What, Why & How do we Know ?
Missed this last week on BBC World Service – Stephen Sackur interview with Daniel Dennett – introduced predictably as one of the “4 Horsemen of New Atheism“. Much confirmation of my own view that Dennett is the most considered and sophisticated thinker in this space. The four I have before ranked Dennett > Harris > … Continue reading “Dennett Hard Talk”
Since I’ve just started reading Bennett, Dennett, Hacker and Searle’s “Neuroscience & Philosophy” I thought I’d post a link to the coincidence in the earlier post today, as a current reminder to myself to post some review notes. My most considered reading of Bennett & Hacker was back in 2009. There I speculated on Dennett’s … Continue reading “Dennett on Hacker”
As mentioned in the previous post, I’ve had an enforced hiatus from blogging due to the relocation to Oslo. Two things to note: (1) After doing some essential overhauls just before going offline in the US, I had added a “simpler” previous posts & archives link to the side-bar, and noted slowness in the rendering … Continue reading “Blog and Dennett Update”
Not read this yet. Thanks to Will Wilkinson for the link. Worth reading, for Dennett’s writing style. Nice non-committal reference to the Cold Fusion case, as other scientists rushed to prove / disprove. He concludes with “Since there is no content [in Intelligent Design Creationism], there is no “controversy” to teach about in biology class. … Continue reading “Dennett on IDC”
Made a start on my pile of Dennett original reading. Having realised recently I’m practically a pan-Darwinist, I thought I’d start on “Darwin’s Dangerous Idea”. Skimmed it first, and realised I feel I practically know it already; so many of his chapters and witty headings having been quoted by others since 1995. The respect Dennett … Continue reading “The Socratic Dennett – Onward and Upward”
Following on from Sue Blackmore’s works, I have at last ordered the Dan Dennett materials so I can read him in the original. Also ordered David Chalmers book – I guess I need to read that too, even if it seems I disagree with him on Qualia. (What I forgot to order but will do … Continue reading “Reading on – Dan Dennett et al”
Rorty and Dennett on Knowledge Board aggregator. Interesting opinions about Rorty and Dennett in connection with Darwinian Evolution, Post-Modernism and Nietzsche amongst other things, from Paul Kelly’s blog – “as we know it”. And here was I thinking I was the only one following this philosophical line of investigation in Knowledge Management blogging. I get … Continue reading “Rorty and Dennett on Knowledge Board aggregator”
This should probably be three or four separate posts, but after a two week hiatus – the ISSS conference in Washington DC and another week touring the wider DC, MD, VA, DE, Chesapeake area – I have so much not written over and above the writing project I’ve already stalled until after my next US … Continue reading “Dear Diary – June 2024 – Systems, USA and Tyranny”
I keep noticing and thought I’d share that several things (meaninglessly) coincided in 1991. Robert Pirsig published his second book “Lila” in 1991 Dan Dennett published his “Consciousness Explained” in 1991 I completed and was awarded my Masters Degree in 1991 None of us knew each other’s work then, and there’s been huge convergence of … Continue reading “1991 and all that”
Anil Seth’s Faraday Lecture has generated a fair bit of chat. I was initially a bit too unimpressed, not enough originality – probably turned off previously by his use of “hallucination”. In fact he is synthesising many of the same sources I am. Nothing new under the sun again (from my perspective). The notes below … Continue reading “Seth is OK”