His grandmother was a successful Hollywood producer. Sam basically spent the decade of his 20s learning Buddhism and travelling, and then, at close to 30, he did a PhD program in neuroscience. He published exactly one paper, his dissertation, and did not pursue any ongoing work in the field, either as an academic or practicing researcher. But apparently, because he has a PhD, he was lauded as a 'scientist' when he first gained popularity in the 2000s. In other words, he got a PhD so he could be credentialed as a pop-author to start doing religious criticism.
He hit the scene by writing End of Faith, and one feature common to it, along with ALL of his religious commentary over the years, is he attacks Christianity and Islam, but never Judaism. Big surprise.
[ - ] CHIRO 1 point 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 12:24:43 ago (+1/-0)*
He is an atheist and a Jew who gained notoriety for publishing a scathing critique of religion, sparking a season of popularity for atheism in the 2000s, called the 'New Atheist' movement (also attached to figures like Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and Richard Dawkins).
Sam is a moral realist, and also a moral naturalist. He believes morality can be explained and reduced to natural facts, specifically facts about brains. Over the years he defended his moral (albeit secularist) view, coining a phrase called 'the moral landscape', which is a "possible worlds" thought experiment. In the end, it is used to support an elitist worldview in which a scientific elite will be responsible for creating the best possible world. At least, he argues that science, not religion, is what will cash that check.
I take Harris's atheism to be nominal. But wherever you found a highly-publicized religious critique happening in the 2000s, you'd find Harris.
In the last several years he has pushed meditation and psychedelics almost exclusively, right in line with so many of the other public intellectuals since mid-20th century. MKUltra continues. . .
He also pushed, tooth and nail, for the establishment Covid and mRNA vaccine narrative, pretty much in lockstep with the WHO and figures like Fauci/Gates. His reputation took a hit for this, since, till then, he'd kind of postured himself as an intellectual renegade. Around a year ago, he issued an 'apology' to his fanbase, which wasn't actually an apology. If a lockdown happened again, he'd do exactly the same. His worldview is scientism, after all.
Im not surprised he doesnt criticize judaism. I never got the appeal. For being a supposed moral realist, he is prone to hyperbole when it comes to conservatives and Christianity. I heard him say conservatives are prone to conspiracy theories and violent fantasy, and then a few minutes later he claimed Trump is an existential threat to democracy.
[ - ] CHIRO 1 point 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 13:50:17 ago (+1/-0)
You'll blue screen these people if you throw the Communist atrocities of the 20th century at them. . .the real ones. They (a) steer conversation to the Holocaust preferably, and (b) obfuscate the leftist connection to Bolshevism if you force the conversation to Communistic facts.
They also seem to completely ignore that, without exception, all utopian worldviews are, by their nature, conspiratorial and violent fantasies.
It's classic projection, a hallmark of Judaics and and most public intellectuals. In general, today's push to demonize violence (to act as if violence is a figment of the past) is a way to moralize people's submission/subjugation.
There is nothing non-violent about a scientific elite enforcing the ideal brain states on people, which is a consequence of Harris' views.
[ + ] Nosferatjew
[ - ] Nosferatjew 11 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 04:33:33 ago (+11/-0)
[ + ] Conspirologist
[ - ] Conspirologist [op] 5 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 04:40:33 ago (+6/-1)
[ + ] Dread_Pirate_Johnson
[ - ] Dread_Pirate_Johnson 0 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 10:39:15 ago (+1/-1)
[ + ] Dread_Pirate_Johnson
[ - ] Dread_Pirate_Johnson 0 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 10:40:01 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] deleted
[ - ] deleted 3 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 07:51:33 ago (+3/-0)
[ + ] CHIRO
[ - ] CHIRO 3 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 12:15:42 ago (+3/-0)*
He hit the scene by writing End of Faith, and one feature common to it, along with ALL of his religious commentary over the years, is he attacks Christianity and Islam, but never Judaism. Big surprise.
[ + ] CHIRO
[ - ] CHIRO 1 point 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 12:24:43 ago (+1/-0)*
Sam is a moral realist, and also a moral naturalist. He believes morality can be explained and reduced to natural facts, specifically facts about brains. Over the years he defended his moral (albeit secularist) view, coining a phrase called 'the moral landscape', which is a "possible worlds" thought experiment. In the end, it is used to support an elitist worldview in which a scientific elite will be responsible for creating the best possible world. At least, he argues that science, not religion, is what will cash that check.
I take Harris's atheism to be nominal. But wherever you found a highly-publicized religious critique happening in the 2000s, you'd find Harris.
In the last several years he has pushed meditation and psychedelics almost exclusively, right in line with so many of the other public intellectuals since mid-20th century. MKUltra continues. . .
He also pushed, tooth and nail, for the establishment Covid and mRNA vaccine narrative, pretty much in lockstep with the WHO and figures like Fauci/Gates. His reputation took a hit for this, since, till then, he'd kind of postured himself as an intellectual renegade. Around a year ago, he issued an 'apology' to his fanbase, which wasn't actually an apology. If a lockdown happened again, he'd do exactly the same. His worldview is scientism, after all.
[ + ] HelpAcct123
[ - ] HelpAcct123 1 point 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 13:16:12 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] CHIRO
[ - ] CHIRO 1 point 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 13:50:17 ago (+1/-0)
They also seem to completely ignore that, without exception, all utopian worldviews are, by their nature, conspiratorial and violent fantasies.
It's classic projection, a hallmark of Judaics and and most public intellectuals. In general, today's push to demonize violence (to act as if violence is a figment of the past) is a way to moralize people's submission/subjugation.
There is nothing non-violent about a scientific elite enforcing the ideal brain states on people, which is a consequence of Harris' views.
[ + ] observation1
[ - ] observation1 6 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 04:02:10 ago (+6/-0)
Problem with people who believe the ends justifies the means is they can't handle the required mental gymnastics
[ + ] prominent_proboscis
[ - ] prominent_proboscis 7 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 07:29:58 ago (+7/-0)
[ + ] shigeridoo
[ - ] shigeridoo 3 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 07:48:32 ago (+4/-1)
[ + ] o0shad0o
[ - ] o0shad0o 2 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 08:41:49 ago (+2/-0)
Quick, someone register the nick!
[ + ] bonghits4jeebus
[ - ] bonghits4jeebus 2 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 08:28:38 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] Fascinus
[ - ] Fascinus 1 point 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 13:56:25 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] Zyklonbeekeeper
[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper 0 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 17:24:40 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] mikenigger
[ - ] mikenigger 0 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 12:23:25 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ]deleted
[ - ] deleted 0 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 12:10:22 ago (+0/-0)*
[ + ] mikenigger
[ - ] mikenigger 0 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 12:24:46 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] deleted
[ - ] deleted 0 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 12:26:17 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] RMGoetbbels
[ - ] RMGoetbbels 0 points 1.5 yearsNov 25, 2022 10:22:34 ago (+0/-0)