Arquivo para a ‘Calm Technology’ Categoria
Zygmunt Bauman died (1925, 2017)
10
Jan
He died on Monday (9 January), the Polish sociologist (Poznan, 1925) who 
was of Jewish family, and fled his country and Nazism to the former Soviet Union, and was later a member of the Communist Party, from where Was expelled because of his works. He was a professor emeritus at the University of Leeds, where he passed away at 91 years of age. He created concepts such as liquid modernity and net love, but he did not understand the power of social networks, which he criticized harshly and did not adequately elaborate the crisis of modernity, predicting that it would go a long way until the inauguration of a new era, analyzing the crisis of the state.
Between works, still little read and analyzed, are like the Culture with Praxis (1973, without translation in Brazil), Challenges of the Modern World (2015) and The Wealth of Few Beneves All Us? (2015) because they are very recent.
I countered his book Lives Wrong I analysed in a post, the book The contempt for the masses, and also made analysis of his modernity locked in several posts, and also in another post I made a synthesis of his “liquidity” with the question of consciousness.
The last analysis we did of Bauman was an interview given to the newspaper El País in january 06 of the 2016, in which the newspaper itself affirms its pessimism. “His diagnosis of reality in his later books is highly Critical.”
Certainly his two works deserve to be read, he is a profound thinker, but I reaffirm my point of disagreement, although we live in times of setbacks, historically mankind has always managed to overcome its greatest difficulties on the path of progress for all, what we are living is An end to an “age” even though we do not know what will come next, there is certainly a demand for structural changes in society.
Coalition Presidentialism in Brazil
12
Dec
One can not confuse the present system in agony with legitimate forms of coalition, 
made from partisan programs or government programs, ways of creating governance in many systems of democratic governments worldwide.
The current Brazilian system, defined by the Brazilian sociologist Sérgio Abranches in 1988, therefore serves only for the Brazilian system and begins before the lulo-petismo (PT party and his chief), has become a way of managing the state in excuse relations between the executive and legislative power.
The recent denunciation of the Brazilian mega-construction company Odebrecht reveals scenes and mechanisms of how this was done during all these years and gradually reveals the true face of the interests of the State and the Brazilian people in the management of the country.
The consequences of this are still unpredictable, but it is true that conscious people want ALL involved to be punished, and there are few innocents in this whole lama.
This analysis, there are many others clear as the one that says that the social programs were important despite the crisis or that they were cause of the crisis, in my view both false, there is a Brazilian historical problem of the firmness of the institutions and their consequences for a stable future Of democracy and social progress (development and economic stability are important, but are of “neighboring” departments)..
Only a good definition of long-term institutionality can determine the possibilities for a country’s stable evolution in a chronic crisis that seems to have no end.
It is necessary to look at how Brazilian history has been characterized by the always turbulent coexistence of institutional elements that together produce certain recurring and often destabilizing effects.
These bases are easily seen in our republican tradition: presidentialism, federalism, bicameralism, multi-partyism, and proportional representation, but with the effects of small states where a deputy needs fewer votes than a larger state.
It is extremely naïve to think that this political-institutional institution has taken its stand by chance, still less fortuitously throughout our history, was thought by colonels and by the central power.
The contradictions of a social, economic, political and cultural nature that historically and structurally identify the process of our Brazilian social formation are ignored and neglected over many years of public policies to eradicate misery and to safeguard workers’ rights. People made it, in general, crumbs to “keep the people quiet”.
But we have certain important singularities in the aspect of long-term institutional stability, when we think of the social transformations that the country has undergone in the last four decades, and not two as some of the same presidentialism want of coalition, the structural degree of our society seems to be There is a consequent propensity for conflict.
With the United States, England and New Zealand being bipartisan systems, and deserving analysis separately, the representation of a maximum of 5 parties from Austria, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Japan, with 6 parties: Japan, Belgium, Finland and Australia.
A maximum of 5 parties with clear programs could be an important alternative to political stability in Brazil.
Is it possible to turn to a new world?
09
Dec
The prophetic sense of these new days are there: mass dissatisfaction, new wars
and new forms of nationalism, wars, famines and multitudes without homeland, but there is a positive sign.
