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Show 512: Does Altruism Exist?

Does Altruism Exist? A Conversation with Evolutionary Biologist, David Sloan Wilson

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Altruism gets a bad rap in the US.  Concerning ourselves with the welfare of others, extending empathy to all citizens here and in other countries, and looking at humanity as one diverse, if complex, collective is something some of us give much lip service to while leading their self-concerned busy lives, and others actively try to squash if it means their small piece of the pie might be nibbled at.

Regarding both political and religious institutions, altruism is at best a Utopian fantasy or at worse – as so-called libertarians who embrace the philosophy of Ayn Rand – dangerous and an abomination.  Even scientists working in various fields – especially evolutionary psychologists – argue that altruism is not what it seems to be, and that true altruism as we tend to think about it does not exist in the human animal.

But others disagree, and disagree strongly.  Among scientists who have written in favor of pure altruism are primatologist Franz De Waal, neuroscientist Donald Pfaff, bioethicist Peter Singer, anthropologist Christopher Boehm, physicist Stefan Klein, psychologist Dacher Keltner, biopsychologist Nigel Barber, evolutionary anthropologist Douglas Fry, and today’s guest, biologist David Sloan Wilson — author of Does Altruism Exist?: Culture, Genes, and the Welfare of Others.

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Show 511: Steven Pinker

Our Better Angels? Have humans turned over a new leaf?  A Discussion with Steven Pinker

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Matthew LaClair interviewed evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker on his most recent work which includes an examination of his claim that humans have become more altruistic and less violent over the last 50,000 years.  Many contest this hypothesis — from social scientists to historians — and some have suggested that quite the opposite is the case.

We asked Dr. Pinker about his work in the hopes to better understand his argument and what is indeed the reality concerning human nature in this special LIVE program!

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Show 510: Common Ground / Dale Debakcsy

Roy Speckhardt and Carl Chudy on CommonGround2015 & Science Teacher, Dale Debakcsy

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Up first, a discussion with secular humanist Roy Speckhardt of the American Humanist Association, and then Father Carl Chudy of Xaverian Missionaries on an all day conference at Rutgers University in New Brunswick on finding common ground between atheists/humanists and religious folks. For more information, please go to CommonGround2015.org.

Then we will be talking with Dale Debakcsy on two of his latest essays; one on the late philosopher Walter Kaufman, and the other on the New Age notion of BioCentrism.

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Show 509: Considering the Confederate Flag, Part Two

Considering the Confederate Flag, Part Two

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This Saturday on Equal Time for Freethought… after Matthew LaClair’s recent interview with South Carolina Representatives Jenny Horne (R) and Joseph Neal (D) on the Confederate Flag, voter ID laws, and religious tolerance, ETFF digs a bit deeper and speaks with life-long South Carolinian and Clemson University professor, Orville Vernon Burton.
Professor Burton is an expert on the South, focusing on race relations, the Civil War, and the civil rights movement. He has written numerous books including The Age of Lincoln, has provided expert testimony in high profile voter ID cases including the South Carolina v Holder 2011 case, has previously served as president of the Southern Historical Association and the Agricultural History Society, and has received myriad awards for his work.
Prof. Burton listened to our show with the SC representatives, and gives us his take on the program as we address the issues of culture, law, and history of the South.
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Show 508: Greta Christina & Michael Lynch

Greta Christina on Facing Death without God & Michael Lynch on The Importance of Reason in a Democracy

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Death.  There is perhaps no other event in our lives which emotionally and psychologically affects us as strongly.  Trying to keep your head above water when a loved one dies can sometimes feel impossible; facing your own death?  Beyond impossible!  But these are what we are to expect as emotional creatures.  What many cultures and individual people do to soften the existential angst is to invent or follow one or another of the myriad super-natualistic religions.

But what if you are an atheist? Should we concede death to the Christians or Muslims?  How can WE face death without a belief in gods?

We will speak to Greta Christina on this first, and then for the second half of the program, we will talk with philosopher Michael Lynch about the important of reason and critical thinking for modern societies.

What IS reason?  When we say we should build people’s critical thinking skills, what do we mean?  And can a society be healthy and beneficial to all within it if the ideas and beliefs of leaders (and everyone for that matter) are based on falsehood or pure ideology?  Finally, how can we tell what is true and what is false?These questions and more will be discussed in our interview with Professor Lynch in the second half of today’s show.

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Show 507: “Peer Reviewed!” w/Sabine Hossenfelder

“Peer Reviewed!” w/Sabine Hossenfelder

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What is Science? Why is the peer review process important for keeping science the most reliable method for gaining knowledge on how things really are? Is science’s success best understood through the sensational discoveries we learn about in the media, or the day-to-day work of scientists everywhere — which may, occasionally, lead to such discoveries?

