The past week has been an enlightening journey on the philosophy of personal identity*, and the problem of life after death**.
What makes someone the same person over time?
and
What makes people different at the same time?
One question asks for what is the 'constant' of our existence, and the other asks what makes our 'constant' different as others'?
Nothing suggests the existence of life after death, unless it be the hopeful desires for physical preservation of a mortal species. I believe our personal identity is 'mind body materialism'. That is, a person consists of one thing, a living biological body. And the Mind is physical and does not differ from the rest of the body.****
But there are those who appeal for the existence of an "incorporeal" identity in 'mind body dualism', or that a person consists of 2 things, a mind and a body. The Mind occupies no space and is not physical. The Body takes up space but does not think.
Then there are those who appeal to 'extreme mind body dualism', or that a person consists entirely of Mind (soul) that takes no space and thinks. The Body is no more temporary as clothes.
****To this comes to our personal identity in the physical sense. What makes me recognizeable? What is in my persona, or personality that is 'me'? Normally one would appeal to the 'soul' as this answer. After all, with one less arm or one less leg, I would still be 'me'. Maybe if I just had my brain I would still retain my identity. The soul is what makes me 'me', and will be recognized by other souls life after death.
But what if my persona is not a 'constant'. It is rather constantly changing, moment by moment through life. Every ray of light, every word heard and word said, altered the molecular make up of my physical brain, making me a different person from a second ago, from when I began this paragraph, from when I was in middle school, from the moment I was born. Then who am 'I'? If nothing 'incorporeal' exists, I am just a circuit board, constantly adjusting itself until it burns out.
peace out
*The last week has been one of those moments when incredible bonds are created between lives.
**After days of ghost hunting in Old Main, Michael, Mitch and Stephanie witnessed something on Sunday, after I left.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Rage Against the Machine
Afternoon fellow travelers on the road to awe. I'm the new kid on the blog, so I'll accompany you along with Sebastian and Michael into the world as WE see it.
Mass media has a profound impact on our modern world. The media is in a constant state of change, which, according to “Mediamaking”, “make[s] the world even as the world makes the media” (Grossberg etal, 2005). The model for the mass media communications states that mass media processes, selects, constructs and interprets events, information and topics for their audience. Is this mass media communication process beneficial to our society as a whole? Mass media facilitates social change when it uses its words as a tool, but mass media hinders social change when it uses words and images as a weapon, ultimately depending upon it’s message.
The mass media have always had a profound impact on the history of our world. “The meaning, impact and effects of media cannot be separated from a broader discussion of culture, history and changing relations of power,” (Grossberg et al, 2005). Mass communication has shown itself in many forms, from cave drawings, to hieroglyphics, to newspapers, to television, to the increasing popularity of the World Wide Web. The message sent could be that of love, often preached though beautifully choreographed music by the Beatles. The message sent could be that of hate, spoken in a chilling tone by Adolf Hitler. The same institution spread both messages, and continues to facilitate messages on both ends of the spectrum in the modern world today.
It is much easier for a society to categorize people than to see them as individuals. Mass media often use a means of re-presentation, which is, “to take an original, mediate it, and play it back” (Grossberg et al, 2005). Stereotypes are a convenient way for mass media to convey it’s ideological power, which claims to make an attempt to define reality in particular ways. The mass media is a megaphone beaming “My Sweet 16” across the globe. Every image or soundbite may be absorbed into our everyday lives, whether it is representative of the whole or not.
The mass media has the potential to cover many sides of a particular piece of information, event, or topic. It has the capacity to do a greater good, but too often practitioners fall into the trap of laziness or sometimes flat out ignorance. Fallible human beings run the mass media institutions, therefore the media fall prey to human errors. There is also the issue of motivation when dealing with human beings, throwing an extra wrinkle into the equation. Modern media practitioners are motivated by ”money,” a concept that has become its own brand of evil, and quite a controversial topic. According to the Society of Professional Journalists, the ideal Journalist, “should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.” (SPJ, 2009). Too often journalists are thrown into a dilemma, whether to put out a product that is worthy of consideration by the public or to half-ass something so their editors can make the extra buck, just putting them over budget, so they can make a new and improved budget.
