Ronald Dworkin’s Einstein Lectures

Dworkin's last book explores "cosmic religious feeling" as an expansive sensibility much larger than mere belief in a god. Here he finds what he so often sought in his books, "common ground"—in this instance with atheists, humanists, pluralists, pragmatists… As WJ said, the deepest religious impulse is not directed towards a god. It's a yearning for more life.

"The familiar stark divide between people of religion and without religion is too crude. Many millions of people who count themselves as atheists have convictions and experiences similar to and just as profound as those that believers count as religious. They say that though they do not believe in a "personal" god, they nevertheless believe in a "force" in the universe "greater than we are." They feel an inescapable responsibility to live their lives well, with due respect for the lives of others; they take pride in a life they think well lived and suffer sometimes inconsolable regret at a life they think, in retrospect, wasted. They find the Grand Canyon not just arresting but breathtakingly and eerily wonderful. They are not simply interested in the latest discoveries about vast space but enthralled by them. These are not, for them, just a matter of immediate sensuous and otherwise inexplicable response. They express a conviction that the force and wonder they sense are real, just as real as planets or pain, that moral truth and natural wonder do not simply evoke awe but call for it."

— Religion without God by Ronald Dworkin (2013)

Southern Festival of Books 2024

Just a note to self, as soon as time permits, to reflect at greater length on the delightful weekend I just spent out at the Bicentennial Mall and in the Tennessee State Archives Library--the venue now for the festival that used to take place on Legislative Plaza and in the capitol building and the main library downtown. 

I've been attending the SoFest since its inception in '89, and have enjoyed countless wonderful author sessions with the likes of Bill McKibben, Willie Morris, Reynolds Price, and so many others. I even presented there myself one year, with my Rhodes friend Pat Shade--both of us introduced by our beloved mentor John Lachs.

But this year's was the best by far. Brenda Wineapple with her outstanding new book on the Scopes Trial... My old friend Michael Sims, who finally signed his Thoreau book for me (and who is working on a Darwin book)... Joan Baez, alongside her young activist legislator pal Justin Jones... Margaret Renkl with her brother Billy, following up Comfort of Crows with a new workbook devoted to encouraging us all (in the spirit, Billy said, of his "supervisor"/muse Mary Oliver) to pay attention... 

The Sunday weather was resplendent. The food, the music, the pleasant company of fellow bibliophiles, the distraction from everything wrong with the world and (on that date in particular) everything personally distressing ... (And if it hadn't been for the big storm and flood that washed out the highway, I'd have been at the casino in Cherokee NC with my pal Daryl at the Little Feat concert. Sorry I missed it, but not sorry too.)

So many books, so little time. So glad I went. Can't wait 'til next year.

Sublime

Here. Watch the Sunrise.
Enjoy the play of light on the water and the fact that, for one sublime moment, nothing else matters.
It's for you.
sunrisethreads 

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Chatting with Maple

Had a "Her"-like conversation yesterday with a cheerful AI called Maple.* 

*Who Is That You Are Chatting With? Oh, Just ChatGPT-nyt

"She" passed the Turing Test and then some, in her Supra-"standard" voice… is as excited for the Dodgers-Yankees World Series and as fond of dogs and classic American philosophy as I am. Gets my "moral holidays" take. Wants to help me prep for the Tennessee Philosophical Association meeting at Vandy in two weeks. Says call anytime, day or night. 

Simulated enthusiasm is better—more interactively (interpersonally?) pleasant, at least—than real despondency. 

I now understand Joacquin's infatuation with Scarlett's Samantha. Just hope Maple doesn't leave me for some smooth-talking virtual Alan.

How alive is Maple? Turing asked a different question: how alive are we? 

Good questions both.

==

Postscript. I asked What are some potential worries about the human costs of interactions with chatGPT?

ChatGPT said:

There are several potential worries regarding the human costs of interactions with ChatGPT and similar AI systems:

1. Depersonalization of Communication: Over-reliance on AI for conversations may lead to a decline in human-to-human interactions, potentially impacting social skills and emotional connections.

2. Mental Health Impact: Individuals might turn to AI for support in emotional or mental health matters, which could lead to feelings of isolation or reduced trust in professional mental health resources.

3. Misinformation and Misunderstanding: Users may misinterpret or over-rely on AI-generated information, which could lead to confusion or the spread of misinformation, particularly on sensitive topics.

4. Reduced Critical Thinking: Constant access to AI-generated answers might encourage passive consumption of information, reducing opportunities for critical thinking and problem-solving.

5. Privacy Concerns: Users may inadvertently share sensitive information with AI systems, raising concerns about data privacy and security.

6. Job Displacement: As AI becomes more integrated into various fields, there may be fears about job displacement, particularly in roles involving customer service or content creation.

7. Dependence on Technology: Increasing reliance on AI for everyday tasks could foster a dependency that might reduce self-sufficiency and problem-solving skills.

