[ExI] Fwd: Raymond Smullyan

Max More max at maxmore.com
Thu Feb 16 11:48:45 UTC 2017


I have to confess that The* Tao is Silent* has sit on my bookshelf for way
too many years (okay, decades), partly unread. But didn't he contribute to *The
Mind's I?* (Which I definitely read all the way through.)

Sorry to hear that he met his extinction without taking the sensible option
of cryonics. It's not unlikely (even today) that he had heard nothing about
it, other than possibly in fiction.

Two comments, one a bit crusty: 97 is a pretty good age to die? I find that
hard to imagine. Possibly it was true for R.M. (although what I read of his
suggests otherwise). 97 is ridiculously young to die, assuming he wanted to
keep learning and exploring (assuming a rejuvenated brain and restored
cognitive energy.)

My other comment (based on very old and unreliable memories) is that,
although I find it hard to take Taoism and its pre-scientific speculations
especially seriously, Smullyan took it in an especially interesting
direction. Most self-advertised combinations of "Western and Eastern"
thought seem to be close to worthless. [Mention Deepak Chopra and I may
feel compelled to "school you" in the harshest way possible. :) ] Based on
my sadly-faded memories, Smullyan was surely an exception.

I hate to any mind with potential go to waste. Especially exceptional ones.

--Max




---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: spike <spike66 at att.net>
Date: Sun, Feb 12, 2017 at 11:52 AM
Subject: Re: [ExI] Raymond Smullyan
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>






*From:* extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] *On
Behalf Of *John Clark
*Sent:* Sunday, February 12, 2017 9:13 AM
*To:* ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
*Subject:* [ExI] Raymond Smullyan



I was sorry to hear that the great logician Raymond Smullyan died on
February 6 at the age of 97. I

​first ​

read

​"​

The tao is silent

​" many years ago and it is still one of my favorite books. ​



 John K Clark







Doh damn.  I really liked Tau is Silent as well.



97 is pretty good in any case.  I didn’t even know he was still alive until
I heard he wasn’t.



spike

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-- 

Max More, PhD
Strategic Philosopher
Co-editor, *The Transhumanist Reader*
http://www.amazon.com/Transhumanist-Reader-Contemporary-Technology-Philosophy/dp/1118334310/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372225570&sr=1-1&keywords=the+transhumanist+reader
President & CEO, Alcor Life Extension Foundation
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