Sam Harris (1) (1967–)

It has been a few years since I read this book, and what stuck with me wasn't the neuroscience, the calls for turning any biological imperatives for a need to believe toward secular humanism, and so on. What stuck with me is two main points that were very thoroughly and intelligently explored, and which fly in the face of liberal (not in the political sense of the term "liberal") ethos of religious tolerance as a "reasonable" policy.

1. The author very convincingly makes the argument that show more religious moderates are basically "doing it wrong" with regard to religion. True religious faith, Harris argues, demands an extreme perspective. Religious moderates are not among the true faithful of any particular orthodoxy, and do not take their own foundational holy writings seriously; they pay lip service to these faiths, in essence, and ignore where the logically necessary requirements of the faiths in question counsel religious extremism.

2. The author points out the logical consequence of truly unswerving faith and devotion to the core doctrines of the major monotheistic salvation-based religions: that the truly faithful must eventually confront the fact that true devotion to the core tenets advanced by their holy books demand outright hostility -- even a policy of destructive physical violence -- toward any belief systems that contradict their own faiths' requirements for salvation.

It seems like pro-atheism writings are the very height of fashion in self-consciously intellectual circles. While some of these writers seem to be having a good time poking fun at religious thinkers, their writings often strike me as mere pandering to an audience. The book The End of Faith by Sam Harris, however, takes a novel approach to attacking religious belief systems and the social consequences of these faiths, accepting their foundations at face value for argument's sake, then following them through a rational chain of reasoning to their necessary conclusions. What the reader finds when led there by the author is an intolerant, dangerous, violent hatred of anything that presents arguments against the "correct" faith, temptations to explore other philosophies, or inducements to question one's devotion to that faith.

Whether you find his reasoning ultimately convincing or not, this polemic is certainly daring, direct, and thorough. If nothing else, it is worth reading to inspire thoughtful consideration of the importance of identifying the real consequences of our belief systems when they are taken as unquestionable truths. show less

On one hand, Letter to a Christian Nation is extremely unlikely to even slightly budge the audience (fundamentalist Christians) to whom it's ostensibly addressed towards Harris's way of thinking. On the other, it's a bracing and instructive synopsis of the real-world harm done in the name of religion. Harris is unflinching in his analysis, and, as the kind of moderate secularist that he takes to task towards the end of the book, it was good for me to read, even if I will never be as much of show more a hardliner as he is. show less

I found the book rich in quotable sentences, and this review is peppered with them. Perhaps a quarter of the book is devoted to end notes, so the author supports his assertions well, and another quarter is bibliography. The author is militant in tone, which is off-putting, but rich in ideas, which kept me reading. Much of what he said spoke clearly and directly to me, about the place of reason, about belief in how the world works based on evidence, and about ethics in society. It was slow show more reading, partly because I had to “chew” it carefully before going on. There are only 7 chapters.

The first chapter, “Reason in Exile,” is about how beliefs shape one’s vision of the world. As he puts it, “There seems to be a problem with some of our beliefs – they are inexorably leading us to kill one another, because most of the people of the world believe that the Creator of the Universe wrote a book.” There are several versions of this book, each making an exclusive claim to infallibility. And a central tenet of the religions based on these versions, is that all other religions are repositories of error and must be wiped out.

Chapter 2 is “The Nature of Belief”, in which the author explores faith in the absence of evidence, reasonableness, internal coherence, civility, and candor.

Chapter 3, “In the Shadow of God” has vivid accounts of the physical misery perpetrated upon individuals throughout history in the name of Christianity. He brings the witch trials to life, and sets them in the context of religious-based beliefs in a vast, organized conspiracy of witches throughout Europe. His indictment of this Christian mindset, which also led to the Jewish Holocaust of WWII, is very easy to agree with.

Chapter 4, “The Problem with Islam,” does something similar for the Muslim faith, quoting every Koran verse that can be used to justify violence against non-Muslims.

Chapter 5, “West of Eden”, discusses the role of fundamentalist Christian thought in the West, especially America. This chapter particularly spoke to me, and clarified some of my thoughts about the fundamental importance of the separation of Church and State in our country. Since the book was written, we have seen even more of this legislative war on sin. As it says, “The idea of a victimless crime is nothing more than a judicial reprise of the Christian notion of sin…. Because we are a people of faith, taught to concern ourselves with the sinfulness of our neighbors, we have grown tolerant of irrational uses of state power.” Here I found where I agree with the conservative mantra of “Less Government” – but this chapter explained very clearly why the laws restricting homosexuals, drugs, prostitution, and other “victimless crimes” should be repealed, which I don’t think are the government rules that conservatives want less of.

Chapter 6, “A Science of Good and Evil” then goes on to explore a rational code of ethics, one based not on prohibitions against blasphemy or honoring false gods, but rather one based on the “the happiness and suffering of sentient creatures.” I found this chapter also captivating. In his repudiation of religion-based ethics, the author spends some time exploring a Muslim practice that makes me shiver. As he puts it, “Given the requisite beliefs about ‘honor,’ a man will be desperate to kill his daughter upon learning she was raped.”

Chapter 7, “Experiments in Consciousness” brings the author to consideration of spirituality, which he does not reject. He ends the book with, “Clearly, it must be possible to bring reason, spirituality, and ethics together in our thinking about the world. This would be the beginning of a rational approach to our deepest personal concerns. It would also be the end of faith.”

This is a fascinating book, hard to read, slow to read, and dogmatic in its own way. But well worth reading, and I particularly recommend the last three chapters. show less

Sam Harris, a most rational spiritualist, offers this concise guide to striving for meaning and happiness. The appeal is neither to theology nor to the conventional sources of happiness alone: hedonic pleasure, family, wealth, contribution to others. In this he follows the Buddhist insight that while these these may bring temporary happiness, they are transitory, and that there is more enduring serenity and bliss to be found beyond these through greater clarity about human life and the show more workings of our minds.

The book is in part memoir of Harris’ own spiritual journey. He credits early drug experiences with offering him the perspective that there is more joy to be found in life than he had previously understood. He subsequently spent many years with Buddhist teachers in Asia. Harris came away with a Buddhist meditation practice that he regards as among the most important of spiritual tools.

To me, the first chapter on spirituality is a useful encapsulation of the problem of happiness and Buddhist perspectives on it. Harris then attempts to integrate his Buddhist practice and his experiences with his knowledge of Western science, especially neuroscience, and philosophy. I find this part of his thinking less useful. He offers tools for beginning a meditation practice, and a structure for thinking about spirituality without appeal to faith. Overall, he has performed a valuable service.

Harris became a voice of the New Atheism after The End of Faith. Perhaps he owes his readership this book, a way back to spirituality. show less