An alarming trend in the modern world is the theory of temporary-ism. Microwaves, fast food, and instant technologies like the internet have brought about widespread change to the political, social, and economic backgrounds. It makes the world seem like everything is just a phase, which will be over soon, and we can move on to the next big thing. Whether it be pop culture, the latest car wreck, the latest fashion trend, it keeps going like a revolving cycle of “keeping up with the Jones’.” We as Americans are stuck in a cycle, perpetuated by the mass media, which is in turn pressured by the public to keep pumping them with the latest and greatest hoop-la. When does this vicious cycle end? When the people decide to educate themselves.
The media can and does educate the public on certain issues that may be detrimental to society, and supplies the public with a forum for possible social change. This happened with the Civil Rights movement, the women’s liberation movement, and the horrors of slavery and of the Nazi Regime. When the mass media acts as a mediator and observer, and not as an opinionated divider of peoples, it serves the public for the good.
Culture in our society is spread to a wide audience through the many arms of mass media. When the people (fallible humans) who run these institutions run them with a different level of integrity, these institutions will serve the public good to a much greater degree. Until then, the mediamaking and re-presentations will continue to dominate the airwaves, feeding new generations.
“I understand why they say High School never ends. “ -Incubus
“To resist is to piss in the wind, anyone who does will end up smelling.” -Incubus
Mass media has a profound impact on our modern world. The media is in a constant state of change, which, according to “Mediamaking”, “make[s] the world even as the world makes the media” (Grossberg etal, 2005). The model for the mass media communications states that mass media processes, selects, constructs and interprets events, information and topics for their audience. Is this mass media communication process beneficial to our society as a whole? Mass media facilitates social change when it uses its words as a tool, but mass media hinders social change when it uses words and images as a weapon, ultimately depending upon it’s message.
The mass media have always had a profound impact on the history of our world. “The meaning, impact and effects of media cannot be separated from a broader discussion of culture, history and changing relations of power,” (Grossberg et al, 2005). Mass communication has shown itself in many forms, from cave drawings, to hieroglyphics, to newspapers, to television, to the increasing popularity of the World Wide Web. The message sent could be that of love, often preached though beautifully choreographed music by the Beatles. The message sent could be that of hate, spoken in a chilling tone by Adolf Hitler. The same institution spread both messages, and continues to facilitate messages on both ends of the spectrum in the modern world today.
It is much easier for a society to categorize people than to see them as individuals. Mass media often use a means of re-presentation, which is, “to take an original, mediate it, and play it back” (Grossberg et al, 2005). Stereotypes are a convenient way for mass media to convey it’s ideological power, which claims to make an attempt to define reality in particular ways. The mass media is a megaphone beaming “My Sweet 16” across the globe. Every image or soundbite may be absorbed into our everyday lives, whether it is representative of the whole or not.
The mass media has the potential to cover many sides of a particular piece of information, event, or topic. It has the capacity to do a greater good, but too often practitioners fall into the trap of laziness or sometimes flat out ignorance. Fallible human beings run the mass media institutions, therefore the media fall prey to human errors. There is also the issue of motivation when dealing with human beings, throwing an extra wrinkle into the equation. Modern media practitioners are motivated by ”money,” a concept that has become its own brand of evil, and quite a controversial topic. According to the Society of Professional Journalists, the ideal Journalist, “should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.” (SPJ, 2009). Too often journalists are thrown into a dilemma, whether to put out a product that is worthy of consideration by the public or to half-ass something so their editors can make the extra buck, just putting them over budget, so they can make a new and improved budget.
An alarming trend in the modern world is the theory of temporary-ism. Microwaves, fast food, and instant technologies like the internet have brought about widespread change to the political, social, and economic backgrounds. It makes the world seem like everything is just a phase, which will be over soon, and we can move on to the next big thing. Whether it be pop culture, the latest car wreck, the latest fashion trend, it keeps going like a revolving cycle of “keeping up with the Jones’.” We as Americans are stuck in a cycle, perpetuated by the mass media, which is in turn pressured by the public to keep pumping them with the latest and greatest hoop-la. When does this vicious cycle end? When the people decide to educate themselves.
The media can and does educate the public on certain issues that may be detrimental to society, and supplies the public with a forum for possible social change. This happened with the Civil Rights movement, the women’s liberation movement, and the horrors of slavery and of the Nazi Regime. When the mass media acts as a mediator and observer, and not as an opinionated divider of peoples, it serves the public for the good.
Culture in our society is spread to a wide audience through the many arms of mass media. When the people (fallible humans) who run these institutions run them with a different level of integrity, these institutions will serve the public good to a much greater degree. Until then, the mediamaking and re-presentations will continue to dominate the airwaves, feeding new generations.