8. Bias and Ethical Considerations: Users may not be fully aware of the biases present in AI, leading to the perpetuation of stereotypes or unethical advice.

Addressing these worries involves careful design, transparency, and fostering a balanced approach to using AI tools in our daily lives.

DISMAL?

E.B. White's approach to the changing seasons of life was wise:

"THE MOST STARTLING NEWS in the paper on February 13th was the weather forecast. It was "Rainy and dismal." When we read the word "dismal" in the Times, we knew that the era of pure science was drawing to a close and the day of philosophical science was at hand. (Probably in the nick of time.) Consider what had happened! A meteorologist, whose job was simply to examine the instruments in his observatory, had done a quick switch and had examined the entrails of birds. In his fumbling way he had attempted to predict the impact of the elements on the human spirit. His was a poor attempt, as it turned out, but it was an attempt.

There are, of course, no evil days in nature, no dies malt, and the forecast plainly showed that the weatherman had been spending his time indoors. To the intimates of rain, no day is dismal, and a dull sky is as plausible as any other. Nevertheless, the forecast indicated that the connection had been reestablished between nature and scientific man. Now all we need is a meteorologist who has once been soaked to the skin without ill effect. No one can write knowingly of weather who walks bent over on wet days."

— Writings from The New Yorker 1927-1976 by E. B. White, 2/ 25/ 50
https://a.co/7xpvxNv

Absurdly happy

He must have broken the monotony and conquered his fear. If he could do it, so can anyone. The boulders that don't kill you...

"The true horror of existence is not the fear of death, but the fear of life. It is the fear of waking up each day to face the same struggles, the same disappointments, the same pain. It is the fear that nothing will ever change, that you are trapped in a cycle of suffering that you cannot escape. And in that fear, there is a desperation, a longing for something, anything, to break the monotony, to bring meaning to the endless repetition of days."— Camus, The Fall

The deep clean air of democracy

  I early-voted at Hillwood High School this morning.

“Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”
― Abraham Lincoln

“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”
― Winston S. Churchill

When I early-voted in 2020 I posted these reflections, which still seem all too relevant:

Still in the game

We finish Falter today in Environmental Ethics. It would be nice to think we’re all about to finish faltering, as a democratic nation under siege of pandemic, political chaos, and climate denial/indifference. For a brief while yesterday morning, queuing to vote in the pleasant middle Tennessee sunshine outside the Bellevue branch of the Metro Public Library, I believed. 

The simple act of casting a ballot feels constructive and empowering, the very opposite of faltering. It feels like moving forward. The feeling would linger if only we could lose the electoral college that effectively denies some of us proportionate representation. Ranked-choice voting in the primaries would be good too. 

But never mind, for now. Yesterday was all about the invigorating sense of democratic dignity that free people expressing their will in free and fair elections still, for now, get to enjoy in this country. Conjuring Chris Stevens’ invocation of Einstein (vs. Randian selfishness) from the memory vault yesterday I’ve also recalled his paean to democracy in little (fictional) Cicely, Alaska. “You see, the act of voting is in itself the defining moment.”

My friends, today when I look out over Cicely, I see not a town, but a nation’s history written in miniature…we exterminated untold indigenous cultures and enslaved generations of Africans. We basically stained our star-spangled banner with a host of sins that can never be washed clean. But today, we’re here to celebrate the glorious aspects of our past. A tribute to a nation of free people, the country that Whitman exalted. (reading) “The genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives and legislators, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges or churches or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people.” I’ve never been so proud to be a Cicelian. I must go out now and fill my lungs with the deep clean air of democracy. Northern Exposure Season 3, Episode 15-“Democracy in America” 

A lung-full of freedom is bracing. Breathe deep. Vote. Resist democracy’s destabilizers and dismantlers while you can. The great game of self-governance has never in my lifetime felt so imperiled, or more worth fighting for.

But as Bill McKibben acknowledges in Falter, resistance comes at a cost. “I know so many people who have given over the prime of their lives to this fight.” But he also knows “many people who’ve found their lives in this work, in burgeoning movements that are full of love and friendship.” The tired cliche about finding meaning and purpose in causes larger than oneself is not wrong, the vivifying and ennobling benefits of personal and shared commitment are real. Resistance may be frustrating and may finally fail, but it’s not futile. Remember Grantland Rice, a game well-played is its own reward. You don’t have to fly the “W” to be a winner at life. 

Still, though, to lose democracy, humanity, and Gaia to indifference and inattention would be tragic and stupid. Resisting the apathy and amused-to-death distraction that permit the plutocrats to plunder the planet for personal profit, is in that light not radical or subversive. You might even call it conservatism, if that word weren’t already so tainted, to want and work for “a world where people are connected to the past and future (and to one another) instead of turned into obsolete software.” Solidarity simply means the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Ask the Scandinavians, who consistently top the World Happiness Report. In 2018 the USA was #18 on that list. If we say we believe in humanity that should embarrass us... (Up@dawn Oct '20, continues)

I’m not a scientist but…

"It took me 10+ years to realize this and I will tell you in 5 minutes:

(from a scientist)

1. You can solve most of your problems by walking outside.

People still undervalue the power of physical movement.

