On October 21st, the "Roundtable for Philosophical Naturalism" (RPN) held it's first meeting with eight of our nine members in attendance. We reviewed five articles representing some of the most interesting science news from the previous month: 1) "Popular plastics chemical poses further threat" , 2) "How One’s “Number Sense” Helps With Mathematics", 3) "Water's role in Martian chemistry becoming clearer ", 4) "Not-So-Permafrost: Big Thaw of Arctic Soil May Unleash Runaway Warming", and 5) "Could an Inner Zombie Be Controlling Your Brain?" . All of these articles brought up issues that have significant implications to our lives and society as a whole.
While ordinarily in the second half of the meeting we would hold a discussion focused upon applied critical thinking (CT), we spent this time instead talking a bit about critical thinking and working out procedural issues for future meetings. CT discussion was centered upon the idea of Robert Ennis. After we spend about a year refining these meetings to get the most out of them, we will be considering expansion of this activity to include new groups (of up to about 10 people each), hoping to make it a network of people who share a secular, naturalistic philosophy with a focus on science, critical thinking, and humanistic ethics. Stay tuned.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Naturalistic Philosophy Interest Group
After being a member of a local Humanist group for about eleven years now, I've decided to start a separate group that will focus on Naturalistic philosophy while retaining some basic humanistic principles, as follows:
1) based upon a naturalistic view of the universe and the consequent importance of science,
2) commitment to the well being of all people, in all their diversity,
3) application of humanistic ethics, basing what is ‘good’ upon an analysis of the effect it has on
human well being, and
4) commitment to the fulfillment of human potential.
Most Humanist groups do not have mechanisms in place to educate its members about Humanism and keep a focus on their basic principles. As a result, the groups tend to become less focused upon Humanism as they grow and are perceived more as secular social clubs with a left-leaning political bias. The social benefits of such a group are great, but should not be the primary focus of attention. A true committment to Humanism should lead to an effort to generate a reputation for critical thinking, political neutrality (a focus upon issues and what is best for society), and efforts to educate the community about Humanism.
The Naturalistic Philosophy Interest Group will be kept small (maximum of 15 people) and will put in place mechanisms for keeping its members focused upon its principles and productive. The initial segment of each meeting will be focused upon a review of the latest breaking news from the scientific community. Follow-up discussion will explore the implications of this news for us as individuals and for society.
A stated goal of Humanism is the fulfillment of human potential and this group will strive to achieve this by building and maintaining an atmosphere designed for "cooperative learning" and encouraging use of critical thinking skills. For cooperative learning, members must be encouraged to state their opinions, expect and accept challenges to those opinions, and be willing to constructively challenge the opinions of others. Mutual trust and a committment to learning above all else are required to pull this off. It is not a stage from which to show off ones knowledge and skills and it is not a competition. Members must be encouraged to be honestly introspective and cognizant of how their fears, desires and ego are affecting their thinking.
The purpose of this group is primarily personal growth... of philosophy, perspective and thinking skills. Secondary goals may be directed towards taking this learning public and avocating naturalism, science and the necessary supporting skill sets.
To accomplish its goals, this group will need to stay small, however it could be an intial model for the creation of a network of other such groups. Our first meeting will likely occur in September 2008 and I will plan on updating progress in this blog. I consider this an on-going experiment and hopefully others can derive some benefit from its results.
1) based upon a naturalistic view of the universe and the consequent importance of science,
2) commitment to the well being of all people, in all their diversity,
3) application of humanistic ethics, basing what is ‘good’ upon an analysis of the effect it has on
human well being, and
4) commitment to the fulfillment of human potential.
Most Humanist groups do not have mechanisms in place to educate its members about Humanism and keep a focus on their basic principles. As a result, the groups tend to become less focused upon Humanism as they grow and are perceived more as secular social clubs with a left-leaning political bias. The social benefits of such a group are great, but should not be the primary focus of attention. A true committment to Humanism should lead to an effort to generate a reputation for critical thinking, political neutrality (a focus upon issues and what is best for society), and efforts to educate the community about Humanism.
The Naturalistic Philosophy Interest Group will be kept small (maximum of 15 people) and will put in place mechanisms for keeping its members focused upon its principles and productive. The initial segment of each meeting will be focused upon a review of the latest breaking news from the scientific community. Follow-up discussion will explore the implications of this news for us as individuals and for society.
