FAQ

A Critique of the Moral Optimism of Sam Harris. Polemical Comments

Publication date: 11.12.2014

Studia Religiologica, 2014, Volume 47, Issue 4, pp. 321 - 329

https://doi.org/10.4467/20844077SR.14.024.3125

Authors

Konrad Szocik
Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gołębia 24, 31-007 Kraków, Poland
University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, mjr. Henryka Sucharskiego 2, Rzeszów, Poland
All publications →

Titles

A Critique of the Moral Optimism of Sam Harris. Polemical Comments

Abstract

Sam Harris, one of the new atheists, believes that science is an authority in moral issues. Science can help us understand what our moral duties are, and what is right and wrong in a moral sense. However, the cultural and historical diversity of human behaviors, especially history of wars and conflicts, suggests that it is difficult to show one, common and universal kind of morality. Here we show that Harris’s moral theory is a particular project which could not be “scientifically” justifiable.

References

Abelard P., Rozmowa pomiędzy filozofem, Żydem chrześcijaninem [Dialogue of Philosopher with Jew and Christian] [in:] P. Abelard, Rozprawy, transl. L. Joachimowicz, Warszawa 2001.

Atran S., Here He Goes Again: Sam Harris’s Falsehoods, http://www.thisviewoflife.com/index.php/magazine/articles/here-he-goes-again-sam-harriss-falsehoods [accessed: 01.11.2014].

Atran S., Ginges J., Religious and Sacred Imperatives in Human Conflict, “Science” 2012, vol. 336, no. 6083, pp. 855–857.

Beld T. van den, The Morality System with and without God, “Ethical Theory and Moral Practice” 2001, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 383–399.

Brosnan S.F., Waal F.B.M. de, Evolution of responses to (un)fairness, “Science” 2014, vol. 346, no. 6207, doi:10.1126/science.1251776 [accessed: 20.10.2014].

Consolidated Version of the Treaty on European Union, Preamble, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2012.326.01.0001.01.ENG [accessed: 02.06.2014].

Craig W.L., Five Reasons God Exists [in:] W.L. Craig, W. Sinnott-Armstrong, God? Debate between Christian and an Atheist, Oxford 2004, pp. 3–30.

Gibbons A., How We Tamed Ourselves – and Became Modern, “Science” 2014, vol. 346, no. 6208, pp.405–406.

Ginges J., Atran S., War as Moral Imperative (Not Just Practical Politics by Other Means), “Proceedings of the Royal Society. Biological Sciences,” http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/02/08/rspb.2010.2384, doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.2384 [accessed: 18.10.2014].

Harris S., The End of Faith. Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason, New York–London 2004.

Harris S., The Moral Landscape. How Science Can Determine Human Values, New York 2010.

Mannheim K., Ideologia utopia [Ideology and Utopia], transl. J. Miziński, Lublin 1992.

Nagel T., What is it like to be Bat?, “Philosophical Review” 1974, no. 83, pp. 435–450.

Nietzsche F., genealogii moralności [The Genealogy of Morals], transl. G. Sowinski, Kraków 1997.

Piazza J., Sousa P., Religiosity, Political Orientation, and Consequentialist Moral Thinking, “Social Psychological and Personality Science” 2014, no. 5 (3), pp. 334–342.

Sam Harris vs William Lane Craig – The God Debate II, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nebLvSnS-nc [accessed: 08.06.2014], 38:00.

J.B. Silk, Animal Behaviour: The Evolutionary Roots of Lethal Conflict, “Nature” 2014, no. 513, pp. 321–322.

Walters K., Guides for the Perplexed: Atheism, London 2010.

M.L. Wilson et al., Lethal Aggression in Pan is better explained by adaptive strategies than human impacts, “Nature” 2014, vol. 513, pp. 414–417.

Wolin R., The Seduction of Unreason. The Intellectual Romance with Fascism. From Nietzsche to Postmodernism, Princeton–Oxford 2004.

A.G. Zavaliy, Saving Morality: Case against Moral Neutralism, “Studia Humana” 2012, vol.1/2, p. 40–52.

Information

Information: Studia Religiologica, 2014, Volume 47, Issue 4, pp. 321 - 329

Article type: Original article

Titles:

Polish:

A Critique of the Moral Optimism of Sam Harris. Polemical Comments

English:

A Critique of the Moral Optimism of Sam Harris. Polemical Comments

Authors

Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gołębia 24, 31-007 Kraków, Poland

University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow, mjr. Henryka Sucharskiego 2, Rzeszów, Poland

Published at: 11.12.2014

Article status: Open

Licence: None

Percentage share of authors:

Konrad Szocik (Author) - 100%

Article corrections:

-

Publication languages:

English