Jan 29, · He received his PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Illinois and performed postdoctoral work at the University of California at Berkeley. He was a Lawrence Fellow at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and returned to Berkeley as director of a Nanoscience Center and head of the Computational Nanoscience research group, with Brian David Josephson FRS (born 4 January ) is a British theoretical physicist and professor emeritus of physics at the University of Cambridge. Best known for his pioneering work on superconductivity and quantum tunnelling, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in for his prediction of the Josephson effect, made in when he was a year-old PhD student at Aug 30, · The School of Economic Sciences offers a highly rated Ph.D. program in Economics and Agricultural Economics, an M.S. degree in Applied Economics, and an undergraduate program leading to a B.S. degree that can open doors to a wide variety of career paths. The School has over 85 graduate students and over undergraduates
Brian Josephson - Wikipedia
This summer lots of exciting new literature on Analytic Idealism is coming out, some of which you may already have noticed. Berkeley phd thesis archive not, this brief post provides an overview. Berkeley phd thesis archive new book, Science Ideatedis coming out.
Like my earlier Brief Peeks Beyondit is a collection of re-edited, previously published essays. Many of the original essays are now behind pay- or registration-walls, so the berkeley phd thesis archive provides a one-stop-shop for them all. The originals were also edited to conform to the specific editorial requirements of the respective publishers, and therefore did not fully embody my style or the entirety berkeley phd thesis archive the message I wanted to put forward.
The versions published in the new book, on the other hand, are more complete, up-to-date and authentic as far as my tone is concerned. The book also has two never-before-seen essays, which I personally think are particularly important. The overall theme is the emergence of a new theory of reality for basing a scientific way of looking upon nature. The times are most definitely changing and this book aims to capture these changes in a clear, explicit but concise manner.
New audio editions of three of my previous books have now also just been published by Tantor Media. You can click on the figures below for more information.
More Than Allegory, in particular, is delightful in audio, as the book was written in a kind of story-telling format from its inception. Part III is literally a story, almost a novel, although loosely based on real events. I am very happy that it has now got an audio edition. My best-seller, Why Materialism Is Baloneyhas now been published in Spanish, in hardcover format, by ATALANTA. The book has a delightfully high production quality, berkeley phd thesis archive, and I have high hopes for the effect it will have in the Spanish-speaking world.
Although books in Spain are mostly sold through brick-and-mortar book shops a very old tradition in the Iberian peninsula, which I personally lovethere is an amazon page for it as well. Click on the picture to go there and see more details. In a series of recent social berkeley phd thesis archive posts, I've criticized Sam Harris for his horrendous strawmannning of idealism in a recent podcast interview:.
What a spectacularly sophomoric misrepresentation of idealism SamHarrisOrg displays here. He conflates personal consciousness with consciousness as ontic category, idealism with solipsism, and it's a train wreck from there. As part of that series, someone tagged me on, and I re-tweeted, a link to an essay of anonymous authorship castigating Sam Harris.
Although there is no denying that the essay was filled with ad hominem attacks, berkeley phd thesis archive, there was also substance in it that I considered relevant enough to share, particularly regarding alleged methodological errors in Harris's PhD thesis and criticisms of Harris's positions by renowned intellectuals:, berkeley phd thesis archive.
My retweeting this is NOT an endorsement. I simply think it may deserve a critical reading, for the author seems to be fluent on the technical issues. The points made are very detailed. Suspiciously, though, it is anonymous and lacks berkeley phd thesis archive altogether.
A number of comments followed, some expressing interest in the re-tweeted essay and others criticizing me for amplifying what they considered to be an unfair hit-piece. That made me re-think our modern attitudes about ad hominem : is it always a fallacy to bring up questions about someone's motivations, integrity, qualifications or past actions?
The very words " ad hominem " seem to have become synonymous with error and unfairness, regardless of circumstances, which strikes me as a somewhat unexamined attitude. There obviously are circumstances in which ad hominem is just fallacious. Specifically, if the points in contention have been clearly identified and are not related berkeley phd thesis archive the character or background of any of the participants in the discussion, then to attack a participant during one's argument, as if it helped make one's point, is obviously illogical: the argument must be relevant to the points in contention.
For instance, berkeley phd thesis archive, if the discussion is about whether idealism is a tenable metaphysical position or not, to argue that a participant in the discussion is dishonest, as part of one's argument for or against idealism, is obviously fallacious: idealism either is or isn't tenable, regardless of the honesty or lack thereof of the participants.
