harris s first book, the end of faith, ignited a worldwide debate about the validity of religion. Steven pinker and sam harris waking up book club new.
Sam harris is the author of the bestselling books, the end of faith, letter to a christian nation, the moral landscape, free will, lying, waking up, and islam and. Just so, his atheism may put him in company with christopher hitchens and sam harris, but he would doubtless say that its the only logical conclusion to come to, and pascals wager be damned. Please see rule 3 for which link posts are allowed. Behave, enlightenment now, god is not great, history of western philosophy etc. The episode on that in the first season of the orville was a bit trite it is star trek light after all, but still covered the issue relatively well. Sam harris is a neuroscientist, philosopher, new york times bestselling author, host of the making sense podcast, and creator of the waking up course.
Sam harris and veganism with steven pinker in response to a question from the audience in the recent pinker discussion sam again reaffirmed he has given up his veganism. In this speech, sam maintains poetic beauty while being rational. Sam harris comments on the lawrence krauss allegations. Sam harris on daily routines, the trolley scenario, and 5. His writing has been published in over fifteen languages.
Pinkers protestations are progressive, though the academically orthodox will find him an apostate. Steven pinker, sam harris and the epidemic of annoying. Steves new book is the better angels of our continued. Sam harriss first book, the end of faith, ignited a worldwide debate about the validity of religion. Watch sam harris interview steven pinker about his new. Now available in paperback my new favorite book of all time. It doesnt seem to be a history of the enlightenment, but more of a critique of the modern approach to solving various problems we have now climate change, over or not population, fear of technological and social progress, the various predictions of. Harris video covers it pretty well, i thought, even if a bit too succinctly to cover the larger problem very well at all. Join sam harris as he explores some of the most important. Sam harris is the author of the bestselling books the end of faith, letter to a christian nation, the moral landscape, free will, and lying. How science can determine human values is geared toward making an argument that science alone can answer ethical questions.
It is clear from reading the end of faith that sam harris is a strong minded individual. Letter to a christian nation in 2006, the moral landscape. If he said that he was talking to god through his hairdryer, this would precipitate a national emergency. Sam harris horrible histories history for atheists sam. Although the objections ive raised thus far are i think pertinent, they really do not address what i believe is the central problem with harris book. Religion, terror, and the future of reason, which won the 2005 pen award for nonfiction. Harriss first book, the end of faith 2004, won the penmartha albrand award for first nonfiction and remained on the new york times best seller list for 33 weeks.
Where certain actions cause no suffering at all, religious dogmatists still maintain that they are evil and worth of punishment sodomy, marijuana use, homosexuality, the killing of blastocysts, etc. I wish sam would answer steven pinkers reply to the piece the myth of ai. For sam harriss work, please link directly to his website for updated posts on his podcast. Sams speech on death and the present moment is elegant.
Sam harris isnt as smart as i thought and he didnt. He aims to carve a third path between secularists who say morality is subjective e. Others blame extremists who distort the true message of religion. Steven pinker, sam harris and the epidemic of annoying white male intellectuals. Religion, terror, and the future of reason is a 2004 book by sam harris, concerning organized religion, the clash between religious faith and rational thought, and the problem of intolerance that correlates with religious fundamentalism harris began writing the book during what he described as a period of collective grief and stupefaction following the september 11, 2001. Steven pinker and sam harris waking up book club new duration. Steven pinker and sam harris on changing their minds youtube. The end of faith by sam harris is a genuinely frightening book about terrorism, and the central role played by religion in justifying and rewarding it. Harriss 2010 popular ethics book the moral landscape. The president of the united states has claimed, on more than one occasion, to be in dialogue with god. On one level, wisdom is nothing more than the ability to take your own advice.