Teacher Daniel

I'm teaching Robert Wright's,"Why it is like Something to Be Alive." Hmmmm...It has to do with the consciousness of bats and he cites this guy Nagel. Nagel says, "The essence of the belief that bats have experience is that there is something that is is like to be a bat." What? Here are my notes.

So only bats could know what it's like to have consciousness...so...we could never know?

He's saying that everything is something, but then he goes into what consciousness is in a random rambling tone highlighted with pop culture references i.e. the Jetsons and GMC trucks. Then he talks about Descartes, "I think therefore I am."

Here's the definition of epiphenomenon:

ep·i·phe·nom·e·non (ĕp'ə-fĭ-nŏm'ə-nŏn') pronunciation
n., pl. -na (-nə).

1. A secondary phenomenon that results from and accompanies another: “Exploitation of one social class or ethnic group by another [is] an epiphenomenon of real differences in power between social groups” (Harper's).
2. Pathology. An additional condition or symptom in the course of a disease, not necessarily connected with the disease.

Reading this, I must say, that I don't like Robert Wright. Here's a picture of the goober. He has this rambling, smart-alecky tone, as he tries to coin terms like "Shadow Consciousness."

Wait..by paragraph 17, I'm starting to like him. I'm buying into his punniness.

He shifts from bats to computer consciousness and to be honest, I think my students have had technology beaten so deep into their craniums that this is simply white noise.

Ok...he's starting to allude to the concept of a "Ghost in a Shell."

"Koestler is using a different approach, aiming at a more general explanatory principle, the hierarchical organisation of life and the adaptability of living forms through a continuous exchange of energy and information."

su·per·flu·ous (sʊ-pûr'flū-əs) pronunciation
adj.

Being beyond what is required or sufficient.

Wright: "That's the tough question. If the feeling is truly superfluous, then there can be no evolutionary explanation of it."

Paragraph 23: Copier metaphor.

Para 24, he's equating consciousness to evolution. Consciousness is a mistake...copies of copies.

Para 26 computers don't need to be self conscious to be conscious.

Para 29 he talks about the robots on the subway...robot dating...they are acting...like a really bad actor saying, "I love you"

Para 30 goes into morality of killing robots. I wonder if it's the same as killing a bug

Para 31 why consciousness exists...is it a survival instinct?

Para 33 he brings to question, is consciousness an afterthought? A secondary phenomenon?

Conclusion...he's basically saying it's something to be alive and it's something to simply a product of evolution. We should accept it and deal with it. Hmmm...I think he probably pissed off a bunch of religious people

So...I am teaching this class that my boss also teaches and well...I feel a bit in the dark. There are two different times. I have two 5pm classes and I have one 730pm. The classes are really structured. It is a 2 and a half hour class and I'm supposed to spend 45 minutes going over their textbook, Improving College Reading. Then 45 minutes going quizzes and SATs and then I'm supposed to give them 20 minutes to read through and do some questions on a fictional book and then discuss it with them.

Now because it's the first week, my students aren't going to have quizzes for me to go over so I have about 45 minutes for me to fill in. I think I should do superhero names. They would have to think of name of the first road that they lived on plus the name of their first pet. For example, my superhero name would be Rebel Decatur. I think that would bond the class together. I guess I should also do schools and a place they would like to travel to. Yeah. It's a good way to eat up time. Then it's off to talking about the book- which I must say that I'm quite good at. Alright. I have 8 minutes to class and I think I know what I'm going to be doing.

5pm class
1. I'm going to take attendance and check homework.
2. I'm going to go over the ICR reading and questions.
3. Break.
4. I'll get them to do the questions on a Separate Peace in Class.
5. While they are doing the questions, I'll check their collocation homework.
6. I'll talk about A Separate Peace and then get them to introduce each other using their superhero names.