The Ship of Theseus and AI Chatbots
“The Ship of Theseus” thought experiment has fascinating connections to AI. It was first formulated by Plutarch, a philosopher born circa 46 CE in Boeotia, Greece. Here it is, as follows: “The ship wherein Theseus and the youth of Athens returned from Crete had thirty oars, and was preserved by the Athenians down even to the time of Demetrius Phalereus, for they took away the old planks as they decayed, putting in new and strong timber in their places, insomuch that this ship
18 hours ago
Aristotle and Epicurus on Science
Why do we pursue knowledge? This is quite possibly the most fundamental question behind all scientific inquiry. What’s fascinating though, are the two conclusions that come from this query. Knowledge is intrinsically valuable, and this value is not a result of any sort of utility. Knowledge is valuable as a means for helping others, oneself, and cultivating human flourishing. As we’ll see, the two philosophers Aristotle and Epicurus largely held different views on this ques
Sep 19
Creating Knowledge: The Low Hanging Fruit Theory
There’s something I’ve been fascinated by lately - for the sake of simplicity, I’ll call it the “Low Hanging Fruit Theory,” for, to my knowledge, it's never been given an official name. Essentially, what the theory states is that nearly all of the easy-to-discover ideas have already been discovered. Hence the name, low hanging fruit. Consequently, the ideas left require increasing efforts to even come within reach. Empirically and anecdotally, this theory seems to have some
Sep 5
Anthropocentrism, Peter Singer, and Data Centers
Data Centers. Why are they the big topic of conversation? It seems that, as of late, they’re constantly appearing in the news. And, on top of it all, they are shaping up to be a divisive topic. Supporters cite the benefits: more powerful AI, better infrastructure, and increased jobs in communities; meanwhile, those in opposition reference concerns of environmental disruption and electricity usage. The creation and expansion of data centers reveal something central to the hum
Aug 29
Asimov's Laws of Robotics & Kant's Deontology: Foundations for Humanoid Robot Ethics
Humanoid robots have been the dreams of sci-fi lovers since the debut of Star Wars’ C3PO, and these dreams become less fictional by the day with developments by companies such as Tesla, whose Optimus robot is tentatively scheduled for consumer purchasing in late 2027. Once it releases, Optimus will be capable of simple tasks like watering plants or folding clothes, and this range will expand to include more complex tasks later on. The science fiction writer Isaac Asimov crea
Jul 29
Why Are There No Philosophy Toys?
When children play, they’re forming interests, and the toys they play with have a sizable influence. The want-to-be engineer has Legos, and the prospective doctor has a toy stethoscope, but there's no toy encouraging children to become the next philosopher. As a result, few children know what philosophy is, let alone have an interest in it. The growth in the technology industry seems to be largely on account of the interest children develop in the field. Building blocks, vide
Jul 28
Language and Understanding
“Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent” -Ludwig Wittgenstein Some things are just too complicated for words. I’m fascinated by this complexity. We can conceive of it, yet never hope of coming up with an answer. This topic got me thinking about the limits of our understanding and made me wonder if there were questions we cannot even dream of posing. Just as a dog cannot begin to understand the question, “what is justice,” there may be similar questions far beyon
Jul 27
