The economy and big idea #17 Consciousness

Now on Tuesday I heard(on Newsnight where else??) that whatever he said  in his economic statement the UK Chancellor (finance minister)  George Osborne was toast.

So what happened on Wednesday? George now seems to have got away with it and Ed Balls is the one having a hard time.
In truth external factors have meant that much of the blame for the continuing lack of growth in the UK economy are as much to blame as George's fiscal incompetence but had he been luckier I'm sure he'd be taking the credit for his savoir- faire.
And what is the outlook? seems it's doom and gloom for people who might vote Labour (if they could be bothered/realised it was in their interest or accepted that it's the right thing to do as things stand.

And now on to Number 17 Consciousness

We're above other animals in our development (some would say) because we are conscious of external factors as well as what happens within our own minds.
The Jury is out (one might say) on how much of this is down to 'quantum events' within the brain.
If it can be observed then predetermination can not be far behind - i.e. if our subsequent behaviour is a clear result of preceding events then all is lost in terms of free will and we are little more than biologically created(?) processors.
If we look back at  Consciousness in the canon of philosophy key figures include:

Descartes,
Locke, (nice bit here on the locked room)
and
Kant
it's a hot topic and religious people (believers)  will have a different take which sees a connection between an external (higher life?) form that might guide us but this does little (for me) to overcome the fear of a deterministic world/universe.
There might be some hope in that physicists (probably of the sub atomic genré) might find at such levels as they work that there is some randomness but this (as you'd expect) will probably raise more questions than answers.

John Lloyd makes bid to be BBC Comedy Controller? and #16 Identity

Last night was the London Section of the Royal Television Society's Christmas lecture and this year it took the form of a conversation between veteran comedy Producer John Lloyd and Anthony Wall the acclaimed series editor of the long running BBC's Arena strand. Two ex Cambridge boys of the club-able variety. Here's John at another event obviously  veteran of sharing his wisdom. I would have really like to hear him talk more  about the problems he had mentioned recently on Desert Island Discs where he spoke about mid career blues  where he was unsure what it was all about.
  There was  a theme running through their reminiscences and it was that there is now too little clarity within the BBC, this might be seen as a little like sour grapes as Lloyd is now required to 'pitch' to various figures he evidently has little respect for- times change and the new broom who brought us such fine diversions as not the 9 O'clock news and Blackadder (and now QI) is evidently unhappy with the structures that he must now navigate. Was I alone in detecting a small hat being thrown in the ring to champion new comedy at the BBC?
I was amused by John speaking about how he'd been hoping to talk with Princess Anne after a BAFTA award but this had been stymied by Rowan Atkinson who spent too long answering the question Anne posed to him 'which do you prefer Film or Videotape (Rowan's degree is in engineering).

And now Number 16 Identity

Identity in terms of philosophical questions asks us how we can recognise things as being the same through time - this can be a challenge- am I the same person I was 25 years ago, although much of my body has been replaced and my views and opinions have altered a common sense view will still identify me as Tim Bourne  similalry we can think about Trigger's Broom  conjured up in Only Fools and Horses (derived some say from the classic thought experimentr Ship of Theseus) or perhaps our old school when it has all different pupils, fresh teachers and a new campus? Is it still Socrates High School?
What is Identity then?
Good podcast on the subject of Personal Identity from Philosophy Bites people here.

Recycling/compost and #15 Existentialism

Now Wednesday is our regular waste collection day at home (in Ealing) and often by 9:00 a.m. both our recycling  and refuse have been collected. Of late we put out a half full green box (papers, tins  Tetra boxes and bottles) each week and a black plastic bag every 2 weeks or so, I'm mystified by other households that regularly put out several bags - what are they up to?
Ealing council have started an annual charge for removal of green rubbish (garden stuff) which seems counter-productive to me as I would think it is something a council should do. Admittedly we're not affected as if we have too much biodegradable waste at home (small plastic com-poster) then I take it to the allotment. Compost is the ultimate recycling solution - getting something good with no input bu waste - please do it if you can otherwise separate as much recyclable stuff as you can for the services to take away.

Now a good one - Number 15 Existentialism

As we mentioned the other day there's a school of thought that considers life 'absurd' - existentialism is posited as the method we might choose to deal with this life.
If you go along this route you will probably need a big overcoat and a sombre expression.

Big names include Kierkegaard (1813-55), Nietzsche (1844-1900) and Heidegger  who is a more recent figure who died  in 1976.
Take a look at the 10 minute video below on the subject.

Vine planting and #14 Being

Soaking first

The planted vine

 Yesterday I received Lakemont Vine that my brother had kindly given me for my birthday. After soaking roots and digging a hole  in the ground  which I then lined with compost I planted as directed with the union well clear of the soil. Hoping to have some grapes and in a year or two and then  will start the Chateau Ealing.
One of the things I remember from my horticultural course it that dead slaves were buried by vines as a good source of Nitrogen - hopefully this will not implicate me in the future. You can find out more about the history of growing wine in UK here.

No 14 is Being


This thing  being is a big topic gfor philosophy and Ontology is the posh word for it- it's all about things existing or not
There's a debate (which won't surprise you too much) this one is between the seemingly down to earth realists and nominalists who are far from being realists and think it's only in the name.
Parmenides  (born around 515 BC)  is a big name in the field of Ontology - see him represented in the pictureon the  left - this is a detail from a work famous to many Philosophers/Philosophy students and it's called 'The School of Athens' it's got a lot to it take a look further at this guy Andrew May's account here.
And here's an explanation- ish of Ontology