Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagHuman Nature

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Goal to success for level up with person climbing on route slope to mountain peak.human performance limit concepts.growth mindset and motivation.generative ai technology
Type
post
Author
Andrew McDiarmid
Date
October 11, 2023
Categorized
Human exceptionalism
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Are We Approaching the Singularity?

Are humans progressing morally as well as materially? What does it mean to be human in the cosmos?
Andrew McDiarmid
October 11, 2023
2
Human exceptionalism

Are humans progressing morally as well as materially? What does it mean to be human in the cosmos? On a new episode of ID the Future, we bring you the second half of a stimulating conversation between Dr. David Berlinski and host Eric Metaxas on the subject of Berlinski’s book Human Nature. In Human Nature, Berlinski argues that the utopian view that humans are progressing toward evolutionary and technological perfection is wishful thinking. Men are not about to become like gods. “I’m a strong believer in original sin,” quips Berlinski in his discussion with Metaxas. In other words, he believes not only that humans are fundamentally distinct from the rest of the biological world, but also that humans are prone to ignorance and Read More ›

statue-of-the-ancient-greek-philosopher-socrates-in-athens-greece-stockpack-adobe-stock
Statue of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates in Athens, Greece.
Type
post
Author
Andrew McDiarmid
Date
October 9, 2023
Categorized
Human exceptionalism
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David Berlinski: Humans Are Unique

Some argue that humans are growing more peaceful, enlightened, and improved by the year, and that a coming technological singularity may well usher in utopia. Berlinski isn’t buying it.
Andrew McDiarmid
October 9, 2023
2
Human exceptionalism
In this conversation and in his book, Berlinski argues that human beings have a fundamental essence that is radically different from other organisms. Read More ›
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Type
post
Author
Mind Matters
Date
November 12, 2018
Categorized
Philosophy of Mind
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Noted Astronomer Envisions Cyborgs on Mars

Sir Martin Rees thinks of this “post-human evolution” as going beyond Darwin to “secular intelligent design.”
Mind Matters
November 12, 2018
4
Philosophy of Mind
AI apocalypse is certainly in the air. Elon Musk, Henry Kissinger, and the late Stephen Hawking have all predicted an AI doomsday. Industry professionals’ doubt and disparagement don’t seem to register with the media in the same way. Read More ›
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Type
post
Author
Michael Egnor
Date
October 12, 2018
Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind
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Does brain stimulation research challenge free will?

If we can be forced to want something, is the will still free?
Michael Egnor
October 12, 2018
8
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind
The materialist interpretation of Reilly’s work is a misunderstanding of what the research actually shows. The stimulations did not evoke complex abstract intentions and acts—the patients didn’t reflexively decide to do integral calculus or donate to Amnesty International. Read More ›
freedom-and-illusion
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
July 25, 2018
Categorized
Philosophy of Mind
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Can free will even be an illusion?

Michael Egnor reiterates the freeing implications of quantum indeterminacy
Denyse O'Leary
July 25, 2018
3
Philosophy of Mind

Many say so. For example, at Cosmos, senior artificial intelligence research scientist Alfredo Metere explains, … there is a causal relationship between the Big Bang and us. In other words, free will is not allowed, and all of our actions are just a mere consequence of that first event. Such a view is known as “determinism”, or “super-determinism” (if one finds it productive to reinvent the wheel). He asserts that today we know the universe to be chaotic. Because the cosmos is clearly chaotic, we can observe time-reversibility only locally, rather than globally. This in turn means that free will is an inevitable illusion for us humans, due to our subjective perception of the universe, rather than its innermost nature. Read More ›