Thought provoking presentation by Sam Harris on TED (http://www.ted.com/)... some quotes:

“When we talk about knowledge or expertise or facts (i.e. physics or string theory or economics) certain opinions must be excluded… that’s what it means to have a domain of expertise…that is what it is to have our knowledge count. How is it then that in the moral sphere we have convinced ourselves that there is no moral expertise or moral talent or moral genius even? How have we convinced ourselves that EVERY moral opinion has to count?”

“There are right and wrong answers to questions of human flourishing and morality relates to that domain of facts.”

“It is possible for individuals and even whole cultures to care about the wrong things…that lead to needless human suffering. Just admiting this will transform our discourse about morality.”

What do you think? Can science answer moral questions?

(thanks to my colleague Chris Diehl for ‘twittering’ this link onto me!)