Milestone birthdays occasion consideration of what we’ve done with our lives, and what we want to do with the time to come.
Tag: Philosophy
Valentin-Yves Mudimbe, 83, Dies; African Scholar Challenged the West
He deconstructed what he called “the colonial library”: the accounts of Africa by Europeans whose aim, he said, was to further colonialism.
What Ants and Orcas Can Teach Us About Death
A philosopher journeys into the world of comparative thanatology, which explores how animals of all kinds respond to death and dying.
How to Be Truly Free: Lessons From a Philosopher President
Pepe Mujica, Uruguay’s spartan former president and plain-spoken philosopher, offers wisdom from a rich life as he battles cancer.
Paulin Hountondji, Revolutionary African Philosopher, Dies at 81
He rebelled against efforts to force African ways of thinking into the European worldview. His thoughts had the effect of a bomb in African intellectual life.
Antonio Negri, 90, Philosopher Who Wrote a Surprise Best Seller, Dies
He became famous twice: first in 1979, for his imprisonment related to the murder of a former Italian premier, and then 20 years later, for his influential book “Empire.”
How to Tell if Your A.I. is Conscious
In a new report, scientists offer a list of measurable qualities that might indicate the presence of some presence in a machine.
What if A.I. Sentience Is a Question of Degree?
A conversation with Nick Bostrom, a philosopher at Oxford, who has spent decades preparing for the day artificial intelligence is capable of anything the human brain can do.
AI Is Becoming More Conversant. But Will It Get More Honest?
At a new website called Character.AI, you can chat with a reasonable facsimile of almost anyone, live or dead, real or (especially) imagined.
‘Consciousness’ in Robots Was Once Taboo. Now It’s the Last Word.
The pursuit of artificial awareness may be humankind’s next moonshot. But it comes with a host of difficult questions.