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SamHarrisOrg's profile
Sam Harris
Sam Harris
Sam Harris
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@SamHarrisOrg

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Sam HarrisVerified account

@SamHarrisOrg

Author of The End of Faith, The Moral Landscape, Waking Up, and other bestselling books published in over 20 languages. Host of the Waking Up podcast.

samharris.org
Joined February 2010

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    1. Chris Anderson‏Verified account @TEDchris Oct 30

      Chris Anderson Retweeted Sam Harris

      I'm curious what you make of this conversation. It began with Sam's argument that moral values can be derived from science and reason... and then morphed into an intense discussion about how to communicate across religious borders. We have to figure this out, right?https://twitter.com/SamHarrisOrg/status/1057411009474781184 …

      Chris Anderson added,

      Sam HarrisVerified account @SamHarrisOrg
      Really enjoyed speaking with @TEDchris on his new podcast, "The TED Interview." https://samharris.org/podcasts/the-ted-interview/ …
      21 replies 12 retweets 78 likes
    2. Brett Hall‏ @ToKTeacher Oct 30
      Replying to @TEDchris

      I'm looking forward to listening. But here's the argument (using science and reason) that moral values cannot be so "derived" in the way @SamHarrisOrg claims in "The Moral Landscape" nor do they need to be following the arguments made by @DavidDeutschOxfhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kPSI6djlwE&lc=UgxBBLHLgXqw5uordtJ4AaABAg …

      7 replies 7 retweets 31 likes
    3. Nathaniel Paull‏ @nbeecherp Oct 31
      Replying to @ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf and

      I think you miss purpose of landscape analogy. It’s not to provide foundation, but rather direction. In physics eg, one can criticize competing explanations w experiment. But outcomes of competing moral theories (should we spank?) provide no intrinsic reason for preference.

      1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
    4. Brett Hall‏ @ToKTeacher Oct 31
      Replying to @nbeecherp @DavidDeutschOxf and

      The landscape analogy - where there are “maxima” (local or not) is still a problem. As formulated it denies the possibility of progress in certain cases *except* by descent into some valley. As if the universe might “have it in for us”. It doesn’t. http://www.bretthall.org/the-moral-landscape-challenge.html …

      1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
    5. Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Oct 31
      Replying to @ToKTeacher @nbeecherp and

      I've watched the first 15 minutes of your video. Nice job. But I'm not as much of a "foundationalist" as you think. I don't believe that knowledge (moral or otherwise) can be built from the bottom up; it's just that certain intuitions/assumptions trump others...

      3 replies 0 retweets 24 likes
    6. Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Oct 31
      Replying to @SamHarrisOrg @ToKTeacher and

      These are "foundational" in a weaker sense. As for the landscape analogy—if you say that a higher spot can be reached from where you are, without descent, that's synonymous with saying that you're not yet on a peak. I don't see the problem with that.

      4 replies 0 retweets 27 likes
    7. Lucas Smalldon‏ @reason_wit_me Nov 1
      Replying to @SamHarrisOrg @ToKTeacher and

      The 'worst possible misery for everyone' plays the logical role of a foundation in your theory, which is why you often say the phrase, "That's all I need to get this started". We start with moral problems and theories we already have, not from a kind of self-evident intuition.

      1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
    8. Nathaniel Paull‏ @nbeecherp Nov 1
      Replying to @reason_wit_me @SamHarrisOrg and

      And when two competing theories are proposed to solve a moral problem, on what basis do you evaluate them?

      2 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
    9. Brett Hall‏ @ToKTeacher Nov 1
      Replying to @nbeecherp @reason_wit_me and

      We evaluate using reason. Objective criteria. Always fallible, always subject to new information and liable to errors and improvements. In general it involves criticising both until one remains.

      3 replies 0 retweets 4 likes
    10. Lucas Smalldon‏ @reason_wit_me Nov 1
      Replying to @ToKTeacher @nbeecherp and

      Exactly. And in that same vein, we do it by criticizing both theories *against the conditions of the problem situation* they both aim to address, as well as against the logical and explanatory constraints imposed by all our other best knowledge, seeking contradictions.

      1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
      Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Nov 1
      Replying to @reason_wit_me @ToKTeacher and

      What do you call an intuition that keeps winning these contests, and about which you have to see a coherent criticism?

      10:47 PM - 1 Nov 2018
      • 1 Retweet
      • 14 Likes
      • Lawrence West Matthew Hentrich Tom Marty The Futurists are many.... CritRat Mike Strayer Kate Arnold onnlucky🍀
      8 replies 1 retweet 14 likes
        1. New conversation
        2. Brett Hall‏ @ToKTeacher Nov 2
          Replying to @SamHarrisOrg @reason_wit_me and

          What we *call* these things is less important than what they are. You may call it an intuition. Or assumption. I just call that kind of claim “knowledge”. It depends on context. But not possibly a foundation. :)

          4 replies 0 retweets 10 likes
        3. Brett Hall‏ @ToKTeacher Nov 2
          Replying to @ToKTeacher @SamHarrisOrg and

          This calls to mind and old philosophy joke: if you call a horse’s tail a leg, how many legs does it have? . . . . . 4! It has 4. . . You can *call* the tail whatever you like. A horse has 4 legs.