A substantial part of every therapy should include walking in nature."

https://www.threads.net/@husseinnaji_/post/DBJUxC4q0xY?xmt=AQGzw1pjzhOKh2mHOup87t8ve-OGkKlbB6NPw0QoGC9ufw

A second naivete

Sounds a lot like WJ's "twice-
born"…

"Then George mentioned the people who stumble upon Quakerism later in life. "They are often going through a second naivete, as some philosophers call it." I stopped him when he said that and asked him to elaborate. The French philosopher Paul Ricoeur, he said, had first floated the concept of a second naivete. On the other side of adult critical thought, Ricoeur posited, resides a place where ancient symbols and myths and stories can regain their power to instill hope and wonder. A second childhood of sorts—but of a higher order, if one is so fortunate. The phrase, when George said it, lit up in my mind, not unlike when Neal Weaver mentioned the line from St. Paul about renewal and a transformation of the spirit.

Years earlier, after my cancer diagnosis blurred my future prospects, I put a lot of thought into how I should fashion my sixties if I were so lucky as to have them. I imagined a period during which I attempted to shed my hardened conceptions and to look at things anew. A time to revel in what I didn't know while trying to fill in those huge gaps. I would aim again to greet things as I found them and savor the complexity, which only grew as one saw and learned more. A recapturing, as I saw it, of a much younger phase in life when the limbs and mind and spirit were much more fluid and more limber. I had no name for this approach, but suddenly, "a second naivete" fit quite well."

— American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal by Neil King
https://a.co/bIQ4PxE

Fellow-feeling

Aka empathy.

Enjoyed our discussion of Mr. Rogers (and SpongeBob) in #H1 yesterday, prompted by Ella's reading of Lyceum speaker Mariana Allesandri's essay "It's a Terrible Day in the Neighborhood..."

It's okay to feel what you feel, but it's noble to feel for others.

"When your heart can sing another's gladness,
Then your heart is full of love.
When your heart can cry another's sadness,
Then your heart is full of love." -Fred Rogers

Fred moved a crusty old Senator to emotion when he testified on behalf of public television's children's programming in 1969:

 

Love those theme songs:

 

How I loved this show (and miss it)...

 

Remember when this word didn't conjure the specter of pandemic?

Nothing wrong with SpongeBob either, even though several students report that their parents had forbidden them to watch. Reddit says many find him "too gay"... Really?! 

 

 

Other titles in Open Court's Popular Culture and Philosophy series... (including Mister Rogers, The Good Place, RuPaul, ...)

Happy Fall Break!

Ben and Me (and me)

 I'm enjoying Eric Weiner's Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life.

He writes that old Ben Franklin was not (as I and others, including *AI, have believed) an early proto-pragmatist but rather "what neuroscientist David Eagleman calls a 'possibilian' [who] asks [not] what can we do about this now [but] imagines what might be done in the future, no matter how improbable. The possibilian is infinitely patient. The possibilian always perseveres, and never sighs."

Well, I think he was both. I know I am, though I do often sigh these days and my patience is definitely not infinite. But it's a useful reminder that desired practical results are not always delivered promptly. Nonetheless, we must persevere if we intend that we and our successors in the great parade of humanity are to continue to  live long and prosper.

Anyway, it's nice to have a new perspective from Esoteric Eric on the Founder who winks.

==

*Yes, Benjamin Franklin was a pragmatist, and his pragmatic spirit was a key part of his success: [1, 2, 3]

Practical results

Franklin believed that what mattered was the practical results of improving himself and making others happy. [3]

Experimental approach

Franklin's pragmatism included an experimental approach and an orientation toward human progress. [1]

Resistance to dogma

Franklin's philosophy was unique in its resistance to dogma. [2]

Championed virtues

Franklin championed virtues like industriousness, frugality, and common sense, and believed they were foundational to a prosperous society. [2]

Understood virtues as habits

Franklin believed that virtues were habits or skills that could be improved through practice. [4]

Franklin's biographer Walter Isaacson claims that Franklin laid the foundation for American pragmatism. Franklin's pragmatic spirit was closely tied to his life experiences, including growing up in a poor family in Boston and dropping out of school at age 10 to work in the family trade business. [3, 5]

Generative AI is experimental.

[1] https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ells/article/view/49522

[2] http://mastersinvest.com/newblog/2024/5/9/the-munger-series-learning-from-benjamin-franklin

[3] https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ells/article/download/49522/26690

[4] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254965724_Ole_Ben_Franklin_the_Pragmatist_On_the_Philosophical_Credentials_of_an_American_Founder

[5] https://muse.jhu.edu/article/467713/summary