Sometimes, however, the legitimacy of one's participation in a discussion, or the relevance of one's background to the discussion, or even the reliability of one's assertions of fact during the discussion, berkeley phd thesis archive, are the points in contention.
This happens often in both business hiring decisions and political elections, for instance. In those situations, ad hominem is obviously not a fallacy, for it is precisely the point in question. Often, of course, circumstances will be such that we will have shades of gray to deal with, berkeley phd thesis archive, not clear black or white: although the points in contention may not be directly berkeley phd thesis archive to character or background, the ebb and flow of the discussion can go in a direction that lends some legitimacy to questions of character and background.
This may happen, for instance, when a participant appeals to his or her own authority as a key logical bridge in the weaving of an argument. Is an attack on the person's character or background—that is, an ad hominem —then a fallacy? It's impossible to answer this reliably a priorias only the specific circumstances of the case can allow for a fair assessment. In the specific case of my re-tweet, I believe that not only were there substantial, non- ad hominem points made in the anonymous essay whether they are true or not is another question entirelybut even some of the ad hominem attacks were legitimate in the context of my original tweet: I argued precisely that Harris displayed a surprising lack not only of basic understanding, but also foundational knowledge, of the metaphysics he was criticizing.
Insofar as the re-tweeted, anonymous essay laid out an admittedly ad hominem case for Harris's lack of solid background in both neuroscience and philosophy, berkeley phd thesis archive, I think sharing a link to those particular ad hominem s was not fallaciously out of context. As a matter of fact, I confess to having had a feeling of 'this-explains-it' when I read those parts of the essay which, of course, doesn't mean that those parts are actually true!
Indeed, idealism is one of the foundational topics in both Eastern and Western philosophy. A basic understanding of idealist claims—the claims of Berkeley, Swedenborg, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, berkeley phd thesis archive, and arguably even Plato, Parmenides and Empedocles—is part of the 'ABC' of philosophy.
That someone who "received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph. in neuroscience from UCLA" quote from Harris's website can fail so resoundingly at such a foundational level is, well, quite amazing. Harris conflates very basic concepts. For instance, he conflates personal consciousness with consciousness as ontic category, something no self-respecting philosophy freshman would do it's like conflating a wooden table with wood.
Parts berkeley phd thesis archive his 'argument against idealism' also imply a direct conflation of idealism with solipsism, two entirely different metaphysics that, again, no self-respecting freshman in philosophy would conflate. How is that possible? My openness to the potential legitimacy of certain ad hominem s applies, of course, to me as well. If one of my dialectical adversaries were to think that I make misleading, sophist and ultimately incorrect points consistently, it would be valid for them to question and investigate my motivations, my background, my credentials, my education, my past.
And if they were to find funny things during that investigation, berkeley phd thesis archive, an ad hominem attack would be appropriate, I think notice that this is in no way a nod to libel or defamation, both of which are based on false accusations, and both of which I would respond strongly to, with all recourses at my disposal. I am not saying this just because I happen to know that no such funny things would be found—I'm berkeley phd thesis archive hiding behind my private knowledge of the relevant facts—but because I sincerely believe in what I am saying.
As a matter of fact, ad hominem attacks directed at my background and education have been made in the berkeley phd thesis archive, and I have taken them seriously. Years ago, a couple of scholars attacked my then-lack of a formal degree in philosophy. They argued that my PhD in computer science was rather irrelevant to the points I was making, as well as to the authority I was implicitly claiming while making those points. And although I knew that their attack was moot I've been studying philosophy very seriously since early adolescenceI still took the time and trouble to publish—over three years—a number of papers in peer-reviewed philosophy journals and ultimately get myself a second PhD to address the original charge.
No one in their sane mind would go to such lengths if they didn't take the original ad hominem to be legitimate, would they? More generally speaking, I think we have to guard against irrational and runaway political correctness, which is a growing issue in our culture. Not all ad hominem s are fallacies, even if you have grown to associate the very words " ad hominem " with unfairness and low blows. Sometimes it just isn't so. And the discernment to know when it isn't and when it isis something I believe we must cultivate more carefully.
For if our culture is being led by false prophets, emperors with no clothes, berkeley phd thesis archive, it is not only legitimate, but also a moral imperativeto point at them and scream in public: "before y'all listen to him, look and realize that the man has no clothes!
