Otto Matta Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Spinoza's determinism is even more fatal...I disagree. Determinism is realistic, unlike the superstition of choice-making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTP Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 I disagree. Determinism is realistic, unlike the superstition of choice-making.but since we can't know all the circumstances, we can not rely on some apparent determinism. Those gaps undermines whole determinism idea and therefore indeterminism is much more real and touchable. At least on personal level, but .... get there in time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Matta Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Of course we know all the circumstances, for there are only two: one's structure and one's environment, both of which are entirely apparent and touchable, necessarily. "Choice" is superfluous and can very easily be discarded by basic reason alone. Only the fearful and indoctrinated cling to superstition, whereas one would find oneself vastly more enriched by metaphor and poetry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTP Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 But determinism between those two structures are unknow to us - only appearance. And How is Descarte's rationalism responsible for devastation of the west culture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Matta Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 And How is Descarte's rationalism responsible for devastation of the west culture?He contributed to the rift between mind and body - spirituality and materialism - forcing individuals in the Western world to affiliate with either one or the other when both are required for healthy, constructive thinking, not only for individuals but for societies in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Empty Space Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Currently reading Valis by Philip K. Dick. I've read other books by him, and this one came highly recommended, but to be honest... I kind of think it's garbage Not total crap of course, but it has a very meandering plot (an autobiography of sorts about Philip K. Dick going insane and his beliefs in Gnostic Christianity). Right now I am reading it with the intention of just finishing it and getting it out of my life... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caffein:me Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 I just Read Geomancer for the second time. William Gibson is a genius I prefer him better than Phillip k. Dick although i've only read two books by Dick. I'm in the midst of reading Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy which i feel has a very distinct charm, i love how Douglas Adams? / Adam Douglas? writes, it has his humour and i feel that you're feeling the thoughts of the protagonist. I love it. it's a very alternative way to view your world, accepting that species can hold an intelligence greater than yours and still wont be able to determine an outcome better than those with less, if you catch my drift? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Matta Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 Currently reading Valis by Philip K. Dick. I've read other books by him, and this one came highly recommended, but to be honest... I kind of think it's garbage Not total crap of course, but it has a very meandering plot (an autobiography of sorts about Philip K. Dick going insane and his beliefs in Gnostic Christianity). Right now I am reading it with the intention of just finishing it and getting it out of my life... Weird. That book totally transported me. A top ten fiction experience for me, and I've read a lot of books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needle ninja Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Weird. That book totally transported me. A top ten fiction experience for me, and I've read a lot of books. You've got the weirdest...tastes Otto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rino Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Alessandro Baricco- "Castelli di rabbia" Fine novel. Well thought out, written with skill and a clear sense of direction. Nothing revolutionary, just plain ol' novel writting done the good way. Damn, I missed that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time_Trap Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Robert Wilson - Quantum Psychology How Brain Software Programs you and Your World Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needle ninja Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazard Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Last 2-3 years I read all of Stephen King. Last year it was "The Dark Tower" (7 books epos). This days it's "Salem's Lot"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutilated_Core Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 REcently I`ve read Gordon Dahlquists "The Glass books of the Dream eaters". Anybody with me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veracohr Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I don't remember the name, but it's the history of how western music arrived at the 12-tone equal temperament tuning we use today. It kind of goes off on tangents a lot, but with the purpose of relating the changes in tuning systems to the other social changes going on during those times. It's pretty interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simorq Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I don't remember the name, but it's the history of how western music arrived at the 12-tone equal temperament tuning we use today. It kind of goes off on tangents a lot, but with the purpose of relating the changes in tuning systems to the other social changes going on during those times. It's pretty interesting. That does sound intriguing, let me know if you find the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redington Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Finished reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy the other day. Now I started reading Dune. