The Nature of Belief

A very interesting discussion on the nature of belief on radio program "All in the Mind" last weekend

"Why do you believe what you do? Is the human mind an organ designed for belief? Why are we so convinced of the existence of things we can't prove or see? Are some beliefs healthy and others pathological? Margaret Wertheim, author of Pythagoras' Trousers, and The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace; cognitive scientist Professor Max Coltheart, co-editor of Pathologies of Belief, and theologian, film-maker and cult-buster, Reverend Dr David Millikan, join Natasha Mitchell to unravel the perplexing power of belief."

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/allinthemind/stories/2006/1717032.htm#

Transcript and mp3 available.

The discussion ranges across a wide variety of issues surrounding belief, religion, science, cognitive science and philosophy. I've picked out just one of the many interesting points below - a comment from Margaret Wertheim - to rant about:

"But I think many people feel that there is as it were some aspect of humanness that isn't reducible to neuro-physiological processes, which doesn't necessarily mean to say they're suggesting that it exists independently of the body."

The use of the word "reducible" always gets me in these discussions. "Reducible" as if its a bad thing. I've sometimes heard arguments dismissed with a wave of the hand as "oh that's just reductionism". A better word to use in this context, to try and avoid the pejorative use of the word, is simply to say "explained". I don't see any contradiction between explaining mental processes in neuro-physiological terms, and talking about humanness in terms of self, soul, spirit, etc etc - they are different levels of explanation and usefulness. Explaining something doesn't make it meaningless, doesn't "reduce" anything (as if something important has been boiled away, leaving some sort of scum in the beaker). Explanation adds to understanding, but may well lead to discarding of some other beliefs.

Ultimately I'm with John Lennon, with respect to the future of relgious belief:

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

Yes I'm dreaming.

Fear

... a poem by Donna DuCarme

Afraid of self,
afraid of knowing,
running, hiding,
going nowhere, fading fast.
Then. Stop.
Turn and see,
Turn about and face it.
It? Me.

Myself, my secrets, my soul
Growing, dreaming, dancing,
going, going someplace,
anywhere, searching for meanings
& motives & reasons why,
learning to fly, to soar again like
before, before fear made me run.


I found this beautiful little poem in a book on how to do creative writing "Writing the natural way". The book is by Gabriele Rico. Gabriele Rico's web site is here, and you can see details of her book on amazon here.

Postscript: Donna DuCarme has seen this blog entry, and with a bit of luck this will inspire her to write more poems :) In the meantime have a look at her theatre company in Amsterdam here

On Thinking and Analysing

I have resolved to be more like the dog!
(Remember, it's about the bones)

The Lady - by Sandy Denny

The lady she had a silver tongue.
For to sing she said,
And maybe that's all.
Wait for the dawn and we will have that song.
When it ends it will seem
That we hear silence fall.

The lady she had a golden heart,For to love, she said
And she did not lie.
Wait for the dawn and we'll watch for the sun.
As we turn it will seem
To arise in the sky.

We heard that song while watching the skies,
Oh the sound it rang
So clear through the cold.
Then silence fell and the sun did arise
On a beautiful morning of silver and gold.

I never get sick of this song by my favourite singer/songwriter.

Why some people be mad at me sometimes

- a poem by Lucille Clifton

they ask me to remember
but they want me to remember
their memories
and I keep on remembering mine

from a book "Kiss Off - Poems to set you free"
Mary Esselman & Elizabeth Ash Velez
published by Warner Books

The end of the world is nigh?

An article from the Guardian on the state of the world ... is everything really getting worse?

I like this comment in the article:


"The final item on the news that evening couldn't have been more symbolic if it had shown the ravens leaving the Tower of London. Fidel Castro, the one constant in all our lives, was on the blink. That's when I reached for the phone and -
"We're fucked."
There is a time when the time for analysis has passed.
"We are."

... and the conclusion:

"You reassure yourself that, as in all cycles of history, this one will come to an end, too. Then you remember that the man in charge of writing the ending is George Bush, and you have to start again."

Sophie Raymond Sings for Me!

Last night we went to La Lupa restaurant in Balmain for dinner - but really to hear Sophie Raymond perform. I first saw her play at the Basement a year or two ago and immediately fell in love with her voice and her songs. I hadn't much chance to see her again, since she is Melbourne based, but she's been doing some gigs in Sydney and this was my chance to hear her again.

