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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. Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Jan 10

      Getting from “Is” to “Ought” 1/ Let’s assume that there are no ought’s or should’s in this universe. There is only what *is*—the totality of actual (and possible) facts.

      174 replies 487 retweets 1,651 likes
      Show this thread
    2. Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Jan 10

      2/ Among the myriad things that exist are conscious minds, susceptible to a vast range of actual (and possible) experiences.

      6 replies 46 retweets 379 likes
      Show this thread
    3. Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Jan 10

      3/ Unfortunately, many experiences suck. And they don’t just suck as a matter of cultural convention or personal bias—they really and truly suck. (If you doubt this, place your hand on a hot stove and report back.)

      48 replies 52 retweets 493 likes
      Show this thread
    4. Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Jan 10

      4/ Conscious minds are natural phenomena. Consequently, if we were to learn everything there is to know about physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, economics, etc., we would know everything there is to know about making our corner of the universe suck less.

      20 replies 53 retweets 409 likes
      Show this thread
      Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Jan 10

      5/ If we *should* to do anything in this life, we should avoid what really and truly sucks. (If you consider this question-begging, consult your stove, as above.)

      6:15 PM - 10 Jan 2018
      • 47 Retweets
      • 444 Likes
      • Garrett Bell Arniebarnie terrien Mike Finney Magnus Sigerson Neil Merchant Paul Zenevičius Z Memetic Level
      41 replies 47 retweets 444 likes
        1. New conversation
        2. Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Jan 10

          6/ Of course, we can be confused or mistaken about experience. Something can suck for a while, only to reveal new experiences which don’t suck at all. On these occasions we say, “At first that sucked, but it was worth it!”

          8 replies 40 retweets 395 likes
          Show this thread
        3. Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Jan 10

          7/ We can also be selfish and shortsighted. Many solutions to our problems are zero-sum (my gain will be your loss). But *better* solutions aren’t. (By what measure of “better”? Fewer things suck.)

          13 replies 48 retweets 434 likes
          Show this thread
        4. Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Jan 10

          8/ So what is morality? What *ought* sentient beings like ourselves do? Understand how the world works (facts), so that we can avoid what sucks (values).

          188 replies 167 retweets 1,111 likes
          Show this thread
        5. End of conversation
        1. New conversation
        2. PragmaticPete‏ @PragmaticPete Jan 10
          Replying to @SamHarrisOrg

          Lost you here Sam.... surely there's nothing wrong with doing something that sucks *for yourself*. It might be stupid to put your hand in the stove, but it's your choice. To me, morality involves avoiding actions that suck *for others*.

          1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
        3. Sam Harris‏Verified account @SamHarrisOrg Jan 10
          Replying to @PragmaticPete

          Yes, when your actions can affect no one else, we don't talk about "morality" or "ethics"—but terms like "value" and "well-being" still apply. You could think of having a moral/ethical connection to your future self, however.

          2 replies 1 retweet 17 likes
        4. 1 more reply
        1. New conversation
        2. Wes Alwan‏ @wesalwan Jan 11
          Replying to @SamHarrisOrg

          1/ Sam: the whole point of the ought-is distinction is that you can’t derive a normative conclusion from non-normative premises. This is your normative premise. The issue isn’t how certain this premise seems to be to you, or whether it is in fact true. The issue is the fact that

          6 replies 7 retweets 39 likes
        3. Wes Alwan‏ @wesalwan Jan 11
          Replying to @wesalwan @SamHarrisOrg

          2/ it’s a premise. And the premise is not as good as you think. Your use of “ought” is an equivocation. You mean “for all practical purposes, we ought not to do what sucks, because everyone hates what sucks.” Your idea is that

          1 reply 0 retweets 12 likes
        4. Wes Alwan‏ @wesalwan Jan 11
          Replying to @wesalwan @SamHarrisOrg

          3/ as a matter of fact everyone forms such hypothetical imperatives. But human self-destructiveness illustrates that human beings do not universally adhere to imperatives of this form. So now your idea is that they “should,” where “should” is no longer hypothetical and pragmatic

          1 reply 0 retweets 12 likes
        5. Wes Alwan‏ @wesalwan Jan 11
          Replying to @wesalwan @SamHarrisOrg

          4/ but ethical. This doesn’t follow. Unless one assumes a normative premise, e.g. people ought to do what doesn’t suck. You’re begging the question. If you want to win at this game, fire up some premises in which “ought” does not appear.

