fil's review
2.0
One of the weaker entries I've read in this series. A recurring complaint with pop philosophy books is an assumption that the reader is clueless about any philosophical ideas as its default setting. Unfortunately, this is totally on me but I just cannot stop myself, Star Trek and Philosophy, how can I lose?!?
While still OK, this one hurt a bit, e.g. Chapter 2: ‘… Vulcan education to include the training that enables mind melding. Some humans who are advanced in Yoga can do the same.’ After that I just skipped ahead to Chapter 3 (of course there was no note to have us verify this ludicrous claim). This is philosophy now? Then it was anything discussing a god or 'God' (can't forget that capital letter!), boy oh boy oh boy. Another miss is Chapter 17 almost trying to sell Emergentism as different from Dualism. The unwillingness to accept Reductive Materialism baffles me, Homo Sapiens Sapiens can still be 'special' without the need to resort to cheap 'ghost in the machine' mumbo-jumbo.
A few good ones were Chapter 1 '"Darmok" and Cultural Literacy', Chapter 12 'Why Not Live in the Holodeck' and Chapter 14 'Cardassian "Monsters" and Bajoran "Freedom Fighters". These three were almost worth the entire book.
While still OK, this one hurt a bit, e.g. Chapter 2: ‘… Vulcan education to include the training that enables mind melding. Some humans who are advanced in Yoga can do the same.’ After that I just skipped ahead to Chapter 3 (of course there was no note to have us verify this ludicrous claim). This is philosophy now? Then it was anything discussing a god or 'God' (can't forget that capital letter!), boy oh boy oh boy. Another miss is Chapter 17 almost trying to sell Emergentism as different from Dualism. The unwillingness to accept Reductive Materialism baffles me, Homo Sapiens Sapiens can still be 'special' without the need to resort to cheap 'ghost in the machine' mumbo-jumbo.
A few good ones were Chapter 1 '"Darmok" and Cultural Literacy', Chapter 12 'Why Not Live in the Holodeck' and Chapter 14 'Cardassian "Monsters" and Bajoran "Freedom Fighters". These three were almost worth the entire book.
More...