But I would bet that they did know the concept of "smarter being" and used it to explain things that they could not. — Sir2u

Why would they question things they did not understand. This is certainly a modern analytic assumption that drives at the heart of why I found the idea fascinating (see my previous reply to Outlander if you didn't read already).

Anyway, need to let this one stew for a while and read a quite a bit more. I might have to dip back into Eliade's book on 'Shamanism' too and see if anything links up with all of this. I would say most of the work is ethnographic rather than ethnological though.

Edit: Sorry, must've missed that last sentence. So, perhaps like two stone age military generals talking about say, how they destroyed a village. One says, he killed everything in sight and nothing was alive or unburned for miles. The other responds his endeavor was far greater and the land was so destroyed it was uninhabitable and nothing would grow even to this day, etc. To the point the tale gets passed on and the man and his endeavors (whether factual or not) become something of a folk legend on steroids to the point he's attributed to being not even human but far above? Something like that? — Outlander

Yes. Given that FACTS did not exist in the sense they do today this may be even more plausible than it seems. The lack of EVIDENCE (because it did not strictly exist) would allow for the strength and depth of the narrative to take on a life of its own.

In Eastern traditions there are examples of how ideas competed and manifested with varying styles of debate. I am starting to wonder whether these are off shoots of more 'primitive' forms of competitive displays that led to the advent of more rational thought. Meaning, the stories COMPETED first and were QUESTIONED much further on down the line. Of course, all of this would have changed forever with the birth of writing.

I have been of the mindset for a long time that modern religions arose through the use of mnemonics, and now I am starting to think that maybe, much further back, the intent to preserve information came through and due to comparisons between imagined and real stories. EVIDENCE and FACTS themselves began with imaginative interplay and incremental one-upmanship.

The development of the specific term God is middle eastern/western. There is no primary concept of God (or religion) in the East.

It is an idea had just yesterday so need to look into it more. Not sure how much weight there is to it tbh.

I am well aware of all of this. The thought came to me by thinking about the different approaches/perspectives of religion across the globe. I was basically backtracking in terms of how reason and logic developed in the West compared to the East. The concept of God does seem to latch onto imaginative ideas and dealing with extremes; and it is that that got me thinking about how humans interact and behave. It is a bit of a stretch I know that, but I do not think I have heard of this idea before so threw it out there.

An interesting read and nice OP. However as someone said on here before, it would be logical to assume religion(s) and god(s) came about from the initial belief of animism, which likely came about due to pareidolia. — Outlander

I know this. I am not really here to compete with other theories ... ironically! :D

I guess my main line of thinking here is that humans are kind of new to reason. Applying reasonable explanations by assuming how we see the world is part and parcel of why I started to think like this.

Take for example how God has come to be defined (in Western/Middle Eastern Traditions) as all knowing, all seeing and all powerful. It seems fairly feasible that competing ideas of some act between peoples could result in a gradual process of Good to Better to Best to Ultimate (God). There are fairly clear instances of individuals being given a Deity level status - as mentioned in the East although there is no God in the main tradition of Buddhism it is pretty clear to see that the actual person is given something akin to an Ultimate Status even if not literally conceived of as a God (by most Buddhist sects).

As for animism, I am not really sure that can be called a 'Religion' in the Western sense anymore than Confucianism or Shamanism. The term Religion doe snot translate into Eastern languages really. They adopted the Western concept of Religion - through the God concept. The terms shukyo (Japanese) and zongjiao (Chinese) were created to apply to Western religious traditions. That said, undoubtedly many Eastern traditions have adopted the God concept in part.

Going back to the Middle East it is fairly apparent that cities had traditions that developed into God concepts too. This plays into the competitive concept of state versus state but in a more direct and concrete fashion. By this stage though we are probably way, way past the kind of incremental steps I am talking about that arose through some form of exaggeration for entertainments sake.

I was thinking slowly and incrementally.

At some point someone would talk about someone with an ability to do something better than anyone else and this concept over time - tied in with storytelling - could develop either a concept of a being powerful in several areas or, with more Eastern thought, a concept of a unifying energy.

It is more or less our seeming natural propensity to imagine beyond the limits of our immediate scope and experience that I am talking about and that this is an advantageous attribute if we wish to impress others. Given that weaving a complex and compelling story in prehistory would have similar effects to evidential facts today I think there is weight to this general lien of thinking.

By this I mean that in modernity people are - in general - accustomed to ideas of Truth and Facts whereas prior to the more substantial development of our rational schemes I think the weight of a story would be as compelling then as Fact and Truths are today in term of believability and general acceptance of a world view.

