Aristotle’s science according to J.L. Ackrill

I am trying to flesh out the following argument at length: Aristotle mathematized science by modeling knowledge upon ancient geometrical reasoning. Much like Euclid's Elements after him, Aristotle envisioned knowledge as having an axiomatic-deductive structure. Granted, this was his description of a final, complete science rather than our contemporary, fallibilist conception of scientific inquiry, but … Continue reading Aristotle’s science according to J.L. Ackrill →

“What Do the Two Hemisphere’s Do,” in The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist (part III)

Finally, the end of chapter 2 is nigh. McGilchrist finishes the chapter by drawing attention to several broader differences between the hemispheres in the following sections: Meaning and the implicit Music and time Depth Certainty Moral sense Meaning and the implicit Earlier, McGilchrist associated left hemispheric processing with abstraction rather than context, with attention to … Continue reading “What Do the Two Hemisphere’s Do,” in The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist (part III) →

“What Do the Two Hemispheres ‘Do'” in The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist (part II)

These reading notes cover the following sections: Context versus abstraction Individuals versus categories The personal versus the impersonal The living versus the non-living Reason versus rationality Context versus abstraction For the same reason that the right hemisphere sees things as a whole, before they have been digested into parts, it also sees each thing in … Continue reading “What Do the Two Hemispheres ‘Do'” in The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist (part II) →

“Maps of Experience” in Maps of Meaning by Jordan B. Peterson

Jordan Peterson is not known primarily for his work as a scientist. Instead, much of the popular attention paid to him is filtered through the lens of politics, which is unfortunate. Though I must admit that I discovered him through Youtube as many other have. However, in addition to his recorded lectures and speeches, … Continue reading “Maps of Experience” in Maps of Meaning by Jordan B. Peterson →

“What do the Two Hemispheres ‘Do'” in The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist (part I)

McGilchrist continues his slog through the neurological evidence for his argument. The footnotes provide 535 references for this chapter alone. I am grateful for his efforts because, undoubtedly, most of this data is beyond my ability to understand without such a commentary. He has argued up to this point that human bihemispheric neurology results in … Continue reading “What do the Two Hemispheres ‘Do'” in The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist (part I) →

“Asymmetry and the Brain” in The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist (part II)

I did not address several important points in part I, so I will do so here. I want to strengthen McGilchrist's discussed relationship between needs, values, attention, and things, as well as highlight the distinction between Distance and Detachment. Needs, values, attention, and things McGilchrist states that the competing needs of life, both for animals and … Continue reading “Asymmetry and the Brain” in The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist (part II) →

“Asymmetry and the Brain” in The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist (part I)

In this first chapter, McGilchrist begins laying the neurological foundation for his argument that the bihemispheric structure of the human brain results in two different ways of being in the world. The most relevant material for my purposes is McGilchrist's discussion of how various animals with a bihemispheric neurological structure provide a phylogenic precedent for … Continue reading “Asymmetry and the Brain” in The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist (part I) →

Introduction to The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist

I discovered Iain McGilchrist while listening to an interview he did with Jordan Peterson on The Jordan Peterson podcast, which can be heard here. Upon hearing about his book The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, I knew it would figure heavily into my dissertation, the basic thesis of … Continue reading Introduction to The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist →