Ian McEwan Interview - Richard Dawkins

[@Tremaine26]

Ian has a remarkable speaking voice. More importantly, he seems a considerate and intelligent man. I greatly enjoyed this dialogue.

[@arthurmee]

I agree. He's also a formidable writer of novels . . .

[@sibusisonjabulo4253]

reasoning is what we need in the world , im happy we have people like Ian and Richard.

[@giovanic2381]

What a clarity of thought McEwan possesses. When I grow up I want to be just like him.

[@lesnagy3539]

Very interesting interview..A frank discussion about a great many issues..Ian McEwan has a great insight into humanity and Richard Dawkins style was open and fluid... Thanks Richard for this enlightening talk with Ian.. Bravo..

[@customisedfitness]

The most engaging, motivational and intelligent conversation two great minds can possible have! Thank you!

[@MichaelSHartman]

+customisedfitness Try Richard Dawkins and Neil DeGrass Tyson

[@jimnewcombe7584]

What an astonishingly excessive and naive assertion.

[@saelaird]

I love Ian McEwan... first interview I ever watched with him... My views are exactly the same!

[@beatrixvantil8623]

I am a Aweist , in awe with the universe and men and women who respect the mystery like Richard Dawkins and Ian Mc Ewan . Thank you for speaking up for the Freedom of thought

[@WestAbbey]

This video made me smarter.

[@MichaelSHartman]

Thank you for the interview video.

[@Kingding6]

Really enjoyed this. McEwan is extremely sharp and well spoken.

[@SamuelDaram]

So grateful that these videos of Dawkins are here. And thank you for posting this priceless dialogue between two compelling minds.

[@natejpc]

This is by far the most graceful, eloquent and inspiring video, albeit interview I have ever seen; especially for me as an atheist struggling with accepting rationalism and "spirituality" as hand in hand - which I now wholesomely do, thanks to this interview. No longer shall I allow the dogma of condescension from theists who propose I cannot feel the way they do. I feel as powerfully as any other, if not more due to it being my own. Thankyou for this interview.

[@tummysticks80]

I'm truly in awe as to how intelligent these two human beings are. My new goal in life is to shake Mr. Dawkins' hand.

[@rhondah1587]

Always pleasant to hear two rational people converse. I do not have a problem calling myself an atheist but on occasions where I'm asked what my religion is, I simply reply that I hold no supernatural beliefs. It usually leaves them stuttering. I'm hoping it will make them think about their own beliefs as they have probably not thought about their religion in quite that way. When I catch up on my current reading list, I will definitely have to pick up a book or two of Mr. McEwan.

[@etiennelombard1894]

Unbelievable discussion by two intelligent men.

[@kirked007]

I like the fact that Dawkins and McEwan are so thoroughly polite. They express superbly their thoughts and views on religion without any ranting or pseudointellectualism and do not resort to cheap insulys that frequently fall from the lips of the 'religious'.

[@ZER0--]

What a brilliant interview. I've heard of Ian McEwan but this is the first time I've seen/heard him. He's a very interesting fella.

[@CathyS_Bx]

And his is an extaordinary novelist. Give him a read!

[@vgrof2315]

Thank you.

[@journeyisseperate]

The grey book in the background is A Room Full of Mirrors, a biography of Jimi Hendrix. Go Ian!

[@timothylovecock4332]

Worth a read?

[@happyinnanaimo]

I enjoyed watching this immensely....thank-you!

[@thevividhaze]

Respect to Ian McEwan, he is absolutely spot on with everything he says. How nice to listen to a decent, down to earth, intelligent, thoughtful and softly spoken person after hearing so many of these loud-mouthed (mostly American) devout religious fools. There is however just one small point I disagree with; He says, on the topic of consciousness, 'there is no reason why we can't do everything that we do without being aware of ourselves....

[@wgaule]

Great interview, Ian McEwan is an excellent writer. The innocent is one of the best novels I've ever read.

[@sattarabus]

Ian touches the cockles of your heart by his humility, openness,and vulnerable agnosticism. Every belief, including doctrinaire disbelief like atheism, is kind of prison.

[@CCPlaetean]

what a brilliant interview

[@Jclewell3d]

absolutely brilliant video, thanks for uploading!

[@jeAh7]

That actually does not answer. I'd say the most common human reaction would be revenge. If someone hits you in the face your first reaction would be to strike back.

