reed
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Post by reed on Jul 25, 2015 5:44:12 GMT
Week 2
1. Why is understanding physics and the general rules of the universe so important in doing philosophy?
Being able to understand physics and the general rules of the universe is very important when doing philosophy. Many people think that philosophy and physics are two completely separate areas of expertise, seeing as philosophy (the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, existence, etc.), tends to cover much more conceptual problems rather than looking toward the mainly empirical focuses of physics (the branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy). The general rules of the universe, like quantum mechanics and string theory, come into play because unfortunately for a physicist, when one studies something at the level of extremely large or small, “Newtonian physics breaks down precisely when one gets closer to the secrets of Nature.” (Quantum Weirdness, Diem-Lane, 5) Once this occurs, a physicist’s empirical system of measurements becomes nearly useless and they must turn to a more philosophic, theory-based viewpoint. According to Einstein, quantum theory is, “inherently probabilistic and that at its philosophic and methodological core was an uncertainty principle that pointed to the variability of human measurement.” (Quantum Weirdness, Diem-Lane, 11) In the end, understanding physics and the general rules of the universe tend to be very important in doing philosophy since some of the world’s greatest physicists have had to turn to more philosophical reasoning in order to develop some of mankind’s most profound theories.
2. What is eliminative materialism? Provide three examples of it.
Essentially, eliminative materialism is a process of deductive reasoning through the elimination of studies of science in pursuit of understanding phenomena. Likely born out of fear of the unknown, humans historically have sought even implausible solutions to answers outside the scope of rational thought. The Norse gods generally embodied a specific phenomena or function; Thor, the god of lighting, was an early attempt at explaining electromagnetic impulse. That being said, we currently are working on comprehensive knowledge of more complex mechanisms, which we refer to as gravity, time, and space. The religious explanation of heaven and hell, while perhaps logically outlandish, cannot be disproved by science due to a lack of understanding regarding dimensional travel; should we discover that alternative planes exist where fundamental physics are contorted, we will have the tools necessary to engage in eliminative materialism and resolve the age-old religious debate.
Video Sources: Eliminative Materialism: God Did It? PART ONE OF A THREE PART SERIES, Eliminative Materialism: The Death of Thor, PART TWO, Eliminative Materialism: Intelligent Reductionism, PART THREE
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reed
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Post by reed on Jul 25, 2015 5:46:21 GMT
Week 3
1. Why is the theory of evolution so important in understanding how human beings behave?
The theory of evolution is so important in understanding how human beings behave because currently humans behave very specifically. Humans started out at the mercy of nature, but evolution gave us the tools to improve upon our position in nature such as our opposable thumbs, increased brain size, and the capacity for critical thinking. Ultimately we develop the ability to transfer knowledge to future generations. The most obvious counterexample would be the ape who lives and dies in the name of the biological imperative without having the concept of how its existence could and will influence future generations of apes. Our ability to comprehend the food chain has allowed us to control and supersede it; enabling humans manipulate, control, and even domesticate, physically superior predators. Furthermore, “… thoughts, memories, willed acts, and other mind matters traditionally considered private impenetrable to scientific scrutiny now can be correlated with brain activity.” (The DNA of Consciousness, Diem-Lane, 23) Until recently, humanity has interpreted these various functions in a variety of ways, especially with religious context; however, our ability to quantify and measure emotion leads to a human-specific phenomena, self-reflection, hind-sight, and fore-sight allow for perspective on past and future as opposed to simply the now, clearly differentiating our perception of experiences over time from more base forms of intelligence.
