The Good Place

Anyone else see this?

Anyone else see this?

Yes, have watched both seasons. Not bad as a light comedy - I like Ted Danson since his days on Cheers. This uses the usual Heaven & Hell of biblical conceptions complete with angels and demons and the whole tone is a little sarcastic or intentionally ironic. However, like most US comedies there's the moral in the tale and they don't even have to disguise it because that's the whole point: morality. So they do introduce a few interesting ethical dilemmas for the viewer to consider - often complete with reference to some classical philosopher. For example, is there a selfish motivation for your good deed, act of kindness or forgiveness? It reminds me of the time while driving my car when I slowed to let someone in from a side street only to be offended when he didn't acknowledge with a wave. Of course, I chided myself for expecting appreciation when the act should, like love, be unconditional. 

Another interesting exploration is whether the AI in the form of a computer generated woman (which should not, of course, possess a soul) can really feel love. And, of course, how we might feel about whether it should or not.

I loved most of the first series, was less enthusiastic about the second.... 

Some interesting - and some highly amusing - notions in the storyline.  Kinda lost its way for me somewhere along the line though.  Maybe inevitable?

At least one more series upcoming....probably one too many.     Novelty value applies only when it's novel.....

I enjoyed this show. Its creator wanted to explore the philosophical underpinnings of how people treat each other in fun, bite size, mainstream chunks.

Btw, Kristen Bell is excellent in it, and is very engaging in Marc Maron’s latest WTF podcast, out today.

Boomer Lives!

I enjoyed this show. Its creator wanted to explore the philosophical underpinnings of how people treat each other in fun, bite size, mainstream chunks.

Btw, Kristen Bell is excellent in it, and is very engaging in Marc Maron’s latest WTF podcast, out today.

Boomer Lives!

"Its creator wanted to explore the philosophical underpinnings of how people treat each other in fun, bite size, mainstream chunks."

Just curious, Malf. In your consensus reality, what does it matter how people treat each other. If you're a boomer, you won't be around in what amounts to the cosmic blink of an eye, why bother ?

"Its creator wanted to explore the philosophical underpinnings of how people treat each other in fun, bite size, mainstream chunks."

Just curious, Malf. In your consensus reality, what does it matter how people treat each other. If you're a boomer, you won't be around in what amounts to the cosmic blink of an eye, why bother ?

Great question. And exactly the one that philosophy used to explore when it had any use at all. It used to look outwards instead of in; how to live a fulfilling life in a community rather than self absorbed, dead end ponderings on experience and inner life.

There is a strong argument that any act of altruism performed by an atheist is purer than that done by a religious devotee, out to appease an all-seeing, judgmental father figure.

I suspect we learn early through our experiences that being a dick isn’t conducive to a happy life.

Great question. And exactly the one that philosophy used to explore when it had any use at all. It used to look outwards instead of in; how to live a fulfilling life in a community rather than self absorbed, dead end ponderings on experience and inner life.

There is a strong argument that any act of altruism performed by an atheist is purer than that done by a religious devotee, out to appease an all-seeing, judgmental father figure.

I suspect we learn early through our experiences that being a dick isn’t conducive to a happy life.

I must say, I've never really understood the assumption that if you're a materialist life must be meaningless.

It might make a kind of sense if materialism went along with determinism (and immaterialism went along with free will). But the mainstream materialist consensus these days seems to be anything but deterministic, and plenty of theologians have believed in predestination.

Great question. And exactly the one that philosophy used to explore when it had any use at all. It used to look outwards instead of in; how to live a fulfilling life in a community rather than self absorbed, dead end ponderings on experience and inner life.

There is a strong argument that any act of altruism performed by an atheist is purer than that done by a religious devotee, out to appease an all-seeing, judgmental father figure.

I suspect we learn early through our experiences that being a dick isn’t conducive to a happy life.

Wow, Malf - a couple of questionable assertions in there, don't you think? Introspection is a dead end? I think you'd find proponents (and many psychologists) arguing that learning to know and love ourselves is the first and essential step to loving anything and anyone.

And the atheist "pure altruism" you describe seems to be somewhat constrained by its own dogma just as much as the pious religious devotees it clearly despises. I can't believe that you don't see the contradiction contained in that sentence?

Referring back to my previous post, I wonder whether the goal of your own happy life is that selfish motivation I mentioned?

I haven't heard a compelling response to the existential quandary of defining meaning when subscribing to a purely scientific materialist worldview.  The "I create my own meaning" thing just seems so totally lacking and, quite frankly, arrogant.

I mean in one sentence the scientific materialist goes out of their way to show you how miniscule you are against the backdrop of the cosmos and in the next asserts with great pride their own, defined sense of meaning replete with an ethical construct stemming from, well, from some place undefined.

Odd, to me at least.

I must say, I've never really understood the assumption that if you're a materialist life must be meaningless.

It might make a kind of sense if materialism went along with determinism (and immaterialism went along with free will). But the mainstream materialist consensus these days seems to be anything but deterministic, and plenty of theologians have believed in predestination.

This is a reply below from Wormwood to Alaina over at Skeptiko. In my tenure there and here and elsewhere this pretty much echoes the sentiments of many. I wonder if Wrwd knows materialists are just as imaginative? Anyway, his real complaint is materialism takes away all of the things dearly believed such as the specialness of reality, humanity and specifically the individual. To put it another way materialists are party crashers. 

"That’s the way that mainstream materialists want us to feel. Don’t worry about it. It’s their loss. Their world view is extremely boring, unimaginative, depressing, and silly."