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For the completely opposite view, listen to Daniel Dennet on The Life Scientific [1]. Dennet argues that combining Darwin's strange inversion of reason (comple

For the completely opposite view, listen to Daniel Dennet on The Life Scientific [1]. Dennet argues that combining Darwin's strange inversion of reason (complexity from bottom up iterative refinement) with Turing's Universal Machine provides a way of understanding how we are machines, built of mahcines, built of machines, etc. and it is the heirarchy that allows the complexity of minds to emerge. That heirarchical iterative schemes are unexpectedly powerful is well mirrored by the recent successes of deep neural nets, and Dennet cites Hinton. It's worth a listen and summarises his new book From Bacteria to Bach. [1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08kv3y4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08kv3y4

sgt101 9y ago
Yeah, but we are made of The Universe, and yet The Universe is and we can't say why. So I don't get where Dennet's argument goes. I don't think he does either. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/daniel-dennetts-science-of-the-soul http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/daniel-dennetts...
- deepnet 9y ago
  Dennet is concerned with the origin of minds on Earth and how this is explicable within our current evolutionary framework. He does not seek to explain the origins of the universe but argues that this is not necessary to understand how minds could come about.
- abiox 9y ago
  > yet The Universe is and we can't say why is there a 'why'? some people say it was 'created', but then the creator 'is and we can't say why'.
  - deepnet 9y ago
    "Perhaps the best way of seeing the reality, indeed the ubiquity in Nature, of reasons is to reflect on the different meanings of “why.” The English word is equivocal, and the main ambiguity is marked by a familiar pair of substitute phrases: what for? and how come?” “Why are you handing me your camera?” asks what are you doing this for? “Why does ice float?” asks how come: what it is about the way ice forms that makes it lower density than liquid water?" P48, From Bacteria to Bach, The Evolution of Minds by Dan Dennet

sgt101 9y ago

Yeah, but we are made of The Universe, and yet The Universe is and we can't say why. So I don't get where Dennet's argument goes. I don't think he does either. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/daniel-dennetts-science-of-the-soul http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/daniel-dennetts...

deepnet 9y ago
Dennet is concerned with the origin of minds on Earth and how this is explicable within our current evolutionary framework. He does not seek to explain the origins of the universe but argues that this is not necessary to understand how minds could come about.
abiox 9y ago
> yet The Universe is and we can't say why is there a 'why'? some people say it was 'created', but then the creator 'is and we can't say why'.
- deepnet 9y ago
  "Perhaps the best way of seeing the reality, indeed the ubiquity in Nature, of reasons is to reflect on the different meanings of “why.” The English word is equivocal, and the main ambiguity is marked by a familiar pair of substitute phrases: what for? and how come?” “Why are you handing me your camera?” asks what are you doing this for? “Why does ice float?” asks how come: what it is about the way ice forms that makes it lower density than liquid water?" P48, From Bacteria to Bach, The Evolution of Minds by Dan Dennet