What is Mind?: Reality Continues to Knock on the Door

See Exploring The Mechanics Of Judgment, Beliefs: Technique Images Brain Activity When We Think Of Others for news on another major effort to understand the physical human being in ‘scientific’ terms. I don’t put scientific in apostrophes because of any intent of misguided irony but only because we should realize that ‘science’ is disciplined intellectual … [Read more…]

The Christian in Einstein’s Universe: Extraterrestrial Life

An astronomer at the Vatican Observatory has said, in a very confused way so far as I can tell, that the question of extraterrestrial life is an empirical question. (See Could ET be Our Brother?). This is old news. In 1277, in what seems to have been a confused encyclopedia of condemnations, Etienne Tempier — … [Read more…]

Computer Programming and Thomistic Theories of the Mind

In Thomistic thought, the human mind begins to shape itself in response to the immediate environment of that human being. Various perceptual, mental, emotional, and social skills are built to work with that immediate environment. That human being may enter other environments to which he can respond, enriching his mind and even other components of … [Read more…]

Engaging the Thought of Pope Benedict: Pseudo-Dionysius

Before commenting, I’ll quote an entire news item from the “WEDNESDAY, 14 MAY 2008” newsletter of the Vatican Information Service (EIGHTEENTH YEAR – N. 91): =============================================================== PSEUDO-DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE: MEDIATION AND DIALOGUE VATICAN CITY, 14 MAY 2008 (VIS) – In today’s general audience, held in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father resumed his series of … [Read more…]

Do We Survive the Major Transformations of Our Lives?

“Larvae, the immature forms of many animals, are distinct from adult forms by definition. In many life histories–caterpillars and the trochophore larvae of clams and sea snails are examples–larvae and adults bear no resemblance to each other. Biologist Donald I. Williamson has proposed that larvae are juvenile forms acquired through hybridization–the fusing of two genomes, … [Read more…]