A world without magic like our own can be a real bummer. I talked about this with my seven year old daughter yesterday after we'd watched The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Great movie. She and I reflected on some lines from the magical baron when little Sally asks him why he's trying to die:
"Because it's all logic and reason now. Science. Progress. Laws of hydraulics. Laws of social dynamics. Laws of this, that and the other. No place for three-legged cyclops in the south seas. No place for cucumber trees, and oceans of wine. No place for me."
Harry, you might enjoy (if you haven’t already!) “Sacred Science” by Stuart Kauffman.
Impossible to properly capture in a short comment, but “The reality of infinite emergence, in all its non-algorithmic beauty and awesome unpredictability is something we can truly have faith in.”
Thanks for the recommendation, RDM. I really appreciate it. I'd never heard of Stuart Kaufmann, but his book sounds intriguing and I'll certainly look into it.
Another great Barstool Bits, Asa - it strikes me that the root problem remains that fateful project of the Vienna Circle in the early 20th century that endeavoured to 'dismiss' or 'escape' metaphysics. For once the inescapable bootstrapping element of the metaphysical is denied, the foundations of every epistemological position cease to be open to scrutiny, and from here a variety of mischief inevitably follows. Wishing you and yours a happy Winter Festival of your choice!
An apt and learned reference to MacGilchrist
“...This is the story told by the left brain, by the emissary that would be master....”
absolutely love this!
A world without magic like our own can be a real bummer. I talked about this with my seven year old daughter yesterday after we'd watched The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Great movie. She and I reflected on some lines from the magical baron when little Sally asks him why he's trying to die:
"Because it's all logic and reason now. Science. Progress. Laws of hydraulics. Laws of social dynamics. Laws of this, that and the other. No place for three-legged cyclops in the south seas. No place for cucumber trees, and oceans of wine. No place for me."
Open the gates!
A favourite film of mine, and those lines are indeed close to my heart. Thanks for bringing it up here!
Harry, you might enjoy (if you haven’t already!) “Sacred Science” by Stuart Kauffman.
Impossible to properly capture in a short comment, but “The reality of infinite emergence, in all its non-algorithmic beauty and awesome unpredictability is something we can truly have faith in.”
Thanks for the recommendation, RDM. I really appreciate it. I'd never heard of Stuart Kaufmann, but his book sounds intriguing and I'll certainly look into it.
Another great Barstool Bits, Asa - it strikes me that the root problem remains that fateful project of the Vienna Circle in the early 20th century that endeavoured to 'dismiss' or 'escape' metaphysics. For once the inescapable bootstrapping element of the metaphysical is denied, the foundations of every epistemological position cease to be open to scrutiny, and from here a variety of mischief inevitably follows. Wishing you and yours a happy Winter Festival of your choice!
Don't know about the Vienna circle, but the X Club and other similar dinner clubs in 18th century Britain advocated the same thing.