Do you see what I mean? It sounds like a bit of a simplistic conception at first, but given that we are kind of closed off in our own paradigm of modernity it does take a little bit of bracketing to attempt to conceive of a world where rational thought and concrete ideas of cause and effect had no place in the day-to-day living of human social groups.

You used to be able to find free pdf for the edition I have a few years back. I would download the one I pointed out and just skim through. Don't worry about understanding it too much, once you read through more and more you get accustomed to the jargon.

The Gazzaniga one's are particularly good. I think I still have studies printed out somewhere on the section of Language comparing human capacities with various other animals. It was pretty cool!

Anyway, his pop science is probably a good way in too. I would recommend Damasio too as they are likely quite different perspectives - I personally find Gazzaniga's work more rigid.

Also, check out these too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGtZek7RPts&t=1695s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilrelFkDYls

I honestly do not know who you are talking to or what you are talking about in some of your replies.

It probably makes sense in your head but that is precisely where it has stayed. If you want to back track over the past couple of exchanges and remedy it I will continue.

:up: I have the book, will look tomorrow. Thanks

The reason our little notes on perception always center around red is that it's associated with a close to universal feeling: it's hot. Red comes from mind meeting world. — frank

Another 'theory' is that we relate oranges and reds to ripe fruit. I have no idea how far this has been tested though. On the surface it seems like a reasonable assumption ... but they can be wrong of course.

Where does Goldman Sachs' annual profit come from? — Vera Mont

What has that got to do with:

The only reason people need to work as hard as they do is produce surplus.
— Vera Mont

This is simply wrong. Unless you are making a clear distinction between 'work people enjoy' as 'non-work' and 'work people don't enjoy' as 'work'. I work fairly hard at my job and study hard too. This idea of 'surplus' sounds like a Marxist ideology rearing its head? — I like sushi

?

No, I can't; I see a bloody great pit to fall into, and a long slow painful climb out again. — Vera Mont

And how is this not a fatalistic attitude? And this:

For the few years or decades they stay in effect, before the next reactionary administration or regime overturns them. See US Supreme Court decisions on voting rights and reproductive rights. — Vera Mont

?

I have no revolutionary schemes. — Vera Mont

I never said you did nor suggested it. I actually agreed with you.

Which passage? I read that book a couple of years ago.

The only reason people need to work as hard as they do is produce surplus. — Vera Mont

This is simply wrong. Unless you are making a clear distinction between 'work people enjoy' as 'non-work' and 'work people don't enjoy' as 'work'. I work fairly hard at my job and study hard too. This idea of 'surplus' sounds like a Marxist ideology rearing its head?

... against determined opposition, even from the people it would most benefit... You still can't get there from here, except by climbing over a mountain of rubble. — Vera Mont

Surely you can see the problem with these kinds of views and a slippery slope.

Any kind of 'for your own good' attitude aimed at population groups is an inherently bad idea. On top of that this idea of societal collapse vision is one step away from causing heaps of rubble as it was inevitable anyway (hence why I pointed out the danger of fatalistic attitudes previously).

The best they can do ... is introduce minor local improvements. Under the current global system with its entrenched rules, procedures and assumptions, no major change can be made to the structural or economic organization of any society. — Vera Mont

I think it can be quite surprising how minor changes can have a huge impact. The biggest problem with revolutionary schemes is that they are large in scope. I do agree that small minor improvements are the best way forward, but I am clearly more optimistic than you regrading their potential overall impact on society at large. Within the space of a couple of decades we've seen smart phones and apps severely change the face of communications and media distribution ... the hard part is relieving the hiccups! :)

This looks cool!: https://epdf.pub/the-cognitive-neuroscience-of-mind-a-tribute-to-michael-s-gazzaniga.html

The ones I have on my shelf are called Principles of Neuroscience and The Cognitive Neurosciences III (the later by Gazzaniga and is a selection of studies split into specific areas of research) There will be newer editions now I am sure!

What about if there are people who do not want to work or do anything. Are they allowed to receive the same for free that others work hard for? Do you really think there would be no resentment by those working hard everyday and getting basically the same as those not working hard or is it that you think those in change of businesses will simply pay people more in order to gain employees? Will this all just magically balance out in your mind without any hiccups?

Other than to say some people are greedy and so they should be forced to give up their wealth I am not really seeing much follow through with how you expect this would go smoothly or otherwise if governments implemented this scheme.

