World Humanist Congress: Plenary One - A.C. Grayling on Freedom of speech and freedom as such

[@Darwinsgift]

A subject I have often pondered on and Grayling has explained it well. Thank you for this.

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

This is a very important talk. Grayling is like an engineer explaining society's basic stability points. If you haven't listened yet, it's worthwhile.

[@rhondah1587]

Always lovely to hear Grayling speak. Like beautiful music, his words are so soothing and full of wisdom.

[@mehdibaghbadran3182]

Thanks

[@TechnocraticBushman]

16:00 I don't think he's quite right on that one. Most people I know, don't have a choice about politics or religion or any other ideology they've been brought up with from an early age. The brain absorbs as a child and afterwards, it's quite hard to let go and wonder into the unknown. It is reasonable to call it human nature. After all, people are meant to survive and breed, not to have doubts all the time. So people just mindlessly repeat the same tape over and over again and it takes great skill to talk them out of the ideology ingrained into them. The one exception is with people who have been subjected to rational inquiry over and over again and that happens very rarely.

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

TechnocraticBushman, you're both right. In the grand scheme of things, you're right, free will doesn't exist, and therefore 'choice' is an illusory construct that we agree by consensus exists. In practical terms, we agree that 'choice' comes from a will in our heads called the ego. Therefore, yes, no-one has a 'choice' about their ideological conditioning, but if we believe we do, we can change it.

[@ameagher2]

My concentration is fragile ... the intermittent grinding noise imposed in the background has ruined this video ... I'm going to sue.