[@djgiga2]

Thanks for the free videos Richard! One point I thought you guys should have touched on though was during the part about sympathy. Because remember Richard its not just procreation that advances the species in a Darwinian sense, its also the successful raising of the offspring. Probably the strongest moral code in all rational people is to not hurt babies. I think sympathy stems from that maternal sense of raising offspring. And as you guys touched on keeping the group alive, being social.

[@standswithawinedwb]

Interesting interview. Thanks for posting

[@Gaius0]

No trying to be a smartass, but I think it's meant to be an interview, and not a debate. If it was a debate I'd see your point. ;)

[@jtnet3]

On a side-note my favorite novel is Atonement.....such a great novel (and film)!

[@billshepherd5]

Q

[@mrcwalk]

I see the brain as a car engine, when you've got a mis-firing spark plug (thought, that's religiously dogmatic), a good mechanic (an intellectual atheist) can replace the old spark plug (traditional dogmatic thought) with a new one (scientific explanation), and fit it correctly so it fires properly (teach it in a way you can grasp it), and provide the diagnostic solution for your engine to work properly thereafter.

[@Snoot501]

Awesome interview!

[@wormdrink414]

The "listing-off-loved-ones-so-as-to-protect-them-from-demons" game was one near and dear to my heart for a long time. Can't say I miss it though.

[@gextvedde]

@kelvincrimson That's the best comeback I've read on youtube. Good work.

[@dunbar9finger]

As for the US, the difference is that the less religious minority used to be able to hold high political positions, and now it's impossible to be so and be open about it.

[@r4h4al]

Stupid and needs to change.

[@35skat]

this was great. Really enjoyed. Helped along a lot of feelings and questions that i had. Would love to have atheists referred to a "bright". Sounds good to me.

[@r4h4al]

Agree.

[@NicoDimov]

I like this "analogy" very much, thank you for it!

[@HeathWatts]

Which science supports creationism? I'm a scientist, and nothing I do involves creationism. Science doesn't address gods or any supernatural phenomena.

[@thecreekhouse]

I wonder if the OCD-like praying for his parents to be kept safe that Ian talks of at 03:00 was anything to do with the fact that he was separated from his parents at 11 by being sent to a boarding school (he does not mention this).

[@r4h4al]

Probably related yes.

[@ananiasacts]

You could say that for a vast amount of philosophy and literature without ever having to posit that magic is real.

[@MialeVn]

I don't know what is more captivating, those words or those eyes.

[@SAMagic]

In 'Breaking the Spell' Dennett mentions two people who have done studies comparing religion to businesses, much like you mention. If you haven't read it then I strongly urge you to, I think you'll like it. He also argues that religion is a natural phenomena and that they do actually evolve over time. Given the presence of religions all over the world in every culture, most people have suspected this before, but Dennett puts it excellently.

[@ryko26]

why the fadeout at 15:55? What was the answer?

[@Mayorsquad]

I love this. Definitely describes the feeling.

[@SamuelDaram]

Yes. McEwan is a wonderfully erudite man, speaking in great prose here.

[@Of94Montreal]

Love the writers of the books behind him: Christopher Hitchens, Julian Barnes, Robert Stone...

[@glasizbunara]

Jumping to conclusions- yup, sounds like me.. Thanks for clearing it up for me

[@kelman727]

'Atheism is a religion...' ...the way Connect 4 is an extreme sport.

[@Pheer777]

+kelman727 More like in the way sitting and watching tv is a sport

[@kelman727]

Pheer777 Like fucking is chastity...

[@existentialbaby]

Like being bald is a hairstyle

[@laika288]

McEwan is the British author of the last 30 years. Currently procrastinating whilst doing an essay on his novel Saturday in comparison with the relationship between technology (a la internet) and individuality as represented in Huxley's Brave New World.

[@gotank]

What a beautiful world this would be if everyone had the same line of thought as stated in this video at 19:10...

[@Danimal77]

Ian was only 60 here, but he had the voice of a man much much older than his age.

[@aaadddd1000]

The ratings of these kinds of videos shows that the internet is where religion comes to die.

[@iamdabossofnepal]

who here has read Solar? it's hilarious. McEwan is a genius

[@Jonassoe]

Becoming an atheist is like spending your entire life in prison and then one day discovering that the door was never locked.

