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Free Will - Sam Harris

Started by Truthseeker, March 30, 2012, 02:00:20 PM

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Truthseeker

March 30, 2012, 02:00:20 PM
Cognizant that I have exalted Sam Harris to damn near hero status, I none-the-less find myself yet again unabashedly promulgating his work.  Certainly I am not the only one on this board to view the following video.  I found it quite compelling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCofmZlC72g
Suffering is the breaking of the shell that encloses one's understanding.  Khalil Gibran

DeterminedJuliet

#1
March 30, 2012, 08:44:21 PM
I haven't really examined free will closely before, so it was very interesting. I wasn't intending to, but I just sat down and watched the whole thing!
I like his style, he reminds me of one of my old philosophy profs  :)
"We've thought of life by analogy with a journey, with pilgrimage which had a serious purpose at the end, and the THING was to get to that end; success, or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you're dead. But, we missed the point the whole way along; It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing, or dance, while the music was being played.

squidfetish

#2
March 31, 2012, 03:56:41 PM
Quote from: Truthseeker on March 30, 2012, 02:00:20 PM
Cognizant that I have exalted Sam Harris to damn near hero status, I none-the-less find myself yet again unabashedly promulgating his work.  Certainly I am not the only one on this board to view the following video.  I found it quite compelling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCofmZlC72g

Whoa.. just now ordered the book.  Many thanks for the heads-up!  ;D
reptilian overlord

Truthseeker

#3
March 31, 2012, 10:26:23 PM
Not as humorous, but could be the Atheists' Ben Stiller.  No?
Suffering is the breaking of the shell that encloses one's understanding.  Khalil Gibran

Tank

#4
March 31, 2012, 10:29:17 PM
Quote from: Truthseeker on March 31, 2012, 10:26:23 PM
Not as humorous, but could be the Atheists' Ben Stiller.  No?
:D :D :D
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Crocoduck

#5
April 01, 2012, 08:01:56 AM
I can't respect a man who wears a suit without a tie.
As we all know, the miracle of fishes and loaves is only scientifically explainable through the medium of casseroles
Dobermonster
However some of the jumped up jackasses do need a damn good kicking. Not that they will respond to the kicking but just to show they can be kicked
Some dude in a Tank

Tank

#6
April 01, 2012, 10:06:51 AM
Quote from: Crocoduck on April 01, 2012, 08:01:56 AM
I can't respect a man who wears a suit without a tie.
It does look odd. Sort of half dressed.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Crocoduck

#7
April 06, 2012, 10:39:55 PM
Theres a post on Sam's blog that is worth reading if you watched the video.

Free Will and "Free Will" How my view differs from Daniel Dennett's
As we all know, the miracle of fishes and loaves is only scientifically explainable through the medium of casseroles
Dobermonster
However some of the jumped up jackasses do need a damn good kicking. Not that they will respond to the kicking but just to show they can be kicked
Some dude in a Tank

NatsuTerran

#8
April 10, 2012, 10:24:23 PM
That was a great video, as well as the one titled "Who says science has nothing to say about morality?" which I find to be closely related. I didn't know of Sam Harris before but he is immediately my favorite public atheist now. I really don't care much about religion because I find it to be harmless. It is a side-characteristic of religion: the notion of free will on agents, which lead to most moral dilemmas I find repugnant.

But it amazes me how much I think like Sam Harris as is. Everything he says is essentially what I would say in these talks. One thing that always infuriates me is how to convey a message of determinism without confusing people. It really boggles my mind because some people just have the weirdest ideas of free will and determinism. And they just can't seem to understand the logic of fore-knowledge, let alone the evidence for it.

I have been a hard determinist for as long as I can remember, even as a child. It was just an intuitive feeling then, but I knew something was wrong with playing the "blame game." I actually am starting to think different people are genetically predisposed towards comprehension of things like the illusion of control, but I can't prove that.

Anyways, it's extremely refreshing to finally hear a perspective that is identical to mine, thanks for sharing.
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