Sam Harris Embarasses Himself While Trying to Debate Noam Chomsky

Do not fuck with Chomsky.

How fucking depressing is this? This is the first time i hear about Michael Brooks, through this video literally... then i started watching other videos of his and i was very impressed by his views. So i went to Twitter to follow him, and found out he died a week ago 😔. Rest in peace

Sam Harris' whole point is to to make you understand that "they" are barbaric, dangerous and savage; we are not. So whatever evil deeds we do, it is never as bad as theirs, because we have the moral high ground. That is the substrate which his entire reasoning relies upon. In other words, he looks at the world though the "we're the good guys, they're the bad guys" lens... This made me puke so hard!

"She's not a civil rights activist on the ground. She's not someone who's working for the rights of women in Pakistan. She's not a reformer in Iran." Perfectly stated about Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

I'm always amazed that someone like Harris is as popular as he is.  Having read the exchange, Harris comes off as smug and intellectually dishonest.  He's like an atheist version of Sean Hannity.

Just read Harris' email correspondence with Chomsky.  Harris repeatedly asking Chomsky  questions about "intentions" like he is a first year philosophy student studying Ethics 101.

Sam Harris is not capable of understanding Chomsky's argumentation.

One thing that Harris can do, but won't is to stick to his own (even though stupid) intellectual standards. Example: Hezbollah attacked Israel because of a noble cause which is occupation of Lebanon. Is that okay with Sam then? how about Hamas that attacked Israel for a noble cause which is freeing Palestine, does he use his "thought experiment" in this direction? no! of course not. It is only reserved for his own side.

"Smug, self satisfied and incredibly misinformed audience". That's the best description I've ever heard of Sam Harris' fans.

I like Sam Harris, but I read the exchange and found it funny that Haris himself admitted that Chomsky was "mopping the floor with him." But you can really tell from the exchange that Chomsky is just writing what he thinks. But Harris all the time is putting some kind of public show like he wants to look good or something. Chomsky has the art of just telling things as they are. But Sam Harris would probably make a better politician.

Pretty much everyone embarrasses themselves trying to debate Chomsky.

"Noam Chomsky is a leading authority in this stuff'. According to who?

It is absolutely MIND BOGGLING that a man who holds intentions over REALITY can be regarded as an intellectual!!!! Have I stepped in to the Twilight Zone?!

I recently had an "argument" with some Harris fanboys on youtube (already a mistake) which just devolved to petty insults about my appearance but I find that rather common with the more obsessive of his fanboys. A significant chunk of them seem to range in age from the hate-their-religious-parents 15 to the insufferable think they know everything college sophomore. Harris is part of their identity so they can't stand criticism of him because it means criticism of them.

I like Sam Harris. Having spent many years listening to his measured and clear dissections of religious apologetics, and his very sensible suggestions for atheist spiritual activity, I find the hostility and contempt shown towards him on this thread and in other sectors, particularly of "the Left", to be both baffling and distressing. Just read a comment that labeled him "an idiot"...and I had to look up the word "idiot "again, just in case the meaning of the word had somehow changed whilst I was at work...because Sam Harris is no idiot! Neither, of course, is Chomsky. The exponential polarisation of these men and their supporters is insane. I suggest we stop buying into it.

Sam Harris is a polite debater and Chomsky appeared rude and threatened.

Sam's shameless self-promotion at the expense of Prof. Chomsky gracious nature to respond to emails is a low budget move to exploit Chomsky's prestige in the intellectual world for vulgar self-interest. Harris showed poor taste in making private correspondence public - Chomsky might rethink responding to emails, which he responds regularly, if he believes his goodwill in responding will be milked by self-important publicity seekers like Sam Harris.

This is easily the best summary of Sam Harris I've ever heard.

Embarrasses? That is just not what I got out of that email exchange at all.

why so many dislikes? didn't know Harris had so many touchy fan-boys..