(at Cal Tech, 10/06)
richarddawkins.net
[also, other, PBS Interview]
reading and speaking
- Einsteinian religion and how when Einstein spoke of God, he meant it differently than people thought
- Athanasius of Alexandria denied Jesus consubstantial & Constantine burned his books
- Abraham — literal? book of Judges; Joshua (book) –did it happen? not the point. source of morality?
- criterion for morality
Q&A
- questions: are we hardwired for religion (or rather “belief”)? religion seems to be regarded as the norm, even by the non-religious. faith in atheism?
- isn’t hardwired; Darwinian survival value of religion or byproduct of what has survival value; psychological disposition; believe what your parents tell you?
- Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith, paraphrase: “if you go around teaching faith is a virtue you don’t have to question beliefs then it gives an excuse to extremists” article
- “wall of invulnerability”
- Darwinian source of morality
- Freedom Evolves book on free will by Daniel C. Dennett