Jonathan Hockey’s Reviews > The Human Touch: Our Part in the Creation of a Universe > Status Update

His novelty I suppose compared to many professional and academic and scientifically minded thinkers is that in this book his idea is to grant the victory and the last word to the human side of the debate, rather than to the beyond human side of the debate. The material things of the world, space, time and causality or whatever. Humans mould the world at each step where they are also moulded by it.

At times, he is placing too much emphasis on the humanly, socially constructed side of the argument, and ignoring the sheer depths of real concerns that take us beyond human constructions. In fact, I would say, it is precisely because there is an interplay between the human and the beyond human where we find interesting philosophical debates. Granting victory to one side undermines the interesting discussion.

Although it is refreshing to read a more amateur, less professional perspective on some philosophical issues, at times the lack of knowledge is a problem. His arguments about number do not do justice to the subtleties and depth in which it has been pursued in the 20th century, from Frege and Russell to many others. An all too easy reference to Godel is not going to be adequate...