It turned out that there were only two couples in the restaurant - Susannah and I and one other couple! However, this turned out to be a very good thing, because when you are in a circumstance like that, there's nothing else to do but introduce yourself. So I did and we had our dinner together and chatted about her music, other people's music and her travels. The second half of the show was just Sophie singing to us - giving us a private performance!

This really made my day (having a bad week at work). She did a wonderful reggae style sort of version of "The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music", as well as selections from her new CD (not out yet, but I shall be getting it as soon as it is available).

She finished with this song request from me ...

Happy people

Miss donna can’t find
A thing in her room
Beyond the light
Of afternoon
Guess buying light bulbs
Is still new
So centred now having a base and a home
Friendships drift fast when you’re on the road
Now she nurtures them
In her bondi abode
She’ll offer you floor space
To put down your road case
And miix you up a fancy treat
Through her bent laugh,
She tried to speak

Chorus:
Do you think we could breed happy people
One good heart is the seed
Happy people
Laughing smiling only seen
Happy people

Mister fisher
He had a situation
A child with a woman-
He was not in love
He lived with them
Five years long
Together despondent
Passionless was the norm
These are not the values
He wants to pass on

Through his guilt
The truth was strong
He said this choice is hard one
We’ll be more apart son
But a better man i will show you how to become

(Chorus)

Think of a memory
Of a perfect time
Like a sunday,
When you were a child
Sun kissed an salty
Sand in your toes
From the sea,
Into a hot bath you’d go
Be fed googy eggs
And soldier toast
Hold on, to that feeling
Hold on, let it breed

My dad he was told that he had a bad heart
And as a result
They opened him up
He went under for the big op
It changes your life when you somehow cheat death
Realise how much we
Don’t show that we care
Something shifted
In my parents then
Think i captured a glimpse of their youth and the instant
That they fell in love
Saw for the first time, what my conception came from.

(Chorus...out)

Make sure you go and see her, and buy her CDs, they are wonderful.
Her website
http://www.sophieraymond.com
Some more info about her:
http://www.abc.net.au/overnights/presenters/RAYMONDSOPHIERAYMOND.htm

Robert Fisk on Lebanon

This is a great article on the current situation and the plight of the Lebanese from Robert Fisk, from the Australian.
Not sure how long the link will be up though.

It is also here and here.

Personals from The London Review of Books

The winning entry this week is:

Although this is an advert that screams excitement, the man who placed it (historian, 54, enjoys air-fix modeling) is strangely subdued."

I think this deserves the bottle of Champagne prize.
But there are quite a few other good ones:

"I intend to keep the precise contents of this personal ad a secret".

"Man sought, with Mozart tendencies, his own wig and his own arch rival, by a gorgeous(ish) F (39, living in NW).

"Where's my Jack Walser equivalent? I'm Red Riding Hood (but older) you're the wolf, only it's on equal terms now, so be brave and I'll sleep peacefully between your paws"

Global Voices

Global Voices is a site that aggregates blogs from "people who are talking about their country or region to a global audience. Global Voices is your guide to the most interesting conversations, information, and ideas appearing around the world ... Each day they link to 5-10 of the most interesting blog posts from their regions in the 'daily roundups' section. "

There is some interesting reading on from Lebanon there right now.

(I was made aware of this site from reading David Weinberger's Blog )

What is going on in the world

The world seems to be going crazy again. The flare-up in Lebanon seems just so stupid. The futile violent actions of Hamas and Hezbollah just ensure that the issues can never be resolved. The Israeli response is out of proportion and in the long term is ensuring long term hatred will never end.

It has all happened before of course. The situation improves then deteriorates. Right now I don't think the Israel/Palstine situation will ever be resolved unless the world is invaded by creatures from outer space. There are too many hawks in charge of the world's governments.

Some words from one of Sandy Denny's songs, One More Chance:

"Calling all olive branches and laid-off doves
There is work to do before we say good-bye.
But who can see them turning to the face of love?
Though I hear them pleading with me, 'Don't let us die,'
As I sit, I can see their troubled souls wander by,
And I feel them leaning on my shoulder to cry,
Oh, oh one more chance.


The naked tree of winter seems to stand so proud,
Lording the poor mortal as he goes.
And the tears which well beneath his sombre shroud,
Will they fall with the shame of somebody who knows
He can never be like the thought of a rose
Whose beauty remains even though the bloom goes?
'Oh, oh one more chance.'

Oh is it too late to change the way we're bound to go?
Is it too late? Then surely one of us must know. "