adamvoight
| Forum role | Member since | Last activity | Topics created | Replies created |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Jul 3, 2014 (12 years) |
- | 1 | 3 |
- Forum role
- Member
- Member since
Jul 3, 2014 (12 years)
- Last activity
- -
- Topics created
- 1
- Replies created
- 3
Bio
I am bringing Evolution into Philosophy with some help from Aristotle.
The ethical part of my work is based on the idea that the only possible basis for any ethical theory is the theory of evolution. I came to this view late in life after despairing of any other possibility of providing meaning and truth-value for ethical statements.
In my view, the main obstacles to this in the past have been evolutionist's fixation on Utilitarianism and the lack of game theory. Once we take look at evolution with the eyes of Aristotle informed by mature evolutionary analysis, we can make some progress. "The Theory of Ethical Selection" is a good place to begin reading about the metaethics.
My metaphysics is more difficult to explain, but it starts from my reply to G.E. Moore's "Open Question" argument. The beginnings of this rebuttal are in "The Metaphysics of Selection Theory", "Against Chalmers on Identity and Supervenience" and others.
I am heavily influenced by my years of yoga theory and practice; I was formerly an resident at Satchidananda Ashram in Buckingham, VA. Even though I now have a very modern secular methodology, the Dharma still guides me in many ways.
I am also a former Heideggerian; actually he still guides me as well from behind the scence, but I think he lost his way in later years. However, in his youth, he took his start from problems concerning science and the Modern Age. In this respect he has been a formative influence. However, I now see philosophy and science as closer in spirit than he did. But since both of us share an engagement with Aristotle, we have a lot in common.
Related to my Heidegger influence is my strong concern with technology. IN the old days, I was a Luddite ( one who rejects or is strongly critical of modern technology ), however I am now a transhumanist. That's a BIG swing, but still I think that people often do not respect the criticisms to be made against modernity. However, my transhumanism has been influenced by Aristotle, Buddhism and the science of information.
My other interests that have shaped me are computer programming, fatherhood, primitive survival skills, and being in the US Army.
I got my Bachelor's in Philosophy from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. I now live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.