A stated goal of Humanism is the fulfillment of human potential and this group will strive to achieve this by building and maintaining an atmosphere designed for "cooperative learning" and encouraging use of critical thinking skills. For cooperative learning, members must be encouraged to state their opinions, expect and accept challenges to those opinions, and be willing to constructively challenge the opinions of others. Mutual trust and a committment to learning above all else are required to pull this off. It is not a stage from which to show off ones knowledge and skills and it is not a competition. Members must be encouraged to be honestly introspective and cognizant of how their fears, desires and ego are affecting their thinking.
The purpose of this group is primarily personal growth... of philosophy, perspective and thinking skills. Secondary goals may be directed towards taking this learning public and avocating naturalism, science and the necessary supporting skill sets.
To accomplish its goals, this group will need to stay small, however it could be an intial model for the creation of a network of other such groups. Our first meeting will likely occur in September 2008 and I will plan on updating progress in this blog. I consider this an on-going experiment and hopefully others can derive some benefit from its results.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Bertrand Russell's "The Problems of Philosophy"
I just finished Bertrand Russell's "The Problems of Philosophy". It's a short book, but I found it a good review of the ideas of philosophers on what what we 'know' and what is 'true'. The in-depth discussion made it clear that 'absolute knowledge' of objects (vs. the sense-data that is our perception of things) is unknowable (or certainly unproveable). It is interesting that some philosophers take that as license to promote theories that involve those objects not even existing or being 'in the mind of God'... and they find a lot of believers out there. Of course Russell doesn't buy into any such crap. He promotes instead the idea of basing believe on an assessment of likelihood of the accuracy of knowledge... an approach that supports the existence of real objects behind the sense-data.
What I found most interesting was actually the last chapter where Russell talks about the value of Philosophy. Here's an out-take:
"The value of philosophy is, in fact, to be sought largely in its very uncertainty. The man who has no incture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the prejudices derived from common sense, from the habitual beliefs of his age or his nation, and from convictions that have grown up in his mind without the co-operation or consent of his deliberate reason. To such a man the world tends to become definite, finite, obvious; common objects rouse no questions, and unfamiliar possibilities are contemptuously rejected. As soon as we begin to philosophize on the contrary, we find as we saw in our opening chapters, that even the most everyday things lead to problems to which only very incomplete answers can be given. Philosophy, though unable to tell us with certainty what is the true answer to the doubts which it raises, is able to suggest many possibilities which enlarge our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom. Thus, while diminishing our feeling of certainty as to what things are, it greatly increases our knowledge as to what they may be; it removes the somewhat arrogant dogmatism of those who have never travelled into the region of liberating doubt, and it keeps alive our sense of wonder by showing familiar things in an unfamiliar aspect.
Apart from its utility in showing unsuspected possibilities, philosophy has a value -- perhaps its chief value - through the greatness of the objects which it contemplates, and the freedom from narrow and personal aims resulting from this contemplation. The life of the instinctive man is shut up within the circle of his private interests: family and friends may be included, but the outer world is not regarded except as it may help or hinder what comes within the circle of instinctive wishes. In such a life there is something feverish and confined, in comparison with which the philosophic life is calm and free. The private world of instinctive interests is a small one, set in the midst of a great and powerful world which must, sooner or later, lay our private world in ruins. Unless we can so enlarge our interests as to include the whole outer world, we remain like a garrison in a beleagured fortress, knowing that the enemy prevents escape and that ultimate surrender is inevitable. In such a life there is no peace, but a constant strife between the insistence of desire and the powerlessness of will. In one way or another, if our life is to be great and free, we must escape this prison and this strife." Great words describing the motivation for a life as a free-thinker!
I also was excited to see that Russell seems to have felt something that I too have felt when he says "through the infinity of the universe the mind which contemplates it achieves some share in infinity". I've expressed to some of my friends the feeling I've gotten looking into the night sky... that its like a little piece of immortality, perhaps the only one we can have, to see what Carl Sagan described as "all that is, or ever was, or ever will be". We can lead our lives imagining the immortality of our imaginary "souls", or we can free ourselves from those "instinctive desires" (as Lord Russell stated it) in the serious pursuit of knowledge of the natural world and a little taste of what real immortality might entail.
The book now in progress: "Teaching Thinking Skills: Theory and Practice", edited by Joan Boykoff Bacon and Robert J. Sternberg.