I am imagining we are talking about the basic needs for living here - which is costly. Do you think it is likely a significant number of people scrapping by would simply stop working? Would unemployment rise? What steps would be taken to ease the transition or do you imagine there would be no real needs for a safety net?

I can’t imagine that goal would mean more freedom to the people. — Igitur

You are also assuming people WANT more freedom or that an equal amount of freedom is GOOD for them. Maybe?

I think Stanford falls down in areas like this. Leave it to anthropological studies to decide! Let the lawyer and legislators quibble over justice and that kind of nonsense :D

Culture is what animals (humans) do when they are together. It is our common understanding and/or regulatory scheme (axis mundi).

The best definition I have seen is from Geertz (even though it is actually a definition of religion) as it sums up humanity pretty darn well ;)

Well, it could be argued that so-called 'culture wars' have been happening since time immemorial. — Amity

I think it is just called Culture ;)

In my opinion, the only thing holding a utopian society back the actual viability, which primarily depends on perfect individuals. — Igitur

And those who dictate who is 'perfect' bring in the next totalitarian rule ... no thanks!

Is there enough air for everyone to breathe? Is there enough clean water for everyone to drink and wash in? Is there enough food for everyone to be nourished? Is there enough shelter for everyone to be warm and dry? I don't see the problem -- except that a few people take a hundred or thousand or million times as much as they need, piss in the pool, and leave the other people to fight over whatever's left. — Vera Mont

How do you think that would actually go down? Do you believe everyone would see this as fair and just?

Pluralism for me please!

Neuroscience is HARD science insofar as it can be backed up by medical evidence. However, there is a lot to be learned at this stage, especially as each person is unique. — Jack Cummins

This is a common misconception. A great deal can be elicited from a comparatively small sample. I know this because an actual practicing researcher in neuroscience from Italy told me this. Granted, when it comes to medication and such all pharma is doing is basically carpet-bombing the brain it is far, far away from laser-guided missiles AND even then there is the issue of negative feedback (eg. drugs for depression).

This means that there is a complex interaction between brain chemicals and human interpretation of experiences. So, understanding human will and choice involves both science of the brain and a person's meanings. The latter is harder to formulate into science. The most positive way forward would involve quantitative and qualitative research, possibly involving the psychological therapies as well as forms of psychoactive medication. — Jack Cummins

It is not simply HARDER it is not science. I do not think taking psychoactive drugs will reveal much about will or choice and I am unsure why you even suggest that they would? Psychology is a SOFT science and is too poorly grounded in empiricism - yet still clings to it. I prefer the phenomenological approach (which I discovered reading cognitive neuroscience textbooks).

Speculation is fun, but if you want to get serious you have to get your hands dirty and commit to the grind ;)

It is better that seeking psychiatric help! Anything that comes before medication should be recommended.

In today's world many people do not have the social outlets they need to confront personal issues. Forms of basic therapy are more or less a means of mental maintenance than treatments of disorders.

All that said simply not using social media so much would help SO many people out - especially teenagers!

In fairness I just glanced at the pdf of the book ... it is pop-science rather than pseudoscience.

Not knowing much about the author that book appears to be an attempt at a self-help book like thousands of others. I think it might be a bit rich to call yourself a 'researcher' though :D Perhaps he is an amateur scholar of neuroscience (like me) and nothing more.

I had never heard of him before tbh. When it comes to pop-neuroscience I go for Damasio or Gazzaniga.

With neuroscience it is about mapping and is different from experiments — Jack Cummins

NO. Neuroscience is HARD science.

I have always found what I find as a very disturbing mistake among intellectuals when it comes to talk about free-will and determinism.

Too often they are looked at as Complimentary antonyms by some who argue with others who view them as Relational antonyms. This can then lead to the argument going around in circles with each party accusing the other of contradiction or wordplay. I imagine some would even propose Gradable antonyms (likely those fond of panpsychicism).

In Popper's notes he views the distinction as aesthetic taste being of a 'private character ' while moral taste concerns people and their lives.

I am not entirely convinced by this distinction, but on the surface it seems like a reasonable enough demarcation (if for convenience only). I am probably more inclined to view 'ethics' as an offshoot of 'aesthetics' if that is what you are asking. It is still pretty much an unformed thought as I have only relatively recently begun to look more carefully at ethics and morals in general.

I figure our response is something we do not know ourselves. — Paine

This is somewhat along the lines of what I was considering when I wrote the OP. Do we think we are what we perceive ourselves to be? How does this relate to the overall balance regarding negative and positive perspectives?

