I look at him steadily. “That every society has a right to protect itself against its enemies. That a society like an organism has a right to survive. 00000 I know that you work with dreams. What I want to ask you is this: Is there something which is not a dream or even a…
One of my favourite living philosophers (if not the favourite) is David Wiggins. He was my tutor for ethics but not unfortunately for metaphysics which by then had become a secondary interest for him. Great to see that he has just released a new book gathering several of his most important essays on identity in one volume.…
This paper is to be found in Animal Behaviour, Volume 123, January 2017, pp. 207–216. Could this be an extension of the mechanism of stigmergy? (H/T to Jerry Coyne). We investigated tool selection in two species of Aphaenogaster ants by giving them the choice between different kinds of potential tools (natural and artificial objects). Ant workers showed a…
For those who can’t access BBC player here is (a version?) of the show that has just been broadcast along with a companion piece featuring some of those who worked with him. (For the second time, the first vid has been pulled — just search “Bowie: The Last Five Years” in YouTube and perhaps someone has reposted).…
Reissue of a classic BuddhismCognitive scienceEleanor RoschenactivismEvan ThompsonFrancisco VarelaPhilosophy of mindsituated cognition
Says it all — mensch! Too subtle and honest a mind for the regressives A towering figure in First Amendment and jazz circles, Nat was a hero for the cause of free speech on campus. Rest in peace, our friend. https://t.co/bfa8WCajCl — FIRE (@TheFIREorg) January 8, 2017 Sad to report the death of my father…
To mark two close but significant Bowie dates (8th and 10th January) once again check out Chris O’Leary’s terrific Pushing Ahead of the Dame “Tulmudic”-like blog. The particular entry I want to bring to your attention is this one featuring Mishima’s influence on Bowie, two names I’ve long since appreciated totally independently of each other. Chris explicitly vindicates…
While doing some work on Quine I came across Quine and Ullian’s minor classic The Web of Belief which has been made freely available online. (Another great portrait by Steve Pyke as with the previous post on Parfit). Analytic philosophyJ. S. Ullianphilosophical logicpragmatismquinesteve pykeweb of belief
Here’s an obit in Vox but will compile and post other obituaries as they come out. New York Times Derek Parfit and Janet Radcliffe-Richards (not an obit) “With no other philosopher have I had such a clear sense of someone who had already thought of every objection I could make, of the best replies to them, of further…
“Tom, would you like to hear my own private theory of the nature of man?” The nature of man. I can’t stand theories about the nature of man. I’d rather listen to Robin Leach and watch Barnaby Jones. “Well, actually I think we’d better track down Lucy—” But he’s got going on his theory of…
manwithoutqualities 