“I understand why they say High School never ends. “ -Incubus
“To resist is to piss in the wind, anyone who does will end up smelling.” -Incubus
Friday, March 13, 2009
Singularity Culture
Its is truly amazing the direction our generation is heading. The crave for entertainment, the liberal appreciation and acceptance of artistic beauty and interpretation, the acceptance of personal differences, explosive technology, the hip-hop, urban, cool, punk, emo, culture that dominates the norms in the Western World. there is nothing that says The big timin', and "keeping it real" attitude of of our generation's pop culture wont hold through to the professional world as the old slowly begin to be replaced by the new. It is late coming, but it is becoming clear to me that our expectations of the "future" wont be anything in comparison to the previous generation. And, with this new army, sculpted by of 'random mutations', it is our turn as a Step in life to face the trails of evolution, and inevitably make the same mistakes. Where will the mentality that prevails youth put our species at the face of singularity?
/Sebastian
/Sebastian
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Quarreling Siblings
It is fairly common knowledge that there are two distinct, yet correlated forces that push and pull at our short time on earth, shaping who we become, what we believe, and every other possible outcome of our lives. Commonly labeled as the Nature vs. Nurture dispute, we are affected in every single aspect of our lives by cultural and natural influence. Like quarreling siblings, each fighting for their mother's attention, both forces constantly impact and influence our lives in endless and unimaginable ways. The book Ishmael covers the profound effect that each of these forces have on us, exponentially more eloquent than I could or care to explain it. It is this balance of forces that I find myself most fascinated with, and my philosophical quest of sorts is to find subtle ways in which the interplay of culture impacts our physical manifestations.
The more and more that Sebastian and I explore the vast, humbling universe we live in, the more we find patterns that emerge, and reoccurring concepts and symbology that has spread throughout human consciousness in ways we barely understand. The Golden Ratio (ϕ) for example. This post is not about the Golden Ratio, though. What I am trying to find is a way to map social interaction in the same way that the higher dimensional planes are represented. If I can figure out a way to map them similarly and find the underlying pattern between these two dialectically oppositional forces, it will be further proof that everything is connected in endless repeating patterns. Until I can achieve that connection, however, they remain separate and competing.
Social interaction is different from Reality in that no matter how deep you get with describing the infinite minutiae of space, it is nothing but that. Space. A stage. For whatever reason we made it this far, we are here now, the players on the stage. There is a school of thought in the field of quantum mechanics that suggests that reality depends on the existence of sentient observers, that if we or beings like us did not exist, then the universe would have no reality either. Unfortunately this, along with every other concept in quantum theory is to date unmeasurable, as there is no way to collect empirical data with our limited current technological abilities. Ignoring that fact, I can see how this "Tree Falling in the Forest" concept might explain existence. An empty chessboard is useless without the pieces to play with.
That being said, I am really interested in discovering ways in which human interaction, the very basic building block of our Cultural universe, can be compared to the quantum units of measurement used to describe the multi-dimensional reality of our physical universe. If you imagine a single conversation between two people as a line segment, a transfer of ideas would be the line connecting each person. This is how we interact at the most basic of levels, our social 3rd Dimension. This is the first established concept I have reached this far, and am extremely interested in how deeper relationships and interactions with society as a whole could be represented. This is my quest.
//Michael
Monday, March 9, 2009
Are we still evolving?
Ive spent the vast majority of the last couple of months pondering evolution. It is ironic but very fitting that it just happens to be the 150th anniversary of Darwin's "Origins of Species". It is a shame there is no public holiday recognizing such a pioneering achievement in the history of Mankind, yet the findings of a man who's obsession with understanding "where we came from" began in his early 20's, have shaped our understanding of life to this day.
A recent article in the March issue of Discover showed some new findings regarding evolution that have now been possible with current technology. It is easy, when looking into the history books, to assume that mankind hasn't really changed much in the last few thousand years. We look the same, repeat the same historical mistakes, and have the same needs. In fact, until now, it has widely been believed that human evolution came to a stand still 50,000 years ago when the first carriers of our DNA emerged from Africa to parts of Europe and the orient. But recent comparisons of DNA samples has shown that we are in fact still evolving, at a much faster rate than ever before.