What I found most interesting was actually the last chapter where Russell talks about the value of Philosophy. Here's an out-take:
"The value of philosophy is, in fact, to be sought largely in its very uncertainty. The man who has no incture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the prejudices derived from common sense, from the habitual beliefs of his age or his nation, and from convictions that have grown up in his mind without the co-operation or consent of his deliberate reason. To such a man the world tends to become definite, finite, obvious; common objects rouse no questions, and unfamiliar possibilities are contemptuously rejected. As soon as we begin to philosophize on the contrary, we find as we saw in our opening chapters, that even the most everyday things lead to problems to which only very incomplete answers can be given. Philosophy, though unable to tell us with certainty what is the true answer to the doubts which it raises, is able to suggest many possibilities which enlarge our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom. Thus, while diminishing our feeling of certainty as to what things are, it greatly increases our knowledge as to what they may be; it removes the somewhat arrogant dogmatism of those who have never travelled into the region of liberating doubt, and it keeps alive our sense of wonder by showing familiar things in an unfamiliar aspect.
Apart from its utility in showing unsuspected possibilities, philosophy has a value -- perhaps its chief value - through the greatness of the objects which it contemplates, and the freedom from narrow and personal aims resulting from this contemplation. The life of the instinctive man is shut up within the circle of his private interests: family and friends may be included, but the outer world is not regarded except as it may help or hinder what comes within the circle of instinctive wishes. In such a life there is something feverish and confined, in comparison with which the philosophic life is calm and free. The private world of instinctive interests is a small one, set in the midst of a great and powerful world which must, sooner or later, lay our private world in ruins. Unless we can so enlarge our interests as to include the whole outer world, we remain like a garrison in a beleagured fortress, knowing that the enemy prevents escape and that ultimate surrender is inevitable. In such a life there is no peace, but a constant strife between the insistence of desire and the powerlessness of will. In one way or another, if our life is to be great and free, we must escape this prison and this strife." Great words describing the motivation for a life as a free-thinker!
I also was excited to see that Russell seems to have felt something that I too have felt when he says "through the infinity of the universe the mind which contemplates it achieves some share in infinity". I've expressed to some of my friends the feeling I've gotten looking into the night sky... that its like a little piece of immortality, perhaps the only one we can have, to see what Carl Sagan described as "all that is, or ever was, or ever will be". We can lead our lives imagining the immortality of our imaginary "souls", or we can free ourselves from those "instinctive desires" (as Lord Russell stated it) in the serious pursuit of knowledge of the natural world and a little taste of what real immortality might entail.
The book now in progress: "Teaching Thinking Skills: Theory and Practice", edited by Joan Boykoff Bacon and Robert J. Sternberg.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Observing from Mt. Hood
I just got back from a trip to Mt. Hood and, as promised, have a picture (below, 1/500th sec., 1600 Iso like the other) and a report. Unfortunately, the pictures didn't turn out very good. Possible contributors were the wind and a bright light at the observing sight, however I suspect that something else is at play. Observing with the lens (not through the camera), I had the best view of Jupiter I've ever had. The bands in the atmosphere were very distinct and the moons were also sharp, so I believe that the conditions were dramatically improved over low altitude. I'm attending an Astrophotography Interest Group meeting on Monday sponsored by the Rose City Astronomers (which I just re-joined), so hopefully I can start learning from others.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Yet Another Jupiter Photo
Another clear night at low altitude and another attempt at taking a picture of Jupiter and capturing features in the atmosphere. This time I was successful by going to a much shorter exposure time. This loses resolution of the moons, but does show the two major bands in the atmosphere (see picture below at 1/500th sec. exposure, 1600 Iso, using my 8" C8). I believe higher magnification with eye-piece projection is the next step. I started getting a feel today for how much I need to cut down my old adapter to make this work for my Nikon. I'm not sure I can do this in time for my high altitude shots, but I may give it a try.
