[FRIAM] Dennett on agency

[Frank Wimberly]

I intend to check the mail in a few minutes.  I am not doing it now.
Nobody else knows of my plan until you read this.  Why can't I validly say
that I have that intention?

---
Frank C. Wimberly
140 Calle Ojo Feliz,
Santa Fe, NM 87505

505 670-9918
Santa Fe, NM

On Tue, Oct 20, 2020, 2:27 PM <thompnickson2 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Russ,
>
>
>
> I have not had time to follow this thread, but just want to remind you
> what my first response to your question would be.  Intentions are not the
> sorts of thing we “have”.  They are things that we do.  They are of a
> higher order than knee jerks, or even apple bites,  but they are patterns
> in behavior all the same.
>
>
>
> I have busy because I signed up to do all sorts of things in September
> because I had nothing to do, and to my horror and surprise, every thing I
> signed up for, bore fruit and now I am overwhelmed.   I have a prejudice
> against Dennett.  I think he worries too much about his standing with the
> Big Kids at Harvard and trying NOT to violate vernacular ways of thinking
> so much as to dent his royalties.   And I am jealous of him.
>
>
>
> So there.
>
>
>
> Hope you are well
>
>
>
> Nick
>
>
>
> Nicholas Thompson
>
> Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology
>
> Clark University
>
> ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com
>
> https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> *On Behalf Of *Russ Abbott
> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 20, 2020 12:07 PM
> *To:* The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <
> friam at redfish.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [FRIAM] Dennett on agency
>
>
>
> Not sure what the point is. Larger systems can exploit information and
> "pick of scars." Cells in that sense are larger systems. I'm confused about
> what that is supposed to add to the discussion.
>
>
>
> Computer programs can certainly be described using intentional language.
> Does that mean that a computer program can have intention? If so, that
> seems to degrade the notion of intent.
>
>
>
> -- Russ Abbott
> Professor, Computer Science
> California State University, Los Angeles
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 20, 2020 at 9:23 AM jon zingale <jonzingale at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> ... and why tornados fail to have it. A key feature appears to be that
> agents
> have a history that makes a difference, can exploit information the way a
> thermostat can. Electrons or molecular motors, for instance, don't pick up
> scratches or scars. Sean Carroll adds that agents participate in the arrow
> of time.
>
> Queued up to the relevant part of the discussion:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yZw4wxvnVQ&ab_channel=SeanCarroll&t=1670s
>
>
>
> --
> Sent from: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/
>
> - .... . -..-. . -. -.. -..-. .. ... -..-. .... . .-. .
> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6  bit.ly/virtualfriam
> un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
> archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/
> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/
>
> - .... . -..-. . -. -.. -..-. .. ... -..-. .... . .-. .
> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6  bit.ly/virtualfriam
> un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
> archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/
> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/attachments/20201020/ac7cad2d/attachment.html>