| On the alleged absurdity of substantially unconscious
Greek minds. In: Marcel Kuijsten, ed., Reflections on the Dawn of Consciousness.
AHP Press (forthcoming.
Abstract Upon publication in
1976, Julian Jaynes's Origin of consciousness in the Breakdown of the
Bicameral Mind was immediately recognized as an extraordinary work. It
was hailed by some as "probably the book of the century", and
was nominated for the National Book Award in 1978. Now, on its thirtiest
anniversary, it is all but forgotten, mainly because its boldest thesis
(that the Mycenean Greeks had a 'bicameral mind' instead of a conscious
mind of the modern type) was written off by critics as "patently
absurd". This paper offers a critical re-examination of Jaynes’s
boldest suggestion, and argues that it is anything but absurd.
Greek zombies, Philosophical psychology, forthcoming.
Abstract This paper explores
the possibility that the human mind underwent substantial changes in recent
history. Assuming that consciousness is a substantial trait of the mind,
the paper focuses on the suggestion made by Julian Jaynes that the Mycenean
Greeks had a 'bicameral' mind instead of a conscious one. The suggestion
is commonly dismissed as patently absurd, for instance by critics such
as Ned Block. A closer examination of the intuitions involved, considered
from different theoretical angles (social constructivism, idealism, eliminativism,
realism), reveals that the idea of 'Greek zombies' should be taken more
seriously than is commonly assumed.
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Patentontologie. Over de schoonheid van de taal bij
Lucebert. In: Ria van den Brandt en Bart Philipsen, red., De waarheid
waarover ik niets weet te zeggen Over poëzie en waarheid. Damon,
Budel, 2004, pp. 51-59.
Abstract Glossing a famous work
by the Dutch poet Lucebert, this paper explores the ideology behind "the
dogma of the infallibility of language" (G.K. Chesterton). It is
argued that the poetic use of language is radically different from what
is commonly taken to be its 'ordinary' use in literary, scientific, and
especially printed form. The intrinsically performative character of poetry,
so it is argued, is cognate to pristine orality, and lies outside the
reach of later inventions such as 'algorithmic hermeneutics' (conceptual
frameworks) and 'patented ontology' (rationally regulated world view).
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Supersofen en makelaars. Mare, Leids Universitair
Weekblad, 2 okt. 2003.
Abstract Review discussion of three recent Dutch
introductions to philosophy for the general public. Introduces a distinction
between three philosophical archetypes—the philosopher as super-thinker,
as factotum, and as idea-broker.
PDF
Intentionaliteit. In: M. Schouten, red., Vijftig
jaar Philosophy of mind. Themanummer Wijsgerig Perspectief, 2001, pp.
000-000.
Abstract 'Intentionality' or
'aboutness' is often seen as the hallmark of mental phenomena, which sets
the mind apart from the merely physical. In contemporary psychology, with
its strongly physicalist tendencies, this notion has come under attack.
This paper offers an overview of work on intentionality in modern philosophy
of mind. Which factors (internal or external) are responsible for determining
the 'contents' of the mind? Is intentionality a real property of certain
types of being, or should it be seen as merely instrumental, or worse
still, should it be eliminated?.
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Jan Sleutels, red., Global Village. Filosofie in
het tijdperk van ICT. Acta van de 22e Nederlands-Vlaamse Filosofiedag.
Leiden, 28 oktober 2000. Elektronische publicatie, www.leidenuniv.nl/philosophy/publicaties/overige/filosofiedag/
Abstract Collection of
twenty-five papers presented at the Dutch-Flemish Philosophy Conference
at Leiden University, Oct. 28, 2000. Contains: I. Philosophy in the Age
of Information and Communication Technology (8 papers); II. Materialism,
reductionism, and naturalism (6 papers); III. Miscellanea (11 papers).
Web
David Hume. In: Machiel Keestra, red., De grote
filosofen. Nieuwezijds, Amsterdam, 2000, pp. 87-106.
Abstract Book chapter on the
philosophy of David Hume, who “developed to its logical conclusion
the empirical philosophy of Locke and Berkeley, and by making it self-consistent
made it in¬credible” (Russell). Special attention is given to
the status of the problem of induction in contemporary philosophy of science,
and to Hume’s influence on 20th-century analytical philosophy.
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Robots en Noumena. Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift
voor Wijsbegeerte 92, nr. 1, januari 2000, pp. 110-112.
Abstract Review discussion of
Fred A. Keijzer, The generation of behavior. On the function of representation
in organism-environment dynamics, Leiden, 1998, on the controversy in
theoretical psychology between actor oriented and system oriented approaches.
PDF
De kelders van cyberspace. In: Proceedings of the Symposium
on Virtual Reality (May 1998), ETV, TU Delft, 1999.
Abstract A philosopher discusses
the nature and use of virtual reality (VR) before an audience of electrotechnical
engineers. After presenting a brief history of the notion of simulated
experience, with special attention to Descartes (genius malignus) and
Putnam (brains in a vat), a distinction is made between weak and strong
VR, analogous to the distinction made by Searle between weak and strong
AI. Expanding on an argument developed by Edward Reed (The Necessity of
Experience, 1996) , the paper traces the influence of strong VR in both
scientific and everyday experience, and argues that this influence should
be strongly resisted.
Recensie van Anne Ruth Mackor, Meaningful and rule-guided
behaviour. A naturalistic approach. A teleofunctional argument against
the alleged gap between the natural and the social sciences. (Proefschrift,
RU Groningen, 1997.) Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte,
90, 1998, 309-311.
Abstract Review discussion of
recent work on the philosophy of Ruth Millikan.
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Phenomenal consciousness. Epiphenomenalism, naturalism,
and perceptual plasticity. In: E. Myin, ed., Approaching Consciousness.