[@r4h4al]

It's exactly like that.

[@franceleeparis37]

😂😂😂… but being a believer means that you never were in prison but you had your eyes closed..😏

[@Elayis2765]

Why is it that on every single one of these wonderful conversations the cameraman is so utterly inept? Is filming two stationary people really that difficult?

[@r4h4al]

It was like the camera kept running out of battery every so often. I think he needed to replace the camera.

[@bornagain001]

This video is SO SAD. England and Europe were once so strong in following God. Martin Luther transcribed the first Latin Bible in German. Guttenburg is famous for his printing of the Bible. King James commissioned the first English translation of God's INFALLIBLE WORD. Now England and Europe has fallen away from THEIR FATHER'S beliefs.

[@r4h4al]

Good.

[@manuf.eng.808]

Religion wasn’t founded on love. It was a realisation that vulnerability could be easily exploited

[@rmeddy]

excellent enlightening video

[@ksandra6000]

his eyes are so piercing, I feel he's directly talking to me...

[@ellastuart1663]

24.09 There are no law sessions held on Sundays ........or Saturday.

[@Mayflyification]

Science always deal in facts, and nothing else - that's the beauty of it.

[@r4h4al]

Exactly.

[@ErichoTTA]

Long, but still a pretty provacative video, though I have yet to be converted.

[@spnhm34]

If someone plays Beethoven to you to prove the existence of God, play them Justin Bieber.

[@qanazir]

Love and empathy are irrational feelings. But that does not mean you have to abandond them, just remember feelings are irrational, because it helps you to control them.

[@ramkumarr1725]

Nice to see this discussion. Not "Cp Snow : Two Cultures". Phew!

[@manthasagittarius1]

Now that is genuinely interesting. It would account for a certain amount of mistrust and the inverted elitism that comes with expecting to be thought inferior, and then striking out with preemptive animosity, which is very easily delivered via thoughts like: "Hey, Mr. hotshot atheist intellectual, if you were a simple ordinary believer like me you wouldn't be destined to burn in hell."

[@Cybrus07]

Part 2 - Here is the point I'm making: when you damage one part of the brain, some aspect of the mind and subjectivity is lost. You damage another part, and more subjectivity is lost. So, if you damage the entirety of the brain at death, is it rational to assume that we can transcend the brain with our mind and any of our faculties in tact? How can we expect to remember grandma and speak English when the faculties associated with those tasks are irrevocably damaged (dead)?

[@Ybbrutal]

Richard Dawkins: "I sometimes do wonder where this profound sense of empathy, this utter inability to be happy when another creature is suffering, which we all have, where that precisely comes from?" This is an astounding and extremely naive claim given the extreme suffering the human species inflicts on infinite numbers of sentient beings who are victims of animal agriculture etc Additionally anyone committed to advocating for those disabled persons who are also unable to adequately defend themselves learns too quickly how vulnerable these individuals are to the sinister and abusive tendencies of the human animal.

[@gucker07]

McEwan is a great author.

[@DefaultName-fg2dp]

How about Khalil Gibran? He equates “ true love to God” !

[@deziluzionistul]

Wow, that was so enlightening. Thank you ! :D "Huh, have you ever been in a biology class?" No, I live in a cage, trying to rediscover the wheel. Have you ever read a Richard Dawkins book ?

[@GodTheHypothesis]

@Melchior40 Whaddya mean "as far as catholics are concerned"? So there's something wrong with all the other versions?

[@theheckwithit]

im religous, but i don't have a problem with athiesm, everyone has an opinion

[@mime454]

arationalists! I love it! Really, this needs to be adopted!

[@fortuner123]

A remarkable interview that displays intelligence, compassion, insight and vision. If only all the world coud follow by being the same i.e. understanding and tolerance that this interview eminates. If people had met Dawkins 2,000 years ago then maybe we would be looking at a different 'god' now.

[@existentialbaby]

Well people did meet a Socrates, Arostotle and Plato. See where they did they reach.

[@pelisinho]

Without science you wouldn't have technology.

[@Fennlt]

I couldn't agree more. In fact, when I was 9 or so years old. I had trouble believing some of the most basic aspects of religion that I was taught, such as there being an invisible god that we had no contact with who watched over everyone simultaneously Yet, at the start of the year, when we would do the questionnaires to introduce ourselves. I once called myself an atheist, everyone stared, they thought I was some kind of a disgusting person. Frankly, I think the mindset still exists today.

