Philosophical Speculations

Ted Chiang is not a very productive writer - only having published 2 collections of short storuies in the three decades of his career -, but after finishing both of them, I can confidently say he is my favourite sci-fi short story author. Chiang has a very special way of writing, weaving our concept...

At first glance this seemed logical, but as I thought a bit about it, I don't get why it would be impossible to create sentient AI. In Bernardo's view, life is a dissociation when experienced from the 1st person view, and an objectification of a mental state when experienced from the 3nd person view...

Thanks, I think this is mostly clear, or at least I don't have any questions yet.

Thanks, I'll make sure to check out these books... Once I'm done with The Master and His Emissary, which may be some time though

Happy new year Ashvin! I have to be honest with you, I don't understand 90% of what you said :D And I'm pretty skepetical about this thing with the metamorphosis of cognition. Of course our thinking must have changed concurrently with language, but I don't think our fundamental living experience cou...

This question is mostly to Cleric / Ashvin, because I'm interested in how this fits into their worldview, but I'm also interested in general, why we are mostly blank slates (in terms of memory) when we are born if we are born from the ocean of all experience that has occurred before. But Cleric / A...

This question is mostly to Cleric / Ashvin, because I'm interested in how this fits into their worldview, but I'm also interested in general, why we are mostly blank slates (in terms of memory) when we are born if we are born from the ocean of all experience that has occurred before. But Cleric / As...

Thanks, Cleric, that was interesting to read. Just as a sidenote, do you think you've given mytical traditions their due? You always say that the mystical / meditative path keeps you within your womb. But as I see it, most mystical traditions include the stages of seeing through the illusion of the ...

I think I get what you're saying. The difficulty with these things is that even in an idealist framework, one's thinking tends to default back into a dualism between what is physical and what is mental. So I unwittingly make a metaphysical distinction between when I think something in my personal mi...

I think it is possible because she is a human being like me, with thoughts and perceptions. And because I recognise my own nature in her, I am able to empathise. But that doesn't mean the boundary is not there. I still experience her as an object, and I dont experience her thoughts, unless she shar...