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Noam Chomsky: Why Sam Harris Is Wrong About Consciousness
Episode 75

Noam Chomsky: Why Sam Harris Is Wrong About Consciousness

Sponsors: Go to https://curiositystream.thld.co/TOE and use code TOE to save 25% off today. https://brilliant.org/TOE for 20% off. http://algo.com for supply chain AI. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:10 [finding blanks] Which of your beliefs do you hold most tenaciously that has the least evidence? 00:03:45 [Mohit Mukherji] Is phenomenology (in the tradition of Husserl etc.) an adequate way to study consciousness 00:05:50 [Jake Watson] Can you ask him why he thinks Hume was a rationalist? 00:08:05 [Laura] Retrocausality and free will 00:09:55 [Cybmor] Russell's descriptivist theory, Kripke's causal theory, semantic externalism 00:18:36 [Kelly Gerling] What does it mean to make a "plan" cognitively? 00:20:47 [Joe Smith] Is recursion an intrinsic and universal property of all human E - language? (as opposed to I - Language) 00:22:39 [Sam Thompson] Stone Duality and studying formal languages topologically 00:25:40 [Chris Langan] Pre-linguistic consciousness / insight 00:28:39 [Chris Langan] Consciousness and language association 00:30:37 [Peter Glinos] Incompatibility between multiculturalism and "progress" 00:34:18 [John Doe] Debate with Sam Harris on the Middle East? 00:37:38 [Someone] Mandated vaccination / why trust the gov't and large pharmaceutical corporations? 00:46:10 [Harjot Singh] Chomsky's thoughts on Stoicism 00:47:48 [John Clever] Heidegger, Husserl, and Kierkegaard / Continental philosophy in general 00:48:28 [George Holliday] Eating animals contradicts being moral + animal agriculture in general 00:54:57 [John Tillo] Speaking a new language after brain trauma 00:56:35 [Karl Héðinn] The legacy concerning his Universal grammar + people calling Noam an “essentialist” 01:02:45 [Debra] What questions does Noam have for us? 01:05:36 [William Patterson] On the Kripkenstein Rule Following Paradox

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal · Theories of Everything

September 11, 20211h 13m

Show Notes

Noam Chomsky (MIT) challenges evidence-based belief limits and debates vaccine mandates and phenomenology The dialogue also weaves in debates with Sam Harris, Husserlian phenomenology, and Kripkenstein’s rule‑following paradox, offering a deep dive into both scientific and continental perspectives.

- 00:00:00 - Introduction
- 00:03:10 - Beliefs with least evidence
- 00:03:45 - Phenomenology and consciousness
- 00:05:50 - Hume as rationalist?
- 00:08:05 - Retrocausality and free will
- 00:09:55 - Descriptivist vs causal theory
- 00:18:36 - Meaning of cognitive plan
- 00:20:47 - Recursion in human language
- 00:22:39 - Stone duality and formal languages
- 00:25:40 - Pre‑linguistic consciousness
- 00:28:39 - Consciousness-language link
- 00:30:37 - Multiculturalism vs progress
- 00:34:18 - Sam Harris Middle East debate
- 00:37:38 - Mandated vaccination trust
- 00:46:10 - Chomsky on Stoicism
- 00:47:48 - Continental philosophy overview
- 00:48:28 - Animal agriculture ethics
- 00:54:57 - Language after brain trauma
- 00:56:35 - Universal grammar legacy
- 01:02:45 - Questions for Noam
- 01:05:36 - Kripkenstein paradox

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Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science.

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