There are black people who hate white people, there are white people who hate black people, and both got their hatred through the same mechanisms: biology and culture—no one has free will. No one is ultimately to blame for … [Read more...]
Review of Daniel Dennett’s, From Bacteria to Bach and Back
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 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...]
Who is the Magician? Tricks of the Brain
Originally posted on 08-21-07: An excellent article in the New York Times today, "Sleights of Mind," by George Johnson. It covered several topics of great interest in understanding human experience: "...the cognitive … [Read more...]
Who’s in Charge, Redux: Our Lack Of Free Will
Originally posted on 07-31-07: There's a fabulous article in the New York Times today, called "Who's Minding the Mind." Many people, including me, have been saying this for years, and the science has been accumulating: the … [Read more...]
The Final Chapter? No Free Will: The End of Guilt and Pride
Originally posted on 05-29-07: I finally finished nibbling away at Po Bronson's book, What Should I Do With My Life? and I think this post may finish my comments on it. There is a story near the end about a guy whose … [Read more...]
But What Is Real? The Limits of Perception/Conception
Originally posted on 05-19-07: I ended yesterday's post mentioning the importance of distinguishing fantasy from reality, which brings up a really big question: What is reality? Which reminds me of the current installment … [Read more...]
What’s the Point? Language In Perspective
Originally posted on 05-11-07: To continue with yesterday's topic. If all the people who are saying, "Stay in the moment," are really saying, "Don't verbalize," what's the point? Our use of language is a major part of being … [Read more...]
Buddha the Scientist; Faith vs. Free Will
Originally posted 05-09-07: I was re-reading the Summer, 2006 issue of Tricycle the other day, and found myself annoyed, again, by an article by Thanissaro Bhikkhu called "Faith in Awakening." What provoked me was this, … [Read more...]