Another Jupiter Photo
The skies in the city were much clearer tonight, so I took more shots of Jupiter. I've included one of the better ones below. I tried a range of exposures from 1 sec. (way too long) to 1/50th sec. (moons too faint... could barely see two) and found anywhere from 1/5th to 1/10th sec. to be about right. In no cases could I resolve the darker bands in the atmosphere. The inner moon is Io, which had just completed a transit of Jupiter a little over three hours earlier than this photo. The next two out are Europa and Ganymeade (very close together with Europa just inside and slightly above) and the outer moon is Callisto. I'm going to try to get a shot at higher elevation in darker and clearer skies on Wednesday and should post it Wednesday.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Naturalism Links
My own humanistic philosophy has always been rooted in science and reason with a distaste for any kind of dogma, religious or political. I have recently re-centered myself in this regard after realizing how far astray from this foundation many "Humanists" are. Humanists groups have a tendency to stray towards political dogma and emotionality and away from science and critical thinking. In thinking again about my own philosophy, "naturalism" has more appeal than Humanism with the political stigma it is earning itself. Check out www.naturalism.org . There is a great link on this site ( http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1022039654662139670&hl=en ) to a presentation done by a Tom Clark where he suggests it may be "the next step for Humanists". I found this a bit ironic, in that for me as a humanist I considered it the first step.
The Eastern Oregon Trip
We just got back from our whirlwind eastern Oregon trip... only three nights (overnights at Pendleton, John Day and Burns). Unfortunately, fires in Northern California made conditions hazy throughout eastern Oregon so no astrophotography to share. I do intend to get better Jupiter photos before July 10th, even if it involves a special trip to Mt. Hood.
For me, the highlights of the trip were 1) a 5.5 mile day-hike in the Strawberry Mtn. Wilderness and 2) Driving to the east-rim of the Steens Mountains and looking out over the Alvord Desert and Kiger Canyon (see pictures below). The Steens are definitely worth a return-trip.
Wildlife was sparse and I have no photos. The real surprise was the Big Horn Sheep (a beautiful ram) while traveling I84 east of The Dalles. We just got a quick look but it was spectacular and a very rare siting. Bey0nd that, we saw a handful of deer and antelope throughout the rest of the trip.
For me, the highlights of the trip were 1) a 5.5 mile day-hike in the Strawberry Mtn. Wilderness and 2) Driving to the east-rim of the Steens Mountains and looking out over the Alvord Desert and Kiger Canyon (see pictures below). The Steens are definitely worth a return-trip.
Wildlife was sparse and I have no photos. The real surprise was the Big Horn Sheep (a beautiful ram) while traveling I84 east of The Dalles. We just got a quick look but it was spectacular and a very rare siting. Bey0nd that, we saw a handful of deer and antelope throughout the rest of the trip.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Jove!
It was a hot, clear day in Beaverton, Oregon and the evening was very comfortable for some astronomy. I cleared off the back porch (no tripping tonight!) and got the tripod set up with the brace solidly in place. I should get a safety badge now (purple heart?). I get my stitches out Monday... still suffering a little soreness, swelling and discoloration right now.
About 11:30pm I got the telescope and camera hooked up to observe and photograph Jupiter. The sky became pretty hazy, but as bright as Jupiter is, I could still see it. One of the many photos is shown below and at least three moons are present (not sure about two of the objects that are off the equator). It was very difficult to see any features in the atmosphere, probably because of the haze. I was also photographing in-between gusts of wind, so there could have been some motion.
I'm looking forward to getting some shots in the (hopefully) clear skies of Eastern Oregon next week. It will be very interesting to see if the cloud bands become visible.
Also posted is a picture of Mizar (double star, second in the handle of the big dipper). It is the lower right pair in the image.
About 11:30pm I got the telescope and camera hooked up to observe and photograph Jupiter. The sky became pretty hazy, but as bright as Jupiter is, I could still see it. One of the many photos is shown below and at least three moons are present (not sure about two of the objects that are off the equator). It was very difficult to see any features in the atmosphere, probably because of the haze. I was also photographing in-between gusts of wind, so there could have been some motion.
I'm looking forward to getting some shots in the (hopefully) clear skies of Eastern Oregon next week. It will be very interesting to see if the cloud bands become visible.
Also posted is a picture of Mizar (double star, second in the handle of the big dipper). It is the lower right pair in the image.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Astrophotography... almost
Last night, bringing my kids home from a late movie, I saw Jupiter, bright and beautiful, fairly high in the sky. I felt the strong urge to get my telescope out and continue my Nikon astrophotography experiments.
Well, there are no pictures of Jupiter posted here yet, so you may be wondering what happened. What I learned last night were two Telescope Safety Tips... 1) When you have a heavy scope, always tighten up the leg braces of the tripod before tryng to move it, and 2) Always make sure your observing area is free of tripping hazards.
