RE: virus: kurzweil cuts the mustard

Richard Brodie (richard@brodietech.com)
Thu, 31 Dec 1998 14:06:07 -0800


That is, of course, the point. It all requires faith, and to the faithful,
his faith always seems justified while others' seem ridiculous.

Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/
Author, "Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme"
http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/votm.htm
Free newsletter! Visit Meme Central at
http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/meme.htm

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-virus@lucifer.com [mailto:owner-virus@lucifer.com]On Behalf
Of Joe E. Dees
Sent: Thursday, December 31, 1998 1:41 PM
To: virus@lucifer.com
Subject: RE: virus: kurzweil cuts the mustard

From: "Richard Brodie" <richard@brodietech.com>
To: <virus@lucifer.com>
Subject: RE: virus: kurzweil cuts the mustard
Date sent: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 13:20:38 -0800
Send reply to: virus@lucifer.com

> Studies have shown resoundingly that memory is quite inaccurate. See
> Dennett's excellent book "Consciousness Explained." Why have faith in your
> memory?
>

So why have faith in perception (there are illusions), conception
(there are delusions) or logic (there are flawed premises and the
possibility of undetected fallacies)? This reminds me of the Lone
Ranger and Tonto wandering in the woods. The Lone Ranger turns
to Tonto and says "Well, I guess we're lost, Tonto." "We not lost,
Kemosabe," Tonto replied, "we here. Trail lost." Sounds like
someone's been overdosing on Jean Baudrillard to me. Joe
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316180661/memecentral
>
> Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/
> Author, "Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme"
> http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/votm.htm
> Free newsletter! Visit Meme Central at
> http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/meme.htm
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-virus@lucifer.com [mailto:owner-virus@lucifer.com]On Behalf
> Of MemeLab@aol.com
> Sent: Thursday, December 31, 1998 12:39 PM
> To: virus@lucifer.com
> Subject: Re: virus: kurzweil cuts the mustard
>
>
> In a message dated 12/31/98 1:56:30 PM Central Standard Time,
> robin@faichney.demon.co.uk writes:
>
> << >Consciousness, whatever it is, is something that evolves in a
particular
> >informational processing system, namely our brains.
>
> What evidence do you have for the proposition that
> consciousness "evolves" in our brains?
> --
> Robin >>
>
> You casually toss out the accusation of "blind faith". Yet we each know
> from
> our own memories our own experiences of our own personal consciousness.
> This
> doesn't strike me as "blind faith", and to the extent that we all share
> common
> experiences about our first memories of consciousness - I don't know
anyone
> that can remember their own birth, but many carry memories of childhood,
and
> consciousness, whatever it is, cannot exist without some memory of who you
> are
> - these cannot be dismissed as merely anecdotal. Your accusation of
"blind
> faith", doesn't hold water here. Sounds like just a roundabout insult
> (might
> as well declare them "irrational" and be done with it) to those that would
> actually hold any position on these matters.
>
> -Jake P.
>