Yes, the exhaustion of the productive forces, the abandonment of the disoriented masses and new forms of exploitation, the contempt for the older ones with reforms of the various forms of retirement on the whole planet also reveal a growing dissatisfaction, a cauldron.
Jesus’ comments on John the Baptist’s prophecy, and his way of assigning crowds also in a period of the relationship of the Roman empire to the colonies, among them Judea, and Jesus asked
John the Baptist lived in the desert, preached an ascetic and radical life, the biblical symbology that means lifeless places, but also full of hope in radical change, the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 11: 7-8), Jesus asks the crowd:
“The disciples of John departed, and Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John:” What did you see in the wilderness? A reed shaken by the wind? What did you see? A man dressed in fine clothes? But those who wear thin clothes are in the palaces of kings.”
The message is clear, it is not the men in thin, white-collared clothes, and they have found a “cane” agitated by the wind, a poor and a prophet announcing a new time, he will come, even if religious continue to make a fundamentalist reading , The new time is now and a new world is in management.
The childbirth will come, even if full of pain and difficulties, there will be a revival.
To o start a new world
08
Dec
The metaphor of childbirth is important if we consider that our policrise, the term
used by Morin to designate the present moment, is also the moment to be born something new, that inside the maternal-terrestrial uterus has no light and it is not possible to know how the unborn child will come.
Edgar Morin pointed out that the question of development, a term adopted in several countries to tell the way out of this crisis, in the book Introduction to Complex Thought said about this: “Development has two aspects. On the one hand, it is the global myth in which industrial societies achieve well-being, reduce their extreme inequalities, and provide individuals with the maximum happiness a society can afford. On the other hand, it is a reductive conception, in which economic growth is the necessary and sufficient engine of all social, psychic and moral developments. This technical-economic conception ignores the human problems of identity, community, solidarity and culture. ”
For those who still believe in the classic socialist revolution, says Morin in My Left, who questions the ideological paradigms still fashionable here in our “sad tropics,” I find a key idea for his policrisis on page 16: “An Invisible Component of Polycrisis Is the crisis of thought, “Morin calls polycentrism interdependent crises: economics, Western civilization, traditional civilizations, development, we are dealing with placebos the cancer of a decadent society,” then recognize the decadence and insufficiency of Social thought of this moment is fundamental for the birth of a new world.
It is necessary to rethink the thinking, to be able to move deeply in the structures, to ignore the multitudes, and to globalize the crisis there, precisely here is the possible meaning of this crisis, I believe as Morin: “favor economic, social, cultural , Everything that walks in the direction of the solidarity unit of humanity, “the rest is soccer fans, and even this one promises to settle after the Chapecoense soccer tragedy.
Fake news detector
05
Dec
The recent US elections, but also many others, have revealed a terrible way to c
ampaign politically, “planting” false news on fragile points of a certain politician.
Unfortunately social media, not to confuse with the networks of people, but only media, there are a large number of false news, there are already specialized websites denouncing them not only by the evil that do the particular person, but mainly to badly unmask a bad intentional..
They have come to the point of worrying companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter that try to create measures that combat these intentional lies, that is, they are only meant to confuse.
Now technologist Daniel Sieradski has developed a plug-in known as a BS Detector that indicates “questionable” sites that are used on Facebook and Twitter.
In Brazil, the site boos.org reveals, for example, rumors such as “video inside the airplane of the Chapecoense”, “clandestine cocaine factory in Bangu”, “NASA confirms land will have 6 days of darkness in December 2016” , etc. etc.
But we can take 3 simple steps to prevent us from propagating this false news: 1) even if it favors our position to investigate whether what we are reading is true and NEVER disclose it on impulse; 2) bombastic news will usually be confirmed in the press and wait for public agencies to confirm them, CONSULT PUBLIC SITES, and, 3) even if the news is true never divulge it in a way to cause PANIC.
The device created by Sieradski, as reported by the BBC News, puts a red stripe that reads: “This site is considered a questionable source,” and denies Mark Zuckerberg Facebook that it “would be unable to substantively address the proliferation of false news On its platform, “the plug-in already has more than 25,000 installations since launch.
BS Detector Sieradski says it will evolve: “I and other open source developers spend many more hours improving their functionality,” he told the BBC.
