Not a bad interview? Russell Brand & Sam Harris DISAGREE: Trump, Religion &

[Incogneeto]

And again, I'm not saying that I agree with him. I just can't make a good argument. I'll leave that up to someone else.   

Maybe Kamala??

"When you find yourself in a hole. Quit Digging."

[neurosis]

Maybe Kamala??

"When you find yourself in a hole. Quit Digging."

You're the one finding me in a metaphorical hole.  That's your problem, not mine.

[neurosis]

forgot the laughy face emoji again.  lol.

[Incogneeto]

forgot the laughy face emoji again.  lol.

When you are down in that hole it's hard to remember the Smiley Face.

[neurosis]

When you are down in that hole it's hard to remember the Smiley Face.

Well I'm sorry if you couldn't follow along. We'll dumb it down for you next time.

[beej]

That's kind of his point? 

And another one of this points.

All outside (or inside biological) influences. To paraphrase Sam, in those cases, you have as much free will as a puppet that can't see the strings. 

😆 ok, then how do you explain the behavior when the puppet strings are telling me to have sex with that girl, i was about to marry next week anyway and my decision not to? Yeah that was just my "illusion of free will"

I know what he would say, I've heard him say it. "We don't understand how it works, but we know it's true." Extraordinary claims require Extraordinary proof. He doesn't have proof. He came to this conclusion to answer the question "if there is no God, then where does morality come from?" His answer is there is no morality. Something even Hitchens and Dawkins wouldn't admit.

[neurosis]

I've heard him say it. "We don't understand how it works, but we know it's true."

I'd have to hear the context in that quote.  He doesn't usually make assertions with a "I have no idea how that works" follow up. That's not how he works.

Keep in mind that, most of his conversations are to inspire conversation rather than argument. That's why I wish he would have stayed out of politics. He just set himself up as a target. I mean, I guess he did that with religion as well, but he doesn't just go after one religion.

[beej]

Keep in mind that, most of his conversations are to inspire conversation rather than argument. That's why I wish he would have stayed out of politics. He just set himself up as a target. I mean, I guess he did that with religion as well, but he doesn't just go after one religion.

Ideas like he has can't stay out of politics because of the ramifications of what he is teaching. Even if he comes across as an overall nice man. His ideas if taken hold of by the world, could lead to horrible consequences. If we are no more than a collection of firing neurons, then the logical conclusion is that there is not sanctity to human life. There would be nothing inherently wrong with killing or enslaving another person. There would be nothing wrong with stimulating neurons to force a person to act like the elites in society want you to act. He doesn't believe in free elections because he believes in determinism which is to say that if we rewound the tape of history we think we could change our actions but, in fact, we would do it the same way over and over again, exactly like we did. which means that we didn't really choose Trump for president. He was pre-determined to be president because of a group of neurons firing the same way.

then you have to make the case that some brain's firing neurons are more rational than lesser brains, so those brains should control the lesser brains for the good of humanity. Thus his statement that democracy should be suspended to get rid of Trump. When he said that it was pretty controversial, but it simply follows with his line of thinking, and far worse would follow if his ideas take hold in the world. Hopefully they will not prevail.

[neurosis]

then you have to make the case that some brain's firing neurons are more rational than lesser brains, so those brains should control the lesser brains for the good of humanity. Thus his statement that democracy should be suspended to get rid of Trump.

I mean this somewhat jokingly, but how many times have you thought to yourself, this person is just too stupid to vote?   

[CNCAppsJames]

I mean this somewhat jokingly, but how many times have you thought to yourself, this person is just too stupid to vote?   

I don't say it jokingly. There ARE people too stupid to vote. 

Kommieforniastan has MILLIONS of 'em. Just so happens they vote D there. Kentucky has millions of 'em too. Just so happens they put Cocaine Mitch in office for the 7th and HOPEFULLY last time, but that shitbird ain't going quietly... so unless the people of Kentucky wake up, Mitch is making another run. Pennsylvanians... HOLY SMOKES there's millions of people too stupid to vote there as well. Voting in a stroke victim that can't even show up for work in a suit and tie. He can't contemplate how to tie his shoes let alone contemplate the intricacies of a trade treaty. 

I could go on but that would be it's pointless.

[mkd]

that would be it's pointless.

much like politics

[Incogneeto]

Well I'm sorry if you couldn't follow along. We'll dumb it down for you next time.

I'd rather you Smarten it up....Then I will understand.

I was born to lead not Follow. 

[neurosis]

He doesn't believe in free elections because he believes in determinism which is to say that if we rewound the tape of history we think we could change our actions but, in fact, we would do it the same way over and over again, exactly like we did.

Just an honest question. 

If we rewound time and you didn't know anything more than you did at that time, why do you think that anything would be different?

We all like to say "if I knew then what I know now". But what if you didn't?  What would make things turn out any different?

[beej]

Just an honest question. 

If we rewound time and you didn't know anything more than you did at that time, why do you think that anything would be different?

We all like to say "if I knew then what I know now". But what if you didn't?  What would make things turn out any different?

Reading your post i tried to think of some of my most random decisions. Then i remembered this.
 I've made decisions based on a coin toss.

Which reminded me of a thing in high-school. Some students and I were working at a football game with a teacher. Right after the coin toss. Our teacher said, if a guy could perfect the coin toss, he could rule the world. So we started flipping a coin starting with heads up to see the statistics on how often it landed heads up. We couldn't figure out a method to move the needle from random. Then we decided to build a coin flipper in shop class add consistent flip pressure. And we let the coin land on the floor. It was still random.

Harris says often. Rewind the tape a 1000 times it still plays out the same everytime. Of course there is no way of proving that, but I wonder how he would answer that question.

[neurosis]

And we let the coin land on the floor. It was still random.

Even a coin toss is governed by the same rules of physics as everything else. Build the perfect coin tosser and you can determine the outcome of the toss.

Of course there is no way of proving that, but I wonder how he would answer that question.

Yea, there is no way to prove it. I'd be curious to hear how he answered that as well.