At about 1 a.m. I had my tripod positioned in-line with Jupiter but after the telescope (with camera attached) was mounted I realized it was 180 degrees off. So I picked it up and in the semi-dark tried to rotate it around. As I set it down one of the legs collapsed, followed shortly by the collapse of my own legs as I stumbled over some old lawn edging laying around on my back porch. It was like a slow-motion fall as I struggled to protect the telescope while my body twisted down to the ground. During that fall, my face and the telescope or tripod collided and a wave of numbness rolled across my left cheek. I knew some damage had been done, but was focused upon righting my telescope and determining whether either it or my camera had been damaged. When I realized I was bleeding, I abandoned that and went inside to check out the damage and get help. 'Twas a nasty, deep gash near my lips that seemed to go all the way through to my mouth. It wasn't bleeding much on the outside but was on the inside.
Well, to make a long story short, about seven or eight stitches and 3 hours later I was home and in bed, thinking of all of the ways the night could have gone differently. With this being the second accident within the last week (my wife suffered some soft-tissue damage in her foot at Seaside last weekend when her foot got caught behind the pedal of the surry we were riding as we were backing up), I'm beginning to see the truth to the concern that when you retire and start getting a lot more active your accident rate goes up. At this rate, will I last a year?!
I promise to all a nice photo of Jupiter posted here by June 30th. There's supposed to be nice clear skies this weekened, lows in the low-60's and I should be feeling a bit better.
P.S. - Yes, thanks to my self-sacrifice, it appears that my camera and telescope weathered the fall (at least the telescope's front glass-plate and mirror are uncracked). BTW... Jupiter is at opposition on July 9th (closest of the year). Hopefully I'll have some shots from eastern Oregon so that you can compare city and dark-sky views.
Well, there are no pictures of Jupiter posted here yet, so you may be wondering what happened. What I learned last night were two Telescope Safety Tips... 1) When you have a heavy scope, always tighten up the leg braces of the tripod before tryng to move it, and 2) Always make sure your observing area is free of tripping hazards.
At about 1 a.m. I had my tripod positioned in-line with Jupiter but after the telescope (with camera attached) was mounted I realized it was 180 degrees off. So I picked it up and in the semi-dark tried to rotate it around. As I set it down one of the legs collapsed, followed shortly by the collapse of my own legs as I stumbled over some old lawn edging laying around on my back porch. It was like a slow-motion fall as I struggled to protect the telescope while my body twisted down to the ground. During that fall, my face and the telescope or tripod collided and a wave of numbness rolled across my left cheek. I knew some damage had been done, but was focused upon righting my telescope and determining whether either it or my camera had been damaged. When I realized I was bleeding, I abandoned that and went inside to check out the damage and get help. 'Twas a nasty, deep gash near my lips that seemed to go all the way through to my mouth. It wasn't bleeding much on the outside but was on the inside.
Well, to make a long story short, about seven or eight stitches and 3 hours later I was home and in bed, thinking of all of the ways the night could have gone differently. With this being the second accident within the last week (my wife suffered some soft-tissue damage in her foot at Seaside last weekend when her foot got caught behind the pedal of the surry we were riding as we were backing up), I'm beginning to see the truth to the concern that when you retire and start getting a lot more active your accident rate goes up. At this rate, will I last a year?!
I promise to all a nice photo of Jupiter posted here by June 30th. There's supposed to be nice clear skies this weekened, lows in the low-60's and I should be feeling a bit better.
P.S. - Yes, thanks to my self-sacrifice, it appears that my camera and telescope weathered the fall (at least the telescope's front glass-plate and mirror are uncracked). BTW... Jupiter is at opposition on July 9th (closest of the year). Hopefully I'll have some shots from eastern Oregon so that you can compare city and dark-sky views.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Free thinking
The realization that the universe is "natural" is a first step towards free thought, as expressed in Ingersoll's vow:
"When I became convinced that the Universe is natural--that all the ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood, the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom. The walls of my prison crumbled and fell, the dungeon was flooded with light, and all the bolts, and bars, and manacles became dust. I was no longer a servant, a serf, or a slave. There was for me no master in all the wide world--not even in infinite space. I was free--free to think, to express my thoughts--free to live to my own ideal--free to live for myself and those I loved--free to use all my faculties, all my senses--free to spread imagination's wings--free to investigate, to guess and dream and hope--free to judge and determine for myself--free to reject all ignorant and cruel creeds, all the "inspired" books that savages have produced, and all the barbarous legends of the past--free from popes and priests--free from all the "called" and "set apart"--free from sanctified mistakes and holy lies--free from the fear of eternal pain--free from the winged monsters of the night--free from devils, ghosts, and gods. For the first time I was free. There were no prohibited places in all the realms of thought--no air, no space, where fancy could not spread her painted wings--no chains for my limbs--no lashes for my back--no fires for my flesh--no master's frown or threat--no following another's steps- -no need to bow, or cringe, or crawl, or utter lying words. I was free. I stood erect and fearlessly, joyously, faced all worlds.