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veracohr Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 That does sound intriguing, let me know if you find the name. It's Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization by Stuart Isacoff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needle ninja Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 It's Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization by Stuart Isacoff. I read that. Now I'm reading Renewable Energy Policy, Paul Komor and The Scientist as Rebel, Dyson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abasio Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I am in the middle of reading all the foundation books. On Foundation and Earth now...I am at this point wondering whether I should go on to Asimov's prequels or the other Authors who continued the timeline and then go back in time & read the prequels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redington Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Reading Soul of the Fire by Terry Goodkind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needle ninja Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Was doing research for a paper and found out you can download On the evolution of Species by Charles Darwin So I'm reading that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kombo* Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 the biography of Julius Caesar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caffein:me Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Finished reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy the other day. Now I started reading Dune. hahahah oh lol, i read those in the same order not so long ago. also now i'm reading some random w40 novel, about the souldrinkers whilst trying to concentrate reading the kite runner again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abasio Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I feel I must slag off the utter shite I am reading now. I am reading the Foundation series by Asimov and I am not onto the ones written by other authors. The first one, by Gregory Benford is complete and utter garbage. I have never hated an author so much probably because if they are a crap author they are merely writing crap stories but this guy is ruining the Asimov "foundation" universe and he should be ashamed of himself Things that piss me off 1. Gregory Benford thinks it's cool for sci-fi to have cool futuristic words which are just bastardised modern words that don't sound futuristic at all. He uses Mathist instead of of Mathematician. He introduced a class of people called the Meritocracy which are like the aristocracy except they have gotten a higher status through merit :roll: 2. He ignores Asimov's portrayal of characters changing them into the opposite of what Asimov wrote. One character in Forward the Foundation was a complete work-a-holic with no life outside Psychohistory & not even thinking there could be anything else to life. In this he is whining about not going to a party and fauning over women. 3. He ignores facts stated by Asimov. Asimov said one character never went back to his home sector and almost straight away in this book he is going back there 4. Asimov wrote the foundation series as 20,000+ in the future but still always wrote things like the basics had never changed. We still drank alcohol, exercised by sports or running etc. Benford feelis the need to shout LOOK IT'S THE FUTURE FUTURE!!!!!! FUTURE!!!!!! We exercise in our sleep, we drink stims, we do all manner of crappy sci-fi cliches 5. He's dumb 6. He fills in blanks that were blank for a good reason, it is boring to go into too much detail. This is just not adding to the story in anyway. 7. He's like a dumbass PE teacher with a word-of-the-day calender, using overly complicated words not entirely in the right context and just sounds dumb because of it rather than more intellectual which he was probably going for. 8. His English is not so good. Apart from the above example he also sometimes fails with grammar. That was from about a third of the way through, now three quarters in I can say.... Oh my god, this book just gets worse and worse the more I read of it! I really feel like this Author had never read the original Asimov books in which he is supposed to be following. He completely and totally ruins everything! He changes character's personalities. Seldon has gone from being a Mathematician whose hobby was a martial art to James Bond in space! He spells Seldon's wife's name wrong throughout the book. Asimov had hyperspace ships that could jump through hyperspace from and to anywhere as long as they were far enough from a huge gravity well to avoid complications. Bentford (that's right I'm spelling it wrong on purpose) has decided that's not good, let's have wormholes, EVERYWHERE. The whole hyperspace thing totally out the window. Ohhhhh I am groaning but I am determined to finish this train wreck of a book. I feel like maybe (if he did read the original foundation series) that he has just changed everything to his liking (maybe he secretly hates the series). It's too inside on the world with 40bn people, lets move it to an ape farm. There is not enough references to christianity so I'll bring back some simulated characters from good old christian days. I hated how Asimov had no aliens in this series, I'll just create some. Asimov was such a pussy hating violence and wanting to write books intellectually. I'll have everyone blood thirsty in this book. Why didn't Asimov go into excessively boring detail about how cool the FUTURE is? I'll make up for his 7 books of story with just pages and pages of innane crap about technology of which (even though I am a physics professor or something) I seem to be very unknowledgable about. I don't mean to harp on but this guy needs shooting. Oh and looking at his wikipedia page, he looks like an arrogant twat that just needs punching! Urgh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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