Nov. 05, 2010
Science and Morality
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Did we evolve our sense of right and wrong, just like our opposable thumbs? Could scientific research ever turn up new facts to resolve sticky moral arguments such as euthanasia, or gay marriage? In this hour of Science Friday, we'll talk with philosophers and scientists about the origins of human values. Our guests are participating in an international conference entitled “The Origins of Morality: Evolution, Neuroscience and Their Implications (if Any) for Normative Ethics and Meta-ethics” being held in Tempe, Arizona on November 5-7. Listen in to their debate, and share your thoughts. |
Guests
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Lawrence Krauss
Foundation Professor
School of Earth and Space Exploration and Physics Department
Director, Origins Project
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona -
Simon Blackburn
Research Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy
University of Cambridge
Cambridge, England -
Sam Harris
Author, "The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values" (Free Press, 2010)
Author, "The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason" (W.W. Norton, 2005)
Co-founder and CEO, Project Reason -
Steven Pinker
Johnstone Family Professor
Department of Psychology
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
RELATED READING
The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values
by Sam Harris
How the Mind Works
by Steven Pinker
Being Good: A Short Introduction to Ethics
by Simon Blackburn
Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy
by Simon Blackburn
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