And then my heart was filled with gratitude, with thankfulness, and went out in love to all the heroes, the thinkers who gave their lives for the liberty of hand and brain--for the freedom of labor and thought--to those who fell in the fierce fields of war, to those who died in dungeons bound with chains--to those who proudly mounted scaffold's stairs--to those whose bones were crushed, whose flesh was scarred and torn--to those by fire consumed--to all the wise, the good, the brave of every land, whose thoughts and deeds have given freedom to the sons of men. And then I vowed to grasp the torch that they had held, and hold it high, that light might conquer darkness still." Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899)
This isn't the last step towards being a free thinker. Unfortunately, that process is one of many steps that, like the search for 'truth', only can acheive an ever-better approximation. The focus for everyone desiring to go further is upon one's self... honest introspection and a realization of the self-imposed rails on one's thinking... fears, desires, ego, cultural constraints, etc. For anyone who wants to completely unleash the power and creativity of their own mind this is the difficult road that must be traveled.
Ingersoll's Vow
"When I became convinced that the Universe is natural--that all the ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood, the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom. The walls of my prison crumbled and fell, the dungeon was flooded with light, and all the bolts, and bars, and manacles became dust. I was no longer a servant, a serf, or a slave. There was for me no master in all the wide world--not even in infinite space. I was free--free to think, to express my thoughts--free to live to my own ideal--free to live for myself and those I loved--free to use all my faculties, all my senses--free to spread imagination's wings--free to investigate, to guess and dream and hope--free to judge and determine for myself--free to reject all ignorant and cruel creeds, all the "inspired" books that savages have produced, and all the barbarous legends of the past--free from popes and priests--free from all the "called" and "set apart"--free from sanctified mistakes and holy lies--free from the fear of eternal pain--free from the winged monsters of the night--free from devils, ghosts, and gods. For the first time I was free. There were no prohibited places in all the realms of thought--no air, no space, where fancy could not spread her painted wings--no chains for my limbs--no lashes for my back--no fires for my flesh--no master's frown or threat--no following another's steps- -no need to bow, or cringe, or crawl, or utter lying words. I was free. I stood erect and fearlessly, joyously, faced all worlds.
And then my heart was filled with gratitude, with thankfulness, and went out in love to all the heroes, the thinkers who gave their lives for the liberty of hand and brain--for the freedom of labor and thought--to those who fell in the fierce fields of war, to those who died in dungeons bound with chains--to those who proudly mounted scaffold's stairs--to those whose bones were crushed, whose flesh was scarred and torn--to those by fire consumed--to all the wise, the good, the brave of every land, whose thoughts and deeds have given freedom to the sons of men. And then I vowed to grasp the torch that they had held, and hold it high, that light might conquer darkness still." Robert G. Ingersoll (1833-1899)
This isn't the last step towards being a free thinker. Unfortunately, that process is one of many steps that, like the search for 'truth', only can acheive an ever-better approximation. The focus for everyone desiring to go further is upon one's self... honest introspection and a realization of the self-imposed rails on one's thinking... fears, desires, ego, cultural constraints, etc. For anyone who wants to completely unleash the power and creativity of their own mind this is the difficult road that must be traveled.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Human nature and its implications
One of the best non-fiction books I've read was "The Human Mind Explained", edited by Susan A. Greenfield. While we certainly are far from knowing everything about how the human mind functions, this book makes it clear that scientists now have an understanding of some of the basic physical processes that are essential to human thought, one of which is the firing of the synapse and the generation of a 'brain wave'. The diagrams and explanations in this book are excellent and made it easy to understand, even for someone like me who is not well educated in biology (though my education in basic chemistry and physics certainly helped).
