Aurelian Craiutu reviews Oakeshott’s Notebooks, 1922-86. I don’t share the view that: If Oakeshott were alive today, he would welcome the fact that “the politics of faith” against which he wrote memorable pages seem to have lost some of its appeal. I think that the centre has not held at all and is at its narrowest band…
The first in a series of excerpts from Minds, Models and Milieux: Commemorating the Centennial of the Birth of Herbert Simon. Katherine Simon Frank How many children are conscious of their parents as different from their friends’ parents? How many understand what it means to have a parent who is known to others via newspaper accounts and television…
“Dr. More is going to diagnose me. Why not? He is going to measure, not my blood alcohol, but my metaphysical status. The device he holds there—correct me if I’m wrong, Doctor—is the More Quantitative-Qualitative Ontological Lapsometer.” . . . The students, spiritual pimps that they are, reassured that things are back on the track…
New paper from the very excellent Joel Krueger. See also Joel’s Empathy and the Extended Mind paper from a few years back along with other papers discussing this topic. One of the primary functions of religious texts — along with the different rituals and forms of worship constructed with them — is, precisely, to take over part of…
Talent is a flame. Genius is a fire. Utilitarians are often immensely conscientious people, who work for humanity and give up meat for the sake of the animals. They think this is what they morally ought to do and feel guilty if they do not live up to their own standard. They do not, and…
Here’s a batch review by the very excellent Rob Rupert of three books that have been out for a while. Anthony ChemeroCognitionCognitive neuroscienceCognitive scienceconsciousnessEmbodied cognitionenactivismExtended MindExternalismEzequiel Di Paolojohn stewartMark Rowlandsolivier gapennePhilosophy of mindRob Rupertsituated cognition
In popular culture, and especially in music, the days of the week of particular significance are Mondays and Fridays. The former has downbeat, dread-like connotations, as in “Blue Monday” (Dave Bartholomew, performed by Fats Domino) and “I Don’t Like Mondays” (Bob Geldof, performed by The Boomtown Rats). In contrast, Friday has an air of promise and…
I’ve been viewing the highly amusing series Grumpy Old Men again. First off, the title is ill-chosen. The target group is not necessarily composed of the aged and decrepit; neither are they grumpy as such. Regarding the former, they probably are upwards of 45-50 years old (adjusting for the fact that the series was first broadcast…
In addition to checking out the Walker Percy documentary if you are a fan of the great man, please consider making a contribution to this project — all is explained in the video. This project expires today — it would be a crying shame if it doesn’t come to fruition. Come on folks — surely there…
Marvin Minsky a grandee of AI has died (H/T Troy Camplin). Washington Post Boston Globe Artificial intelligenceCognitive sciencemarvin minskyPhilosophy of mindThe Society of Mind
manwithoutqualities 