Daniel Dennett And Robert Thurman Debate the Merits of Faith and the Source of Ethical Action

On a cold New York City night after a giant snowfall, philosopher Daniel Dennett and Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman took to the stage to debate the science of religion and the religion of science. A prelude to the forthcoming Mind And Reality Symposium at Columbia University, it was clear that sparks would fly. In this clash of academic titans, much was at stake. The question posed was whether the values of scientific “enlightenment” or religion are responsible for the destruction of the planet. But it was the very fabric of our reality, not merely the value of religion, that was being debated.