Scott MacLeod's Anthropology of Information Technology & Counterculture
To a global, virtual, free, open, {future degree- & credit-granting}, multilingual University & School for the developing world and everyone, as well as loving bliss ~ scottmacleod.com
WUaS Courses on Open edX, What Education will look like in 2040, Student Matriculation Forms for Wiki Teachers in all 7117, UBI Experiments for all 7.5 billion people, Lego Robotics
2) Riffing with what will education look like in 2040 compared with today - in 1-2 minutes - for a National Academy Sciences' competition, that WUaS probably won't enter
3) Matriculating students' forms, & UBI experiments for distribution of single cryptocurrency in most of 200 countries?
Updating the Logos for both wings (and re 'branding' even) just emailed me to suggest that you use the most recent versions of them in your great matriculation and even wiki-Universitian GDocs' forms. More later about your email just now.
4) WUaS Home Robotics, Lego robotics and Sri Lanka WUaS.
Have you thought much about agency, philosophically, "the capacity to act, and 'agency' denotes the exercise or manifestation of this capacity" (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/agency/) and personally?
Am recalling and appreciating George Alexander MD's thinking about this (family friend, and brilliant psychiatrist, as well as Lacanian psychoanalyst), and how he with language made abstract ideas helpful and relevant to individuals with whom he was in conversation with. There are many folk philosophies that inform otherwise (Quakerism and Yoga, and perhaps some underlying Harbin philosophies too) ... that it's the divine or ego religiously conceived, that shapes people's actions and their ways of being; cultures do this too, where the group seems to inform possible actions of the individual. The idea that we have agency - free will, intentional action, here too, - or choice to decide as individuals is something that western philosophical thinking in particular seems to make possible in very unique and even sophisticated ways.
Psychiatrically, and psychologically, an individual with their own agency (not informed by a psychotherapist or psychoanalyst) might choose actions that lead to flourishing, or well-being, in conversation with someone, or on their own, because they might have engaged the idea of agency. (And perhaps they head to a good psychiatrist if they aren't making choices that lead to flourishing, or because they're making poor choices, agency-wise, leading to a lack of well-being). Language can help - both with the idea that we have agency (as one thinks about this) - and conversation can open possibilities in ideas about how to develop this. The Desiderata - - as a poem of agency? (Am appreciative too of George not giving advice, because reasoning-wise, consciously, amd philosophically, to be able to give good advice may entail being the other persons 'shoes' - which is logically impossible; appreciating that George was both conscious of this, and that he was able to express this. That said, he as an experienced clinician seemed to be able to free up people's agency, in my experience of him and understanding his thinking).
Am appreciating, too, the 'problem solving' Western analytical and philosophical approach too which George took with conversants - and regarding the human problems and issues that emerge with people. It's a very grounded - re realist - way of thinking, and focusing, too, on the symbolic (rather than the mirror) per Lacan's 3 registers. Ah language - and agency. (Lacan had a different reading of Lacan - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/lacan/ - based on reading primary texts and studying Lacan in depth, but this is a fairly, and unusually, salutary article on Lacan's thinking; ah, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:).
What do you think about agency? How have you thought about human's capacity to act - about yours or individuals you know? Am seeking to find some examples re Cuttyhunk or DC for you, for example, to make this personally relevant - and not abstract, - and will let you know if some come to mind. (Acting to find a mate, perhaps?)
Consciousness re agency raises a whole series of other questions - and how to make these personally meaningful and relevant are fascinating questions too :)
Here's a slightly updated version of my email to you just now:
Have you thought much about agency, philosophically, "the capacity to act, and 'agency' denotes the exercise or manifestation of this capacity" (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/agency/) and personally?
Am recalling and appreciating George Alexander MD's thinking about this (family friend, and brilliant psychiatrist, as well as Lacanian psychoanalyst), and how he with language made abstract ideas helpful and relevant to individuals with whom he was in conversation. There are many folk philosophies that inform otherwise (eg Quakerism and Yoga, and perhaps some underlying Harbin philosophies too ... ie that it's the divine, or ego religiously conceived, that shape people's actions and their ways of being); cultures can do this too, where the group's discourse somehow seems to inform possible actions of the individual. The idea that we have agency - free will, intentional action, - or choice to decide what we want to do as individuals is something that western philosophical thinking in particular seems to make possible in very unique and even sophisticated ways.
Psychiatrically, and psychologically, an individual with their own agency (not informed by a psychotherapist or psychoanalyst) might choose actions that lead to flourishing, or well-being, in conversation with someone, or on their own, because they might have engaged the idea of agency (via words). (And perhaps they head to a good psychiatrist if they aren't making choices that lead to flourishing, or because they're making poor choices, agency-wise, - and leading to a lack of well-being). Language can help - both with a) the idea that we have agency (as one thinks about this), and b) that conversation can open possibilities in ideas about how to develop agency. The Desiderata - https://www.desiderata.com/desiderata.html - as a poem of agency? (Am appreciative too of George explicitly not giving advice, because reasoning-wise, consciously too, and philosophically, to be able to give good advice may entail being in the other persons 'shoes' - which is logically impossible; appreciating that George was both conscious or aware of this, and that he was able to express this (about his logically not giving advice). That said, he as an experienced clinician seemed to be able to 'free up' people's agency, in my experience of him and understanding his thinking.