But of course, this should come to no surprise in the face of singularity. As everything in our culture from technology to the arts has been growing and evolving exponentially, so has the human population at an alarming rate. Consider the fact that our human population is now at 6.8 billion. (http://www.ibiblio.org/lunarbin/worldpop) I remember only 6 years ago, learning in school that the worlds population was 4.6. And like many others, I didn't give it a second thought that this number is growing exponentially out of our control. (http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/02/70238)
Darwin's primary requirements for evolution were 1) a large herd for mutation to occur and 2) an environment that calls for adaptation. Our world is a constantly evolving environment. It evolves at such a rate that the previous generation can barely keep up with today's technology. Combined with the exponential growth of our herd, scientists have found that we are evolving faster than we ever have in history. Granted, our DNA varies only 1 to 2 percent from apes, and DNA variations between human beings is miniscule, there are still stark physiological and psychological differences between peoples around the world. Take for example, noone had blue eyes 10,000 years ago. Today, Europeans tend to have eye sockets that are shaped like aviator glasses, cheekbones that slant backwards and high nose bridges. Asians have cheekbones facing more forward, very round eye sockets and low nose bridges. Every generation is evolving ever so slightly from the previous.
So who cares? What does this mean to us?
Our species is not going to stop growing. We will one day either starve this planet, or find other inhabitable worlds in the galaxy. But for the first time, I am beginning to realise that my dream of a unified human species may be far from reality. Rather than realising our similarities and responsibility for one another as a species, we may one day become far more divided than we can even imagine, by the hand of evolution.
---------------------------------
Today's interesting link:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/07/28/the-black-hole-war/
----------UPDATE-------------
A UK Ad agency namely "Blast" developed a campaign for the British Humanist Association for the education and promotion of a new international holiday "Darwin Day".
Would you Adam & Eve It?
www.humanism.org.uk
A recent article in the March issue of Discover showed some new findings regarding evolution that have now been possible with current technology. It is easy, when looking into the history books, to assume that mankind hasn't really changed much in the last few thousand years. We look the same, repeat the same historical mistakes, and have the same needs. In fact, until now, it has widely been believed that human evolution came to a stand still 50,000 years ago when the first carriers of our DNA emerged from Africa to parts of Europe and the orient. But recent comparisons of DNA samples has shown that we are in fact still evolving, at a much faster rate than ever before.
But of course, this should come to no surprise in the face of singularity. As everything in our culture from technology to the arts has been growing and evolving exponentially, so has the human population at an alarming rate. Consider the fact that our human population is now at 6.8 billion. (http://www.ibiblio.org/lunarbin/worldpop) I remember only 6 years ago, learning in school that the worlds population was 4.6. And like many others, I didn't give it a second thought that this number is growing exponentially out of our control. (http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/02/70238)
Darwin's primary requirements for evolution were 1) a large herd for mutation to occur and 2) an environment that calls for adaptation. Our world is a constantly evolving environment. It evolves at such a rate that the previous generation can barely keep up with today's technology. Combined with the exponential growth of our herd, scientists have found that we are evolving faster than we ever have in history. Granted, our DNA varies only 1 to 2 percent from apes, and DNA variations between human beings is miniscule, there are still stark physiological and psychological differences between peoples around the world. Take for example, noone had blue eyes 10,000 years ago. Today, Europeans tend to have eye sockets that are shaped like aviator glasses, cheekbones that slant backwards and high nose bridges. Asians have cheekbones facing more forward, very round eye sockets and low nose bridges. Every generation is evolving ever so slightly from the previous.
So who cares? What does this mean to us?
Our species is not going to stop growing. We will one day either starve this planet, or find other inhabitable worlds in the galaxy. But for the first time, I am beginning to realise that my dream of a unified human species may be far from reality. Rather than realising our similarities and responsibility for one another as a species, we may one day become far more divided than we can even imagine, by the hand of evolution.
---------------------------------
Today's interesting link:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/07/28/the-black-hole-war/
----------UPDATE-------------
A UK Ad agency namely "Blast" developed a campaign for the British Humanist Association for the education and promotion of a new international holiday "Darwin Day".
Would you Adam & Eve It?
www.humanism.org.uk
Random Thought at 2:00 am.
From time to time, I may find the best vehicle for the most random of thoughts is this blog, and perhaps cataloguing them might eventually come to fruition with a deep-hidden revelation about humanity. I can't be certain. I do, however, want to include thoughts on interesting perspectives on human interaction, for a larger purpose that I will reveal later. With that being said, the following transpired last Friday, and I thought nothing of it until late night Sunday, unable to sleep, and contemplating recording the thought. The argument for documenting the thought won out, and here I am.
