In this new book he argues from a philosophical and a neurobiological perspective that science can and should determine morality. Indeed, our failure to address questions of meaning and morality through science has now become the most common justification for religious faith. Such a person will of necessity be less responsive to valid chains of evidence and argument that run counter to the beliefs he is seeking to maintain. Evolution may have selected for territorial violence, rape, and other patently unethical behaviors as strategies to propagate one’s genes—but our collective well-being clearly depends on our opposing such natural tendencies.”, “Choosing beliefs freely is not what rational minds do.”, “To point out nonepistemic motives in another’s view of the world, therefore, is always a criticism, as it serves to cast doubt upon a person’s connection to the world as it is.”, “The moment one begins thinking about morality in terms of well-being, it becomes remarkably easy to discern a moral hierarchy across human societies.”, “Meaning, values, morality, and the good life must relate to facts about the well-being of conscious creatures—and, in our case, must lawfully depend upon events in the world and upon states of the human brain. We’d love your help. The truth about us is stranger than many suppose: The illusion of free will is itself an illusion.”, “most of the research done on happiness suggests that people actually become less happy when they have children and do not begin to approach their prior level of happiness until their children leave home.”, “The answer to the question, 'What should I believe, and why should I believe it?' "The Moral Landscape : Thinking About Human Values in Universal Terms" by Sam Harris, www.huffingtonpost.com. Sam Harris (2011). Interview with Olivia Koski, www.wired.com. In the aftermath, Harris discovered that most people—from religious fundamentalists to non-believing scientists—agree on one point: Science has nothing to say on the subject of human values. The Moral Landscape has changed all that for me. Enter your associated supporter email address to create an account. Sam Harris breathes intellectual fire into an ancient debate. Just as there is no such thing as Christian physics or Muslim Algebra, we will see tht there is no such thing as Christian or Muslim morality. As for religion, and the preposterous idea that we need God to be good, nobody wields a sharper bayonet than Sam Harris. It's really no more inflammatory than that. Harris urges us to think about morality in terms of human and animal well-being, viewing the experiences of conscious creatures as peaks and valleys on a “moral landscape.” Because there are definite facts to be known about where we fall on this landscape, Harris foresees a time when science will no longer limit itself to merely describing what people do in the name of “morality”; in principle, science should be able to tell us what we ought to do to live the best lives possible. Sam Harris’s first book, The End of Faith, ignited a worldwide debate about the validity of religion. I fail to see how the addition of a hairdryer makes the claim more ridiculous or offensive.” Nevertheless, motives like wanting to find the truth, not wanting to be mistaken, etc., tend to align with epistemic goals in a way that many other commitments do not. Imagine how different our world might be if the Bible contained this as its central precept. Wherever we can have an impact on the well-being of others, questions of morality apply. 21 Fascinating Sam Harris Quotes On Life, Religion, and Morality February 4, 2018 By Bryce I’m not going to lie – a lot of the stuff Sam Harris talks about goes over my head. Time Like Place Dislike The essential function of art is moral. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, author of How the Mind Works and The Blank Slate. Reading Sam Harris is like drinking water from a cool stream on a hot day. Error rating book. Harris makes a powerful case for a morality that is based on human flourishing and thoroughly enmeshed with science and rationality. To point out non-epistemic motives in an others view of the world, therefore, is always a criticism, as it serves to cast doubt on a persons connection to the world as it is.”, “The fact that millions of people use the term "morality" as a synonym for religious dogmatism, racism, sexism, or other failures of insight and compassion should not oblige us to merely accept their terminology until the end of time.”, “Anyone who wants to understand the world should be open to new facts and new arguments, even on subjects where his or her views are very well established.