by Massimo Pigliucci
About Rationally Speaking
Rationally Speaking is a blog maintained by Prof. Massimo Pigliucci, a philosopher at the City University of New York. The blog reflects the Enlightenment figure Marquis de Condorcet's idea of what a public intellectual (yes, we know, that's such a bad word) ought to be: someone who devotes himself to "the tracking down of prejudices in the hiding places where priests, the schools, the government, and all long-established institutions had gathered and protected them." You're welcome. Please notice that the contents of this blog can be reprinted under the standard Creative Commons license.
Friday, March 29, 2013
The meanings of the meaning of life
by Massimo Pigliucci
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
I just don’t get it. One more on Mary and the Zombies
by Massimo Pigliucci
Friday, March 22, 2013
Disobedience Succeeds Essence
by Steve Neumann
Labels:
evolutionary biology,
existentialism,
Nietzsche,
Sartre,
Steve Neumann,
The Matrix
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Massimo's Picks
* It is surprisingly difficult, no, make that currently impossible, to buy a fair trade smart phone.
* The concept of epistemically transformative experiences, applied to whether or not to have children.
* Why assessment exercises in higher education are either tautological or lead to an infinite regress. Remind me to tell my Dean... Oh, wait, already done!
* Are Neil deGrasse Tyson and the American Museum of Natural History afraid of a philosopher? It sure looks like it...
* The Masters of our society have a visceral distaste of public education and the common good. Time to get rid of the Masters?
* A majority of Austrians think the Nazi would be elected if they were allowed to run today. Thereby demonstrating that human beings really do learn precisely nothing from history.
* The right of Israel to exist should not be questioned, but the right of a Jewish state to exist very much should.
* Why libertarians are profoundly wrong about the existence and functioning of markets.
* The real life Frankensteins that inspired Mary Shelley.
* A neuroscientist talks about neuro-hype.
* Why Ray Kurzweil's new book is a piece of crap, part I.
* Why Ray Kurzweil's new book is a piece of crap, part II.
* The concept of epistemically transformative experiences, applied to whether or not to have children.
* Why assessment exercises in higher education are either tautological or lead to an infinite regress. Remind me to tell my Dean... Oh, wait, already done!
* Are Neil deGrasse Tyson and the American Museum of Natural History afraid of a philosopher? It sure looks like it...
* The Masters of our society have a visceral distaste of public education and the common good. Time to get rid of the Masters?
* A majority of Austrians think the Nazi would be elected if they were allowed to run today. Thereby demonstrating that human beings really do learn precisely nothing from history.
* The right of Israel to exist should not be questioned, but the right of a Jewish state to exist very much should.
* Why libertarians are profoundly wrong about the existence and functioning of markets.
* The real life Frankensteins that inspired Mary Shelley.
* A neuroscientist talks about neuro-hype.
* Why Ray Kurzweil's new book is a piece of crap, part I.
* Why Ray Kurzweil's new book is a piece of crap, part II.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The Heuristics of the Hyperhuman
by Steve Neumann
Labels:
artificial intelligence,
Nietzsche,
Singularity,
Steve Neumann
Monday, March 18, 2013
Ian’s Picks
by Ian Pollock
* Intrade recently shut down, for reasons that have yet to be clarified but look pretty suspicious. This is a big disappointment for prediction market fans like me, because they have the potential to be really useful and salutary for our political discourse.
* Cosma Shalizi’s fantastic linked notebooks on... a whole bunch of topics.
* Hyperphysics is a concise compendium of physics knowledge, an excellent reference.
* The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on torture. One interesting aspect is that the article (unlike most in the SEP) comes to some fairly strong conclusions: (1) an absolute moral prohibition on torture is implausible, and (2) institutionalized torture is a terrible idea.
* I am halfway through Red Plenty by Francis Spufford. It’s hard to pigeonhole this book into a genre, but its aim is roughly to novelize a discussion of how the Soviet economy of the 60s worked (or not). Highly recommended.
* Luke Muehlhauser’s fairly comprehensive FAQ on decision theory.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Experimental philosophy is not an elephant
by Massimo Pigliucci
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