P H I L O S O P H Y P A T H W A Y S ISSN 2043-0728 http://philosophypathways.com/newsletter/ Issue No. 211 26th April 2017 CONTENTS Edited by Georgios Pentzaropoulos I. 'Materialism, Non-Materialism and the Problem of Consciousness' by Catherine Nickford II. 'A Theory of Useful Belief' by Charles Sullivan III. 'Concept of Reality' by Paul Arendse From the List Manager IV. Robert Pirsig R.I.P. 1928-2017 V. Recent Geometrical Work by Clifford Singer -=- EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION This issue of Philosophy Pathways contains three articles which would be of interest both to philosophers and scientists. The first article is entitled "Materialism, Non-Materialism and the Problems of Consciousness" by Catherine Nickford. The second article, by Charles Sullivan, describes the "Theory of Useful Belief". The third and final article, by Paul Arendse, focuses on the "Concept of Reality". Key questions in this issue are: How do we interact with the external world? Can we bridge the gap between the physical and mental worlds? What is consciousness? What is the significance of information in connection with reality? Can our beliefs be stable enough to qualify as knowledge? Our authors revisit such questions throwing them into new light [...] Read more... http://philosophypathways.com/articles/Georgios_Pentzaropoulos_ Philosophy_Pathways_Issue_211_Introduction.pdf (c) Georgios Constantine Pentzaropoulos 2017 Email: gcpent@econ.uoa.gr About the editor: http://philosophypathways.com/newsletter/editor.html #pentzaropoulos -=- I. 'MATERIALISM, NON-MATERIALISM AND THE PROBLEM OF CONSCIOUSNESS' BY CATHERINE NICKFORD Metaphysicians have often tended to project their ethical ideals and intuitions into the ultimate structure of reality. This has led to the positing of numerous metaphysical entities whose nature is incoherent with known universal laws, and this is the usual defense made by reductionists in their approach to mind-body dualism. However, the variants between the corporeal and the incorporeal are not necessarily explicable in reductionist terms. In this paper, I will try to analyze and compare in which way consciousness is irreducible to, yet by necessity linked with its ontological physical correlates [...] Read more... http://philosophypathways.com/articles/Catherine_Nickford_ Materialism_Non-Materialism_&_the_Problem_of_Consciousness.pdf (C) Catherine Nickford 2014, 2017 Email: catherine.nickford@yahoo.com -=- II. 'A THEORY OF USEFUL BELIEF' BY CHARLES SULLIVAN This article describes the Theory of Useful Belief. One of the conclusions of the theory is that an individual must not hold a belief until it has been tested against their own personal experiences. This principle of course also applies to this article; you must not accept what I have written as true, but rather use it to stimulate the development of your own beliefs. The motto of the Royal Society is Nullius in verba which means nothing upon another's word and I endorse this advice. You must not believe anything that you are about to read [...] Read more... http://philosophypathways.com/articles/Charles_Sullivan_Theory_of _Useful_Belief.pdf (c) Charles A. Sullivan 2013, 2017 Email: ca.sullivan@sky.com -=- III. 'CONCEPT OF REALITY' BY PAUL ARENDSE In the essay entitled Concept of Reality the author probes for a comprehension of reality, the nature of its evolution, and if life is an orderly, evolving and continuous process with an innate consciousness of purpose. The paper formulates a conceptual framework that describes how reality consciously creates the evolutionary conditions for life through its own internal mechanisms of information and knowledge management systems that evolves into reality's consciousness of being. The work expounds a view that the cosmos operates as a bio-knowledge matrix that holographically photosynthesizes the different stages of reality, which informs the continuous evolution of higher states of consciousness within the cosmos [..] Read more... http://philosophypathways.com/articles/Paul_Arendse_Concept_of_ Reality.pdf (c) Paul Arendse 2013, 2017 Email: Paul.Arendse@treasury.gov.za -=- IV. ROBERT PIRSIG R.I.P. 1928-2017 I was saddened to hear yesterday of the death of Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I heard the news from the professional philosophy e-list Philos-L. Coincidentally, the deaths of two other philosophers were announced on the same day: Eva Picardi, Professor of Philosophy of Language at the Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna Italy, and Hubert L. Dreyfus, for nearly 50 years a professor of philosophy at UC Berkeley, USA... Robert Pirsig was a big influence on my philosophical development [...] Read more... http://philosophypathways.com/articles/Geoffrey_Klempner_Robert_M _Pirsig_RIP_1928-2017.pdf (c) Geoffrey Klempner 2017 Email: klempner@fastmail.net -=- V. RECENT GEOMETRICAL WORK BY CLIFFORD SINGER Clifford Singer was one of the early subscribers to Philosophy Pathways -- as it was then, the 'Pathways Newsletter' -- joining our e-list back in 2001. Over the years Clifford has kept me up-to-date with his interesting and highly original work at the interface of geometry, mathematics and fine art. Here are details of Clifford's latest exhibition in the USA illustrated with one of his art works, 'Oscillating Circle with Neuberg Curve': See more... http://philosophypathways.com/articles/Clifford_Singer_Recent_ Geometrical_Work.pdf (c) Geoffrey Klempner 2017 Email: klempner@fastmail.net ----------------------------------------------------------------- Philosophy Pathways is the electronic newsletter for the Pathways to Philosophy distance learning program To subscribe or cancel your subscription please email your request to philosophypathways@fastmail.net or go online at https://lists.shef.ac.uk/sympa/info/philosophypathways The views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of the Editors. -----------------------------------------------------------------