I woke up today to the news that the Vatican has declared homosexuality a 'sin' and a 'choice' Some have claimed that what the Vatican considers a 'choice' is merely a homosexual berkeley phd thesis archivenot sexual orientation per se. But let us be frank: if one's sexual orientation isn't a choice, neither is one's aspiration to a homosexual union.
I therefore stand by my interpretation: by framing homosexual unions as a choice, berkeley phd thesis archive, the Vatican is effectively framing homosexuality itself as a choice. For sexuality without union is either an empty notion or a call to promiscuity. And I doubt the Vatican is guilty of the latter, berkeley phd thesis archive. The irony is pungent, as the only choice here is the Church's: that of insisting on playing legislator, prosecutor and jury, instead of nurturing re-ligion —from the Latin re-ligareto re-connect with transcendence.
As a result, while the Church busies itself with using its now-scarce airtime to encourage violations of human rights, berkeley phd thesis archive, we are left without religion. How did it come to this? I have had the rare privilege of—very, very briefly—meeting His Holiness Pope Francis almost three years ago; an opportunity I treasure sincerely and with all my heart.
He strikes me as a man who understands the Church's dilemma, who wants it to focus on liturgy—the preeminent expression of true religion—and has enough human empathy to cognize the suffering the Church has historically inflicted on the LGBT community. But clearly, either I am wrong about him, or he is unable to lead the Institution of which he is the head. Either way, the result is the same: the pursuit of a suicidal path for the Catholic Church and the imposition of even more suffering on a community that has already had a lot more than its fair share.
This is a multi-dimensional catastrophe. If this Pope couldn't change course, what hope have we left? It's not like the issues in question are subtle, or nuanced, or berkeley phd thesis archive to evaluate, or ambiguous, or unclear, etc.
They are crystal clear and very plain. Let us review them briefly. If an institution were to tell you that you cannot love the person you love, that loving them is a sin, that you are sick for loving them, or—insult beyond insult—that you choose your sexual orientation and gender identification, you would immediately and unambiguously declare it a violation of your most basic human rights: the right to love and the right to be who you are.
If an institution were to declare that your sexual orientation is some kind of willy-nilly game of make belief—that you, in reality and by your very nature, are sexually attracted to another gender than berkeley phd thesis archive purport to be, presumably just for the heck of it or to irk others—you would revolt at such a preposterous accusation.
Who believes that a homosexual transsexual chooses to live a life of constant exclusion, scorn and discrimination, and to engage in sexual acts with people they supposedly aren't attracted to, just for the heck of it? No, really, who in their sane mind believes this? Let me try to make this more alive for you. I happen to have been born a heterosexual male. So I imagine the Church telling me: "Bernardo, you don't really like women, you just choose to pretend to like women, just for the heck of it.
What you really like—and should like—is men, berkeley phd thesis archive, and you should go have sex with men and dress like a woman. This is what is being said to the LGBT community. While the Church busies itself with this kind of ancillary and dangerous nonsense, we, our culture, our society, continue to starve of meaning, of purpose, of spiritual nurture, of transcendence, berkeley phd thesis archive, of love—in short, of re-ligion. Because the Church is missing in action, busying itself with stuff that, at best, has little, very little, to do with re-ligion.
You see, nobody in their sane mind is going berkeley phd thesis archive go to Sunday mass just to be judged according to archaic standards.
And therefore—guess what? What they need—namely, re-ligion —is not to be found in a church anymore. And this is the Church's deliberate choice; the only true choice being made here. The Church's notion that it does what it does because it is grounded on the solid tradition of the Bible is a monumental intellectual misunderstanding and failure.
Christopher Hitchens on God Is Not Great - The John Adams Institute
, time: 1:38:30Jewish studies - Wikipedia
Brian David Josephson FRS (born 4 January ) is a British theoretical physicist and professor emeritus of physics at the University of Cambridge. Best known for his pioneering work on superconductivity and quantum tunnelling, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in for his prediction of the Josephson effect, made in when he was a year-old PhD student at Jewish studies (or Judaic studies; In Israel: Hebrew: מדעי היהדות , lit. Judaism science) is an academic discipline centered on the study of Jews and blogger.com studies is interdisciplinary and combines aspects of history (especially Jewish history), Middle Eastern studies, Asian studies, Oriental studies, religious studies, archeology, sociology, languages (Jewish languages The Griffith group’s research encompasses molecular-to-systems level analysis, design and synthesis of biomaterials, scaffolds, devices and micro-organs for a range of applications in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and in vitro drug development
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