What, Why & How do we Know ?
Two links thanks to Sam at Elizaphanian. A two part interview in Der Spiegel with Dan Dennett about the ID-Creationism vs neo-Darwinism debate. [Now read through completely. Nothing new. Just Dennett’s Darwinian put-down of any need for a super-natural causal god. Inlcudes the memetic argument for the self-preserving evolution of religions themselves. Also inlcudes the … Continue reading “The Creationism Meme”
Whilst being a fan of both Blackmore and Dennett, one of their claims I have trouble with is the idea that consciousness (and free-will) is an illusion. I’m never sure if that’s a claim that it isn’t therefore real, which would clearly be preposterous, or simply that it shares some attributes with illusions, which is … Continue reading “That Conscious Illusion”
Recently I commented on Owen Barfield labouring his point about the mental illusion of seeing an intangible rainbow, when his real point was that “seeing” a tree was no less a mental trick of “representation”, as is even the additional mental picture we create from the other sensory perceptions available to us for the apparently … Continue reading “An Illusion is Nevertheless Real”
I’m prompted here by a cross-search, that hit on a three year old post of mine referring to Sean Gould. Like me he’s a western engineer, and of a similar age, living in the far-east, in his case Thailand, and unlike myself, it seems he’s been there continuously for several years – his domain remains … Continue reading “From Ancient Books to the Novel”
BBC again, this time a report from UK teachers unions alarmed that creationist twaddle is spreading from US into UK school curricula materials. “Evolution is not compatible with christianity” says Monty White of the “creation science movement”. He’s not wrong there – biologically & genetically at least, some hope for the right outcome then. Would … Continue reading “Creation – Would You Adam & Eve It ?”
(Still not got domestic internet access yet, here in Perth, so limited on blogging time at the moment.) Managed to spend two late afternoons on the beach this weekend, and finished Sue Blackmore’s Meme Machine. I have to say I’m still a fan of Sue’s writing, but I’m glad I didn’t read her best-seller first. … Continue reading “The Bitch is in The Driving Seat”
Still not got internet access domestically back in Perth, but hopefully will have within the week. Watched the sun go down on the beach yesterday whilst reading Meme Machine. As I blogged previously Sue Blackmore is very, very good, and having finished her “Consciousness, An Introduction” I’m now reading her best seller – one that … Continue reading “And back to Perth”
When I saw this picture it said something.(Susan Blackmore and David Chalmers, picture courtesy of David’s archives on the conferences of the Centre for Consciousness Studies, Tuscon, Arizona. That centre is currently run by Stuart Hameroff. David Chalmers, the original director, is back in Canberra, running the ANU Centre for Consciousness.) Interesting review of this … Continue reading “Convergence of Science and Philosophy of Mind ?”