We all are aware of the admonishment, “Judge not lest you be judged.” Yet, how are we to decide good from bad without judgment of some kind? Our court system is built upon the very principle of fair judgment. So, is the serial killer to be judged for his/her actions? Judge what? The question is really an exercise in judgment itself, for the real question is what we are supposed to judge and not who. Think about that for a moment. A crime is committed and as a collective society, ... Read More
We live in a world that is highly complex and full of nuances and intricacies. To use the words of poets, there are many shades of gray to almost everything. That said, we seem to want things much simpler, so we tend to choose black or white. You’re either with us or against us. It’s bath or shower, Apple or Microsoft, blue or red, shoes or sandals, juice or coffee, and so on. In other words, when presented with a choice, we choose. Why? Black and White Thinking There is ... Read More
In this week’s spotlight, I wish to further our discussion from last week’s show regarding brain/mind and consciousness. Many people think of the brain/mind as a matter of emergent properties. That is, the parts of the brain act as greater than the whole, and in this way mind or consciousness arises. In other words, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Emergent Property Emergence is basically part of system theory. Emergence theory is used to explain many things in nature ranging from the activity of ants to ... Read More
In this week’s spotlight I want to discuss emotion. Many people believe that intellect should rule emotion while others are convinced that emotion must be married to mind in order to maximize both. Even at that, there are a few who insist emotion should trump all else. Logic or Emotion? The fact is hard research has a place for all. There are times that emotion should rule and times that emotion should not enter the equation. Balancing the two is something that sounds simple but is quite difficult in many ... Read More
In this week’s spotlight, I want to discuss intelligence. What exactly do we mean by intelligence? Do you have to be human to be intelligent? If animals possess intelligence, do plants? Do we think that feeling is part of intelligence? Awareness—is that a measure of intelligence? Is the universe itself, as many philosophers and mathematicians believe, intelligent? Intelligent? Webster defines intelligence this way, “The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. The act of understanding—comprehension.” Now think about that while I turn to some controversial research regarding plant intelligence. ... Read More
