Tag: philosophy

AGI, AI

The classical key to the AI revolution

Colin Henderson

Source Engelsberg ideas Since the time of Socrates, philosophy has operated as a small and badly funded intellectual insurgency against the hype and nonsense that inevitably afflicts our public discourse. Today, there is no greater prompt for hype and nonsense than AI technology. One important variant of AI hype centres on democracy. On a pessimistic view, prominent in circles such as the World Economic Forum, AI threatens the annihilation of democracy. AI algorithms supercharge the spread of misinformation and disinformation online. They intensify political polarisation through micro-targeting and social-media echo chambers. All this corrodes both the epistemic ecosystem and the ethos … Continue reading The classical key to the AI revolution

AGI

How will AGI deal with Objective and Subjective morality | coding, training, self-examination?

Colin Henderson

This is a thought experiment following a weekend read of CS Lewis ‘The Abolition of Man’. To frame the context here Lewis book written in 1945, is a philosophical work that discusses the concept of truth and the distinction between reality and opinion, objective and subjective morality. I make no pretense as a philosopher but I do understanding this framework will have influence on AGI and how decisions are made by AGI. While this sounds esoteric, consider 1. Donald Trump and Peter Hegseth as compared to 2. Ursula von Leyen, and Ulf Kristersson. Group 1. have strong hard core beliefs … Continue reading How will AGI deal with Objective and Subjective morality | coding, training, self-examination?

AGI, AI

The Evolution of Human Thought and the Emergence of AI: A Historical Synthesis

Colin Henderson

Abstract This report traces humanity’s evolving relationship with reality, knowledge, and reason from antiquity to the digital age, culminating in the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Across epochs, societies have grappled with the tension between faith, reason, and technological innovation, each era refining—or contesting—the role of human cognition in shaping understanding. The classical world elevated reason and idealized forms; medieval theology subordinated inquiry to divine revelation; the Renaissance and Enlightenment recentered human agency and empirical observation. Modernity’s scientific revolutions destabilized classical physics and philosophy, revealing reality’s inherent subjectivity. Today, AI challenges the primacy of human reason, offering new tools to … Continue reading The Evolution of Human Thought and the Emergence of AI: A Historical Synthesis

AGI, Social Theory

The Dark Side of Modernity(Alexander)

Colin Henderson

In “The Dark Side of Modernity,” Jeffrey C. Alexander critically examines modernity’s contradictory character, depicting it as both a historical period embodying Enlightenment ideals and a social condition marred by suffering and destructive impulses. He discusses how key theorists like Weber, Simmel, Eisenstadt, and Parsons tackled modernity’s dual nature, emphasizing that contradictions should not be resolved but accepted. Civil inclusion and anti-civil exclusion are intertwined, highlighting modernity’s endemic frictions. Alexander advocates for social amelioration through emotional repair and cultural performance, maintaining that acknowledging modernity’s duality fosters realistic approaches to social justice and improvement. Continue reading The Dark Side of Modernity(Alexander)