Parker's Pensées

Dr. Aaron Preston, a philosopher passionate about human flourishing, returns to share insights on how philosophy can enhance our lives. He explores the interplay between speculative philosophy and everyday existence, discussing the importance of personal philosophical identities. The conversation dives into the connection between philosophy and AI, advocating for a balance between theoretical exploration and practical wisdom. Preston also critiques modern philosophical specialization and highlights the need for accessible wisdom to navigate contemporary challenges.

In episode 242 of the Parker's Pensées Podcast, I'm joined by Dr. Jared Henderson  @_jared  to discuss the nature of philosophy, both academic and public. Jared is a rising star in the YouTube philosophy sphere, did his PhD on formal theories of truth, and works as an ontologist in the tech world. Check the time stamps for the specifics of what we got into in this conversation. Check out Jared's fantastic YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@UC2Kyj04yISmHr1V-UlJz4eg Join my channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbTRurpFP5q4TpDD_P2JDA/join Join the Facebook group, Parker's Pensées Penseurs, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/960471494536285/ If you like this podcast, then support it on Patreon for $3, $5 or more a month. Any amount helps, and for $5 you get a Parker's Pensées sticker and instant access to all the episode as I record them instead of waiting for their release date. Check it out here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parkers_pensees If you want to give a one-time gift, you can give at my Paypal: https://paypal.me/ParkersPensees?locale.x=en_US Check out my merchandise at my Teespring store: https://teespring.com/stores/parkers-penses-merch Come talk with the Pensées community on Discord: dsc.gg/parkerspensees Sub to my Substack to read my thoughts on my episodes: https://parknotes.substack.com/ Check out my blog posts: https://parkersettecase.com/ Check out my Parker's Pensées YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbTRurpFP5q4TpDD_P2JDA Check out my other YouTube channel on my frogs and turtles: https://www.youtube.com/c/ParkerSettecase Check me out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/trendsettercase Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkerspensees/0:00 - Jared Henderson's Academic Work 13:27 - Why Jared Henderson Left Academia 17:16 - What is Jared Henderson's Day Job? 19:09 - Jared Henderson's Wife is a Philosopher Too 20:45 - What is Philosophy? 23:36 - the Virtues of Continental Philosophy and Analytic Philosophy 30:35 - Luring People Into Philosophy 35:37 - How to start learning philosophy 45:00 - Public and Public-facing philosophy 53:22 - Self-Help, Self-Improvement, and Philosophy as a way of life 1:45:00 - Sci-fi authors present philosophical ideas better than philosophers?

Dr. Matthew Benton, a philosopher with a focus on honesty and communication, joins for a fascinating discussion. They explore whether dogs can communicate and display honesty, diving into the philosophical implications of their interactions. Topics include the nature of pain versus suffering in sentient beings, the role of honesty in human relationships, and the complexities of non-verbal communication. The conversation weaves together ethical considerations with lighthearted examples, offering listeners a unique perspective on honesty in both human and animal worlds.

Dr. Michael Tremblay joins the podcast to discuss the ancient philosophy of Stoicism, modern Stoic movements, and the comparison between Stoic and Christian doctrines. They explore various topics such as the unified worldview of Stoicism, Stoicism's relationship with Judaism, Stoicism versus Epicureanism, the connection between philosophy and martial arts, stoicism as a way to live a good life, the authenticity of Marcus Aurelius as a Stoic, different types of modern Stoicism, the importance of metaphysics in Stoicism, the craft of writing, the concept of divinity in traditional stoicism, the interplay between Stoicism and Christianity, and the ethical considerations of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Josh Rasmussen discusses philosophical constraints on building artificial intelligence, highlighting the challenges of creating consciousness. Topics include patternist and computational theories of the mind, the importance of understanding the material from which consciousness emerges, differences between having consciousness and being conscious in AI, hardware vs. software views in AI development, and the implications of 3D printed consciousness.

Dr. Philip Goff and Dr. Jonathan Schaffer join the podcast to discuss the nature of the mind. They explore topics such as cosmopsychism, functionalism, the nature of pain, the evolution of consciousness, and the role of parsimony and definable concepts in theoretical frameworks. They also delve into mind-making and grounding principles, touching on the distinctions between subjective phenomenal properties and third-person physical facts.

In episode 237 of the Parker's Pensées Podcast, I'm joined by Dr. Ben Goertzel to discuss the philosophy of artificial general intelligence. We dive into the distinction between analytic and continental philosophy, the definition of artificial general intelligence, and take a deep dive into Ben's work on his latest AGI project, OpenCog Hyperon. It's an amazing episode and hopefully the first of like a hundred episodes with Ben! If you like this podcast, then support it on Patreon for $3, $5 or more a month. Any amount helps, and for $5 you get a Parker's Pensées sticker and instant access to all the episode as I record them instead of waiting for their release date. Check it out here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parkers_pensees If you want to give a one-time gift, you can give at my Paypal: https://paypal.me/ParkersPensees?locale.x=en_US Check out my merchandise at my Teespring store: https://teespring.com/stores/parkers-penses-merch Come talk with the Pensées community on Discord: dsc.gg/parkerspensees Sub to my Substack to read my thoughts on my episodes: https://parknotes.substack.com/ Check out my blog posts: https://parkersettecase.com/ Check out my Parker's Pensées YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbTRurpFP5q4TpDD_P2JDA Check out my other YouTube channel on my frogs and turtles: https://www.youtube.com/c/ParkerSettecase Check me out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/trendsettercase Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkers_pensees/0:00 - Why AGI instead of the Metaverse? 13:25 - Nihilism/Semi-Reality and the Mind 29:33 - Reverse engineering past authors 31:04 - What is Intelligence? 38:12 - What is Artificial General Intelligence? 39:10 - Analytic Philosophy vs. Continental Philosophy 44:13 - Emulating the Human Mind not the Human Brain 51:05 - The OpenCog Hyperon Architecture and the BlockChain 54:50 - Creating a New Language for AGI (Metta Type Talk) 58:38 - Recurrent Networks for AGI 1:03:39 - The SophiaVerse virtual world for training AGIs 1:04:47 - Morality and Large Language Models 1:12:40 - The Frame Problem for LLMs 1:15:17 - The Secret Formula for AGI (Cognitive Synergy) 1:17:40 - Kill Switches and Existential Threats 1:25:14 - Why "Hyperon"?

Dr. Mike Huemer, a philosophy professor renowned for his insights on the problem of other minds, joins the discussion to unravel complex topics. They explore whether emotions in artificial intelligence are genuine or mere mimicry. Huemer critiques traditional approaches to understanding consciousness in both humans and animals. The engaging dialogue delves into the challenges of inferring mental states from behavior, alongside philosophical inquiries about the nature of belief and perception across species.

Join Dr. K. Scott Oliphint, an expert in apologetics and theology, as he delves into Cornelius Van Til's transformative theories. The conversation explores the divide between continental and analytic philosophy, and the significance of presuppositions in understanding God's creation. Oliphint highlights Van Til's unique transcendental arguments and their biblical resonance, while also reflecting on his personal journey through reform theology. Discover the vital interplay of faith and reason in effective apologetics, all through the lens of Van Til's profound insights.

David Chalmers, a philosopher known for his work on consciousness and simulation theory, dives into profound questions about existence and divinity. He argues that we might live in a computer simulation, suggesting this as an intriguing argument for the existence of a programmer-like God. Chalmers explores the complex relationship between theism and atheism through the simulation hypothesis, raising moral questions about worship in a potential simulated reality. His insights challenge conventional views on creation and existence.