2. Which questions do you think evolutionary theory cannot answer?
I don’t really understand to what capacity this question should be answered; on the one hand, we will not have any definite proof of quarks being derived from evolutionary theory. On the other hand, however, the entirety of biology is put into context by evolutionary theory, so in that realm, presumably every question can be answered. Speaking specifically about evolution, one question that cannot be directly explained by evolutionary theory is what happens when man inevitably supersedes the genetic component of evolution. If and when humans can transfer their neural network and consciousness into a synthetic organism, either mechanical or organic, we will have subverted the natural mechanism of decay as a function of time. At this point, can we truly measure our progress biologically? To explore a different perspective, we can imagine humanity’s achievements over time as a giant painting, which depicts all our knowledge in a landscape fashion, chronologically. If each portion of the painting was done by the humans that lived in that period, then it would follow that the canvas towards the right, or present, would become necessarily more detailed due to the increased amount of people alive there to paint their part of the picture. Therefore, the canvas to the left would be the same height as the canvas to the right, except that the canvas to the left would have very little painting on it compared to the right. However, if we suddenly were to make all humans live forever, the compounding nature of our reproductive habits would begin to generate more paint on the canvas than the canvas has room for; the canvas would have to expand in another direction. Evolution assumes that the canvas cannot and will not change, but it is inevitable that it must.
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reed
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Post by reed on Jul 30, 2015 18:12:29 GMT
Week 4
1. Explain the virtual simulation theory of consciousness.
-The virtual simulation theory of consciousness claims that consciousness is literally a virtual simulator. The theory claims “Consciousness is a way around pure chance by developing an internalized map of probabilities which can be visualized internally without having to be outsourced prematurely.” (Brain Burn: Consciousness as a Virtual Simulator) Essentially, the human consciousness serves as a mechanism to work through the myriad of potential options to resolve a situation by playing out each potential possibility in the mind, like a virtual simulator, in order to decide what the most effective plan of action is for the dilemma at hand. Consciousness is the pivotal element in the human evolutionary imperative; it has provided a competitive evolutionary advantage which has allowed Homo sapiens to continue their survival throughout each generation. Consciousness is what defines man as human.
2. How does the brain trick us and for what benefit is it for our genetic survival?
-The human brain is limited. Our brains simply cannot process every single piece of information from the various senses at any given moment and in order to navigate in an ever changing world our brain will take “short cuts”. These short cuts are subconscious processes; the brain constantly takes said short cuts in order to produce a beneficial result, usually for survival, by quickly taking in the minimal amount of information needed and filling in gaps on its own. According to the reading, “The brain tricks us into believing something to be real when it is not, provided that such trickery provides with a survival advantage”(Cerebral Mirage The Deceptive Nature of Awareness, Diem-Lane 10) This “survival advantage” can be seen with regards to the reporting of near death experiences (NDE’s). Back on the subject of virtual simulation, during a NDE a person’s mind and body is under such severe stress that their consciousness creates a virtual simulation of “an ultimatum package of patterned meanings,” specifically designed from said person’s own “biographical/psychological history,” with the hopes of eliciting a response to resist death through the belief of the mind’s virtual simulation and in turn continuing genetic survival.
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reed
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Post by reed on Jul 31, 2015 3:07:57 GMT
Week 5
1. Do you think artificial intelligence will be a significant problem in the future?
- Artificial intelligence will most likely be a significant problem in the future. A generally accepted definition of artificial intelligence (AI) is the intelligence exhibited by machines or software, meaning a machine or software’s capacity for logic, abstract thought, understanding, self-awareness, communication, learning, emotional knowledge, memory, planning, creativity and problem solving. There are already many forms of artificial intelligence in modern technology, but as I first read this question I automatically thought of the more fictional versions of AI found in films like Chappie or Ex Machina. In the class film, Ray Kurzweil: The Coming Singularity, Ray Kurzweil explains a thesis which he has worked on for over thirty years, which states, “Information technology grows exponentially; the power of computers, our understanding of the human brain, the spatial resolution of brain scanning, the number of bits we move around the internet,” doubles within a year, every few months, etc, “so these technologies will be a million times more powerful within 20 years and in fact the speed of exponential growth is itself speeding up.” Keeping that in mind, my more fictitious definition of AI, which I developed from movies, turns out to be the end goal of AI and is generally known as artificial general intelligence (AGI). The difference between the two being that AGI or strong AI could successfully perform any intellectual task a human being can, whereas AI or weak AI would only be able to perform some tasks within the range of human cognitive abilities. As AI progresses from modern applications of weak AI, like Siri, toward an AGI, the line between man and machine will continue to blur since a true AGI would technically be or at least function as an artificial human being and most likely supersede the human being who created it. But then again, maybe that is the next step to our cranial expansion; the transcendence from our human form into artificial beings.