Special issue of Communication and Cognition 31, 1998, pp. 21-56.
Abstract Theories of phenomenal
consciousness generally suffer from an oscillation between epiphenomenalism
and naturalism (or eliminativism and realism). Epihenomenalism must be
rejected for making the link between consciousness and perception too
weak. Naturalism must be rejected for making it too strong, committing
the naturalistic fallacy criticized by Wilfrid Sellars. Using the notion
of perceptual plasticity, this paper explores the possibility of escaping
from the oscillation, finding a place for phenomenal consciousness in
the natural order of things.
Zonnebrandontologie. Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift
voor Wijsbegeerte 88, 1996, pp. 148-152.
Abstract Reply to Filip Buekens
(ANTW 87, 1995, pp. 294-299), with special attention to the difference
between internalist and externalist approaches to mental content on the
one hand, and on the other hand the relational alternative developed in
Sleutels 1994.
Real knowledge. The problem of content in
neural epistemics. (Proefschrift KU Nijmegen; promotor: prof. dr. A.A.
Derksen). Nijmegen, 1994. 320 pp., ISBN 9090073736. Recensie: F. Buekens,
ANTW 87, 1995, pp. 294-299.
Abstract Extensive discussion
of the two main controversies in psychosemantics, namely, that between
computationalist and connectionist approaches to mental representation,
and that between internalist and externalist accounts of content. As a
radical alternative the book proposes a transcendental framework for neural
epistemics. Moreover, it argues that both internalism and externalism
rest on a category mistake in trying to reduce a relational notion to
either one its relata. As an alternative, a relational aproach to mental
content is sketched. Review: F. Buekens, ANTW 87, 1995, pp. 294-299.
Web
Reductie of eliminatie van qualia? Superzwakke, zwakke,
sterke en supersterke qualia bij Paul Churchland. In: A.A. Derksen, red.,
Filosofie en cognitiewetenschap. Het connectionisme van Paul Churchland.
Themanummer van Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte 85,
1993 nr. 1, pp. 70-95.
Philosophical foundations of psychology of language and
of psycholinguistics. In: M. Dascal, D. Gerhardus, K. Lorenz, G. Meggle,
eds., Sprachphilosophie, Philosophy of language, Philosophie de langage.
Ein internationales Handbuch zeitgenössischer Forschung. 1. Halbband.
Walter de Gruyter, Berlin-New York, 1992, pp. 797-809.
Abstract Overview of the state
of the art in contemporary philosophy of mind.
Darwin, Dilthey and Beyond. Science, literature,
and hermeneutical ontology. (Met Raymond Corbey, KU Tilburg.) Tractrix.
Yearbook of the Dutch Society for the History of Science, Medicine, Technology,
and Mathematics, 4, 1992, pp. 114-125.
Abstract Discussion of Ilse
M. Bulhof, On the language of science. A study of the relationship between
literature and science in the perspective of a hermeneutical ontology.
With a case study of Darwin's The origin of species. Brill, Leiden, 1992.
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Popmetafysica, Psychologie en Maatschappij,
59, juni 1992, pp. 191-193.
Abstract Kritische bespreking
van Ben Schreurs, Popper en de metafysica. Proefschrift Universiteit Leiden.
Delft, 1990: Eburon.
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Natuurlijke teleologie. Het probleem van misrepresentatie
in de fysicalistische philosophy of mind. In: G. Debrock (ed.), Rationaliteit
kan ook redelijk zijn. Bijdragen over het probleem van de teleologie.
Van Gorcum, Assen/Maastricht, 1991, pp. 129-147.
Abstract Discusses the problem
of misrepresentation in naturalized semantics, and evaluates a number
of attempts to solve the problem, including those of Fred Dretske, Dennis
Stampe, Jerry Fodor, and Paul Churchland.
Het abc van de werkelijkheid. Over de exacte locatie
van de natuur der dingen. In: Willem van Lieshout, red., Badje Beek 1968-1990.
Sculpturen en tekeningen van Geurt van Dijk, Ad Gerritsen, Klaas Gubbels
en Marten Hendriks. Nijmegen, 1990, pp. 40-49.
Abstract Enlarged version of
a philosophical presentation at the opening of an exhibition of sculptures,
drawings, and installations by four leading Dutch artists. Discusses the
relation between expressive or representational works of art on the one
hand, and the essence of what is expressed or represented on the other
hand, from Plato’s copy theory to Heidegger’s account of aletheia,
and from Aristotelian and Scholastic hylemorphism to the rise of modern
corpuscular philosophy.
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Knopen en connecties. Filosofische aspecten van het
connectionisme. (Met Bart Geurts, IBM Scientific Centre, Stuttgart.) In:
C. Brown, P. Hagoort & T.C. Meijering, red., Vensters op de geest. Cognitie
op het snijvlak van filosofie en psychologie. Grafiet, Utrecht, 1989,
pp. 220-251.
Abstract Discussion of a number
of philosophical questions raised by Parallel Distributed Processing theories
(PDP, now better known as connectionism or neural network theory).
Zakjapanners, superchinezen en hersenschimmen in
de hedendaagse filosofie van de cognitiewetenschappen. In: C. Brown, P.
Hagoort & T.C. Meijering, red., Vensters op de geest. Cognitie op het
snijvlak van filosofie en psychologie. Grafiet, Utrecht, 1989, pp. 252-290.
Abstract Non-technical introduction
to some of the main themes in the philosophy of cognitive science, including
the ontology of mind (reductionism, functionalism, eliminativism), the
nature of computationalism, and the modularity of mind.
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Eliminatief materialisme en de autonomie van de bottom-up
benadering. Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte 80, 1988,
pp. 41-62.
Abstract Critical examination
of Paul Churchland’s defense of eliminative materialism.
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