The prophet John the Baptist and cultural change
02
Dec
John the Baptist went to the desert, where he lived and preached an ascetic life, 
and talked about the radical change of life as a form of conversion, this implies a cultural change, a new route to life, this is a good proposal for Brazil today: Cultural change.
The first is to take place by force, we need a more austere life because the money has shortened except for some Maharajas, and then a cultural change of less facilities, ie easy loans and low interest, generalized spending and indefinite debts.
Of course the conversion that the prophet John the Baptist preached a “religious” life change, but it is not separated from a cultural change, that is, habits, customs and also values.
What the Sadducees and Pharisees of the time wanted, liberation from the heavy taxes of the Roman empire, and assurance of going to the kingdom of God by the observance of rules and “rites,” the Jews of this time espoused a certain ritual purity in matters such as Washing their hands, not doing work on Saturdays and other rites that are more social than religious.
The Pharisees were more popular and advocated an “oral Torah”, that is, that transmitted by the oral tradition, while the Sadducees were more aristocratic, members of the high society, defended a more sober interpretation of the Torah, without falling into ritualisms and rigor, but Both came closer to John the Baptist out of fear than out of real change of heart.
What happens today in relation to public openness, the fear of the law that promises to harden with the corrupt, causes many to change the discourse, but without changing the attitude, defend the punishment but of the “others”, as if it were possible to make a Casual law, for some only.
It is necessary to change, whether or not like “popular” Pharisees or “aristocratic” Sadducees, this could mean a cultural change in the country, increasingly necessary for a country in crisis.
Were is the world going?
25
Nov
This happens to me often, I go into a bookstore to see a book and another jumps 
right into my mind, the phenomenon is less common on the internet, and they say it scatters.
Wherever the world goes, Edgar Morin seemed to want to confide me something, about Trump unlikely, about ecology perhaps, the book is from 2007, although the Brazilian edition of 2012.
Sometimes I skip the preface, but this one by François L`Vonnet is very good, starts talking about the construction of a solitary work, although Morin so often spoke of the woman.
L ‘Yvonnet’s preface speaks of his “original work, one of the most consistent of our age, which makes complexity a fundamental problem and a new paradigm.” (Preface, page 7).
It speaks of the emptying of man, helped “to shatter it, to fragment it, depriving it of its multidimensional richness (its identity is both biological, psychological and social)” (ibid., page. 8).
For L’Yvonnet the human being must be enriched with all its contradictions. The thought must be’dialogical ‘, capable of letting the contraries flow, which complement each other and fight each other. “(Idem, page 8).
He repeats Heraclitus, “living from the dead and dying of life,” recalls the anthropological pseudo-syntheses of man “man is not only homo’s pacifiers” (while he knows and knows that he knows), “faber” (Calculator and moved exclusively by personal interest), concepts that are not only reductive (and narcissistically valuable), which put the human being in a corner, that is, isolate him from everything “(idem).
Man is “equally and indissolubly” (while inventing, imagining or killing) and “ludens” (while amusing, exalting, weaving).
Morin’s new humanism and examination of the future “resists any blissful reconciliation or optimism.” (Ibid.), But proposes a “planetary humanism, which brings about an awareness of the” Homeland “as the community of destiny that is the source of perdition” (idem)..
This is just a tasting, so we can talk to “Where is the world”.
MORIN, E. Où va le monde ?, Paris: L`Herne, 2007
Technology and larvae
23
Nov
We are reading topic 3 of Chapter I: Technology and the Larvae, from Peter Kreeft’s 
book: The Best Things in Life, and .the questioning is what is in fact the product of technologies.
Socrates will question what is “serious science” that was how the biotechnologist Marigold refers to his valued work, Socrates says that Science comes from “scio” which means “I know”, as techn of “know how to do”, and says Which is a kind of magic, and it was in the medical age that magic and science were born, we are on page 48 in brazilian edition.
When they return to the question of age they penetrate the heart of the book, what would be the best answer to an even more important question, the question of summum bonum, the supreme good..
Remember that the previous dialogue had ended with the idea if a good winemaker could offer wine to an alcoholic, Peter Pragma returns the conversation because now he wants to know what he wanted to know what good life is, and now he begins to understand that he must know what it is the good.
