Realism vs Idealism Saga Continues

Often cast in the physicalism vs pan-psychism sense, it’s an argument I’ve left long behind for my “information realism”. Many reacting recently to Kastrup’s Idealism / Pan-psychism as the kind of stuff “only stoned hippies could contemplate as real”. Myself, I get why he’s contemplating (promoting) it, but it’s really just word-play in the end … Continue reading “Realism vs Idealism Saga Continues”

Taking Idealism for a Spin

Quite a few of my recent posts have been focussed on the idealism <> realism relationship – from the original reality and appearances saga, where we discover truth vs seeming goes back as far as pre-Socratic Parmenides – to Hegel/Bradley vs Russell/Moore in the late 19th C / early 20th C. One reason for it … Continue reading “Taking Idealism for a Spin”

Nothing New Under the Sun When it Comes to Atheism?

I promised a fuller review of Nick Spencer’s “Atheism – The Origin of the Species” when I’d completed it. It’s a rather long review with plenty of spoilers and quotes here, since I’m gutting it for content I find useful, but a recommended read for anyone from Mrs Angry Atheist to Mr Tolerant Apologist and all … Continue reading “Nothing New Under the Sun When it Comes to Atheism?”

Psybertron’s Pirsig Pages

Robert M Pirsig (6 Sept 1928 – 24 Apr 2017) Author and creator of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” (ZMM-1974) “Lila – an Enquiry into Morals” (Lila-1991) The Metaphysics of Quality (MoQ – Timeless) Click Here for Latest Pirsig News Click for #ZMM50th Introduction [Introduction] [Timeline] [News] [More] [Links] [Top] [Blog] Since 2002, … Continue reading “Psybertron’s Pirsig Pages”

Reading Update

Finished Dennett’s “Breaking the Spell” – mentioned in the previous post. Excellent. Two promptings led me …. … to Hume (from Alice’s comments), I really must read in the originals, so I’ve downloaded texts from Gutenberg. (Also contact from Alice reminded me I’d still not finished “Atonement”, still sitting on the bedside cabinet – just time to … Continue reading “Reading Update”

Rayner’s Natural Inclusion

Alan Rayner’s “Inclusionality” restated as “Natural Inclusion”. This piece illustrating an integrative and redistributive selection notion of evolution of extended self, as opposed to an eliminative selection of discrete selves, using a mycelium fungus example migrating its center of operations to food … and beyond. This piece elliciting a succinct communication of Alan’s inclusional objectives. … Continue reading “Rayner’s Natural Inclusion”

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”

Another I Wish I’d Read Sooner

Just started Douglas Hofstadter’s “Godel, Escher, Bach – An Eternal Golden Braid” – A metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of Lewis Carroll. So far, I’m reading his 1999 Preface to the 20th Anniversary Edition of his 1979 original Pullitzer prize winner. It’s a book about life, mind, and the evolving psychology … Continue reading “Another I Wish I’d Read Sooner”