Renowned neuroscientist Dr. Robert Sapolsky joins us for an exploration of our brains, religions, good/awful behaviors, and why we don't (?) have free will.
I never get tired of hearing from Robert Sapolsky. I've listened to the same explanations 20+ times and each time I get something new from them. Glad Gutsick Gibbon crashed the end there!
“We keep on being told that religion, whatever its imperfections, at least instills morality. On every side, there is conclusive evidence that the contrary is the case, and that faith causes people to be more mean, more selfish, and perhaps above all, more stupid.” Christopher Hitchens
Sapolsky is hands down my favorite science author. His books are long as hell, but worth reading. Wish I had someone like him in my life to converse with! Brilliant.
caught a lecture series he did many years ago about genetics and behavior and "choice"- and I was immediately hooked. Shelly Kagan caught my attention too- he did a Yale course on death that was fascinating and very thought provoking, as it was more about what makes one "alive".
Professor's like him are why I continued going to school! I quit high school at age 15 to buy food and entered foster care afterwards. My (foster) mom who kept me convinced me to go to college when I was 22. I cried every class for the first semester, but as I really started listening to the professor I recognized they were giving me the windows to knowledge they were master's of. I have had only a few duds of professors, but so many as bright and passionate about their fields as professor Sapolsky! I am grateful for his lectures here, only wish I had a syllabus for his RU-vid courses😂😂
THIS is what truth sounds like -- from beginning to end. Sapolsky demonstrates the kind of ego-free rationality that is so unfortunately absent in most of humanity. In particular, I applaud what he says about free will and moral responsibility, and his "quarantine model" of society. Such a position should be the gold standard and litmus test for enlightened thinking.
On the topic of free will I remember philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer said something like 'You can will what you do but you can't will what you will." Thanks for sharing this conversation. 👍'd
Jacques the Fatalist and His Master is a novel by Denis Diderot, a French philosopher and writer, published in 1796. Jacques keeps saying "when something happens, it's because it's written up there" In Physics. there's this Super-determinism; basically all the properties and vectors of every elementary particle, which also implies we have no free will. I'm still not sure id it's a hypothesis or a scientific theory like Relativity (both theories of relativity. Special and General) ). It's not something that keeps me up at night. 🖖
According to atheist religion, which rejects free will and therefore any kind of personal responsibility and accountabuility, Why is it not evil when a pdf file atheist man bones kids? Is it because he has no choice to do other than what he does, and so, he just embraces his animal desires as atheist religion commands him to?
@@chemquests You can only talk about yourself. We are ruled by our emotions, our genes, our cultures, our families, just like the surface of the oceans is ruled by winds and whats below it's surface. Accumulate a bit more lead and you will become a different person, have a coffee and you may make a different choice. Free will is a belief. it does not stand to scrutiny.
Robert Sapolsky makes so much sense people who don't agree with him are just scared of the changes we would need to see the world how it really is he has really helped me immensely how I now understand myself and the world more it is a fascinating subject
I watch and read everything Sapolsky. Entertaining and thought provoking, open and modest. He sometimes touches on Atheist and religion but it is not central. I was brought up Christian, sent to Church, Church School education and declared myself Atheist almost as soon as I left for college. The upbringing tends to make me revisit my thinking often but questions such as what is consciousness, what is space and time, what can we know? Have left me feeling a sort of disinterest in ploughing the rather narrow preconceptions that generally accompany religion. The more ephemeral, abstract side is all ok with me but - it is abstract! The philosophical aspects of life always seemed to me to need some insight into my own psychology, the thinking person exposed to these ideas. Sapolsky gets pretty close to the core of how I now think, if I understand him correctly. A regular does of Sapolsky is somehow always welcome. A wonderful person though no doubt he will not take credit for this!
I love Robert Sapolsky He's one of my "heroes" and definitely part of what inspired me to pursue a degree in neuroscience. I've listened to tons of interviews with him but this is the first time I've heard anyone ask him about his religious family background. Interesting stuff! Thanks Seth
I never tire of Sapolsky…and I think Seth did a fine job of asking his questions in ways that differ from most of the thousands of other times Sapolsky’s been interviewed.
Dr. Sapolsky shared my FAVORITE story, about he and his wife sitting with the old baboon & sharing a bag of cookies. I appreciate his explanation of how society could remove blame and moral judgement from a situation, while still protecting its members. Thank you for this podcast.
Outstanding example of how the media can be used to educate and make one ponder our existence. This interview deserves to be seen by millions. So many salient points to consider. Congrats to the participants for their sagacity and expertise.
Despite of being atheist, around of Robert has created a sort of belief system. People like me read his books, heard his lectures and every single interview he does on youtube.. and I believe that Rober Sapolsky is the great human being, very emphatic and wise. Long live y prosper, Robert .
Professor Sapolsky is always worth the price of admission - great guest. His scientifically rigorous views on the free will debate make me a believer. I'm glad Gutsick came in with her question ... that was an intriguing story about the geriatric baboon. 😊
47:40 I'm trying to work my way through Behave right now and as a self directed learner, this thing is a beast of a book, I'm slow going and re reading things a lot before moving on. I'm determined not to start Determined before finishing Behave.
Briliant and comprendable. Truly, Prof. Sapolsky is to Neuro science what Neils Degrasse Tyson is to astrophysics. Communication is the root to all understanding and we need to encourage this in all fields of study. Thank you Seth for this most enlightening discussion. Your guests are among my favourites! 🇨🇦 👋🏻😁👍🏻
Great interview. If only the networks did interviews this good and this in depth. I have to agree with Dr. Sapolsky regarding free will. I have CPTSD. In trying to heal from it Ive been doing years of therapy and what Ive discovered is that we have no free will. The conditions that brought us into being. Our biology. Our chromosomes. Our early years. Society. Everything we understand that affects us sets the patterns of our actions. Dr. Sapolsky is correct that one day when we've given up silly things like religion and philosophy we will understand how everything that makes us what we are determines our behavior. This is what I've learned.
