Great Atheist Thinkers

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Christopher Hitchens:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_hitchens



I ran into his short news clips while he was alive. I heard "Contributing editor for Vanity Fair", and did not investigate him further. My home, thanks to my wife, is loaded with women's fashon magazine. As you can imagine, I don't take them as serious literature.

I am, thankfully, sometimes wrong:

Oddly enough Hitchens was not physically vain. He was more about being taken seriously for his ideas than his looks. His friends at Vanity Fair got a belly full of the frumpy old man, and decided to do something about it.

On the Limits of Self-Improvement, Part I | Vanity Fair

On the Limits of Self-Improvement, Part II | Vanity Fair

On the Limits of Self-Improvement, Part III | Vanity Fair

It's a hilarious read, but grossly off topic.

I have a name to live up to.

 

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Here, Hitchens debates the history of chatholicism at Intelligence Squared.

Scathing.

 

[WonderfulDakota]

I loved "Hitch". He is sorely missed.

 

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Sam Harris:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Harris_(author)



Is there life after death? The evidence seems to suggest that it's wishful thinking. I have to admit that it's part of what makes our case a tough sell. My wife does not practice religion, doesn't read religious work, doesn't go to church....yet, refuses atheism/agnosticism simply on the ground that if it is true, she will never see her father again. I feel torn, and in a way hypocritical to say to you what I cannot say to my wife without feeling like I'm imposing cruelty.

In reality, the part of us that goes on is the impact that we have on the world around us after we are gone.

 

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More Hitchens goodness.

 

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Richard Dawkins, Neil DeGrass Tyson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson

Tell me if you've heard this one: An evolutionary biologist and an astrophysicist walk into a bar.....



Yeah, it's long. This one is worth it. This isn't really an 'atheist' video. It does lead towards the kind of thinking you need to have to see the universe from the atheist's perspective.

As a science nerd, I found it quite amusing.

I was surprised at how little Dawkins knows outside his specialized scientific field. Tyson is far better read on science in general.

 

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Daniel Dennett

Daniel Dennett - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



I'm a student of science, not philosophy. This guy's way of looking at it is a bit arcane for my tastes, but it's worth thinking about.

 

[WonderfulDakota]

These are all terrific! Thanks for posting them. Of the actual writing styles of all of them, I have to say Sam Harris is my favorite. Although I have a MAJOR crush on Neil DeGrasse Tyson!

Have you seen the "4 Horsemen" videos?

 

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Yes, I posted the two hour one somewhere else here. That one took me a long time to really digest. The first time through I watched it in 10 minute blocks...then I'd pause it for a couple minutes to let my brain rest. That's too much IQ in one room for the rest of us mortals to take in all at once. The only person missing from the room was Hawking. Lemme see if I can dig that video up.

 

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Here we go:

 

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Part II



I saw a 2 hour single video that had subtitles. If anyone can find it, post it here.

 

[WonderfulDakota]

You should change this to "The Video Thread" so everyone can find all of these in this one place. LOL

 

[WonderfulDakota]

Yes, I posted the two hour one somewhere else here. That one took me a long time to really digest. The first time through I watched it in 10 minute blocks...then I'd pause it for a couple minutes to let my brain rest. That's too much IQ in one room for the rest of us mortals to take in all at once. The only person missing from the room was Hawkins. Lemme see if I can dig that video up.

Isn't THAT the truth?!?! But smart is SO attractive. Yeah, I'm a scientist groupie.

 

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Let me speak for the straight males of the group: I find their intellect moving. Even enticing. I have little motivation to swap spit in the shower with any of them.

Dawkins would probably say that being attracted to intelligence(our big evolutionary advantage) helps to ensure that: 1. Your mate will be more likely to provide to your family group. 2. Help you produce more survivable offspring.

Read Desmond Morris: The Naked Ape. It was my first real eye opener about 25 years ago. It is still a valid work today.

 

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These videos brought me to tears the first time through:

 

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This one had me openly weeping for the future of our species.

 

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I've always heard that you could not disprove god.

Dr. Hawking comes close.

 

[WonderfulDakota]

I just love the PASSION in Dr Tyson's voice. I'd have his babies...if I could still HAVE babies...just so he could raise them with that passion for science.

 

[WonderfulDakota]

Hawking's book upset the church? SO DID GALLILEO!!! You KEEP upsetting the church sir!