Aug 03
The majority of non-fiction books are historical: the focus is usually on “proper” history (wars, economic cycles, biographies) or at the very least, the narrative employs past events as evidence in an argument. The past plays a huge role in the way we understand things – we know from experience that touching hot stoves is a no-no or how to swing a tennis racquet to get the right amount of topspin to confound your opponent. Even more telling is how much of our present station in life is determined by past decisions and/or events. Your academic pursuit and interests were sparked by some inspiring high school teacher, the job interview offered because of past successes with previous employers, your support of the local sports team because your parents or grandparents chose that particular city to have a family.
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Jan 27
The following is a Herculean attempt to understand humanity as it stands, and to chart out a path to save it. Over time I will add and adapt this philosophy, and I invite you to comment and critique it.
The Realist ManifestoA pragmatic approach to the world
Marvin Gaye had it right when he crooned three simple words, in response to the growing anxiety American society faced in the early 1970s. “What’s Going On?” can equally applied to the situation that we find ourselves in. Half of the world’s population are under the age of 25 – that’s 3.3 billion young men and women, nervous at what the future holds.
Like any sound philosophy, before we peer into the crystal ball, let me propose some undeniable truths:
1. At our current rate of consumption, the planet will not be able to sustain itself.
2. Information is the most prized and valued commodity.
3. Collaboration at all levels is necessary for success and shared prosperity.
4. Our diversity needs to be celebrated.
The origins of every problem plaguing humanity can be traced to the negation of at least one of these principles. Conflicts arise when basic needs and resources are unevenly distributed or hoarded by a select few; tension and strife are natural reactions when our appetites remain unsatisfied. Power traditionally rests in the hands who control information: chieftains, monarchs, governments; the temptation for abuse leads to corruption and distrust. Human beings are a social animal – we strive for interaction and are remorseful when left alone for too long; separation, isolation and denial fuel desire’s flames. Distrust is bred on a diet of perceived differences – skin colour, religious beliefs, social status; when exploited, this fear drives man to commit atrocities on unimaginable scales.
Lack of resources : Power centres : Divisions : Fear : Destruction
This cycle of violence can only be sustained for so long.
We need to address the inequalities that arise from each stage. Doing so means wholly embracing each fundamental axiom I listed above. And like the phoenix rising from the ashes, an alternative holistic system will take shape, one that would hopefully result in a collective consciousness that has evolved beyond our current state.
Aug 21
On the surface, video game enthusiasts, Monday morning quarterbacks, pop philosophers and quantum physicists may not have anything in common. However, once you peel back the superficiality of each label, we reveal a characteristic that infects every human being: overactive imaginations.
Consider Dr. Nick Bostrom’s article “Are You Living In A Computer Simulation?” which examines the likelihood of the scenario popularly proposed by the Wachowski brothers. After computing the probabilities of various statements, Dr. Bostrom arrives at the conclusion that one of the following is true:
(1) The fraction of human-level civilizations that reach a posthuman stage is very close to zero
(2) The fraction of posthuman civilizations that are interested in running ancestor-simulations is very close to zero
(3) The fraction of all people with our kind of experiences that are living in a simulation is very close to one.
A neat argument but I was surprised by Bostrom’s comment in The New York Times: “My gut feeling, and it’s nothing more than that,” he says, “is that there’s a 20 percent chance we’re living in a computer simulation.” Thanks to his bemused prediction, we are likely to remember Bostrom for posing an intriguing Gedankenexperiment – if we reach a point in history where Statement (3) comes to fruition, we’ll merely chuckle and proclaim him to be a great thinker.
Not so for Rob Bryanton unfortunately. This musician-cum-philosopher has been ridiculed for his presumption that there are only 10 dimensions. While quantum mechanic string theory practitioners may gripe about Bryanton’s faux-science, simplifying complex concepts without academic rigour, I think the real issue at hand seems to be the flashy animation he uses to explain his theory.
In a nutshell – they are jealous that he has been able to succinctly communicate his ideas. Thanks to the emotions of an exclusive clique of thinkers, the idea that the totality of all possible existences can be represented as a dot on the 10th dimension will probably never be taken seriously.
Shouldn’t we praise thinking outside of the vat? Is that not what all intellectual discourse be about? Stay tuned for part 2 – where fictional characters come to life and human beings lose their individuality in the swimming pool of creativity.