[@guilhermesilveira5254]

Two great atheists.

[@JordanDinstrumentals]

brilliant line to end it on.

[@freedomland11]

@british123able...British ppl can do that....but nonetheless interesting to listen to!!

[@GuyPatsy]

My sentiments exactly. Part one of Atonement is a masterpiece. Saturday is a more cohesive whole--and also a damn good read--but Atonement blew my mind, and gave me a serious case of writer's envy. His older stuff though, while not bad, makes it clear that McEwan didn't exactly stumble into brilliance himself. Don't despair. Aspire. Because there's damn too little of that kind of prose in this world (not to mention the level of psychological depth [damn, I really need to read that book again]).

[@winterstellar]

I live in Norway, and here we have an atheist prime minister now (Jens Stoltenberg), and many other members of the goverment are self-proclaimed atheists too. The social democrat party that's currently in government has done a lot of good in Norway when it comes to secularizing it. But a lot more could be done..one strange fact about Norway is that even though a majority are non-believers now, most of us are still members of the state-run lutheran church, so am I, and I have been since birth.: )

[@tielec01]

Right. Dawkins and McEwens say specifically " from a country whose constitution and founding fathers staked out a world distinct from religious absolutism". So when they said America was founded as a secular country they were wrong why ? I understand the population may have been rabidly religious they don't comment on that, but the document upon which the country was founded was certainly secular written by secular founding fathers. I doubt they have a superficial understanding.

[@wildmansamurai3663]

Great video

[@kakyamer]

I really connected with his statement about a "self-made" religion. When I was a child, I had my own kind of prayer and imagined my dead grandparents were watching me, though I did not care much about jesus or god.

[@superfob54]

Ian Mcewan looks beautiful here.

[@djdedan]

no out of context, read the comment i was replying to. The commenter was saying he doesn't relate to two rich white guys reciting shakespeare, so i said well there is NDT (he did an album with the GZA!) as an example of some one who is black but shares the same views that he can identify with. Sorry for the ambiguity.

[@HeathWatts]

Newton wasted huge amount of his time looking for god in his mathematics and physics. It's very sad. He might have discovered so much more, if his mind wasn't ensnared with religious nonsense.

[@r4h4al]

True. But thankfully now we have scientists who aren't ensnared by God.

[@al2642]

It's had quite some editing, which I do not appreciate.

[@andrewcorbell7216]

"wonderful gift " the brain. ,even well spoken and educated people so easily contradict them selves .

[@myAutoGen]

When it comes to consciousness, people loose all powers of clarity. If the brain is solely responsible for consciousness, then there is no 'wonderful gift'. There is no value in anything whatsoever. But it could easily be that there is some genuine magic taking place with consciousness. The brain could be like a netbook.

[@SavannaChillout]

Love, Poverty and War by Hitchens in the background :)

[@zazhaftw]

I mean yes and no. We dont know what cind of comment it was, maybe it was appropriet to remove it.

[@thprfssnl1]

@Kanezert "those religious" (which is an incredibly broad term) are often comprised of people who identify themselves as followers (which is a word you flippantly used to describe the mass of people who are interested in the books of Dawkins) of Christ. They would have just as much reason to disagree with Dawkins then any other follower of Abrahamic religions or any religions for that matter. Your comment makes no sense.

[@ramkumarr1725]

31:32 Maybe it is just Gossip. I am following "Young Sheldon" 😂

[@gibb253]

i wouldn't want to be called a "Bright" - I feel that the more the word Atheist is associated with rational, thoughtful debate like this, the more it will acquire a positive value and be something people will be proud to say of themselves.

[@mohsenrezaei5965]

what is with the camera? it is wrong and annoying angle

[@lucianopavarotti2843]

He has a copy of Hitch's Love Poverty and War on the desk behind him.

[@penguinegg01]

Ian McEwan looks incredibly uncomfortable. Look at his awkward body language or the anxious look on his face.

[@ramkumarr1725]

I got two cats. And yes Dr Dawkins : You cannot herd them.❤️ 16:50

[@ramkumarr1725]

Ian Mc Ewan : Thanks. I think we do need C.P.Snow. Phew!