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

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

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

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

This video made me smarter.

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

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..

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

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

Unbelievable discussion by two intelligent men.

Thank you for the interview video.

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

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.

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.

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.

what a brilliant interview

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

absolutely brilliant video, thanks for uploading!

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.

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

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

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'.

Awesome interview!

Interesting interview. Thanks for posting

Thank you.

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.

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

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

I love this. Definitely describes the feeling.

excellent enlightening video

Props to Mr McEwan for including Schiff's perfomances of Bach among those things which could be described as "spiritual" experiences.

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

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

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....

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.

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

Great video

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

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).

brilliant line to end it on.

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

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

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

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.

Kiitos

wow, that was brilliant :)

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.

I love this very much.

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

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

Brilliant ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

McEwan is a great author.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

And it is where I will be to the end of my days.

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

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

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.

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

@Huchian I agree completely? I find it very hard to talk sometimes, especially with customers under pressure. I think its cos I studied maths related topics most of my educational life..

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)?

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

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

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.

the irony the irony it burns

EXACTLY!!!!

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.

they touch on some Pat Condel subjects here. It's great.

Wow!

@tskasa1 Source please? I'd love to read it.

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. ;)

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.

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.: )

Interesting talk! :D*

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

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.

@MCSKeelar Indeed.

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

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."

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

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

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

He has debated many creationists yes.

@thesearewarningsigns Also, probably one of the more difficult questions to ask: What being created this being that created the universe? (If you believe that everything needs to have a comprehensive start and end. I can't say I really do).

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]).

@Tomskicat It was probably filmed just after his interview with Steven Weinberg so he was overcompensating.

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

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

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

Also did u consider they say sky-god to differentiate your concept of god from other ideas of god, such as earth-gods or ancestor worship Because those ideas are very different. How would you prefer your god to be refereed to?

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.

Without science you wouldn't have technology.