Adam is a Lecturer in Env. Sci. at Deakin Uni. He works on questions related to ecology, conservation & society. He is most interested in: i) how concern for Animals informs environmental values & practice, ii) the env. potential of transitioning to plant-based agri & iii) more critical approaches to how the sciences consider Animals. Adam wants to leverage research to help create a better future for Animals, the environment & humans.
In Sentientist Conversations we talk about the two most important questions: “what’s real?” & “what matters?”
Sentientism is "evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings." The video of our conversation is here on YouTube.
We discuss:
00:00 Welcome
01:57 Adam's Intro - "An animal person". Vegan activist, lecturer & scientist
- The idea that animals matter "took over"
03:16 What's Real?
- Catholic grandma, mother traumatised by Catholicism, non-religious father
- High-school: enthusiastic atheism & "an affinity with science"
- Uni: learning about the social history & context of religions
- "I'm a proper atheist... I just don't think there's anything there"
- "How I think about reality is grounded in natural science"
- Humility re: complex systems (e.g. social, envir)
- Scientism. Science might not have all of the answers
- Reading fantasy & sci-fi: "Religion is just another fantasy book"
- Religious friends. Talking about bible inconsistencies & faith & submission
- "Letting your thinking be done by others - I'm not into that"
- Scepticism "show me the evidence"
- The positives of religious community & connection
- Environment: "Why can't we love it for what it is rather than investing some sort of supernaturalness into it"
- Faith vs. evidence & reason
- Pseudoscience & "pretend naturalism"
- Conspiracy theories, woo & Goop
- "Pseudoscience tries to use the language of science to trick people"
- QAnon: "That stuff is batshit"
- Teaching science communication
- Flat Earth, Cults & "True Believers"
- The "Oh No Ross & Carrie" podcast https://ohnopodcast.com/
- "Religion is an accepted mass delusion"
- Heaven & hell: "It's a good way to control people"
33:40 What Matters?
- Social cohesion & relationships
- "Being good to the person next to you... not harming"
- Pluralism: virtues, deontology, utilitarianism, consequentialism
- Evolution of morality: from having young that need care
- "Survival of the most caring?"
- "I don't want to just propogate my genes any more - that's why I'm not down the sperm bank every day"
- "Ethicists & philosophers often talk shit"
- The frequent disregard of conservationists for sentients (e.g. culling)

...and much more. Full show notes at Sentientism.info.
Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at Sentientism.info. Join our "I'm a Sentientist" wall via this simple form.
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Thanks Graham.