Science and Human Morality - TED Talk

[Mustansir]

Hey All,

Since there has been a lot of discussion on Human Ethics and Morality on this forum, I thought to post this link to a video of a TED Talk, which took place recently in Feb 2010. I encourage anyone, who is interested in the discourse of Human morality and it's connection to Science and Religion, to please take out some time and watch this ~23min talk.

Regards,
Mustansir

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/801

[anajmi]

An example given by the speaker about how science plays a part in morality is

Would adding cholera to the water be a good idea? Probably not.

This is a moral dilemma that we couldn'tve answered without science. Why? Because it was only through science that we figured out that adding cholera to the water would be dangerous. If science hadn't told us this, we would've kept adding cholera to the water!!

I really liked the slide where he depicted the moral landscape. Didn't tell me anything except that it was I shouldn't walk on it barefeet.

Killing of your daughter after she is raped is not moral. Nor is throwing battery acid on your wife if she refuses to wear a veil.

I only figured that out after I got the morality equation from Sam.

if X + Y = Z + 1 / sq rt of 77 then killing your daughter is morally right.
if X + Y = Z - 1 * sq rt of 11 then killing her mother is morally wrong.
if X != Y then killing yourself is morally right.

where X is the number of guys who raped your daughter and y is pi!!

His entire argument is based on the assumption that morality according to Islam is to massacre and behead those that insult Islam. His entire argument is based on the wrong pretext.

Much of his lecture was convoluted and all over the place.

In the end, I was not impressed. I was waiting for him to come up with an equation that will tell me that will prove to me that since Taliban doesn't have knowledge in physics, they shouldn't be telling women how to dress. He didn't.

[Fatwa Banker]

I was waiting for him to come up with an equation that will tell me that will prove to me that since Taliban doesn't have knowledge in physics, they shouldn't be telling women how to dress. He didn't.

If you need an equation to tell you that, the Quran is the only book that can help you.

[feelgud]

I found it relevant to this thread:

Can you be good without God ?
Adam Deen vs. Dan Barker (USA's leading atheist) - Imperial College

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPWeMGSM ... _embedded#

[anajmi]

fart,

As always, you completely missed my point.

[Fatwa Banker]

Try making one

[anajmi]

If I didn't, then you wouldn'tve missed it.

[Fatwa Banker]

Jahilgiri....

[anajmi]

You are the one who missed the point.

[anajmi]

feelgud,

That was a good debate. The atheist kept talking about humans having a bigger cortex, a bigger brain, but forgets to mention, why and where they got it from. The theist was far more scientific than the atheist.

[feelgud]

as usual

[Humsafar]

I concur with anajmi, this fellow (Sam Harris) is all over the place. I had read his book The End of Faith sometime back, and he made a lot of sense until he started advocating torture, and killing of extremists.

It seems it is not enough that the West has imposed its economic and political system on the rest of the world, now it wants to impose its moral system, too, and all in the name of science. Moral imperialism, anyone? There is no scientific basis to his argument. His talk reeks of arrogance and a sense of misplaced superiority. This is not to say that Taliban and its antiquated value system is acceptable to evolved sensibilities but to impose on them western ideals by force is not acceptable either.

Haven't had time to watch the other video. Will get to it, eventually.

[Fatwa Banker]

There you go again, Humsafar

Your opinions and received wisdom regarding imposition of moral systems, economic and political systems and "moral imperialism" are just that, and have no basis in the real world unless paired with viable alternatives.

Taliban and its antiquated value system is acceptable to evolved sensibilities but to impose on them western ideals by force is not acceptable either.

Why not ? As tempting as an escapist route is some prefer to take a stand which is usually less popular. If you see a child being abused is it not okay to impose your ideals if it involves not abusing a child or is that moral imperialism ?

Where I will agree with you and Anajmi is that this guy fails to make a point and is a bore.

[anajmi]

If you see a child being abused is it not okay to impose your ideals if it involves not abusing a child or is that moral imperialism ?

Not if it involves killing and maiming millions of other innocent children along with their mothers.