S.W. Hammond's Blog, page 11

Philosophy of Art: Artist Intention

In this mini-documentary, Sean Hammond explores the philosophy behind artist intention and its value when understanding works of art. Filled will interviews and illustrative examples ranging from music, painting, sculpting, and literature; the primary question centralizes around which matters more when evaluating art–the audience interpretation or artist intention?

{loadposition artist_intention}

Why Was The Video Created?

Created for information and educational purposes only. This project was conducted under the University of Nevada Las Vegas Department of Philosophy, Philosophy of Aesthetics 452, by Professor Ian Dove. He said I nailed it. *insert thumbs up*

The Soul and Ortega: Perspective as Art

The only limitation made upon your future is the choices of your past.

In Ortega’s A Few Drops of Phenomenology, he approaches reality as one approaches a painting in an art gallery. Scenes of life play out on the canvas and depending on where one is standing—the image reveals entirely different meanings, considerations, and understandings. Reality becomes nothing but perspective, and the vibrance of life only increases as one approaches it.

To fully appreciate art, one must immerse themselves in it–and the same holds true for Ortega’s perspectivism of life and reality. Emotional distance is the only thing that separates lived reality from observed reality, and all perspectives are intimately depended upon one’s experience and participation with lived reality.

The Future of AI: A Philosopher's Call To Arms

I’m calling for every philosopher of every disciple to wipe their desks and earnestly devote to artificial intelligence.

With the likes of Siri, Alexa, and Google jibber jabbering a response to our commands, and the inspiration of science fiction bringing to life replicants, droids, Johnny 5, Wally, Terminators, Hal, and Bender; witnessing these seemingly human heaps of metal naturally leads to the contemplation of what if they were real? Given our personal and institutional dependence on technology; you, me, and Joey Baggadonuts–along with Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Nick Bostrom and Daniel Dennett–feel compelled to image what a machine with human-like tendencies might be like.

In theory, universally everyone seems to agree that human-like machines are a possibility—after that, everything is on the table from civilization becoming a god-like utopia, to the annihilation of mankind, to AI being an overly complex benign tool. Each of these wild, colorful, and downright insightful predictions begin at the cusp of the technological horizon, or otherwise known as the singularity.

The Soul and Marx: The War Between Bourgeoisie and Proletariats

Deconstruction is a valuable tool; though “deconstructionists” are the darkest sludge to crawl out of academia. All critical theory that doesn’t pose a solution is pure garbage and waste of time.

In Marx’s Manifesto of the Communist Party, he draws the battle line distinctly between the oppressor and oppressed. While he notes that there have been many revolutions over the centuries, the system that creates oppressors has never been abolished; but rather has been adopted and perpetuated by the new powers. “The modern bourgeois society that has sprouted from the ruins of feudal society has not done away with class antagonisms. It has but established new classes, new conditions of oppression, new forms of struggle in place of the old ones” (Marx 204). The bourgeois, in Marx’s view, has rid itself of “natural superiors” (feudal, patriarchal, and ideological) but replaced these superiors with a single, unconscionable exploitation in the form of “cash payment” and Free Trade (Marx 206). In turn, this monetary system has converted lawyers, priests, poets, and scientists into paid wage laborers (Marx 206).

As discussed in the prior post on alienation, the bourgeois has turned the weapon of capitalism upon themselves and are bringing death to itself through the exploitation and objectification of the working wage paid class—or the proletariats. The proletarians are the class of bourgeoisie, the modern working class, “who live so long as they find work, and who find work only so long as their labor increases capital” (Marx 211). These workers sell themselves as a commodity, in a highly competitive and shrinking marketplace—a model that is unsustainable.

Talk Show Guest: Aspects of Writing

Writing With The Human Condition In Mind

I had the pleasure to sit down with James Kelly on his talk radio show and podcast, Aspects of Writing. Each week, James tackles a topic related to writing and guests contribute to the discussion. Topics range from publishing, marketing, plot structure, current issues and news and so on—this week he invited me to discuss writing with the human condition in mind. Janet Coursey, a running panelist of the show, also gave her wisdom and we had a great time discussing life and philosophy.

The radio show airs on AMFM247 terrestrial stations coast to coast on Saturday afternoons. The shows are also available as podcasts and YouTube videos for streaming whenever you want. Click "Read More" for links and to view the video version of the show.