All too often in my life I have expressed certain opinions about myself to others and they have strongly disagreed.

I do think it is pretty clear that negative experiences drive us harder than positive ones, yet we are also overly optimistic and that this most probably balances out our higher attentiveness to negativity (threats and such).

It is interesting to see how the American "Can do" attitude has, to some degree, also bled over into arrogance. Is the American "Can do" attitude only a vestige of the previous generations now or is it still alive and kicking?

Sure. Then read Plato — Shawn

People never stop scrapping I guess :)

You are aware it is streamlined by the content it scraps and the people who run it right? So use your noggin ;)

The irony is Chatgpt is bias.

This short list of negatives, which could be significantly longer, should answer your first question. — Shawn

Do you see this as a persistent trend or one that has waxed or waned over time?

What is your theory? Are you a Christian Believer?

Must also add my voice to "must reads". It smacks of totalitarianism, no? Maybe that's too harsh. — Ray Liikanen

Is it not what you read. It is how you read ... and whether you can actually (rather than merely passing your eyes over some words vacantly).

I can barely read btw :) No shame in that though. I do my best and hopefully slowly improve here and there.

@ucarr Was this correct:

I am starting to believe that what you are really getting at behind the curtains here is that science and art share common features. — I like sushi

Followed by the possibility of uniting/transcending the differences held by many?

I simple yes/no or suffice. If it is a bit more than this then a sketchy - yet straight forward - outline would be all I need.

Thanks

With history speaking for itself, I doubt many young people see the appeal of communism. — Tzeentch

I think this analysis is a little naïve because young people are naïve ;)

With the above said, I want to ask, to whom would communism appeal towards, nowadays? Why or how has communism lost its appeal, if it really has? — Shawn

I think elements of it are more appealing today given the possibility of humanity hitting the singularity increasing. It is within reason that if such an extraordinary event was to happen then practically everyone would have access to what would be limitless resources. Therefore, within Communist ideologies there could be some useful applications for such a transition.

Sadly, the lack of a roadmap, and the 'inevitability' of such a project (as claimed by Marx), leaves us kind of empty in terms of how to deal with such a situation and how it may arise.

In every ideological position there is values of some kind.

I great many people have pointed out the problems of the current situation but very few (none?) have offered up a workable solution that can be put into action. Then again, maybe they are already in action and we will see if they work or not soon enough.

Personally I believe the heart of the problem lies in the perpetual disconnection among differing groups. There is a lack of 'whole-sightedness' and I am unsure how this can be even partially remedied.

So ethics is just a matter of opinion. Moral Scepticism. Which begs the question what kind of moral sceptic are you? If you are not then your position is contrary as you believe ethics is a human thing not an universal thing.

What might the ancient stoics say about modern concept art? A modern stoic? — jkop

Probably something related to kalos or some thread of beauty/harmony. It is clear they understood beauty in craft, so they may well not have had a specific word for Art but certainly had enough terms to talk of it how we do.

Right, art became an off-shoot from crafts, like philosophy became an off-shoot from science. — jkop

I think you have gotten that backwards ;)

What would you die without? So would everyone else. What would you die from? So would everyone else. — Vera Mont

Well, no. The degree is different for everyone. I get your general point though. The problem lies in the application and logistics.

There are, and have been, efforts to reduce such problems and they have been reasonably successful. The social issues and social institutions are probably more pressing atm as they could likely need resolving before tier one issues can be fully completed.

I think it is safe to say we are both opposed to "smashing eggs to make an omelet."
— I like sushi
It's not that. I haven't called for revolution or a philosopher-king with unlimited power. The way things stand, I'd rather see a supercomputer in charge than the motley collection of humans who run things now. But my main contention is that the way things are can't keep standing very much longer. Tipping points loom hither and yon. — Vera Mont

You are for "smashing eggs" then? I am confused. What do you mean?

This can involve how 'passionate' we are about the object or our aims. A hedonist might simply aim to please self at the expense of others. A stoic might want to reign in the passions so as to live a balanced life. It depends. — Amity

My understanding is that Hedonism was the original Stoicism. That is, Stoicism branched off from Hedonistic thinking - hedonists coming to the understanding of temperance as preserving the most long lasting 'pleasure' rather than drowning in excesses.

I do actually think one must dip into excesses to know where the optimal positioning is.

How this relates to aesthetics though is something I feel is important but it has not registered properly in any rational sense.