Sam Harris makes a case for using science to evaluate and direct morality for society, and he makes the strong point that religion has made a muck of the whole issue over the course of human civilization.  Can science do better?  We have new tools with which to work, including MRIs to evaluate the inner workings of human thought and emotional state.  The questions raised by Harris are many, and philosophers have joined a large discussion on what next can be done in an atheist approach to society.  Can science carry on such a task?  Should science take on such a task?  How do we measure "morality" in a way that tests can be run, hypotheses formed, and how can we apply what it learned?

 

Russell Blackford has been examining the book The Moral Landscape and whle he agrees with many of Harris' points, the approach of Moral Scepticism finds key disagreements with Harris.  On this show, Blackford will expand on his own arguments with Harris.  We encourage listeners who have read the book to either e-mail or call in to this show and tell us what you see on the horizon of The Moral Landscape.

 

About Russell Blackford: