Hi y'all - I'm in favor, I like dogs.
On Oct 12, 7:19 am, Isparklaria <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I would like to suggest a 17 page Gregory Bateson essay (actually a
> talk that was given in 1970 and later published the journal, General
> Semantics) for reading and discussion. There is plenty of critical
> thinking as Bateson tries to explain the foundation of a then
> relatively new approach to studying mind. He shows why earlier
> approaches from religion and philosophy are wrong, while explaining a
> new and promising way. That way of viewing the mind has since been
> taken up by the top people in the field of artificial intelligence.
>
> Some of the ideas in the talk are similar to ideas in Douglas
> Hofstadter's I Am a Strange Loop only in my opinion Bateson
> explanations are clearer and have more depth because he is able to
> draw from many fields to make his points. This short essay touches on
> evolution, ecology, psychology, semantics, epistemolgy and more.
> Everything is tied together with cybernetic theory an approach to
> understanding interdisciplinary studies. Bateson was one of the
> founders of cybernetic theory, along with Marget Mead and Norbert
> Weiner. The talk, called Form Substance and Difference, also
> foreshadows the current work in artificial intelligence being done by
> Marvin Minsky at MIT. Minsky and others have come to realize that in
> order for A. I. to advance, machines must have simulated emotions. His
> latest book which explains his work to people outside of the field is
> called The Emotion Machine. Bateson, a second generation atheist, even
> manages to touch upon a practical, empirical idea of God (not in any
> conventional or religious sense!)
>
> I will make copies of the essay for everyone who wants to participate
> in the one session discussion. It could be in two weeks or after we do
> the new book that Jason suggested or sometime after that.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Memphis Freethought Alliance" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