If there weren't enough already to make it clear that our consciousness has a physical basis (e.g. the affect of drugs and brain trauma, split-brain effects, affect of amydala function on temperment), this information should be enough to convince anyone with an honest, open mind who is willing to seriously consider its implications. Of course, it doesn't convince many people simply because they don't want this too be true and their instincts tell them that it is not. The immediate implication is that there is no after-life... that death equals non-existence. With that conclusion, their primary reason for believing in a God disappears and with it the emotional support that comes from believing that their lives are part of a plan in which God is looking after their interests. It of course also means that they will not see again all of their loved ones who have died. Of course there is a cascade of further implications, but that should be enough to make the point. The transition from a belief in a 'soul' that is separate from the physical body (aka, "The ghost in the machine") is too overwhelming for most people to accept.
I've just finished another book ("The Blank Slate", by Steven Pinker) which mentions "The ghost in the machine" along with another commonly accepted faith, "The noble savage", but focuses in upon the appealing idea that every childs mind is a 'blank slate' in that anything can be written upon it and anyone can become anything they (or their parents, government, etc.) want to be. Pinker presents the case for there being an evolved 'human nature' (though both 'nature/genes' and 'nurture/environment' are shown play a role in our behavior) and discusses several aspects of this, 1) the backlash from the public and even some scientists against this notion, 2) a rebuttal of their arguments (which amount mostly to fears), and 3) examples of how this different way to look at human behavior can impact the way we deal with societies problems (e.g. education, violence, crime and punishment, discrimination based upon gender).
Pinker describes how the political ideologies of the far left and far right have folded into their justifications the concepts of the 'noble savage' and the 'blank slate' and how this was part of the explanation for the huge backlash against scientists proposing that even a portion of our behaviors are explained by our genes. I found this very interesting, because my own centrist political philosophy has been based upon the idea that 'liberals' and 'conservatives' (amongst others) are different by their very nature and that we cannot expect them to change... that we must have a system that accomodates our inherent diversity. The ideals of one group run contrary to the nature of other groups and their political ideologies are doomed to eventually fail (which Pinker also notes and gives examples of). I believe that the founders of American government went a long way towards accomplishing this goal of building a society that accomodates diversity and that they were on the right track. It is a society based upon meeting the needs of people as individuals, but this does not mean that society will suffer... in fact I believe society likely can maximize its success along such a path (see Pinkers discussion of the evolution of ethics).
These books and the ideas they stimulate are what I mean in my Blog self-description when I talk of developing a philosophy driven by our understanding of nature. This course in life demands a love of, and dedication to, scientific inquiry and it means able to be self-honest and self-critical when it comes to deciding what you 'believe'. At the same time it means that 'belief' is endlessly subject to change as our understanding of nature improves. It does NOT mean that science is my 'faith', for I fully recognize its potential to be wrong. At the same time I DO recognize its capability, proven time and again, of identifying its errors and improving its models. Anyone sharing this perspective: I'd love to see your 'favorite non-fiction book list' and hear how this learning has affected your political or philosophical views. If you have a blog... please send me the link!
If there weren't enough already to make it clear that our consciousness has a physical basis (e.g. the affect of drugs and brain trauma, split-brain effects, affect of amydala function on temperment), this information should be enough to convince anyone with an honest, open mind who is willing to seriously consider its implications. Of course, it doesn't convince many people simply because they don't want this too be true and their instincts tell them that it is not. The immediate implication is that there is no after-life... that death equals non-existence. With that conclusion, their primary reason for believing in a God disappears and with it the emotional support that comes from believing that their lives are part of a plan in which God is looking after their interests. It of course also means that they will not see again all of their loved ones who have died. Of course there is a cascade of further implications, but that should be enough to make the point. The transition from a belief in a 'soul' that is separate from the physical body (aka, "The ghost in the machine") is too overwhelming for most people to accept.
I've just finished another book ("The Blank Slate", by Steven Pinker) which mentions "The ghost in the machine" along with another commonly accepted faith, "The noble savage", but focuses in upon the appealing idea that every childs mind is a 'blank slate' in that anything can be written upon it and anyone can become anything they (or their parents, government, etc.) want to be. Pinker presents the case for there being an evolved 'human nature' (though both 'nature/genes' and 'nurture/environment' are shown play a role in our behavior) and discusses several aspects of this, 1) the backlash from the public and even some scientists against this notion, 2) a rebuttal of their arguments (which amount mostly to fears), and 3) examples of how this different way to look at human behavior can impact the way we deal with societies problems (e.g. education, violence, crime and punishment, discrimination based upon gender).
