About the Author: Joseph Wayne Smith is a dissenting and/or heretical philosopher, or post-philosopher, who soon after completing his first PhD in philosophy in 1987, was unemployed, and then re-trained in other disciplines, including environmentalism, medicine, and law, eventually obtaining PhD degrees in all three fields. At the end of his quasi-career, he’s working on … [continue reading]
A Philosopher’s Diary, #12.1–Philosophy and Flow States, Part 1: Real Philosophy and Professional Academic Philosophy.
The descriptive sub-title of this blog—Against Professional Philosophy—originally created and rolled out in 2013, is “A Co-Authored Anarcho-Philosophical Diary.” Now, ten years later, after more than 300,000 views of the site, this series, A Philosopher’s Diary, finally literally instantiates that description by featuring short monthly entries by one or another of the members of the … [continue reading]
Much-Too-Quick Overviews, #13: QAnon.
Much-Too-Quick Overviews, written, produced, and presented by Andrew D. Chapman, is a series of easily accessible, concise presentations of otherwise not-so-easily-accessible, not-so-concise philosophy, intended as starting-points for further independent inquiry and critical thinking, whether inside or outside the professional academy. PREVIOUS EPISODES: 1. Existentialism 2. Feminism 3. LGBTQ+ Rights 4. Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorems 5. The … [continue reading]
The Myth of Artificial Intelligence and Why It Persists.
A still frame from “I, Robot” (2004, dir. Alex Proyas) You can also download and read or share a .pdf of the complete text of this essay HERE. The Myth of Artificial Intelligence and Why It Persists No digital computing systems or digital technology, no matter how sophisticated or tricked-out with high-tech bells and whistles, … [continue reading]
Sterile Spaces, Synthetic Humans, and Disentanglement: High Modernism and Our Alienation From Nature, #3.
Figure 1: Shigeru Ban’s “The House Without Walls.” Image via: arquitecturaviva.com. Photograph by: Shinkenchiku Sha. [High modernism] is best conceived as a strong, one might even say muscle-bound, version of the self-confidence about scientific and technical progress, the expansion of production, the growing satisfaction of human needs, the mastery of nature (including human nature), and, … [continue reading]
Hinton & Me: Don’t Pause Giant AI Experiments, Ban Them.
“The Leader of the Luddites” (1812) (Wikipedia, 2023b) You can also download and read or share a .pdf of the complete text of this essay HERE. Hinton & Me: Don’t Pause Giant AI Experiments, Ban Them In an open letter published online in late March 2023, directed not only to the digital technology and AI … [continue reading]
Sterile Spaces, Synthetic Humans, and Disentanglement: High Modernism and Our Alienation From Nature, #2.
Figure 1: Shigeru Ban’s “The House Without Walls.” Image via: arquitecturaviva.com. Photograph by: Shinkenchiku Sha. [High modernism] is best conceived as a strong, one might even say muscle-bound, version of the self-confidence about scientific and technical progress, the expansion of production, the growing satisfaction of human needs, the mastery of nature (including human nature), and, … [continue reading]
Sterile Spaces, Synthetic Humans, and Disentanglement: High Modernism and Our Alienation From Nature, #1.
Figure 1: Shigeru Ban’s “The House Without Walls.” Image via: arquitecturaviva.com. Photograph by: Shinkenchiku Sha. [High modernism] is best conceived as a strong, one might even say muscle-bound, version of the self-confidence about scientific and technical progress, the expansion of production, the growing satisfaction of human needs, the mastery of nature (including human nature), and, … [continue reading]
Much-Too-Quick Overviews, #12: Marxism.
Much-Too-Quick Overviews, written, produced, and presented by Andrew D. Chapman, is a series of easily accessible, concise presentations of otherwise not-so-easily-accessible, not-so-concise philosophy, intended as starting-points for further independent inquiry and critical thinking, whether inside or outside the professional academy. PREVIOUS EPISODES: 1. Existentialism 2. Feminism 3. LGBTQ+ Rights 4. Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorems 5. The … [continue reading]
Videre aude! The Weapons Effect and The Banksy Effect.
Guns, Guns, and More Guns (Unknown online source) “Rage, the Flower Thrower/Love is in the Air,” by Banksy [Bethlehem, 2005] (PD, 2020) You can also download and read or share a .pdf of the complete text of this essay HERE. Videre aude! The Weapons Effect and The Banksy Effect By thought-shapers, I mean any or … [continue reading]