Rupert Sheldrake on Jordan Peterson - 'How I would debate Sam Harris'

[tmcleanful]

Atheists of the Dawkins and Harris variety I have a respectful request - Please answer this question: Do you believe that you are certain that, beyond Earth at least, the universe consists of nothing but the galaxies, gases, energies, stars and planets proceeding in a mechanistic fashion according to the laws of physics, and that all of it - every molecule whether individual or collective - consists of unconscious matter?

[_Keith_]

Rupert Sheldrake is so great. He's long been my favorite genius. Articulate, intelligent, and most importantly, wise. Everything he says always sounds to me as both true and kind. A real rarity on this Earth.

[RealTalk-ukyw]

We need Rupert and Jordan to have a conversation!! Who is for this. Like this comment, and tell us why!!

[tictoc]

Rupert Sheldrake is on another level
Great Thinker imho

[honeysucklecat]

I don't agree with what this guy is saying - but so what. He has such a magnificent manner of presentation that it encourages calm, and thoughtful discourse. World needs more of this.

[rjg]

People should differentiate religion from God. Religions are expressions of the idea of God and inneveitably muddy the concept.

I don't believe in a God of any monotheistic religion. But God as the divine spark in organisms and the universe itself, where the underlying life to our reality acts through organic matter as apertures of this phenomenon is what I understand to be God. Call it the source, call it whatever. It's shouldn't be synonymous with organised religion.

Just remember consciousness is self-evidently part of the equation to life and the unconscious materialist view of the world fails to adress it. Acknowledging the animation of life by a force would be enough. Many fall deeper into the mechanical material view by denying free will, turning to determinism, presuming no difference between organic life and inanimate matter like stones.

The difference is consciousness and life. And that's what God is ascribed to. Not a religious God. It's just a name for the life force there since the inception of the universe.

[RenniefosterRF]

I feel great watching this because its what I have mostly always thought, but of course I couldn't ever state it so beautifully and clearly. Poweful words.

[rblibit]

Those of us who routinely leave our bodies and watch (and can attest) to actions taking place in remote locations have all of the evidence we need that this wonderful man is absolutely correct. Sadly, those who do not learn who and what they are while here, will have to wait until their body dies to see the truth.

[napukapu]

Rupert used to take shrooms with Terence Mckenna. He's a real OG.

[jmnightingale]

As for consciousness, my take on it is that consciousness consists of the direct experience of thought, as thought continues over time, as opposed to a model of a thought or of any phenomenon in experience. The duality of existence is between the direct experience and the model of the experience. All that we can communicate, and all that we can explain, are models of experience, not direct experiences. When we form a memory, we form a model of an experience. When we think about experiences we have had, we are creating and manipulating models of experience. When one thinks about past thoughts the images of models (visual, auditory, or other) formed come to mind. Memory may function to record past direct experience, i.e. past consciousness, including the emotional component, but the act of committing such direct experience to memory creates a model of it and so what is remembered is the model, though recalling this model may generate a similar consciousness to the one that produced the model. Most likely any creatures with similar physical characteristics of perception and cognition would have similar experiences of consciousness. But a thinking object or entity that is vastly different from a human brain, such as an electronic silicon-based computer, could not be expected to have a similar experience.

[roderik]

JBP has tried that line of argumentation and it always fails for the same reasons. All rests in the assumption that all atheists adhere to mechanistic materialism and think of it as a set of proven hypotheses instead of intuitive axioms. Sam Harris, of all people, has explicitely stated that these are intuitions, not demonstrable facts, so that argument wouldn't work and he is doing the opposite of what he says, ie, adressing what atheists believe instead of what he thinks they believe or a weaker version of their possition.

[bergspot]

Sheldrake has surely the best British accent.

[AndyJK]

"Mechanistic materialism is a philosophy, not science, it is a dogmatic belief system" and that is exactly the problem- the followers of these assumptions remain unconscious of the fact that all they are following is a set of assumptions.

[tadm]

Fantastic interview. Atheists always on time on the comment section, disparaging his character and attacking him without even having looked at his papers or studies because it conflicts with their worldview. "This sounds like nonsense! wow he's a quack!" Arguments from incredulity throughout the comments. I hope him and Sam Harris can sit down one day, or better yet Jordan with Rupert.

[AnObserver]

Lol... I was a devote Catholic who realized I didn't believe in God, then I realized I believed in reality, then I realized that the traditional idea of reality was God. Then I realized that all these systems were full of insights about reality. So I am a multi religious atheist who believes in God. Haha. Life is funny

[RealTalk-ukyw]

Today I realized the most effective way to purport myself in the world or social activity is to present myself as an apatheist. Meaning if someone asks me an open or closed question about my belief. I say I don't want anything to do with these type of conversations I have had enough. I only look at other peoples deeds and actions, stop this silly polemic discussions. Actually just do this to avoid conflict, to reduce the complexity and drama in my life, because I have to many situations to deal with, don't want another incompatible relationship added into my already complex life. A pragmatist apatheist I call myself :P

[fattyz]

I love him and I could listen to him speak forever. It’s shocking he’s disregarded or considered fringe.
Most people who debate couldn’t have explained they’re different opinions to the level that he just did or even understand his explanation.

[coreyfisher]

I’d like to see Sam and Jordan bro down and have a few laughs.

[mikelisteral]

just because consciousness exists doesnt mean any other spiritual thing exists

an atheist can still allow consciousness but disbelieve in everything else

[nollattacykel]

This clip also shows why this guy won't debate Sam Harris.