Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Yuval Noah Harari and Slavoj Žižek debate morality, evolution, and humanity's place in the natural order.
In the modern era, have humans separated themselves from nature?
With a free trial, you can watch the full debate at iai.tv/video/nature-friend-or-foe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description
Most think of nature as good, while humans and human interventions are often seen as problematic and even on occasion evil. From eradicating e-numbers from our diets to refusing vaccines, many are motivated by the idea that nature knows best.
Yet malaria is natural, the malaria vaccine is not. Crop failure, hurricanes, tsunamis - all are deadly, and all natural. Human actions are essential to extend and save lives from natural calamity.
Is our attachment to nature undermining belief in ourselves? Should we have more faith in the human and less trust in nature? Or, are we right to be sceptical of human intervention and should we see the renewed reverence for nature as a positive return to an ancient and essential belief? Then again, should we accept that we are part of the natural world, and give up on the false distinction between real and artificial, natural and unnatural?
#philosophy #nature #biology #humanity #evolution
World-famous historian Yuval Noah Harari and firebrand philosopher Slavoj Žižek debate whether nature is friend or foe. Hosted by scientist Güneş Taylor.
The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! iai.tv/subscribe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=nature-friend-or-foe
00:00 Intro: the Buddhist view of conflict
00:43 Yuval Noah Harari on the binary division between humans and nature
02:55 Slavoj Žižek on the patterns of nature
07:25 Is the natural necessarily good?
09:44 "You can't get morality and ethics out of the laws of nature"
12:01 Unpacking the labyrinth of human morality
For debates and talks: iai.tv
For articles: iai.tv/articles
For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/courses
Yuval Noah Harari and Slavoj Žižek debate morality, evolution, and humanity's place in the natural order.
In the modern era, have humans separated themselves from nature?
With a free trial, you can watch the full debate at iai.tv/video/nature-friend-or-foe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description
Most think of nature as good, while humans and human interventions are often seen as problematic and even on occasion evil. From eradicating e-numbers from our diets to refusing vaccines, many are motivated by the idea that nature knows best.
Yet malaria is natural, the malaria vaccine is not. Crop failure, hurricanes, tsunamis - all are deadly, and all natural. Human actions are essential to extend and save lives from natural calamity.
Is our attachment to nature undermining belief in ourselves? Should we have more faith in the human and less trust in nature? Or, are we right to be sceptical of human intervention and should we see the renewed reverence for nature as a positive return to an ancient and essential belief? Then again, should we accept that we are part of the natural world, and give up on the false distinction between real and artificial, natural and unnatural?
#philosophy #nature #biology #humanity #evolution
World-famous historian Yuval Noah Harari and firebrand philosopher Slavoj Žižek debate whether nature is friend or foe. Hosted by scientist Güneş Taylor.
The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! iai.tv/subscribe?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=nature-friend-or-foe
00:00 Intro: the Buddhist view of conflict
00:43 Yuval Noah Harari on the binary division between humans and nature
02:55 Slavoj Žižek on the patterns of nature
07:25 Is the natural necessarily good?
09:44 "You can't get morality and ethics out of the laws of nature"
12:01 Unpacking the labyrinth of human morality
For debates and talks: iai.tv
For articles: iai.tv/articles
For courses: iai.tv/iai-academy/courses
