Sam Harris - Free Will

[youtube]pCofmZlC72g&feature=g-u-u&context=G2b946e7FUAAAAAAAUAA[/youtube]

Some really interesting points in this clip, any of you guys seen this yet?

Every time I see Harris speak the dude impresses the hell out of me. Just saw the Rogan podcast with him as a guest in a totally different, off the cuff, type of environment and the guy is still sharp as a fuckin' tack.


His basic argument is "free will is an illusion".

What's your opinion on that?

...thanks for posting this. I'll have it on in the background for the next hour. I paused 9:42 because he says "soul of a psychopath". There is no doubt (in my mind) that it is ego that causes a person to engage in pathologic behavior. Not much to do with sol there - seems more like shadow to me.

*carries on*

Hey, Pad! I now agree with Harris, although I've yet to watch this clip (I'm trimming a bunch of plants now so I'll put it on through the stereo ) Brian Green (and other physicists) theorize that the future is as real as the past or present. Check out this episode where he explains what we know about time, start at minute 20 for the example of 'now slices'.

[video=youtube;Rp3_cPRQSh0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp3_cPRQSh0[/video]

He shows that movement and distance effect the passage of time: If an alien were traveling toward Earth from Andromeda and were to observe what's happening on our planet, they would see our future. So, obviously our future is set and determined and is as real as the past and present. Don't get me wrong, I HATE the concept that we don't have free will, that it is just an illusion from our perspective. But, gotta go where the evidence leads...

..... wouldnt they be looking into the past, since it takes so long for light to travel... once it hits the aliens retinas it would have taken so long for the light to travel that far of a distance the actual time on earth would be much further into the future, but they would see what was the past.

when we look up into the night sky at the stars, we are looking into the past.

Zaehet Strife said:

..... wouldnt they be looking into the past, since it takes so long for light to travel... once it hits the aliens retinas it would have taken so long for the light to travel that far of a distance the actual time on earth would be much further into the future, but they would see what was the past.

when we look up into the night sky at the stars, we are looking into the past.

Click to expand...

Well, I won't pretend to be a physicist, but watch the video I posted starting at 24 minutes through about 28. Brian explains how motion toward the Earth allows observer to see into the future, and how past, present and future all exist. It's mind blowing...