April 20, 2021

48: "Maybe moral systems are harmful! Like religion they are used to divide us." - Walter Veit - philosopher, scientist and sentientist - Sentientist Conversation

1 hour 27 minutes

Walter (https://twitter.com/wrwveit & https://walterveit.com/) is an interdisciplinary scientist, philosopher & writer focusing on biology, minds & ethics. He publishes the ‘Science & Philosophy‘ series on Psychology Today & Medium.

In these Sentientist Conversations we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “what matters?" Sentientism is "evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings."

Our conversation is also here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xxSGItuaSn4.

We discuss:

- Defending Descartes, as a child!

- Studying philosophy, politics, economics & science

- Writing a PhD on the philosophy of consciousness. How sentience came to arise in a purely physical universe

- Growing up in an agnostic family, attending church but "grumbling"

- Finding it strange learning about god at school. Asking annoying questions :)

- A brief early teenage phase of believing in god, then reverting to atheism

- Church seemed like a "weird cult-like thing." "It just didn't make sense."

- There are thousands of religions. They can't all be right. Just disbelieving in one more than religious people do

- Being a "hard-core naturalist" but still feeling the pull of superstition

- Finding naturalism reassuring. Can abandon the "f*cking scary stuff" (monsters, ghosts, hell)

- We can just enjoy our lives & explore the universe

- The pull of being part of something larger. The universe, a tribe, a sports team fan group...

- The hesitation in Germany about collectivism

- "It's a peculiar world we live in - it's exciting"

- Does morality crumble without the normative force of a god. "A dude in the sky making up laws and we just have to follow them"

- People sceptical of morality aren't sceptical about laws. You can break them but there might be consequences

- Too much of morality seems arbitrary. But Bentham almost proposed utilitarianism as a sort of science, not morality

- Utilitarians in the UK were engaged in politics & in improving the world

- Instead of considering morality - just consider the facts re: "What do animals want from their own point of view"

- Facts: animals exist. They can be harmed. They don't like suffering

- Humans evolved as a social species. That makes us care

- "Morality" might create more harms than benefits!

- There is no dividing line between humans and other animals because we all have interests

- Both morality and religion have been used to divide humans & animals

- Even oppressive groups have divided people through an appeal to morality

- The deep connection between morality and spirituality/religion. Often naturalists & atheists don't see the danger

- Naturalists are attacked for being amoral but are no less moral

- And much more... Full show notes are on Sentientism.info. I ran out of space!

Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at https://sentientism.info/.

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Thanks, Graham for the post-prod: https://twitter.com/cgbessellieu.

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By Jamie Woodhouse

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