رویکرد کلان جان پوکینگ‌هورن در مواجهه با مسائل الهیاتی تأکید بر لزوم توجه و استفاده از علوم جدید است. او به تصور شخصی، متعالی و متمایز از خداوند به طور کلی ملتزم است و با این حال نقدهایی بر تصور رایج توماسی از خداوند وارد می‌سازد. محور اصلی نقدهای او مسئلۀ ارتباط فعالانۀ خداوند با جهان و مخلوقات خصوصاً انسان است. در این مقاله، پس از بیان نقدهای پوکینگ‌هورن بر تصور توماسی از خداوند و ارتباط او با جهان، الگوی جدیدی (...) که او معتقد است مشکلات پیشین را ندارد و همچنین برخاسته از ظرفیت‌های فیزیک نوین است معرفی خواهد شد. در پرتو ظرفیت‌های فیزیک جدید، به ویژه علّیت اطلاعاتی، پوکینگ‌هورن کوشیده است تبیینی از ارتباط خداوند با عالم هستی ارائه کند که علاوه بر نقش خالقیت ازلی برای ربوبیت و تأثیر ارادۀ خاص خداوند در عالم نیز جایی را باز می‌گذارد. در این مقاله، دیدگاه او را که دارای سه وجه علمی، دینی و فلسفی است از همین سه وجه مورد ارزیابی انتقادی قرار خواهیم داد. (shrink)

This paper proposes a new metaphysical framework for distinguishing between human and machine intelligence by drawing on Kant’s incongruent counterparts as an analogy. Specifically, the paper posits two deterministic worlds that are superficially identical but ultimately different. Using ideas from Wittgenstein, Gödel, and Cantor, the paper defines “deterministic knowledge” and investigates how this knowledge is processed differently in those two worlds. The paper considers computationalism and causal determinism for the new framework. Then, the paper introduces new concepts to illustrate why (...) human and machine agents display different causal characteristics in processing verbal information. Overall, the paper’s framework provides a theoretical basis for the uniqueness of the human mind. (shrink)

In recent years the science-and-religion/spirituality/theology dialogue has flourished, but the impact on the minds of the general public, on society as a whole, has been less impressive. Also, religious believers and outspoken atheists face each other without progressing toward a common understanding. The view taken here is that achieving a more marked impact of the dialogue would be beneficial for a peaceful survival of humanity. I aim to argue the why and how of that task by analyzing three possible purposes (...) of the dialogue and their logical interdependence, suggest conceivable improvements of the quality and extent of the current efforts toward a negotiated action plan, and consider an enlargement of the circle of the actors involved. The dialogue that has been carried on between science and religion/spirituality/theology could be expanded and usefully applied to some major problems in the present world. (shrink)

There are widespread calls for school education to put more emphasis on developing students’ appreciation of the power and limitations of science. Without effective teaching, there is a risk that sensationalist media claims will unduly influence students’ perceptions of the power of science to already explain and predict aspects of our daily lives. Secondly, schools have a role in preparing students for a future in which they are likely to work and play alongside increasingly humanlike machines. The study reported here (...) assessed the feasibility of a survey to discover students’ stances on the predictive and explanatory power of science in relation to personality, behaviour and the mind The study forms part of a larger project that seeks to identify ways that schools can develop students’ epistemic insight when they consider big questions about the nature of reality and human personhood. Beginning with a broad conceptualisation of personhood designed to pick up on questions in the science-religion dialogue, we drew on interviews and focus groups with students in upper secondary school to formulate a set of statements that seemed to be effective in stimulating discussion about the power and limitations of science. The questionnaire was administered to 311 secondary students. Students’ responses indicate that they were engaged by the theme and that they were generally not working with a secure overarching scientistic or nonscientistic framework. When we grouped students according to how they responded to the narrower theme of personality and behaviour, one in five of the cohort was labelled as strongly scientistic. We also found that in their comments at different points in the survey, the majority of students expressed ideas and everyday phrases associated with scientism. The article concludes with implications for future research and further recommendations for teachers. (shrink)

This paper proposes a metaphysical framework for distinguishing between human and machine intelligence. Specifically, it posits two identical deterministic worlds -- one comprising a human agent and the other comprising a machine agent. These agents exhibit different types of information processing mechanisms despite their apparent sameness in a causal sense. By postulating the distinctiveness of human over machine intelligence, this paper resolves what it refers to as “the vantage point problem” – namely, how to legitimize a determinist’s assertion of determinism (...) by placing the determinist within the universe. (shrink)

This paper proposes a metaphysical framework for distinguishing between human and machine intelligence. By drawing an analogy from Kant’s incongruent counterparts, it posits two identical deterministic worlds -- one comprising a human agent and the other comprising a machine agent. These agents exhibit different types of information processing mechanisms despite their apparent sameness in a causal sense. By postulating the distinctiveness of human over machine intelligence, this paper resolves what it refers to as “the vantage point problem” – namely, how (...) to legitimize a determinist’s assertion of determinism by placing the determinist within the universe. (shrink)