Today, E.T.F.F. will be taking a peak into the ordinary life of a peer-reviewer as she helps maintain the integrity of an extraordinary human endeavor–to understand the Universe. To do this, Xaquri Rzetelny will be talking with German quantum physicist Sabine Hossenfelder who in addition to her scientific work, runs a Blog, “Backreaction“, in which she ‘peer reviews’ both fellow scientists’ work, and how this work is presented in the media.

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Show 506: A Discussion on the Confederate Flag

A Discussion on the Confederate Flag in the 21st Century.

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The state of South Carolina has taken a positive step towards combating discrimination as state representatives came together to remove the Confederate flag from the State House lawn.  But other potentially discriminatory practices, such as voter ID laws and South Carolina’s constitutional prohibition on non-theists holding public office, remain intact.

On this weeks program, Matthew LaClair speaks with two members of the house of representatives: “white” Republican Jenny Horne and “black” Democrat Joseph Neal, who came together on the issue of the Confederate flag while disagreeing vehemently on related issues such as the voter ID laws.

You may recognize Rep. Horne from the passionate speech she delivered on the floor of the house on the Confederate flag issue.  We will ask her about this speech, her views on the Confederate flag — both before and after the shooting in Charleston, SC — her justification for passing a voter ID law that was proposed just a few weeks after the first black president was sworn into office, and her views on the South Carolina constitution.

Rev. Neal was chairman of the South Carolina Black Legislative Caucus back in 2000, when citizens gathered before the State House demanding that the Confederate flag be removed from the State House dome.  The decision to remove it from the dome to a flag pole out front was challenged by Neal and the Black legislative caucus, where it remained until last month.  We will discuss this experience with Rev. Neal and asks him about the walkout staged by the 2009 Legislative Black Caucus in opposition to the voter ID bill.

Tune in this Saturday at 2PM on WBAI 99.5FM for this exciting discussion, and be sure to join us for our post-show discussion with Professor Orville Vernon Burton, who delivered expert testimony on behalf of the Department of Justice on the issue of South Carolina’s voter ID bill. Visit matthewlaclair.com to listen to our conversation and learn about the legislative history of the voter ID laws, as well as his take on our program with Ms. Horne and Rev. Neal.

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Show 505: Chasing the Scream!

Chasing the Scream!: ETFF Fund Drive special!

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This week we are once again asking our listeners and supporters to help WBAI and ETFF stay on the air. This special edition of Equal Time will be a discussion on the War on Drugs policies in the US.

It is now 100 years since drugs were first banned in the United States. On the eve of this centenary, journalist Johann Hari set off on an epic three-year, thirty-thousand-mile journey into the war on drugs. What he found is that more and more people all over the world are beginning to recognize three startling truths: Drugs are not what we think they are. Addiction is not what we think it is. And the drug war has very different motives to the ones we have seen on our TV screens for so long.

So please tune in on Saturday at 2pm and donate to keep this kind of programing alive in the ever-corporatizing mass media market of the U$A.  We will be offering Chasing the Scream (the book, and a DVD interview of the author, Johann Hari) as a gift for those who do!

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Show 504: Developing a Progressive Narrative

Developing a Progressive Narrative.

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As many may already know, science fiction and speculative fiction in general can investigate and articulate the state of our nation and/or world in very direct but also metaphorical ways. We have talked about Star Trek, for instance, on Equal Time and how Gene Roddenberry was able to discuss humanism and naturalism via the small and large screen. And there have been many novels and short stories since at least the late 19th Century which have done the same.

Victoria N Alexander and Adrienne Maree Brown are two authors who have relatively new speculative fiction books out. Victoria, who has a PhD in English and philosophy of science, is also a novelist and the founder of Dactyl, a foundation that fosters dialogue between artists and scientists. She is the author of several novels including the topic of today’s discussion, Locus Amoenus. The novel brings Shakespeare into the post-9/11 world we currently experience and sows an emotionally powerful geopolitical drama.

Adrienne Maree Brown is an author, a life/love work coach, a singer (including wedding singer), events facilitator and a scholar on the late Science Fiction novelist Octavia Butler. In Octavia’s Brood, Adrienne has co-edited a collection of both speculative and science fiction stories founded on the spirit and creativity of the late author.

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Show 503: New Economy Project, a Conversation at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture

New Economy Project, a Conversation at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture w/ Matthew LaClair

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What are the problems facing New York City’s under-served communities and how can we work to fix them? The New Economy Project‘s co-director Deyanira Del Río and communications coordinator Luis Caridad sit down with Matthew LaClair to discuss social and economic justice in New York City. The heart of the interview was conducted in front of an audience, thanks to the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture.