Today started badly, cold and grim and unwelcoming, but Lazlo Montgomery has started a mini series on the history of Hong Kong and Philosophy Bites had an interview with Liane Young on intentionality and morality. So I lay under a warm duvet and listened. Hong Kong is too long and complex to talk about. (I am surprised that no one has commented on the Cham temple picture. despite it being Hindu isn't there something Chinese there? Via Vietnam probably, but still Chinese. Have another look.) Surprisingly it seems that psychopaths are very forgiving of accidents. However, this doesn't stop them robbing you blind, or murdering you and burying the body under the new patio. Liane Young is one of the new breed of experimental philosophers who monitor brain activity related to moral actions and the like. I am not sure how much use this study of the mechanism is when related to philosophy. In the sixties and seventies there was much heated argument about the influence of genes. The nature vs nurture debate. E O Wilson in particular got attacked and was unfairly accused of racism and promoting eugenics. But those were heady times and now there seems to be little to get upset about in Wilson's work. (The battle between E O Wilson, Steven J Gould* and Richard Dawkins has the makings of a TV series. All three great writers and often fiercely critical of the others. I always agree with the one I'm reading at the time.) Now sociobiology has been overtaken by neurobiology and the marxists have retreated so far into the wilderness that their cries of objection can hardly be heard and there is no chance of one of the climbing on stage and tipping a glass of water over the speaker. Yet I think there is still some validity in the old criticisms when applied to the new topic. We already knew that politicians and robber baron businessmen were mostly psychopaths.You can listen to Liane Young on the Philosophy Bites website. I also had the pleasure of trouncing Kit at a game of Frozen Synapse. Such was my magnanimity that I let him win a second more trivial game as balm to a bruised ego. Trounce, it seems, is a word of unknown origin, but I think 'ounce' words often come from old French. I like the assonance of pounce and trounce. Trounce becomes the result of pounce. Pounce as you all know means the talons of a hawk. Most appropriate for the game of Frozen Synapse. I swooped down on Kit with my hawk like pouncers and trounced him. Some of you know, or have heard me speak of Sue Parish. Here is a link to a recent gig she did. It was at the recently restored art deco Plaza cinema/theatre in Stockport and I put in the link to that too. It looks the perfect place for Sue to play.
2 Comments
A couple of carping comments I'm afraid.
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Tom
11/3/2012 09:48:35 am
What an exemplary display of English false modesty!
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