Pinker describes how the political ideologies of the far left and far right have folded into their justifications the concepts of the 'noble savage' and the 'blank slate' and how this was part of the explanation for the huge backlash against scientists proposing that even a portion of our behaviors are explained by our genes. I found this very interesting, because my own centrist political philosophy has been based upon the idea that 'liberals' and 'conservatives' (amongst others) are different by their very nature and that we cannot expect them to change... that we must have a system that accomodates our inherent diversity. The ideals of one group run contrary to the nature of other groups and their political ideologies are doomed to eventually fail (which Pinker also notes and gives examples of). I believe that the founders of American government went a long way towards accomplishing this goal of building a society that accomodates diversity and that they were on the right track. It is a society based upon meeting the needs of people as individuals, but this does not mean that society will suffer... in fact I believe society likely can maximize its success along such a path (see Pinkers discussion of the evolution of ethics).
These books and the ideas they stimulate are what I mean in my Blog self-description when I talk of developing a philosophy driven by our understanding of nature. This course in life demands a love of, and dedication to, scientific inquiry and it means able to be self-honest and self-critical when it comes to deciding what you 'believe'. At the same time it means that 'belief' is endlessly subject to change as our understanding of nature improves. It does NOT mean that science is my 'faith', for I fully recognize its potential to be wrong. At the same time I DO recognize its capability, proven time and again, of identifying its errors and improving its models. Anyone sharing this perspective: I'd love to see your 'favorite non-fiction book list' and hear how this learning has affected your political or philosophical views. If you have a blog... please send me the link!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Some astrophotography
I did some astrophotography for the first time tonight with my Nikon D40 connected to my Celestron C-8 (prime-focus photography). I got some decent pictures of the moon and Saturn. There was still quite a bit of twighlight in both photos (more so for the moon). I've included below two moon photos (Northern and Southern Hemisphere).
P.S. : I added one of Saturn. You can see the moon Titan off to the right.
P.S. : I added one of Saturn. You can see the moon Titan off to the right.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
A period of adjustment
My last day of work was only a little over three weeks ago but it seems much longer ago than that. Life in "the rut" passes by way too fast. Between the first and second half there is always "halftime" and I guess that's where I'm at right now. It's a period of adjustment as I catch up on the "honey-do" list (yard and house upkeep) and think about what I want to do with the rest of my life.It's certainly been fun so far and the feeling of freedom is priceless.
In the past three weeks I've participated as a juror for the first time, met and had my picture taken with Sen. Barack Obama, and thoroughly enjoyed the landing of Phoenix on Mars. I've started reading "The Blank Slate" by Steven Pinker, which is about Evolutionary Psychology.
I've also begun putting my thoughts together for a book of my own that would describe my off-beat, but honest, perspective on life. This is going to be a long and difficult task, but now I may actually have the time available to make a serious effort at it.
I don't want 'half-time'... that time of rest... to be the 'second half' of my life. I want to make my life meaningful, which to me means making it valuable to society. I may end up teaching math, science or 'critical thinking' or if I can improve my writing skills, perhaps I can write something that others will be willing to read. Whatever it is, it will be a change from what I have done before and that means I'll grow in the process and probably find great enjoyment.
In the past three weeks I've participated as a juror for the first time, met and had my picture taken with Sen. Barack Obama, and thoroughly enjoyed the landing of Phoenix on Mars. I've started reading "The Blank Slate" by Steven Pinker, which is about Evolutionary Psychology.
I've also begun putting my thoughts together for a book of my own that would describe my off-beat, but honest, perspective on life. This is going to be a long and difficult task, but now I may actually have the time available to make a serious effort at it.
I don't want 'half-time'... that time of rest... to be the 'second half' of my life. I want to make my life meaningful, which to me means making it valuable to society. I may end up teaching math, science or 'critical thinking' or if I can improve my writing skills, perhaps I can write something that others will be willing to read. Whatever it is, it will be a change from what I have done before and that means I'll grow in the process and probably find great enjoyment.
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