E85 - Alex O’Connor: Philosopher Reflects On Death, Atheism, Morality & Meaning

Today we are joined by the Cosmic Skeptic, Alex O'Connor, for a fascinating look into philosophy, atheism, and the pursuit of an ethical life. Alex has gained recognition for his unique perspective on reality, which he interprets through the lenses of materialism and agnosticism. This makes for an intriguing conversation as André and him engage in a deep dive into various topics.

The discussion revolves around their viewpoints on God, religion, consciousness, and morality. They dissect the potential dangers of intellectualizing and its impact on our understanding of the world. Furthermore, they tackle an interesting question: can the study of ethics lead to an individual becoming more ethical in their actions?

Alex also shares his thoughts on near death experiences, artificial intelligence, and facing the fear of death.

André's Book Recommendations: https://www.knowthyself.one/books

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Timecodes:

0:00 Intro 

1:36 What it Means to Live a "Good" Life 

5:37 Defining Meaning and Purpose 

9:34 What Makes Something Bad or Good 

14:15 The Balance of Open Mindedness 

16:03 Atheism & Theism: Where's the Line? 

18:30 Is God Dead? Being an Agnostic vs Atheist

21:10 The Ignorance of Belief 

24:35 Distinguishing Between Wisdom & Knowledge 

30:35 What is God? 

34:41 How Studying Theology Changed Alex's Perspective

39:53 Religon & Tribalism: Why We're Afraid of Opposing Opinions

45:35 What It Looks Like to Live Ethically

49:44 The Danger of Over-Intellectualizing 

58:37 Materialism Facing off with Consciousness

1:03:09 Are Near Death Experiences Real?

1:08:38 Why The Fear of Death is Valuable

1:24:09 The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

1:26:38 Why He's Changed His Mind on Consciousness

1:28:18 Making the Most of Our Lives 

1:30:19 Conclusion

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Alex J. O’Connor is founder of the “Cosmic Skeptic” YouTube channel, podcast and blog, platforms dedicated to the publication of philosophical ideas and debates in an accessible format.

A graduate of philosophy and theology from St. John’s College, Oxford University, Alex is an international public speaker and debater, having delivered addresses across multiple continents at conferences, universities, and local drinking groups, as well as debated ethics, religion, and politics with a number of high-profile opponents before college audiences, on radio talk shows and on national television.

Alex’s online videos have been collectively viewed around fifty million times, attracting over 500,000 people to subscribe to his regular content. He has produced videos with notable experts in respected fields, such as Peter Singer, Richard Dawkins, Bishop Robert Barron, and William Lane Craig.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CosmicSkeptic

Website: https://cosmicskeptic.com

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Know Thyself

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Website: https://www.knowthyself.one

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André Duqum

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