^TagPlato

^{Type
post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
January 16, 2023

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Education

Tagged
academia, AI, ChatGPT, Dr. Anthony Bradley, education, institutions, Oral Culture, Plato, Socrates, The King's College, Universities, Writing}

What Students Lose by Embracing Easy Tech Like ChatGPT

_{AI systems not only pose a problem for teachers, but will compromise intellectual excellence and moral virtue} _{Peter Biles

January 16, 2023

4

Artificial Intelligence, Education}

We’ve heard a lot about ChatGPT and its wonders and gaping pitfalls. Among the dangers it poses is academic cheating and corner-cutting. It’s no secret that the new bot makes Comp 1 a whole lot easier for a typical incoming freshman. Some universities and schools are banning the AI system outright. Teachers wonder how they will be able to discern plagiarism. Other voices chide the alarmists and call for students and teachers to use ChatGPT as a classroom aid. But one area that has gone a bit underdiscussed in the conversation is ethics. Dr. Anthony Bradley of The King’s College tweeted this a few days ago, Students are writing papers using AI. Colleges are scrambling to combat it. We Read More ›

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
October 27, 2022

Tagged
Abortion, Arjuna Gallagher, Bhagavad Gita, Cancel culture, Consciousness, Creation, Creation (in Hindu thought), Euthanasia, God and Evil, Hinduism, Intelligent Design, Michael Egnor, mind-body problem, Plato, Problem of evil (in Hinduism), religion, Theology Unleashed, Thomistic Philosophy}

Hinduism, Philosophy, and the Mind

_{Michael Egnor

October 27, 2022

1}

Arjuna Gallagher is the host of the YouTube Channel called Theology Unleashed and a Hindu. He discusses Hinduism’s unique perspective regarding subjects such as metaphysics, evil, and free will with Dr. Michael Egnor. They also address creation, social ethics, and the relationship of the mind and the body. Additional Resources Dr. Michael Egnor Follow Arjuna Gallagher on Facebook Subscribe to Read More ›

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
March 24, 2022

Tagged
allegory, Arjuna Gallagher, Beginning of the Universe, Creation, Dr. Michael Egnor, General Relativity, Hinduism, ID, Intelligent Design, Plato, Plato's Form, Quantum Mechanics, Theology Unleashed}

Hinduism and the Beginning of the Universe

_{Michael Egnor

March 24, 2022

1}

Does the universe have a beginning, or is it eternal? Are the creation stories found in Hinduism meant to be taken literally, or are their texts meant to be understood another way? Dr. Michael Egnor and Arjuna Gallagher discuss these issues and much more as they explore Hinduism’s understanding of the creation of the universe. Show Notes 00:05 | Introducing Read More ›

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
March 10, 2022

Tagged
Arjuna Gallagher, Consciousness, Hinduism, Karma, Last Thursdayism, Michael Egnor, mind-body problem, Plato, Presuppositionalism, Reincarnation, religion, Rene Descartes, Theology Unleashed, Thomistic Philosophy, Thomistic philosophy (and science)}

Hinduism, Reincarnation, and the Mind-Body Problem

_{Michael Egnor

March 10, 2022

1}

Arjuna Gallagher is the host of the YouTube Channel called Theology Unleashed and a Hindu. He discusses Hinduism, reincarnation, karma, and other religious subjects as they pertain to the relationship between the mind and the body with Michael Egnor. Show Notes 00:05 | Introducing Arjuna Gallagher 01:33 | What is Hinduism? 03:03 | Central Themes of Hinduism 04:09 | Is Read More ›

3d rendering of human brain on technology background

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
January 27, 2022

Tagged
Aristotelianism, Bruce Gordon, Franz Brentano, George Berkeley, Idealism, Immanuel Kant, Michael Egnor, N. David Mermin, Near-death experiences, Near-death experiences (distressing), Near-death experiences (evidential), Near-death experiences (prevalence), Near-death experiences (proposed explanations), Near-death experiences (recall), Neuroscience, Pam Reynolds, Plato, Quantum Cheshire cat, Roger Scruton, Roger Sperry, St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Aquinas, Thomistic dualism, Werner Heisenberg, Wilder Penfield}

