Reply #4: More oversimplification from Sam Harris.

[Jim__]

"This is a bug, not a feature."

Really? And how did he make that determination? We don't understand the way we are wired, but, presumably, we are wired this way rather than another way, because this wiring contributed to our survival.

Why would we be wired to be more concerned about the plight of one child rather than the plight of 800,000 children? I don't know. It may be that we can help one child but can't easily help 800,000.

Am I claiming we should ignore the plight of 800,000 children? No. But I am saying that we can't just proclaim that we are wired incorrectly. I don't know what Harris goes on to say here; but I have listened to some complete talks of his in the past and I find him remarkably simplistic in his approach to complex problems.