#488 — Ego, Ecstasy, and Equanimity
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Guys, my guest today is, it's hard to even describe what you've blossomed into. He's got an app called Waking Up. He's got a podcast. He's got a sub stack and books. How do you describe yourself at this point?
Yeah, I'm rarely in a situation when I have to. You're in it. Hit me. Yeah. I mean, I am essentially a philosopher of mind. Technically, my PhD is in neuroscience, but I got it really as an expression of my philosophical interests. I almost did a PhD in philosophy, but just did a lateral move to neuroscience because I wanted to know more about the brain. you know, most of my writing is philosophy of mind and moral philosophy, but I get dragged into politics so much that I'm, you know, the phrase public intellectual is sort of embarrassing to apply to oneself, but it's like, it is, it's the way I'm functioning, right? I'm just bringing science into, science and philosophy into whatever I can when we're talking about public politics.
Do you find that you just bring science into it, or is it, meaning you just end up inevitably talking about neuroscience within this stuff?
Yeah, I mean, not just neuroscience, but I just think our understanding of ourselves scientifically is and should put pressure on what we think is real, obviously, and what we think human life is for and could be for and how good might it be and what sort of public policies make sense to implement. What should we get our ethics? Should we get it from books that people think were dictated by the creator of the universe 2000 years ago or 1400 years ago, depending, or should we be having a 21st century conversation about the foundations of human flourishing? And so every time I open my mouth on any of these topics, I'm trying to bring in kind of a secular rationality into pretty fraught topics.
Who is Sam Harris and what does he do professionally?
Yeah.
But before we even get into all that serious stuff, can you explain to people who your mother is? Because I'm getting ready to blow your head apart. He's going to take a sip of water, and then he's going to tell you who his mom is.
So my mom is Susan Harris, and she created a bunch of shows, but the one that was most seen and impactful was Golden Girls. But she created Soap and a bunch of, I don't know, 10 shows. Benson? Benson was a spinoff of Soap. Did she fire Jerry Seinfeld? Jerry Seinfeld was a, didn't he had a bit part?
He had a part on Benson and I think he didn't make it.
Yeah, no, I don't think he, well, I don't know if that was just like a walk-on part or if that was, he was trying to be a cast member. I think he wanted, I think he was trying to be in the cast. Everybody was trying to be in the cast. Okay, well, I have not, I don't know the details on that. But you discovered Billy Crystal. Soap launched Billy Crystal, which was great.
Yes. Jessica, the homosexuals go way back in history. Who? Alexander the Great was gay. Plato was gay.
Plato.
How does Sam describe his work in neuroscience and philosophy of mind?
Mickey Mouse's dog was gay.
He was, well, I don't want to say he was impressionist at that point, but kind of. Joe Frazier, don't talk about it.
and what was it like was she a single mom that's what yeah yeah what was how did how did she start uh not in a way that sounds like it would give a high probability of success so my dad left when i was two and a half and i still had a relationship with him but you know he moved to new york when i was three and a half and so i you know we were here and like living in an apartment Yeah. I live in an apartment in the Valley and my mother had no safety net. And I think my dad paid child support like once. So I think there was like one $500 check or something that discharged his responsibilities there. And she, I mean, as the story goes, she was watching television one day.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:02–2:17
2
Who is Sam Harris and what does he do professionally?
2:17–3:22
3
How does Sam describe his work in neuroscience and philosophy of mind?
3:22–6:18
4
Why does Sam argue science should inform ethics and public policy?
6:18–9:27
5
Who is Sam Harris's mother and which TV shows did she create?
9:27–11:03