Dennett has ideas about what human beings are and what they are capable of that he wants desperately to maintain against all science and logic. He wants to believe—and wants to convince us—that we are capable of … [Read more...]
Review of Daniel Dennett’s Elbow Room
(I wrote this review in 2010, but never got around to posting it here. He published a more recent edition in 2015 that I may review at some point; there were many issues I didn't get to in this one.) This book reminds me … [Read more...]
Review of Antonio Damasio’s, The Feeling Of What Happens
In his introduction Damasio states: “The . . . fact is that consciousness is not a monolith, at least not in humans: it can be separated into simple and complex kinds, and the neurological evidence makes the separation … [Read more...]
Chuang Tsu and Toenail Fungus
I was applying an over-the-counter remedy to the toenail fungus on my left foot—my right foot is asymmetrically fungus-free—when I found myself feeling disappointed that it doesn’t seem to be working. At that point a slightly … [Read more...]
Depression and Me
When I’m depressed, there’s no point in trying to figure out the reason for it, because when I’m depressed, everything I think of seems like a good reason: Is the sun shining? All that light is oppressive—no wonder I’m … [Read more...]
Review of Sam Harris’s Waking Up
Sam did a great job of dealing with the complexities of free will in his book by that name, but in Waking Up he is writing about consciousness and the self, which are altogether more difficult subjects, and he flounders. Like … [Read more...]
Review of Sam Harris’s “Waking Up,” Chapter 1
To put Sam’s intentions in my terms, he wants people to learn to access experiences most people’s brains are capable of, but that aren’t widely promoted in western culture. He thinks this will be good for them, and for anyone … [Read more...]
Ignorance, Stupidity, Racism, and Morality
I was raised in the rural South, and while I never cared for fried fish that much, hushpuppies were a different story. I would love to gorge myself on them right now if I hadn’t learned in adulthood that there were healthier … [Read more...]
Vertigo, Depression, Meditation, and Dealing With the Inevitable
(This is a transcript of a podcast, available here.) In early March of 2006, I had a very unpleasant experience, and I believe it may turn out to be a life-altering experience. It certainly has had a profound affect on my … [Read more...]
Multiple Selves: Continuity and Change
There are many continuities in our lives: Our height doesn’t change noticeably from day to day; weight is more variable, but we don’t gain or lose 30 pounds overnight; we usually have a stable occupation and place to live, … [Read more...]
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