Sam Harris

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DrYouth
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Sam Harris

Post by DrYouth » Thu Aug 29, 2019 10:57 am

I have been enjoying the Sam Harris podcast.
Anyone else listening?

His latest is a smackdown on accusations that he is light on white supremacy and over emphasizes Jihadism...

I think he makes an excellent case for his position, which is that he has good reasons to be lighter on white supremacy vs jihadism given the reality that white supremacy is a far less pernicious problem globally than jihadism. It seems crazy to even type out those words, to the point where I can feel the eye of Sauron upon me just typing them... but his arguments are sane and reasonable. Sam Harris is a brave man.

167: A few thoughts on white supremacy

https://samharris.org/podcast
Deep down tho, I still thirst to kill you and eat you. Ultra Chimp can't help it.. - Smitty

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Fife
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Re: Sam Harris

Post by Fife » Thu Aug 29, 2019 11:08 am

Sam Harris and bravery aren't concepts I've held at the same moment in my mind before, I don't reckon.

I'd like to have the IQ that "intellectual atheists" usually advertise themselves as having.

Anyway, everyone should make their own judgment, of course. I'm contrarian, so consider liking all the things I don't and it might be great for you. I was/am a fan of Hitchens, maybe he wasn't as schticky to me. I dunno. Carry on, Sam Harris people.

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DrYouth
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Re: Sam Harris

Post by DrYouth » Thu Aug 29, 2019 2:19 pm

Anyone else have an opinion on Sam.
Deep down tho, I still thirst to kill you and eat you. Ultra Chimp can't help it.. - Smitty

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Speaker to Animals
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Re: Sam Harris

Post by Speaker to Animals » Thu Aug 29, 2019 2:27 pm

My opinion is that he spends more time acting as an intellectual than being one.

Most of this new atheist stuff is a confidence racket for average intellects. It is intellectual tae kwan do. If I want to read a smart atheist I just read Nietzsche or Sartre.

Nor does he add anything novel about tribalism outside the typical boomercuck perspective.

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Speaker to Animals
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Re: Sam Harris

Post by Speaker to Animals » Thu Aug 29, 2019 2:29 pm

Also, the day I seriously consider the musings of an atheist about the dangers of mass murdering ideologies is the day I might as well drive to Clingman's Dome and dive off the cliff.
Last edited by Speaker to Animals on Thu Aug 29, 2019 3:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Haumana
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Re: Sam Harris

Post by Haumana » Thu Aug 29, 2019 2:47 pm

DrYouth wrote:
Thu Aug 29, 2019 2:19 pm
Anyone else have an opinion on Sam.
Has anyone heard him laugh?

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DrYouth
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Re: Sam Harris

Post by DrYouth » Thu Aug 29, 2019 3:05 pm

I read a good review on line calling him out as a Buddhist rather than an Atheist...

"The End of Faith... unless you're a Buddhist, then you are cool"... was the applause line.

Other than his overreach on the atheism thing tho... I think he's solid in a lot of areas.
Deep down tho, I still thirst to kill you and eat you. Ultra Chimp can't help it.. - Smitty

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DrYouth
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Re: Sam Harris

Post by DrYouth » Thu Aug 29, 2019 3:07 pm

Haumana wrote:
Thu Aug 29, 2019 2:47 pm
DrYouth wrote:
Thu Aug 29, 2019 2:19 pm
Anyone else have an opinion on Sam.
Has anyone heard him laugh?
Now that you mention it... hardly...

Although he can be really funny in his in person appearances.

I listened to him interview Daniel Kahneman at a live event (recorded) and Sam was surprisingly very funny.
Deep down tho, I still thirst to kill you and eat you. Ultra Chimp can't help it.. - Smitty

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Haumana
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Re: Sam Harris

Post by Haumana » Thu Aug 29, 2019 5:38 pm

DrYouth wrote:
Thu Aug 29, 2019 3:07 pm
Now that you mention it... hardly...

Although he can be really funny in his in person appearances.

I listened to him interview Daniel Kahneman at a live event (recorded) and Sam was surprisingly very funny.
Was it self effacing humor?

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doc_loliday
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Re: Sam Harris

Post by doc_loliday » Thu Aug 29, 2019 7:17 pm

He's an intelligent guy and he talks about some controversial ideas, so I can see why he's popular. But he has some really stupid ideas too. He basically gives advice to society while telling everyone that they have no free will. This is the basis for his ideas on policy. With regard to our everyday lives, he recommends that we should just act as if we are free to make decisions. If you point out the flaw in his using of the word 'should', he acts like you're just being absurd by over analyzing the minor details of his fundamental argument.