MARIGOLD: … What is more important than the conquest of nature? And besides, there were not thousands of different answers, different religions and philosophies, myths, creeds, codes and cults?
SOCRATES: Yes, but they all had one common motive, which was the opposite of their technology.
MARIGOLD: One reason? And why is not something obvious then? Do not understand. SOCRATES: Perhaps because it is too obvious to be perceived by eyes full of maggots.
MARIGOLD: Enough! What is?
SOCRATES: They all agreed that the most important thing in life was to somehow conform the human soul to objective reality. His philosophy of “conquest of nature” believes that the most important thing is to conform objective reality to the desires of the human soul.
Marigold will say that this is progress, then go through the discussion of the existent gods, Socrates will argue if there is a common principle in beliefs, from there go to the discussion about what is the higher profession, which would seek the superhuman and come back the idea Whether it is possible to dominate nature or conform it to man. Finally they return to the question of practice, Marigold will say that philosophy does not kill hunger, to which Socrates argues that it is still not a supreme good, and which would be the higher good.
PETER: That’s the first question, is not it, Socrates? If there are no gods, then technology is superior, for there is nothing to conform to, and we must make nature conform to us. What else should be done?
Socrates, the good life and technology
22
Nov
Before ending the liberal education chapter, Socrates recalls his famous frase:
“knowing oneself” and takes up the idea that “an unexamined life is not worth living”, as his interlocutor Peter Pragma leaves for Grab a coffee and brainstorm. In topic 3 of chapter I: Of the technology and the larvae, the friend who had gone to have a coffee came across the broken machine and said that he would become a technician.
Socrates recalls the short-lived and simplistic character of choosing a profession, and Peter claims that he can not stand any more interrogations, so Socrates thinks of a way to change the very methodology that is the question, “maybe there is a way” and Peter is encouraged.
But it would be illogical for Socrates to abandon his method, which he does is call a young girl named Marigold Measurer (something like measuring the Daisies, explains the footnote on page 42), the girl agrees but is intrigued by Socrates, psychologist.
But Socrates says, quite to the liking of a more contemporary philosophy, that he is a “sort of conscientiologist … I am a philosopher,” Marigold asks if it is his department, which he readily refutes, it would be contradictory to have a philosophy department, already That philosophy is not a department..
The conversation unfolds with Marigold maintaining a certain secret of his work, but reaffirming that the works today have a certain “hierarchy” and questions the place of the philosophy, and finally Marigold says that works with genetic engineering.
Socrates then questions the role of technology in subordinating nature and suggests that we are only “friends” of it, asks “why would you like to conquer your mother? We only conquer our enemies, “is on page 45.
Asked if he would not be afraid to “lose control” of his work, Marigold claims that his work is serious, to which Socrates asks if a wine producer is sober, “would it be right for him to give his product to an alcoholic?” Page 46.
The dialogue on technology is still going on, but we can keep Socrates’ question.
KREEFT, Peter. The best things in life. Illionois; IVPBooks, 1984, (edition Portuguese: Campinas: Ecclesiae, 2016).
Trolls is not trolling
11
Nov
I went to watch the cartoon Trolls,
with my niece to disguise, much more childish than Frozen, the message is more interesting because it is collective and not Manichean.
The film is in second place at the box office behind “Doctor Stranger,” and I think it’s worth it for now, according to ComScore data, the premiere of “The Light Between Oceans” can change these positions.
The story of Trolls is a sad community that has the only hope of living happiness devouring the Trolls, there being a special day of trollicide (day of eating trolls), the analogies with economic empires and the vision of exploitation of peoples, who are actually happy, And this is already a non-Manichean vision, it is very interesting, just like the final proposal.
The DreamWorks film is directed by Mike Mitchell (director Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 (2011) and SpongeBob SquarePants: A Hero Out of Water (2015)) and Walt Dohrn (Shrek creators), screenplay by Glenn Berger and Jonathan Aib, the dolls Trolls appeared in commerce in 1958.
Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is an arrogant surgeon who, after losing his hands in a car accident, sets off on a quest for healing and ends up finding redemption as the greatest magician in the Marvel universe.
Doctor Derrickson is a director, and a team writes the script: S. Robert Cargill, Jon Spaihts, Joshua Oppenheimer, Thomas Dean Donnelly and Scott Derrickson himself.