I love interviews with Robert Sapolsky, and this was one of the best! What a gift. So happy to see Gutsick Gibbon make a connection with someone she admires!
This was so much fun and awesome to see Gutsick Gibbon (Erica) speak with Robert. Thanks for having them on together - I have enjoyed them as separate scientists for years and what fun to see them interact.
The appearance by Gutsick Gibbon at the end absolutely made my day. I think a full conversation between Sapolsky and Erika would irrevocably shake my worldview.
Awesome interview! Love Dr Sapolsky and his work, his books Behave and Determined really changed my perspective on a lot of things! And yes I'm so glad you brought Erica on at the end, what an awesome opportunity!
Thank you for having Robert Sapolsky. I appreciate his contemplative ministrations whenever I feel my internal reserves of compassion need shoring up. He offers a greater truth of peace and absolution than any priest or scripture I’ve ever heard
❤ . Two of my favorite people to listen to thank you so very much for having them on your podcast. They wouldn't be on your podcast if you were not one of the more intelligent people also. Got to give credit where it belongs . ❤
Thank you SO MUCH for getting Erika on to ask about Robert's field experience - even as a long-time fan I had not heard/read about the experience he talked about sitting with the old docile baboon. It made for a nice change from the free will stuff covered ad nauseam on 50 other podcasts. He has important science for people to understand, but he's also just wonderful human being with awesome stories and a knack for telling them, which (as Seth touched on) makes him such an excellent science communicator. I would encourage people to pick up "Junkfood Monkeys", one of his older books that groups some shorter essays together and was my first introduction to his work. His latest two are masterpieces, but they are dense and could put off the less academically-minded. I haven't seen too much of Seth's stuff and it always amazes me (and gives me hope) to find out someone was such a committed theist, with all the cultural trappings and political leanings, and that they somehow found a way out of the ignorance to do a complete 180. I hold a great deal of respect for people who can critically examine their beliefs and hold themselves accountable to change them when they don't add up - that is the definition of intellectual integrity. I especially laud those who do this in the face of losing family and friends, simply for acknowledging what is objectively evidenced and logically sound, it can't be easy at all and I'm glad to have never been in that position.
It was indeed a joy to see Erika’s joy to be included, and hear the subsequent anecdote. Also, yes, be grateful to not be the victim of family division due to walking away from unfounded dogma, as I, and many I know have had to endure. I’ve hope that is progressively becoming a future history.
I love Robert Sapolsky and agree wholeheartedly with his position on free will. He needs, though, to figure out a way to distinguish reinforcement and punishment for the purpose of adjusting behavior from retribution and reward.
I think he does a good job of discerning the two, if you draw the lines between reinforcement-quarantine and punishment-incarceration. A criminal quarantine, in the best case, would function as social reinforcement/reeducation.
It's amazing to have two people, who work in two different spheres, who I've come to respect separately over the years, each within their own separate sphere, and now here they are being awesome at their respective things together.
Wow, I have to say I have listened to at 20 or maybe 30 interviews with Sspolsky on this book alone. His lectures and classes have filled a lot of my driving and walking time, over the last 8 or 10 years. I used to assign the article Peace Among Primates, long before I actually got to know more of his work. I taught Cultural and Physical Anthropology for 15 years and spent a fair amount of time in the desert doing archaeological surveys to suppliment my adjunct salaries from different svhool districts. I thought this was very thought provoking and really got to the to topics that wirl in my head like world war two fighter planes. One of the best hours spent. The surprise appearance of Gut Sick Gibbon was far more than the cherry on top. I often find her channel to see what she is covering. When I taught Physical Anth, I always began with a science/religion lecture, and the Gut Sick Gibnon has many shows debunking Creationism. Erica, you need to get THE BEARD on your channel. LOLOL The story about the old baboon being darted and sharing a moment with him upon his release brought me to tears. And I almost past this one up this morning, for another. I was going for walk and was looking for some stimulating inspiration. This certainly fit the bill 👍
YOOO THE ERIKA INTERVIEW-BOMB IS THE BEST THING EVER AHHHH!!! ❤❤❤❤ I’m such a huge fan of Robert and Erika so seeing them interact here is so incredible :)
Appreciate this episode! I've just discovered 1- day ago this guest's teaching and theories and am so vested already having been a fan here for a few years. 👍🙌
The key differential between religious ideology, and mechanistic problem solving. Religion = One isn't experimenting with differentials. Mechanistic problem solving = is experimenting with differentials. Religion is the adherence to a structure, while mechanistic problem solving is formulating new structures.
Thank you so much, Seth for the interview with Dr. Sapolsky. He opened up my eyes to the science of human behavior. I also loved how he smashed this notion of free will. Yet at the same time, understanding that while we are victims of our environment , we also need to protect the society from damaged individuals, not demonizing or brutalizing said individuals, which brings me to this question: Have you ever thought of bringing Dr. James Gilligan on to your program, he is a prison who wrote a fascinating book titled "Violence" I watched a interview with him. He is exceptional as well.
Wow, an amateur here couldn't disagree with Dr. Sapolsky in any point. I'm actually a little bit proud of myself here. But overall, this was excellent chat with a nice twist in the end bringing one of my favorite next gen scientists in! Thank you!
