The new episode of Dr. Ginger Campbell’s Brain Science Podcast features a conversation with philosopher Evan Thompson, PhD, about his new book, Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy. Thompson is one of the leading figures in bridging the gap between Eastern philosophy (specifically Buddhism and the Advaita Vedanta school of … Read more
If I could study with any living therapist, Robert Stolorow is one of three people I would pay to learn from (the others are Donna Orange [a frequent Stolorow collaborator] and Diana Fosha). [Well, okay, there is a fourth one, another frequent Stolorow collaborator, George Atwood.] Throughout his career, he has emphasized the phenomenological experience … Read more
Scientia Salon is a webzine about science and philosophy. There is a very active conversation occurring there around these two BIG topics. Back in March, Massimo Pigliucci (founder and editor of the site) posted a “manifesto for 21st Century intellectualism. Here is a little taste . . . That problem, to put it plainly, is … Read more
From Bookforum‘s Omnivore blog, this is a new collection of links on philosophy and particularly on the state of analytic philosophy. Here are a couple of highlights: From PUP, the introduction to Analytic Philosophy in America: And Other Historical and Contemporary Essays by Scott Soames and the first chapter from The Analytic Tradition in Philosophy, … Read more
In this article from Frontiers in Cognitive Science, philosopher Shaun Gallagher makes a strong and convincing argument against solitary confinement. Since this article appeared, Time Magazine took up the topic in a profile of a man who has been in solitary for 28 years in a Louisiana prison. This is from that Time article: Though … Read more
This is an interesting talk from J. Kevin O’Regan, former director of the Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception (LPP), which specializes in human visual and auditory perception both in babies and adults. He is currently, since June 2013, working on a 5-year European Research Council Advanced project (FEEL) on the sensorimotor approach to consciousness and … Read more
“A hermeneutic approach … sees interpretation emerging from the shared search for understanding. Unless jointly authored, it is really misinterpretation and misunderstanding. In other words, understandings are not conveyed from one mind into another but emerge from conversation and are thus felt as truthful.” ~ Donna Orange, The Suffering Stranger – The Divine Conspiracy, … Read more
This hypothesis and theory article from the open access journal Frontiers in Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology is very in-depth and thought provoking. The main sticking point for me, however, is the first of the three primary premises Earl sets forth: (1) contrary to one’s intuitive understanding, consciousness does not have an active, executive role in … Read more
Quentin Ruyant posted this article on the possible relevance of quantum mechanics to a philosophy of mind and consciousness. While he seems convinced (as are many neuroscientists and philosophers) that QM is not scientifically relevant to a philosophy of mind, he allows that there may be some metaphysical reasons to examine a possible connection. Posted … Read more
It’s weird to see David Chalmers with short hair. For as long as I have been aware of him, he has had long hair that made him look like a member of Whitesnake’s reunion tour, not a world renowned philosopher. Be that as it may, in this TED Talk from TED2014, Chalmers talks about the … Read more