What, Why & How do we Know ?
Further to the previous post, let’s try and elaborate some specifics of what John C Doyle has to say. What is clear, after the throwaway “scientists will hate this” remarks, is that this is the reason he is unpublished in more popular journals and publishing formats. Because he is pointing out “a problem with science” … Continue reading “Zience and John C Doyle”
Always contentious that atypical variations around the neurotypical “human condition” are (a) real in any objective sense and (b) heritable as much as they are plastic in mental development. Always PC to avoid medicalising conditions away from such norms, and variety has its own value anyway, but the woke extreme of PC often denies the … Continue reading “Heritability of Psychological Traits”
Having commented on the risky – “careless” – non-PC and even misogynistic end of things, in the BrewDog situation in the previous post, I was returning to the other extreme, the crippling effects of PC-Wokeness, which is topical everywhere at the moment. Not only generally topical but central to my own agenda about how knowledge, … Continue reading “Unbearably Painful & So So Important”
George Floyd Meets Wittgenstein Otherness is neither absolute nor meaningless, so it’s important we understand what it is if we are to be more constructive than simply engaging in binary battles between ideological extremes. ===== I need to write two posts, but they’re closely related, and this probably isn’t either of them. It’s my usual … Continue reading “George Floyd Meets Wittgenstein”
[This piece extended in many footnotes below the line since original publication.] The cast of blue-tick players is: @glinner – Graham Linehan (since banned from Twitter) – vs – @frankieboyle – Frankie Boyle @billybragg – Billy Bragg @OwenJones84 – Owen Jones The recent round started with this Tweet, for which Glinner has got a fair … Continue reading “Calling Out Celebrity Supporters of Gender Self-ID”
I’m a great fan of Dan Dennett, and have probably read just about everything he’s ever written. Apart from his “Consciousness Explained” which failed to live up to its title – “hardly!” I commented at the time – I’ve pretty much gone along with Dan on his own evolving understanding of evolutionary consciousness. He’s part of … Continue reading “Dennett – An Eternal Golden Braid”
One for the collection – Vive La Difference.
Interesting piece in the Grauniad today by Karen O’Donnell (a student of Prof Francesca), particularly interesting for the (male) responses in the comment thread. At the outset, I should say I’ve no idea why it is cast as a response to (the media myths of) the Jeremy Hunt debacle, other than the Grauniad audience-attention-grabbing motive, … Continue reading “The Objectivity Fetish”