Manifesto

PSYBERTRON’S MANIFESTO This page retains links to the origins of this blogging project back in 2001, and is organized in three parts: Who is Psybertron? What is Psybertron’s Worldview generally? What is Psybertron’s Agenda specifically? WHO? Ian Glendinning (Psybertron)’s profile and contact details here. (2001 vintage page, with only Resume content updated.) [Personal “Thought Journey” … Continue reading “Manifesto”

End of Faith in What ?

Several different threads here. All mentioned before – reading Sam Harris “End of Faith” itself, a discussion thread on MoQ.Discuss with End of Faith title and several spin-off threads, and a discussion thread on Chairman Parker’s Blog. My position can be summarised quite easily. Tolerance of (misplaced) religious faith is as dangerous as extremes of … Continue reading “End of Faith in What ?”

Randian Objectivism – It’s Evolutionary Psychology, Stupid

Pirsig’s Metaphyisics of Quality – It’s Evolutionary Psychology, Stupid Wilson’s Consilience – It’s Evolutionary Psychology, Stupid Rand’s Objectivism – It’s Evolutionary Psychology, Stupid It’s Evolutionary Psychology, Stupid I realise I missed the boat, and that evolutionary psychology as philosophy came and went out of fashion some time ago, but all roads, even diametrically opposed ones … Continue reading “Randian Objectivism – It’s Evolutionary Psychology, Stupid”

Enlightened Reading ?

I’ve barely blogged or posted anywhere in the last few months, almost none in the last month. Just too busy with the day job, and in a temporary state domestically. We move into a longer term place next weekend. I have however found some disjointed time to do some reading. I think the last things … Continue reading “Enlightened Reading ?”

Of His Own Free Will

John Stuart Mill of his own free will, On half a pint of shandy was particulary ill. Will. The Pythons’ song memeing itself in my brain the last day or so, was prompted by listening to the BBC’s “In Our Time” this last Thursday. Anthony Grayling, Janet Radcliffe Williams, and Alan Ryan discussing the life … Continue reading “Of His Own Free Will”

Post-Autistic-Memetics

Or even plain old post-autistic-rationality. I keep using the “scientific” meme in scare quotes … the idea that being hyper-rational, fundamentally-objectivist … the meme of using entirely deterministic and reductionist scientific arguments and logical induction … cannot be the basis of a high quality explanation in all but the simplest “scientific” context. (Every debate of … Continue reading “Post-Autistic-Memetics”

Strange Loops and Distributed Consciousness

The following is the abstract from Douglas Hofstadter’s contribution to this year’s upcoming Science of Consciousness Conference, April 4th to 8th, Tucson 2006. (Followed by some other interesting abstracts.) (I had been kinda hoping I could be there, but it seems less and less likely as I approach my move to the US ironically.) Strange … Continue reading “Strange Loops and Distributed Consciousness”

Free Will is Real

Just started reading Dan Dennett’s 2003 “Freedom Evolves”. I’ve had it quite some time, but I’m not sure why I’ve only just picked it up. First off, it slays any doubts that Dennett is one of those who believes consciousness and free-will are illusory and in any sense non-existent. I always knew he was too … Continue reading “Free Will is Real”