Language Is A Virus That Limits The Way You Think

Words and language are but a virus preying upon our brains from birth.

Exploring Daniel Dennett’s From Bacteria to Back and Back, we’re left with a peculiar takeaway; words and language are but a virus preying upon our brains from birth. However, this virus is symbiotic and the backbone of human culture–and culture is the foundation of our intelligence.

On the surface, language seems to mimic top-down intelligent design. We humans are the creator of our language so therefore we are in control of it. However, Dennett inverts the paradigm and ties the phenomenon to evolution, demonstrating how language is as organic as natural selection. “Children acquire this natural language by a quasi-Darwinian process, achieving the competences that are the foundation for comprehension by a process that is competent without comprehension” (197). The child becomes immersed in language from birth and bootstraps themselves into comprehension through a massive and unconscious process of trial and error (197).

The Soul and Marx: The Need For Illusion

Religion is “the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of the heartless world… it is the opium of the people.” – Karl Marx

Marx is an atheist and highly critical of the illusion or affects created by religion. He views religion as the “ghostly realization” of the state and society, and a struggle against religion is a direct struggle against the state.

To overcome religion, the people must “demand to give up conditions that require illusions” (Marx 116). Illusory happiness must be replaced by true happiness, and a critical examination of heaven naturally leads to a critical examination of earth (Marx 116); “the critique of religion into the critique of law, the critique of theology into the critique of politics” (Marx 116). Marx calls for a war on the conditions of society and to use criticism as a weapon to not simply refute these conditions, but to utterly destroy them (Marx 117). He calls for those to be ruthless in their pursuit of correction and demands that people move beyond idle discussion and aggressively apply the critical theory.

Why: Distinction Between 'What For?' And 'How Come?'

The question why? seeks to provide reasons of the two fundamental categories in which we explain things: causality and function.

These two categories can be traced back to the origin of life itself and to understand Daniel Dennett’s cryptic statement, “Natural Selection is thus an automatic reason-finder,” you first must understand how Dennett views reasons.

Reasons provide answers to the questions of why? However, the question why? is subdivided into two categories of what for? and how come? (38). When someone asks “why are your eyes blues?” they are really asking “what causes you to have blue eyes?” or rather, “how come you have blue eyes?” How come? questions seeks the process that explains the occurrence / observation, i.e. a kind of continuity. Understanding how come? questions is the first step in reasoning’s evolution and do not attempt to explain purpose or function (38).

2018 Silicon Valley Comic Con

April 6, 7, 8 – San Jose Convention Center

I am very excited to be a part of SVCC! I've been following this con since its beginning and enviously watching from afar–no more! To be able to bring The Final Book to the tech capital of the world and hopefully stimulate the imagination of some of this generation's greatest minds is beyond belief... Are you kidding me??? The Woz!! Humbled, excited, and eager to meet everyone–get your tickets now!

Visit the official Silicon Valley Comic Con website for ticket information, schedule, and special guests:

http://www.svcomiccon.com/

Silicon Valley Comic Con Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/SVComicCon/

The Soul and Christianity

Thou shalt not steal? It seems the foundation of Christian principles are a bad sequel of Greek tradition.

The correlation between concepts of human spirit, soul, heaven, and God presented by Greek philosophers and the fundamental principles of Christianity is awing. If there were such a thing as copyright laws at the time, Christianity would be battling a tough legal case. While the parallels are evident, Christianity’s perversion or adaptation of the soul, building upon Platonists’ intent of abstract concepts (Forms), morphed the religion into a new way of life and perspective of the soul and world.

The Old Testament is largely a creation story and description of God. God is a single true reasonable being (relatable to the embodiment of Parmenides’ cosmic heaven and Plato’s Forms), existing as a perfect conception unlimited by the material / empirical world. God created heaven and earth; the reasonable and empirical. Man is introduced upon earth and created in God’s image, but having no knowledge, or need of knowledge. Man is then stricken with peril as he becomes aware of himself through sin—disobeying God by eating from the tree of knowledge and gaining an understanding of “good” and “bad” (reasonable and empirical). This self-awareness hints of an “I”, consciousness, or spirit.