John C. Wright's Blog, page 182

Methological Dualism, Conceptual Objectivity, Immaterialism, Legality

A new branch of an ongoing conversation.

One reader (who does not read very carefully, alas) writes in saying “I know that our host is advocating a Ghost in the Machine.”

Oddly enough, that is not what I am advocating, nor even remotely close to it. During this conversation, and all previous conversations I can recall on like topics, no materialist has been curious enough to discover what my position was, preferring instead to rely on telepathy to intuit what I thought, and then inform m...

The Experiment that Proves Empiricism

In a recent discussion in this space, which I, unfortunately, am finding I have insufficient time to spend discussing in proper and thorough detail, I issued the following challenge to not just the materialist I was debating, but to any any all materialists reading these word who might care to comment:

Is there ANYTHING ANYWHERE that ANYONE uses empiricism for other than ARGUMENTS ABOUT EMPIRICAL FACTS? Is there anyone anywhere who can even imagine, even as a joke, what proving a ...

New Space Opera 2 wins the Locus! Happy St. Swithin's Day!

It is unseemly to vaunt, therefore I vaunt in an unseemly fashion.

NEW SPACE OPERA 2 Gardner Dozois, Jonathan Strahan (Editors) in which my short story, ‘The Far End of History ( a Tale of the End of the Seventh Mental Structure)‘ has just won the prestigious Locus Award (announcement is here).

I also note with pleasure that another anthology in which a tale of mine appears, SONG OF THE DYING EARTH Gardner Dozois, George R.R. Martin (Editors) has won the additional laurels of having ...

Feminist Multiculturalism and the Hungry Bus-wheels

The recent movie (which I have not seen, and which does not sound like the type of movie anyone could beguile me to see, even if I were bribed with shiny yellow gold) called SEX IN THE CITY II apparently had a scene in it where one of the sex-crazed comediennes strolling the streets in the Middle East in Daisy Duke short pants (or something like that–absolutely no attempt will be made in this screed to be accurate) is accosted, or menaced, by a throng of Muslims or their garbage-bag we...

Wright's Writing Corner

For those of you curious about the relationship between Null-A logic, General Semantics, Neuro-Linguistic programming and the art of writing, a guest blogger on the website of my lovely and talented wife has agreed to explain the intricacies.

http://arhyalon.livejournal.com/126435.html

Reprogramming Metaphysics

Part of an ongoing discussion.

In recent days in this space, we have been discussing radical materialism, which is the metaphysical theory that the ultimate grounds of being are nothing but matter in motion. Let us ponder the following hypothetical question.

If the cosmos is a machine and nothing put a machine, something like a clockwork but on an immense scales, and if everything, including all non-empirical statements, is merely the outcome of the actions of the mainsprings, wheels...

Wright's Writing Corner: The Most Important Technque — Part Two

The lovely and talented Mrs. Wright continues to explain the inmost mystery of the craft of writing, particularly how to achieve that paramount element she calls “the payload moment” — the punchline moment when the scene,  or plot, or character, sudden receives an additional depth or larger meaning, or is in any way taken up another notch with a blast from the spice weasel, BAM!

(Payload moments) can be small things, a sudden reevaluation of a character, where we see her motivations in a new...

Space Princesses and Unrealistic Elements in Sci Fi

This is a message to Edward Willet, who, as the only voting member (the only member of any kind, actually) of that juggernaut of a new literary revival known as the Space Princess Movement, must be consulted on a matter of crucial import!

Edward Willet entered the Space Princess movement with his novel MARSEGURO, on the grounds that (1) the protagonist Emily Wood, selkie, is the daughter of one of the unelected governing families of the planet Marseguro, ergo, a princess from outer space...

Starred Review in Publisher's Weekly

Break out the Romulan Ale and Martian Thil, pour a tot of Tranya, light a pipe of Old Toby, smear your face with your most festive hue of woad! Let the fifer and pipers employ the noseflute and sackbut, and pass two firkins of syrup to the Meks and Phanes and compel them to don motley and adorn their legs with toe-bells and thigh-chimes that they may dance an energetic tarantella! And command Vasthi to attend us!

The lovely and talented Mrs. Wright just got a starred review in PW. The star...

Debating with the Tin Woodman of Oz

Part of an ongoing discussion of final versus mechanical causes:

Dr. Andreassen says:  “Mr Wright’s contention, if I understand it correctly, is that we can directly perceive that these things are not atoms; it is, to coin a phrase, obvious.”

That is not my contention. My contention is this:

There are two kinds of statements.

Empirical statements are statements of physical fact, without any interpretation. They are statements about objects.Rational or ideal statements are statements about...