2. How has technology impacted your life?
-Coming off of the last question, technology already tends to dictate our lives to the point where “almost anybody with a smart phone (android or apple or otherwise) won’t leave home without one and if they do somehow forget their intelligent devices they will invariably turn their cars around to go secure it.” (Digital Philosophy, Lane, 5) I for one am definitely guilty of performing the situation described in the quote at least once within the past few weeks. As far back as I can remember, technology has always played a somewhat major part in my life. When I was quite young I would watch a lot of television, then I began moving into the world of video games, and now within the past 6 years I have probably spent the most time I have ever so far with the focus around technology of some sort, thanks to my laptop and smart phone. I would like to say that I have always had technology impact my life positively, but that simply is not the case. Unfortunately, with the current state of social media and methods of communication, technology becomes a necessary evil. Technology is obviously a very useful tool when used well and for the right reasons, but it also has the tendency to become a huge distraction. A person must learn to control whatever technology they choose to use and not allow the technology to use them.
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reed
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Post by reed on Aug 1, 2015 4:15:42 GMT
Week 6
1. Why is Faqir Chand's experiences important in understanding the projective nature of religious visions and miracles?
-Faqir Chand’s experiences are important in understanding the projective nature of religious visions and miracles because he can be considered an ‘honest guru.’ He was a spiritual figure, who didn’t receive a higher education, and learned through his own experiences and feelings. Faqir Chand "spent over seventy-five years practicing an ancient meditation technique, popularly known today as surat shabd yoga, which attempts to induce a consciously controlled near-death experience. Mastery of this practice, according to adepts of the tradition, enables one to experience regions of light and sound beyond the normal waking state, providing glimpses into higher realms of consciousness." (The Unknowing Sage) Based on what has already been covered in the class about NDE’s, I understand that NDE’s are virtual simulations of consciousness, which persuade a person’s consciousness with a sort of ultimatum package of visual stimulus with the hopes of energizing the person to stay alive and in fact provide more information about survival in the land of the living rather than the afterlife. (Near Death Experiences: Neural Projections and Staying Alive) Therefore, every time Faqir Chand successfully entered and exited his controlled NDE he should have had the potential to learn something about his own consciousness. With that in mind, he became outspoken about how gurus and other people posing as all-knowing beings when in fact, “the overwhelming majority of inner visions are projections of one’s own mind.” (The Unknowing Sage, 15) Faqir Chand’s understanding of the projective nature of religious visions and miracles led to the Chandian Effect, which aides in explaining the phenomena consisting of a believer experiencing a subjective vision of a holy or sacred form of a guru or idol without the conscious knowledge of the person at the center of the experience.
2. What is meant by the phrase, "philosophy done well is science; philosophy done poorly remains philosophy."
- Philosophy is predicated upon the notion of thinking differently about common knowledge. A commonly held definition of philosophy states that philosophy can only be practiced when the survival of consciousness is not at risk; as such, if you have the ability to practice philosophy, it can be said that all you have is free time. Conversely, science is the conciliatory result of hypotheses being tested and turned into either postulates or fundamental facts. Science is philosophy, taken further; it attempts to prove the thoughts Philosophy generates. Science, unlike philosophy, requires a level of substantiation sufficient enough to hold against any angle of critical scrutiny, and must be built only upon facts, which can be tested. Whether or not science is objectively correct is dependent on the collective knowledge of the human race, and, as such, is potentially incorrect or completely off-base due to the subjective nature of the human consciousness; philosophy accepts this to be true about any statement and merely creates substance.
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