Neuroscience, Quantum Physics, and the Nature of Reality

_{Michael Egnor

January 27, 2022

2}

Dr. Michael Egnor and Dr. Bruce Gordon discuss quantum mechanics, the nature of reality, idealism and how to interpret the finding of modern neuroscience. Prepare to cover a lot of ground on this Mind Matter News Bingecast. Show Notes 00:00:43 | Introducing Dr. Bruce Gordon 00:02:00 | Idealism 00:03:37 | Plato’s theory of forms 00:05:08 | Kantian idealism 00:09:17 | Read More ›

Knight chess isolated on gray background

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
September 23, 2021

Categorized
Philosophy, Science

Tagged
Augustine, Augustinian proof (of God), Featured, Fifth Way (Aquinas), First Way (Aquinas), Five Ways (Aquinas), Fourth Way (Aquinas), Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Matt Dillahunty, Michael Egnor, Moral law (as proof of God), Mystic proof (of God), Neoplatonic proof (of God), Plato, Plotinus, Second Way (Aquinas), Theology Unleashed, Third Way (Aquinas)}

2. A Neurosurgeon’s Ten Proofs for the Existence of God

_{First, how did a medic, formerly an atheist, who cuts open people’s brains for a living, come to be sure there is irrefutable proof for God?} _{News

September 23, 2021

16

Philosophy, Science}

“Does God exist?” On September 17, in a dramatic debate, Christian neurosurgeon Michael Egnor and atheist broadcaster Matt Dillahunty squared off on the question at Theology Unleashed. The debate hosts are Arjuna Das for Theology Unleashed and Nathan from Digital Gnosis as the moderator. A partial transcript and notes follow. Egnor has been a guest at Theology Unleashed, before, debating materialist philosopher David Papineau. The ten proofs of God that he presents as his opening argument below are not drawn from sacred texts but from philosophical reasoning: Michael Egnor: There are, broadly speaking, two different kinds of theology. There’s natural theology and there’s revealed theology. Revealed theology is the use of scripture, personal experiences, or relationships to God. And that’s Read More ›

Creative background, the human brain on a blue background, the hemisphere is responsible for logic, and responsible for creativity. different hemispheres of the brain, 3D illustration, 3D render

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
April 22, 2021

Tagged
Aristotelianism, Aristotle, Idealism, metaphysics, Near-death experiences, Neuroscience, out-of-body experiences, Plato, soul, Thomas Aquinas, Thomism}

Bruce Gordon on the Meaning of Neuroscience (Part III)

_{Michael Egnor

April 22, 2021

1}

In this third and final episode with Dr. Bruce Gordon, host Michael Egnor picks Gordon’s brain on the overlaps between historical metaphysical perspectives and modern neuroscience. What does St. Thomas Aquinas have to say about metaphysical realities, and how does that compare to Plato’s idealism? Who is right? And what can near-death experiences and other phenomena tell us about the Read More ›

Bench on scenic overlook in Oklahoma, southeastern region in the Ouachita Mountains, scenic vistas of the mountains

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
April 15, 2021

Categorized
Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Bruce Gordon, Featured, George Berkeley (1685–1753), Idealism (philosophy), Immanuel Kant, Michael Egnor, Noumenal vs. phenomenal, Panpsychism, Plato}

Why Idealism Is Actually a Practical Philosophy

_{Not what you heard? Philosopher of science — and pianist — Bruce Gordon says, think again} _{News

April 15, 2021

9

Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind}

In last week’s podcast,,” our guest host, neurosurgeon Michael Egnor, interviewed philosopher of science Bruce Gordon on “Idealism and the Nature of Reality.” Idealism is “something mental (the mind, spirit, reason, will) is the ultimate foundation of all reality, or even exhaustive of reality” – Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Gordon thinks that idealism is defensible, reasonable, and too easily discarded: https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-129-Bruce-Gordon.mp3 A partial transcript, Show Notes, and Additional Resources follow. Michael Egnor: At its most fundamental level, is reality more like a mind? Or is it more like a physical object? That question — and questions like that — are fundamental to our understanding of nature and our understanding of ourselves, and our understanding of God. I should point out Read More ›

