tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post7105248642887588537..comments2023-10-10T08:02:18.073-04:00Comments on Rationally Speaking: Rationally Speaking's book suggestionsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-33592326401842727862013-12-24T08:28:12.251-05:002013-12-24T08:28:12.251-05:00Massimo,
Darwin was seen with suspicion in the ki...Massimo,<br /><br />Darwin was seen with suspicion in the kind of continental culture I was raised in, because of his connection with Nazism. If you have any doubts about Darwin as a “precursor” of Nazi ideology, chew on this delightful passage from “The Descent of Man”:<br /><br />“At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout the world. At the same time the anthropomorphous apes, as Professor Schaaffhausen has remarked (18. ‘Antrhopological Review,’ April 1867, p. 236.), will no doubt be exterminated. The break between man and his nearest allies will then be wider, for it will intervene between man in a more civilised state, as we may hope, even than the Caucasian, and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of as now between the negro or Australian and the gorilla.”<br />Filippo Nerihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01910861498359320434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-2961840517307074272013-12-23T09:42:01.552-05:002013-12-23T09:42:01.552-05:00Philosophy Bites did a podcast on Hume and Buddhis...Philosophy Bites did a podcast on Hume and Buddhism: http://philosophybites.com/2013/09/alison-gopnik-on-hume-and-buddhism.html.<br /><br />http://www.alisongopnik.com/papers_alison/gopnik_humestudies_withtoc.pdfAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11497479584755829568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-22436273152997931862013-12-22T12:37:39.594-05:002013-12-22T12:37:39.594-05:00@ Gadfly
> I believe one can come to similar i...@ Gadfly<br /><br />> I believe one can come to similar ideas as Blackmore's, dwelling on the same questions, without a Zen Buddhist mindset. Witness Hume's observations about the self, for example. <<br /><br />I agree. Hume's "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_identity#The_bundle_theory_of_the_self" rel="nofollow">bundle theory of self</a>" shares some similarities with the Buddhist doctrine of <i>anatta</i> (no self).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07422653606947285608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-49187446449510690052013-12-22T02:00:22.192-05:002013-12-22T02:00:22.192-05:00I believe one can come to similar ideas as Blackmo...I believe one can come to similar ideas as Blackmore's, dwelling on the same questions, without a Zen Buddhist mindset. Witness Hume's observations about the self, for example.<br /><br />And Blackmore has backed off somewhat from her earlier enthusiastic embrace of memes.Gadflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13075757287807731373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-86393779117379222872013-12-22T01:54:51.667-05:002013-12-22T01:54:51.667-05:00Massimo, I'm surprised that neither you nor ot...Massimo, I'm surprised that neither you nor other regulars here listed "Just Babies," which I am reading right now, given how much the book is about the developmental and evolutionary origins of morals, with thoughts on moral psychology and moral philosophy.Gadflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13075757287807731373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-86637614522394192882013-12-21T21:37:25.306-05:002013-12-21T21:37:25.306-05:00You used the photo of the 10k year explosion again...You used the photo of the 10k year explosion again for the Accidental Species entry.Alex SLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00801894164903608204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-52801675931162461982013-12-21T18:07:41.619-05:002013-12-21T18:07:41.619-05:00@ Gadfly
The hallmark of Buddhism is the doctrine...@ Gadfly<br /><br />The hallmark of Buddhism is the doctrine of "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatta" rel="nofollow">anatta</a>" ("no self").<br /><br />"<i>Each illusory self is a construct of the memetic world in which it successfully competes. Each selfplex gives rise to ordinary human consciousness based on the false idea that there is someone inside who is in charge</i>." (source: pg. 236, "The Meme Machine" by Susan Blackmore)<br /><br />The lights may be on, but no one's home.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07422653606947285608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-19527828942724612622013-12-21T15:36:50.535-05:002013-12-21T15:36:50.535-05:00@ Massimo
> forgive me, but your repetitivenes...@ Massimo<br /><br />> forgive me, but your repetitiveness is becoming boring, if not downright irritating. <<br /><br />You're recommending a book ("Farewell to Reality") in which the author (Jim Baggott) claims that theoretical physicists are putting forth "<i> theories [super-symmetric particles, super strings, the multiverse, the holographic principle, and the anthropic cosmological principle] [that] are not only untrue; they are <b>NOT</b> even science. They are fairy-tale physics</i>:" (And I'm fairly confident that we can place Tegmark's "mathematical universe hypothesis" into Baggott's list.)<br /><br />The online "Skeptic's Dictionary" defines "<a href="http://www.skepdic.com/pseudosc.html'" rel="nofollow">pseudoscience</a>" as "<i>a set of ideas put forth as scientific when they are <b>NOT</b> scientific</i>. "<br /><br />So, why don't you stop playing these evasive games and answer the question[s]? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07422653606947285608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-81606706180404156442013-12-21T14:31:14.689-05:002013-12-21T14:31:14.689-05:00Per Blackmore's book, she has, from a previous...Per Blackmore's book, she has, from a previous book, 10 fascinating yet simple questions for reflection, meditation, etc. on her website:<br /><br />Question 1: Am I conscious now?<br />Question 2: What was I conscious of a moment ago?<br />Question 3: Who is asking the question?<br />Question 4: Where is this?<br />Question 5: How does thought arise?<br />Question 6: THere is no time. What is memory?<br />Question 7: When are you?<br />Question 8: Are you here now?<br />Question 9: What am I doing?<br />Question 10: What next?Gadflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13075757287807731373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-57780463457238998572013-12-21T12:34:49.846-05:002013-12-21T12:34:49.846-05:00Alastair,
forgive me, but your repetitiveness is ...Alastair,<br /><br />forgive me, but your repetitiveness is becoming boring, if not downright irritating.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09099460671669064269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-30477713511412758582013-12-21T09:33:56.114-05:002013-12-21T09:33:56.114-05:00@ Massimo
This in regards to "Farewell to Re...@ Massimo<br /><br />This in regards to "Farewell to Reality: How Modern Physics Has Betrayed the Search for Scientific Truth" by Jim Baggott.<br /><br />The synopsis says; "<i>These theories [super-symmetric particles, super strings, the multiverse, the holographic principle, and the anthropic cosmological principle] are not only untrue; they are not even science. They are fairy-tale physics:</i>"<br /><br />Questions: Do these 'theories' qualify as "<i>metaphysically informed scientific speculation</i>" or "<i>scientifically informed metaphysical speculation</i>?" Also, if they are not science and "fairy-tale" physics (as the author apparently has argued), then do they qualified as pseudoscience? If not, why not?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07422653606947285608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-11032511860594975812013-12-21T09:14:31.686-05:002013-12-21T09:14:31.686-05:00Unfortunately, I have not the time to read much co...Unfortunately, I have not the time to read much coming weeks. However, "Farewell to Reality" sounds the most interesting of the books discussed above.Basdew1922https://www.blogger.com/profile/01838389253517065919noreply@blogger.com