Upon listening to SH's talk on Free Will (or rather the lack thereof), it occurred to me that while Richard Dawkins is a bully, Daniel Dennett is a wee bit of a showoff, Sam Harris seems like a mensch--a regular guy. Good for him!
But when you compare the his arguments against theism with the arguments proposed by theists themselves, it is obvious that he is a skillful employer of the straw man fallacy.
Looking at his website, I appreciate also that he recognizes the irreducibility of consciousness to matter. He is a non-reductive materialist, because he navigates this issue with the help of his own common sense and careful analysis.
But given his arguments against free will, it seems to me that he lets himself be seduced by scientism rather easily. For the arguments employed by him against free will prove too much: they render desire epiphenomenal.
But when you compare the his arguments against theism with the arguments proposed by theists themselves, it is obvious that he is a skillful employer of the straw man fallacy.
Looking at his website, I appreciate also that he recognizes the irreducibility of consciousness to matter. He is a non-reductive materialist, because he navigates this issue with the help of his own common sense and careful analysis.
But given his arguments against free will, it seems to me that he lets himself be seduced by scientism rather easily. For the arguments employed by him against free will prove too much: they render desire epiphenomenal.
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