          1 reply 1 retweet 13 likes
        4. Hermes of Reason‏ @hermesofreason Nov 2
          Replying to @ToKTeacher @SamHarrisOrg and

          There’s only one moral imperative from which all others follow: To safeguard the means of error-correction. That entails there being one, infinitely high mountain in the moral landscape - and progress consists of climbing (and creating) it.

          1 reply 1 retweet 5 likes
        5. Caerwyn‏ @caerwy Nov 2
          Replying to @hermesofreason @ToKTeacher and

          Is this your foundation?

          1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
        6. Hermes of Reason‏ @hermesofreason Nov 2
          Replying to @caerwy @ToKTeacher and

          I should say: Progress consists of *beginning to* climb and create it, and we're always fallible when trying to. What is there to stand on?

          2 replies 0 retweets 1 like
        7. Caerwyn‏ @caerwy Nov 2
          Replying to @hermesofreason @ToKTeacher and

          To mean something it must be used as a basis for action, and so you must *stand* on it, tentatively, so you can find out if it holds in reality.

          1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
        8. Brett Hall‏ @ToKTeacher Nov 2
          Replying to @caerwy @hermesofreason

          That, perhaps, is a conflation of “stand” (firmly and begin the process of building on a solid foundation) with “stand” (step lightly and test for functionality). The latter is fine but it’s not the former. The latter asks “Does this work?” the former demands “This can’t move”.

          0 replies 1 retweet 3 likes
        9. End of conversation
        1. John Slater‏ @MyLifeAsAFake Nov 2
          Replying to @SamHarrisOrg @reason_wit_me and

          I think Sam means "have YET to see a coherent criticism".

          0 replies 0 retweets 6 likes
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        1. Lucas Smalldon‏ @reason_wit_me Nov 2
          Replying to @SamHarrisOrg @ToKTeacher and

          “Intuitions” are either feelings *about* certain ideas or they *are* ideas and have objective informative content. If the former, they are not part of the critical discussion. If the latter, they are ideas that are open to criticism in the light of other ideas and problems.

          0 replies 0 retweets 3 likes
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        1. New conversation
        2. RayGowlett‏ @RayGowlett Nov 4
          Replying to @SamHarrisOrg @reason_wit_me and

          Morality didn't evolve for you (or to reduce suffering), it evolved to maximize the probability that generations of your offspring survive in the social environment without you. Why you built churches, wrote books and made youtube videos. It's taking care of your future genes.

          3 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
        3. David Deutsch‏ @DavidDeutschOxf Nov 4
          Replying to @RayGowlett @SamHarrisOrg and

          Are you saying we act according to the morality in our genes, or that we should?

          2 replies 0 retweets 5 likes
        4. RayGowlett‏ @RayGowlett Nov 5
          Replying to @DavidDeutschOxf @SamHarrisOrg and

          I'm saying our genes drive us to participate in the process that creates stable social environments (suffering not considered). Then, it just so happens that social environments that value/balance the reduction of suffering the most/best are the most stable (are selected for).

          0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
        5. End of conversation
        1. 3_lobz‏ @3_lobz Nov 2
          Replying to @SamHarrisOrg @reason_wit_me and

          This might be the worst set up to a joke ever 😂 just kidding, love you Sam

          0 replies 0 retweets 2 likes
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        1. New conversation
        2. onnlucky 🍀‏ @onnlucky Nov 2
          Replying to @SamHarrisOrg @reason_wit_me and

          Excellent question! In some domains our intuitions are 180 of what our best models of that domain show it to be. I wish there was a word for it and fear for most people that is hurdle they will never go past Eg: evolution/gradualism vs creation/essentialism Or Monty Hall problem.

          1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
        3. 1 more reply
        1. New conversation
        2. James Smith‏ @thethinkersmith Nov 2
          Replying to @SamHarrisOrg @reason_wit_me and

          The intuition may be thought of as a species of the same "nebulae" from which conjectures arise, and when reason follows and explains how the conjecture squares against some other prevailing knowledge this sums as a coherent criticism.

          1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
        3. Chad Kerrison‏ @ChadKerrison Nov 3
          Replying to @thethinkersmith @SamHarrisOrg and

          That’s a nebulous answer.

          0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
        4. End of conversation
        1. New conversation
        2. Dan Allen‏ @danallen42 Nov 3
          Replying to @SamHarrisOrg @reason_wit_me and

          It's been a week and no comment on Pittsburgh shooting? I guess it wasn't by an Islamist. Meanwhile Douglas Murray meets authoritarian and bigoted leader of Hungary along with Steve Bannon... IDW seems to be progressing 🤔

          5 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
        3. Brett Hall‏ @ToKTeacher Nov 3
          Replying to @danallen42

          Maybe the writer Douglas Murray should only speak to people he agrees with? Could that improve his books? And Sam rarely comments on much at all these days if you look at his Twitter feed. It could have something to do with people here expecting him to comment on everything.

          1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
        4. Dan Allen‏ @danallen42 Nov 3
          Replying to @ToKTeacher

          Dan Allen Retweeted

          I'm just noticing interesting patterns in what and who someone condemns, supports or stays quiet on. And about Douglas Murray, this does not look like a man having a debate or disagreement with a know bigot and authoritarian https://twitter.com/moz_zarella/status/1056452398129078272 …

          Dan Allen added,

          This Tweet is unavailable.
          0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
        5. End of conversation

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