http://deisidaimon.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/before-supersense-%e2%80%93-supersense-and-simon%e2%80%99s-scissors/ Superstition as a natural phenomenon Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:15:47 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 http://deisidaimon.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/before-supersense-%e2%80%93-supersense-and-simon%e2%80%99s-scissors/#comment-1404 After Supersense « Just Another Deisidaimon Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:22:12 +0000 http://deisidaimon.wordpress.com/?p=397#comment-1404 [...] that would take a fair bit more reading and thinking. Certainly, I feel that the comments I made in my initial entry about this book still feel relevant but definitely too simplistic to accommodate more than a little to what Bruce is [...] [...] that would take a fair bit more reading and thinking. Certainly, I feel that the comments I made in my initial entry about this book still feel relevant but definitely too simplistic to accommodate more than a little to what Bruce is [...]

]]> http://deisidaimon.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/before-supersense-%e2%80%93-supersense-and-simon%e2%80%99s-scissors/#comment-1319 Tom Rees Wed, 13 May 2009 20:49:20 +0000 http://deisidaimon.wordpress.com/?p=397#comment-1319 I think he does cover this - in the section on the Ship of Theseus and subsequent sections. I think your hypothesis does provide some evolutionary explanations for essentialism. But doesn't explain the full weirdness of it. The bit about Sam's squiggle, and then also the copier machine in the next chapter, suggest that essentialism depends on beliefs about the object. If the object is not just valued, but has personal meaning, then it has additional, essential qualities. I think he does cover this – in the section on the Ship of Theseus and subsequent sections. I think your hypothesis does provide some evolutionary explanations for essentialism. But doesn’t explain the full weirdness of it. The bit about Sam’s squiggle, and then also the copier machine in the next chapter, suggest that essentialism depends on beliefs about the object. If the object is not just valued, but has personal meaning, then it has additional, essential qualities.

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