Sam Harris's Blog, page 12

The End of Faith Sessions 1

In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris reads and discusses the first chapter of The End of Faith.

The Light of the Mind

In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris speaks with philosopher David Chalmers about the nature of consciousness, the challenges of understanding it scientifically, and the prospect that we will one day build it into our machines.

David Chalmers is Professor of Philosophy and co-director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness at New York University, and also holds a part-time position at the Australian National University. He is well-known for his work in the philosophy of mind, especially for his formulation of the “hard problem” of consciousness. His 1996 book The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory was successful with both popular and academic audiences. Chalmers co-founded the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness and has organized some of the most important conferences in the field. He also works on many other issues in philosophy and cognitive science, and has articles on the possibility of a “singularity” in artificial intelligence and on philosophical issues arising from the movie The Matrix.

Ask Me Anything #4

In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris answers questions from listeners about the recent attacks in Brussels, dealing with anxiety, the science of immortality, fame, liberalism, the Golden Age of Islam, and other topics.

The Best Podcast Ever

In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris talks to Omer Aziz about Islam, Islamism, free speech, and related topics.

Evolving Minds

In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris responds to Omer Aziz and Salon magazine, and then speaks with Jonathan Haidt about the scientific study of morality, the problem of political correctness, and other topics.

Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist at the NYU-Stern School of Business. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992, and spent most of his career (1995-2011) at the University of Virginia. Haidt’s research examines the intuitive foundations of morality, and how morality varies across cultures–including the cultures of American progressives, conservatives, and libertarians. Haidt is the author of The Happiness Hypothesis, and of The New York Times bestseller The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion.

Inside the Crucible: Syria and the Islamic State

In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris briefly revisits the Apple-FBI controversy and then speaks with Michael Weiss about ISIS and the ongoing civil war in Syria.

Michael Weiss is a Senior Editor at The Daily Beast and co-author of the New York Times bestseller ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror. He also edits The Interpreter, an online translation and analysis journal devoted to all things Russian and Ukrainian.

Throw Open the Gates

In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris responds to criticism of his views on the Apple-FBI controversy and then speaks with Maryam Namazie about friendly fire among secularists, profiling, the immigration crisis in Europe, and other topics.

Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born atheist, a secularist, and a human rights activist. She is a spokesperson for a variety of organizations, including Fitnah (a movement for women’s liberation), Equal Rights Now, One Law for All (against Sharia Law in Britain), and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. She hosts a weekly television program in Persian and English called Bread and Roses, which is broadcast in Iran and the Middle East via New Channel TV.

Meat Without Misery

In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris offers a few more thoughts on Clinton vs Sanders, as well as on the ethics of strong encryption. He then speaks with Uma Valeti, cardiologist and CEO of Memphis Meats, about the future of food production.

You can now support the Waking Up podcast at http://www.patreon.com/samharris.

Ask Me Anything #3

In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris answers questions from listeners about free will, meditation, Noam Chomsky, the illusion of the self, Clinton vs. Sanders, the de-platforming of Richard Dawkins, wealth inequality, and other topics.

The Logic of Violence

In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Jocko Willink about U.S. foreign policy, war, human evil, and other topics.

Jocko Willink is a retired Navy SEAL officer, and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he is a leadership instructor, speaker, and executive coach. Jocko spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, starting as an enlisted SEAL and rising through the ranks to become an officer. As commander of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser during the battle of Ramadi, he orchestrated SEAL operations that helped the “Ready First” Brigade of the US Army’s First Armored Division bring stability to the violent, war-torn city. Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War. Jocko returned from Iraq to serve as Officer-in-Charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams. There, he spearheaded the development of leadership training and personally instructed and mentored the next generation of SEAL leaders who have continued to perform with great success on the battlefield. During his career, Jocko was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and numerous other personal and unit awards. Jocko is the author (along with Leif Babin) of Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win.