Side view of young man brain and thinking concepts

^{Type
podcast

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
April 8, 2021

Tagged
cosmopsychism, Franz Brentano, George Berkeley, Idealism, Immanuel Kant, ontic theistic idealism, Panpsychism, Plato, theistic idealism, Thomas Aquinas}

Bruce Gordon On Idealism and the Nature of Reality (Part I)

_{Michael Egnor

April 8, 2021

1}

What is the fundamental nature of reality? Is reality more like a mind, or more like a physical object? What is panpsychism? Tune in to this week’s podcast to hear guest host Michael Egnor interview Dr. Bruce Gordon on idealism. Gordon explores different varieties of idealism, the insights of past philosophers, and the theories of contemporary thinkers. Show Notes 00:43 Read More ›

Incognito warrior in iron helmet and red cloak.

^{Type
post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
August 3, 2020

Categorized
Ethics, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
___longform, Aristocracy, Aristotle, Darwinism, democracy, Edward Feser, Featured, government, Hannah Arendt, Karl Marx, Mob rule, Oligarchy, Plato, Republic (book), soul, Spirit, Timocracy, totalitarianism, Tyranny}

What would Plato Say About Antifa? Or Darwin?

_{A careful reading of Plato and Arendt goes a long way toward explaining the current scene—but it is unsettling reading} _{Michael Egnor

August 3, 2020

8

Ethics, Philosophy of Mind}

In college, I hated Plato. We read his Republic, and, as a patriot and an idealistic young (small “d”) democrat, I was appalled at the hegemony of the Guardians and at Plato’s disdain for democracy. It seemed to me that his Guardians were the archetypal totalitarians, and that it was a fundamental human right — enshrined in the Constitution — to be ruled only by consent of the governed. In my dotage, I am more sympathetic to Plato — it’s remarkable how much smarter the old philosopher has gotten in the past 40 years! I am still uncomfortable with Guardians, at least of the secular sort. But I think John Adams got it right when he observed that “our Constitution Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
June 8, 2020

Categorized
Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Aristotle, Augustine, Duns Scotus, Featured, Immanuel Kant, Nominalism, Noumena, Phenomena, Plato, Realism, Thomas Aquinas, William of Ockham}

Nominalism: The Stubble Left by Ockham’s Razor

_{Ockham was a methodological minimalist, not a philosophical minimalist} _{Michael Egnor

June 8, 2020

6

Philosophy of Mind}

Ockham did not say that complex metaphysical realities don’t exist. He said that we should trim our understanding of reality to the use of as few concepts as possible for reasons of efficiency, even at the cost of absolute precision. Ockham may thus be said to be a methodological minimalist. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
October 12, 2018

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Aristotle, brain, chariot analogy, free will, Human Ability, Human Nature, human uniqueness, Karen Reilly, Plato, soul, Wilder Penfield}

Does brain stimulation research challenge free will?

_{If we can be forced to want something, is the will still free?} _{Michael Egnor

October 12, 2018

8

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

The materialist interpretation of Reilly’s work is a misunderstanding of what the research actually shows. The stimulations did not evoke complex abstract intentions and acts—the patients didn’t reflexively decide to do integral calculus or donate to Amnesty International. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
September 5, 2018

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Social Factors

Tagged
contagion, democracy, obscurity, Plato, totalitarianism, Yuval Noah Harari}

AI is indeed a threat to democracy

_{But not in quite the way historian Yuval Noah Harari thinks} _{Michael Egnor

September 5, 2018

8

Artificial Intelligence, Social Factors}

Rapid, wide dissemination of ideas we don’t understand is the prime threat AI poses to humanity. It is an existential threat to human dignity and flourishing. And this threat is made graver, not less grave, by our democracy, which, as Plato understood, is the necessary soil of tyranny. Read More ›