I was in the office I work at, and was talking to a coworker absentmindedly about the upcoming Daylight Savings change to occur this weekend. A nearby student heard what we were talking about.
What she said: "Oh, its Daylight Savings Time this weekend? I'm glad you told me, I would have slept right through it next Monday! Haha!" What I said: "Yeah, I know what you mean." What I now wish I had said: "I find it hard to believe you would have gone the entire weekend without getting the update regarding this culturally universal bi-annual event. However, I realize you aren't really thinking about this, and are simply looking for lighthearted reciprocation, but I cannot bring myself to engage in stimulating conversation with you regarding such an unavoidable, yet vapid category of small talk."
If only I could have been that eloquent 61 hours ago. However, to say this to her would have been to call out an unspoken societal agreement to accept small talk as a futile means of attempting to connect with each other. (Its for this very reason that I despise talking about the weather. If you find yourself talking to someone about the weather, its because neither of you believe the other is captivating enough for deeper conversation.)
I wonder if she will wake up at the correct time in the morning. I hope she does.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
in the beginning.
Well, that was unmeasurably more eloquent than I could possibly have said it. I guess if we're doing this thing the official way, I should introduce myself as well. I don't really know what you could call me, beyond someone that's just starved for confirmation that there is more meaning to life than what we are able to perceive. I believe that a moment that you aren't questioning something is a moment wasted. After all, if we had all of the answers to all of the problems in the world, the field of science would be useless. Thankfully, I don't believe we will ever truly have every answer, nor do I think we are meant to, but that is not the point. As the adage goes, "its not the destination, its the trip," and the concept for this blog is to be a beacon sent out to the visceral ocean, mapping what we've found, trying to make a stand against the inevitable.
I don't know where these writings will take us, nor do I know the breadth to which this spark of an idea will reach. But for reasons beyond control or comprehension, we find ourselves at an apex in societal evolution. Call them coincidences, call them predestined arrangements, call them divine interventions, call them what you will. The fact cannot be denied that there are certain events in our lives that are as of yet unexplained by scientific measure. Whether or not you want to call it what I do is not the issue. I don't believe my personal philosophical and religious concepts are necessarily anything to push onto others, and I loathe those that do, (athiests and zealots alike). So the following writings are not meant to persuade in any manner, but only to inspire creative thought. Don't waste any more time going along with the current. Challenge everything. I don't care what you believe, as long as you believe in something.
//Michael
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
About This Journal
This journal is a joint project by two students attempting to understand the mystery of existence, and derive a theory of everything. It is a joint catalog of the discoveries made in the research to understand moral, existential, and spiritual truths about existence and the universe. Issues such as technological singularity, the problem of evil, the nature of time, dimensionality, life, string theory, and the natural patterns and laws of the universe. It is also an effort to track the evolution of humanity, and discuss where it will/must go in the future in popular culture, music, art, technology, and lifestyle. Links will be posted in an attempt to web important information, realizations, news articles, videos or photos that bring us to higher understanding.
I am a pantheist, (and sometimes I will interrupt a sentence with one of these. http://atheisme.free.fr/Religion/Scale.htm) a philosophy minor who loves to marvel at the truths about the universe. I dont consider myself a nationality, but more of a human being. I strongly believe in helping for eachother in the plight of evolution. I do not take issues about religion to question, so this blog already assumes that human religions don't quite have it right. I strongly believe in the incredible mathematical patterns that govern reality, and so have a strong appreciation for the scientific persuit of understanding the universe through the study of astronomy, quantum physics, string theory, dimensionality, relativity, and evolution. I am also a creative. I am an artist, a enormous music fan, a graphic designer, and writer. Every human has the responsibility to appreciate the grand and intricate beauty of life.
I am a pantheist, (and sometimes I will interrupt a sentence with one of these. http://atheisme.free.fr/Religion/Scale.htm) a philosophy minor who loves to marvel at the truths about the universe. I dont consider myself a nationality, but more of a human being. I strongly believe in helping for eachother in the plight of evolution. I do not take issues about religion to question, so this blog already assumes that human religions don't quite have it right. I strongly believe in the incredible mathematical patterns that govern reality, and so have a strong appreciation for the scientific persuit of understanding the universe through the study of astronomy, quantum physics, string theory, dimensionality, relativity, and evolution. I am also a creative. I am an artist, a enormous music fan, a graphic designer, and writer. Every human has the responsibility to appreciate the grand and intricate beauty of life.
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