Finally starting Creative Evolution to cap off a great summer of reading. I read from the Mitchell translation last term so looking forward to the new Landes translation. #bergson
Chris
@multiplicityCT
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MA student in continental philosophy at Staffordshire University, interested in philosophy of science: evolution, Darwin, Bergson, Canguilhem, Bernard. Wittgenstein and Cantor handshake numbers = 3 (via John Conway).
Healthy ambiguity from Bernard: life is deterministic, but creative, like a machine, but not isolable from the whole of nature. Bergson said vitalism might be merely a label affixed to our ignorance. He was planting in fertile soil tilled by Bernard.
The “control” science gives us over phenomena is not really creative. It comes from obeying nature’s laws. Back on my Claude Bernard kick. #philsci @philbio
“Guys, I’m just gonna blow up the analytic-synthetic distinction and reductionism real quick.” Quine wins points for style and chutzpah. Who starts a ~20 page article like this?! (I am of course hooked.) #philsci
Claude Bernard on the provisional nature of all theories. He straddles J.J.C. Smart’s (in)famous dichotomy of physics (laws) and bio (too many special cases). According to Bernard, there’s a spectrum but it’s all too complex for absolute certainty. #philsci @philbio
Foucault’s The Order of Things might be the last book left that I read in HS, didn’t understand, and — I think — will love in adulthood. Starting off strong and I’m primed by Cavaillès and Canguilhem earlier this year. #philosophy
This weekend I finally read Cavaillès’ short book on Logic, written while incarcerated during WWII. There are some brilliant ideas here, and I’m woefully underprepared on Husserl and philosophy of mathematics. #philosophyofscience
Reading the interpretation of fitness debate from the 70s and 80s is like binge watching a thrilling show after the final season. I think I’m currently on the side of Alexander Rosenberg & Mary Williams but I have to read Williams next! @philbio #evolution
Mills and Beatty’s organism with a “natural gun” just waiting for the env. to supply bullets has to be the weirdest philosophy example I’ve ever seen.
One of the best things about being a grad student is turning up wild stuff in classics everyone else presumably already knows. @philbio #philosophy
