History and Human Nature (original) (raw)
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Proceedings of the Boston Area Colloquium in Ancient Philosophy, v. 6, 1992
The tension between the theory and practice of Aristotelian science is an old chestnut, indeed. In a careful assessment of evidence from a wide range of Aristotelian works, Geoffrey Lloyd argues that some of the blame for our failure to crack the nut must be placed on Aristotle himself. It is remarkable that a philosopher so notably self-conscious about matters of method should remain silent at the many discrepancies apparent to us,
Naddaf English version review of GER Lloyd's Being, Humanity & Understanding in RMM.pdf
Revue de Métaphysique et de Morale 85(1) 2015, 137-42, 2015
In Being, Humanity, and Understanding, Lloyd juxtaposes ancient and modern worlds in order to illuminate an amazingly rich, but deeply enigmatic, variety of ideas about cosmologies or world pictures (1). More precisely, Lloyd investigates the ideas humans have held about three topics: being (“ontologies”), humanity (including morality), and understanding (of the world and one another). Lloyd convincingly shows how the history of ancient science and philosophy can have a major impact on the cutting-edge research currently underway in cognitive science and related fields by encouraging us to rethink many of our habitual assumptions with respect to ontology, morality, nature, culture, relativism, realism, and many other topics. But there is also another important related contribution. It’s the role of tolerance! Lloyd convincingly argues (contra our own present Eurocentric worldview) that there is no one “correct” way of understanding the world and humanity’s place in it. Culture is by nature “pluralistic.” Like the prisoners in Plato’s cave, we are all too often prisoners of deep-seated ontological assumptions. Lloyd helps us emerge into the light. Along with an introduction and epilogue, the book contains five chapters: 1, “Humanity between Beasts and Gods”; 2, “Error”; 3, “Ancient Understandings Reassessed and the Consequences from Ontologies”; 4, “Languages and Audiences”; and 5, “Philosophical Implications.” In this review, I provide a detailed synopsis of each chapter, and then offer some critical comments. The latter are connected with the history of consciousness, and the topic of hermeneutics. More to the point, I’m interested in the advent of introspection in the history of science, and when the conscious distinction between the literal and the metaphorical was first made. This review appeared in Revue de Métaphysique et de Morale 85(1) 2015, 137-42. I’m posting here the penultimate English version.
2003
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Review of Human Nature--Sandis and Cain eds. (2012)
Philosophy, Human Nature and the Collapse of Civilization -- Articles and Reviews 2006-2017 3rd Ed 686p(2017)
Like most writing on human behavior, these articles lack a coherent framework and so I hesitate to recommend this book to anyone, as the experienced ought to have about the same perspective I do, and the naïve will mostly be wasting their time. Since I find most of these essays obviously off the mark or just very dull, I can't generate much enthusiasm for commenting on them, so after providing what I consider a reasonable precis of a framework (see my other articles for an expanded version) I provide cursory comments on the various articles. Those wishing a comprehensive up to date framework for human behavior from the modern two systems view may consult my article The Logical Structure of Philosophy, Psychology, Mind and Language as Revealed in Wittgenstein and Searle 59p(2016). For all my articles on Wittgenstein and Searle see my e-book ‘The Logical Structure of Philosophy, Psychology, Mind and Language in Wittgenstein and Searle 367p (2016). Those interested in all my writings in their most recent versions may consult my e-book Philosophy, Human Nature and the Collapse of Civilization - Articles and Reviews 2006-2016’ 662p (2016). All of my papers and books have now been published in revised versions both in ebooks and in printed books. Talking Monkeys: Philosophy, Psychology, Science, Religion and Politics on a Doomed Planet - Articles and Reviews 2006-2017 (2017) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HVC7YP. The Logical Structure of Philosophy, Psychology, Mind and Language in Ludwig Wittgenstein and John Searle--Articles and Reviews 2006-2016 (2017) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071P1RP1B. Suicidal Utopian Delusions in the 21st century: Philosophy, Human Nature and the Collapse of Civilization - Articles and Reviews 2006-2017 (2017) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711R5LGX Suicide by Democracy: an Obituary for America and the World (2018) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CQVWV9C
Transcribed from audio recorded at The Technology & Culture Forum at MIT The Talk (audio) Everyone knows it's the TV people who run the world [crowd laugher]. I just got orders that I'm supposed to be here, not there. Well the last talk I gave at this forum was on a light pleasant topic. It was about how humans are an endangered species and given the nature of their institutions they are likely to destroy themselves in a fairly short time. So this time there is a little relief and we have a pleasant topic instead, the new war on terror. Unfortunately, the world keeps coming up with things that make it more and more horrible as we proceed. Assume Two Conditions for this Talk I'm going to assume two conditions for this talk. • If you don't accept those two assumptions, then what I say will not be addressed to you. If we do accept them, then a number of questions arise, closely related ones, which merit a good deal of thought. The 5 Questions One question, and by far the most important one is what is happening right now? Implicit in that is what can we do about it? The second has to do with the very common assumption that what happened on September 11 is a historic event, one which will change history. I tend to agree with that. I think it's