Comments on: Epi phenomena – do doo de do do

By: hatmandu

hatmandu — Thu, 24 May 2007 16:01:00 +0000

I guess my ‘of course’ meant: ‘I wouldn’t have read this at all if I wasn’t a fan’. I think maybe the Tombola of Ma Roe is ma favourite one.

By: htfb

htfb — Thu, 24 May 2007 14:34:48 +0000

I don’t find much of course about that of course. The old charlatan. As I think I’ve said before. But then I have his Tome of Marrow on my shelf filling the role of Hofstadter I Haven’t Read Yet, saving me from all temptation to get another one.

It’s depressing though to remember that the one lecture I ever heard by Saul Kripke, who surely understands the relations between semantics and theories of mind if anybody does, dwelt at equally interminable length on the theme that “Is not an interesting quotation” is not an interesting quotation, “Could be expressed in half the time” could be expressed in half the time, etc, etc.

By: hatmandu

hatmandu — Wed, 23 May 2007 07:02:55 +0000

Agree with you on all counts. I’m a fan, of course, and I like his world view, but this isn’t really much of an advance, and almost a retrogression intellectually.

By: drcosmos

drcosmos — Wed, 23 May 2007 04:14:00 +0000

I’m about halfway through it but had already formed pretty much the same opinion of it. I think it’s the weakest of his books with maybe slightly too many analogies per point. In fact, I keep wanting to say to him I understand so move on to your next idea which I find a little surprising given his frequent mention of the supposed intelligence of his readership. I think that this may well also be his last book.

By: hatmandu

hatmandu — Tue, 22 May 2007 09:01:54 +0000

Just wait till the end – the author dissolves into a mirage!

By: barnacle

barnacle — Tue, 22 May 2007 08:26:42 +0000

Spoiler! Spoiler!