Book review
sure he is right and failing to admit any ambiguity on any moral issue. This militancy of Harris may be partly caused by the strength of the evangelical Christian movement in the U.S. We are given a stark reminder of this by the moral outlook of the Tea Party and other Republican candidates for the presidency next year. We are fortunate in Great Britain that we are now a largely secular society. So do we need to be as militant as Harris? If so, we have our own militant in Richard Dawkins. Dawkins is our most high profile member of the so-called “New Atheists”. Harris is the most high profile member in the U.S. The New Atheists have raised
the ire of sophisticated Christians (such as Giles Fraser) by including them in the Dawkins-Harris “caricature “ of all religious people as being unscientific nutters such as the fundamentalist Muslims who carry out suicide bombings. Harris puts his point of view in this debate in the chapter on Belief. I found this the most interesting chapter in the book because here Harris takes on his intellectual equals rather than straw numpties. When I am reading Harris I accept his arguments. However, when I reflect on them later and read critics I revert to Hume’s distinction between facts and values. I don’t find that I am totally convinced by Harris’s case yet. He picks the issues on which to base his arguments: always issues which can be answered by
scientific investigation. He tends to pick
issues where we Humanists are in direct conflict with religious fundamentalists. But what about issues which science has not or cannot provide a solution for? Our planet faces a massive problem of the world economy possibly going into recession and subsequent meltdown. The crucial decisions are made by “the markets”: those with the big money. These decisions are based purely on greed/profit: the currency which will make the most profit for the investor is supported; the currency which makes a lesser profit or even a loss is sacrificed. The moral issue of what happens to the people who are given the thumbs down by “the markets” is ignored. The core of our existence as a modern society is amoral. Likewise, both the United States and the UK have a massive problem of repaying the loans for debts caused by bank failures. Who should have to pay for this? Should the poor have to pay by losing their benefits? Or should the rich pay by means of a bit more tax? Harris ignores such moral issues of American and world capitalism. Nevertheless The Moral Landscape is a well written and interesting book. As the reviewer can’t quite make up his own mind this is an ideal book for you readers to make up your own minds. I hope that members will read this important book for themselves and communicate your views in the letters column.
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www.humanism-scotland.org.uk
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We are
fortunate in Great Britain that we are now a largely secular society. So do we need to be as militant as Harris?
The Moral Landscape: How Science can Determine Human Values by Sam Harris published by Bantam Press. £20.00 hardback. ISBN 9780593064863
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