          3 replies 0 retweets 15 likes
        6. Wes Alwan‏ @wesalwan Jan 11
          Replying to @wesalwan @SamHarrisOrg

          5/ Perhaps I can make this clearer still. Suppose I got excited about the following derivation, in its potential to bridge the ought/is divide: 1. Everyone wants to be happy. 2. In order to be happy, they ought to do x (fulfill some set of obligations, possess certain virtues

          2 replies 1 retweet 8 likes
        7. Wes Alwan‏ @wesalwan Jan 11
          Replying to @wesalwan @SamHarrisOrg

          6/ 3. Therefore everyone ought to do x Seductive, right? Two is statements, and then an ought.

          1 reply 0 retweets 5 likes
        8. Wes Alwan‏ @wesalwan Jan 11
          Replying to @wesalwan @SamHarrisOrg

          7/ It doesn't work. Granting the premises, it is true that everyone ought to do x, IF they want to be happy. That's a "hypothetical imperative": it recognizes a causal connection between certain actions and a given goal. But it doesn't tell you that you ought to have that goal.

          1 reply 0 retweets 6 likes
        9. Wes Alwan‏ @wesalwan Jan 11
          Replying to @wesalwan @SamHarrisOrg

          8/ Just because everyone wants to be happy doesn't mean that ought to want that, or ought to seek it. Now, I'm ready to this premise: people ought to want to be happy, and they ought to seek it.

          1 reply 0 retweets 6 likes
        10. 4 more replies
        1. New conversation
        2. Justicar‏ @Integralmathyt Jan 10
          Replying to @SamHarrisOrg

          The problem is you're smuggling in a preference for an inelegant equilibrium solution. A universe that is capable of conscious minds connected to sensate bodies but in fact has none completely defeats your burned hand argument. Anti-natalism maximizes the 'suck less' goal.

          1 reply 1 retweet 7 likes
        3. Mike‏ @nrokchi Jan 11
          Replying to @Integralmathyt @SamHarrisOrg

          It actually doesn’t. Look at Peter Senger’s work on animals. His conclusion would be “well, guess to prevent animal cruelty we just be cruel once and kill ‘em all”. Instead, there is a “how do we maximize well being of food animals after we no longer need them?” problem.

          1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
        4. Justicar‏ @Integralmathyt Jan 11
          Replying to @nrokchi @SamHarrisOrg

          The only state of affairs in which the absence of pain is maximized is one in which there exist no creatures capable of experiencing pain. It is the global minimum for that property. It's a logically inescapable fact.

          1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
        5. Mike‏ @nrokchi Jan 11
          Replying to @Integralmathyt @SamHarrisOrg

          You're viewing this as a binary concern. Like Sam said to Eric and Ben: working out creates pain; if you woke up in the morning with DOMs without working out, you'd be heading to the doctor. But that pain has benefit. Pain can be offset by pleasure, comfort, etc.

          3 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
        6. Justicar‏ @Integralmathyt Jan 11
          Replying to @nrokchi @SamHarrisOrg

          I had two Tweets in respect of that particular condition - you read the first, but I think you missed the second.

          1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
        7. Mike‏ @nrokchi Jan 11
          Replying to @Integralmathyt @SamHarrisOrg

          Twitter: where we like to create shit by dropping tweets mid-thread.

          1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
        8. Justicar‏ @Integralmathyt Jan 11
          Replying to @nrokchi @SamHarrisOrg

          I agree. I wish there was a way to link a chain of Tweets so that a continuation of a thought contained in a subsequent Tweet wouldn't get lost. Alas, Post-it Notes aren't the best medium for discursive affairs.

          0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
        9. End of conversation

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