Can agency and determinism be combined? Helen Steward in her book A Metaphysics of Freedom asserts agency. Agency is the ability of a Subject to effect a physical change in the world apart from the limit of antecedent brain states. The position is that of incompatibilism. Agency and determinism are incompatible descriptions of human…
The 10 AM meeting was scheduled in Chicago. I am not comfortable in a congested urban space, but will do what is necessary for the good of the company. The traffic gods were favorable and our departure time of 9AM allowed just enough time to exit off of I94 at Fullerton. We found a…
Yesterday late afternoon as we returned from a family birthday celebration, a dark towering bank of clouds filled the horizon to the north. From past experience I knew that rain was in those clouds, maybe lightening and a lot of wind. Everyday it is the same. In some direction a threatening cloud fills the…
Sunday morning at Starbucks. I have the seating area to myself, reggae music over the PA. I am in recovery. I sat through the movie Dunkirk yesterday. Seated before the enormous IMAX screen I knew viewing the film would be a most unpleasant experience. I enjoy movies usually, and find even the poorly made…
I have not written directly about the President elected some months ago. Others have written often, at length. I did not see the benefit of more ink spent upon that topic. Now I’ll hazard to put my thoughts into words. Perhaps we have a President that we deserve, an person who is an example…
What do we have but right now? Nothing really. I have a “new” camera. It is a newer model of my old Sony camera. Dismayed that my Cybershot camera was run over in the driveway, I was thankful to find a affordable replacement. I discussed some issues relative to the replacement camera with the…
Monday morning, mid summer, the day promises to be hot. The front page of the NY Times offers nothing that is encouraging. On the cusp of Brexit a mega public works subway construction project in London is unlikely to be completed. Brexit means disruption socially and financially for Brits and the continental member countries. …
Friday evening was spent at the Lake County Fair. County Fairs activate memories of the Durham County Fair which I attended as a boy in North Carolina. The odor of sawdust, animals, the visual experience of a mobile pop-up village dedicated to entertainment — has not changed. The midway of amusement rides remain but…
Americans, myself included, believe that slavery ended with the conclusion of the Civil War. There is a shop in St. Joseph, Bound For Freedom. The phrase refers to the underground railroad, the route north taken by escaped slaves. The Bound For Freedom shop offers “fair trade” items produced by individuals in third world countries. …
Lake Michigan, the five great lakes are inland seas. The imagination fails at the immensity of the amount of fresh water, 21 percent by volume of the world’s surface fresh water. While wading on a sand bar at the edge of Lake Michigan my attention was drawn by the sand that enveloped each step. …
