Exploring Science Fiction and Russian Realism in Literature

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Discover the speaker's fascination with merging science fiction and Russian realism in their reading choices, focusing on the rich portrayals of humanity found in the works of Chekhov, Tolstoy, and Nabokov. Delve into the contrast between the depth of human experiences depicted in literature and the simplifications offered by theories, prompting a deeper exploration of these profound themes.

Brendan McCord is the founder of Cosmos Institute — a non-profit dedicated to exploring the intersection of AI and philosophy.

Brendan joins the show to discuss Cosmos’ origins, the pursuit of philosophy as a technologist, the different schools of thought in AI, complex adaptive systems and MUCH more!

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Show Notes:

The Genesis of the Cosmos Institute
Philosophy as a Quixotic Pursuit
The Man of the System Dilemma
Existential Risk & Scenario Agnosticism
The AI Schools of Thought
The Religious Nature of the E/Acc Movement
What Tocqueville Can Teach Us About AI
The Philosophy-to-Code Pipeline
“Cars ignited the Sexual Revolution” and Other Unexpected Occurrences
The Best Systems are Adaptive
Heterogeneity & Resilient Systems
Open Source and the US-China Situation
Automation, Augmentation & Open-Ended Generation
The Underrated Nuance of Russian Realism
Cinematic Visions of the Future
Great Talent & the Risk of the Tasmanian Devil
Brendan as Emperor of the World
MORE!

Books Mentioned:

Murray Rothbard, “For A New Liberty”
David R. Hawkins, “Power vs. Force”
Jung Chang, “Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China”
Jung Chang, “Mao: The Unknown Story”
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, “The Gulag Archipelago”
Arthur Koestler, “Darkness At Noon”
Adam Smith, “The Theory of Moral Sentiments”
Lewis Carroll, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
Lewis Carroll, “What the Tortoise Said To Achilles”
Eliezer Yudkowsky, “Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality”
Marc Andreessen, “The Techno-Optimist Manifesto”
Alexis De Tocqueville, “Democracy in America”
'Pericles's Funeral Oration' quoted in Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War”.
Plato, “Theaetetus”
Plato, “The Republic”
Nietzsche, “The Gay Science”
C.P Snow, “The Two Cultures”
Elinor Ostrom, “Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action”
James M. Buchanan, "Freedom in Constitutional Contract: Perspectives of a Political Economist”
Iain M. Banks, “Consider Phlebas” (Culture Series #1)
Chen Qiufan and Kai-Fu Lee, “AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future”
Christopher Buckley, “Thank You for Smoking”
John Stuart Mill, “On Liberty”