Christopher Hitchens debates Barry Brummett, Part 1

September 20, 2011

Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Dr. Barry Brummett (Chair, Department of Communication Studies, University of Texas at Austin) on the resolution "Religion has been a positive force in culture," June 4, 2011.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks, hadn't seen this one before:):)

Melissa said...

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6FxVHc_UBY

TheSuna said...

Finally! Glad they got this posted for the public.

Steve H said...

There are parts 3 and 4 continuing on at the end of each part.

Karen Olsen said...

At long last!! Wonder what took Waterloo so long to upload this debate? Anyway, have enjoyed parts 1 and 2 so far; so I guess all is forgiven (on this end)...Looking and sounding good, Hitch, all things considered!


--Karen Olsen

Anonymous said...

Fantastic. Just really tough to see him like this.

Dennis said...

Waterloo Region, home of the Old Order horse and buggy Mennonites and The Perimeter Institute for theoretical physics. How is that for irony? Enjoyed the debate. Thank you Christopher and Dr. Brummett.

Muppet said...

Hitch I hope we can see many more debates like this in the future.
On the question about what would give motive/morality in a totally secular world asked by the audience. Didn't television take over that job a long long time ago? Didn't any book apart from religion do the job before that?
We don't idolise the bad characters in films and TV we want to be the white hatted cowboy, this is our moral moral Zeitgeist, or at least a large part of it. Apart from this we have parents, teachers and peers who let us know what is right and wrong what is acceptable and not.

ChrisBrett2k said...

Hitch still the most reliable provider of consistent, stimulating philosophical input. Thanks again for your inspiring words.

BB Health fanatics used as an example of non monotheistic, secular fundamentalism. Is this a valid example? I am not personally impressed with this dismissive reference, viewing it from the perspective of a Sports Scientist ;0))

kevin said...

Uggh he looks really sick, that's hard to watch. I really hope that appearances deceive here.

 
 
 

Christopher reads from Hitch-22: A Memoir