Am appreciating, too, the 'problem solving,' Western analytical and philosophical approaches too which George took with conversants - and regarding the human problems and issues that emerge with people. It's a very grounded - re realist - way of thinking, and focusing, too, on the symbolic (rather than the mirror register) per Lacan's 3 registers. Ah language - and agency. (George had a different reading of Lacan than - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/lacan/ - based on reading primary texts and studying Lacan in depth, but this philosophical article is a fairly, and unusually, salutary writing on or about Lacan's thinking; ah, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:).
What do you think about agency? How have you thought about human's capacity to act - about yours or individuals you know, and consciously? Am seeking to find some examples re Cuttyhunk or DC (or Pgh) for you, for example, to make this personally relevant - and not abstract, - and will let you know if some come to mind. (Acting to find a mate, perhaps, David?)
Consciousness re agency raises a whole series of other questions - and how to make these personally meaningful and relevant are fascinating questions too :)
Ma, I know from his giving a talk at Stanford someone named Raj (Chetty) - https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/14/18520783/harvard-economics-chetty - who's an economist interested too in the poor, and also a house master at Harvard. You mentioned Raj on the phone this evening in relation to the Beacham House film you were going to watch after we hung up.
I think Raj Chetty receives my big educational project's emails, and also could probably do the math for UBI experiments to distribute a single cryptocurrency to 7.5 billion people, and significantly to alleviate poverty (since I think too he grew up in India, where there is still much poverty, sadly).
Alden, have you seen Beecham House by any chance? :)
Warmly,
Scott
Hello Ann and Ma,
I hope this finds you well. How was your weekend, and how are you both? It's been hot here this weekend in the afternoons, but generally nice otherwise.
How are things going coronavirus tail end wise for you (into phase 3 in Boston and planning for physical school openings there in autumn), - or until a vaccine is found perchance? Is this pandemic mostly of an 'in case of emergency' variety I wonder (eg the threat of planes dropping biological viral agents, hypothetically, and that got too close to reality for comfort)?
Just had a lovely walk around the far side of the massif overlooking Moraga past Indian valley, albeit in not quite cool enough weather.
Chris, Would you like to explore some sailing questions brainstorming-wise with regards to https://wiki.worlduniversityandschool.org/wiki/Sailing (check out the best STEM CC-4 OpenCourseWare) and especially in a realistic virtual earth for everything (am thinking Google Street View with time slider / Maps / Earth / Google Oceans )? Regards, Scott (worlduniversityandschool.org and scottmacleod.com) (I've taught sailing too in the Cuttyhunk Yacht Club).
STEM refers to science technology engineering and mathematics, CC-4 refers to creative commons' 3 licensing (which says that people or organizations can 1) share, 2), adapt, but 3) non-commercially), for example, CC-4 MIT OpenCourseWare.
2nd picture down - https://cuttyhunkyachtclub.wildapricot.org/About - is the CYC where little sailing classes were held in the basement, and in what ways could one even develop the virtual experiences of heading along the road to the CYC dock, put a Laser in the water, and heading out racing (in a digital mask?) ... but in many innovative ways ...(Outward Bound experiences from home as well, due to coronavirus pandemic, and thanks too to VR? )
Thanks. Interesting stuff. In my considered opinion, Outward Bound and the philosophy of its founder, Kurt Hahn, are part of the solution to what ails education and society in general. The Hurricane Island Outward Bound School is not running course b/c of pandemic, a serious problem for tuition dependent non-profit. There might be an interesting nexus.
Scott MacLeod sent the following messages at 9:49 AM
Re Outward Bound and their philosophy (really enjoyed Outward Bound courses I took in school decades ago - at experimental Green Acres in Rockville MD), and re non-profit & tuition, CC-4 MIT OCW-centric (but WUaS can't use the MIT name) wiki World Univ & Sch, of which I'm the founder and head (currently), WUaS is seeking reimbursement from departments of education thanks to the CC-4 non-commercially attribute, and that WUaS can't ask therefore for tuition from students.
Collaboration possibilities? WUaS is seeking both to generate the connectivity of Outward Bound team experiences, and the physicality at home as well ... online ... Hmmm ...
Chris Rokous sent the following message at 9:56 AM
Re Outward Bound - am focused in innovative and theoretical Makey Makey way on the actual-virtual, physical-digital - and even brainstorming-wise on actual-virtual Lego Robotics ... If "Outward Bound For Sailing" then "Outward Bound for Lego Robotics"? physically ? Could you see this Chris, at all?
When I was on HIOBS admin team (as Development Director) I always pushed for OB to imagine new partnerships/collaborations, particularly to assist parents and schools/businesses in the art of leadership cultivation.
Scott MacLeod sent the following message at 10:07 AM
I'm not sure if First Lego League (with much activity in New England) would relate here ... but how to generate Outward Bound experiences digitally and way beyond in group video
Right now? or in 5 minutes, or when?
Chris Rokous sent the following message at 10:09 AM
I've wondered whether he might become the President of Harvard before ... but his brother seems very active in Massachusetts' politics ... (am appreciative much of his parent's thinking as well)
Chris Rokous sent the following message at 10:21 AM
I'm an anthropologist who also finds fascinating the internet, ideas, poetry, sociology, art, science, philosophy, history, music, love and life ~ as well as the anthropology of information technology & counterculture :) -
scottmacleod.com
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