Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2021-06-14
Books mentioned on #191 – Daniel Schmachtenberger: Steering Civilization Away from Self-Destruction
Daniel Schmachtenberger is a philosopher interested understanding the rise and fall of societies and individuals. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: – Ground News: https://ground.
Daniel Schmachtenberger recommended The Collapse of Complex Societies by Joseph Tainter, and discussed Free Will by Sam Harris, A new kind of science by Stephen Wolfram, Reinventing the Sacred by Stuart A. Kauffman, Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard, Collapse by Jared M. Diamond, Engines of Creation by K. Eric Drexler, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, and Cultural Materialism by Marvin Harris.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Free Will
Free Will is a concise philosophical book by Sam Harris that argues humans do not possess conscious control over their actions.
Discussed“I remember when reading when Sam Harris wrote the book Free Will and then denet critiqued it and then there was some writing back and forth between the two”
Where to get it
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A new kind of science
A New Kind of Science by Stephen Wolfram is a sprawling foundational text that explores cellular automata, complexity theory, and alternative computational models for understanding the universe.
Discussed“wol from is a new kind of science I have only skimmed and read reviews of and not read the whole thing or his newer work since”
Where to get it
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Reinventing the Sacred
Discussed“one of Kaufman's you know more recent books after investigations and some of the real fundamental stuff was called Reinventing the sacred and it had to do with some of these exact questions”
Where to get it
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The Collapse of Complex Societies
The Collapse of Complex Societies by Joseph Tainter is an analytical history examining how and why civilizations fall apart over time.
Recommended“it's worth looking at books like the collapse of complex societies by Joseph tainter it does an analysis of that many of the societies fell for internal institutional Decay”
Where to get it
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Simulacra and Simulation
Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard is a philosophical treatise exploring the relationship between reality, symbols, and society in an increasingly mediated world.
Discussed“bodard in simulation and simulacra looks at a very different way of looking at how institutional decay in the collective intelligence of a system happens”
Where to get it
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Collapse
Collapse by Jared M.
Discussed“obviously Jared diamond made a more popular book called collapse”
Where to get it
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Engines of Creation
Engines of Creation by K.
Discussed“I actually really respect Drexler for emphasizing greu in engines of creation back in the day”
Where to get it
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Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is a foundational text of Eastern philosophy and Taoism that explores the nature of reality, effortless action, and spiritual enlightenment.
Discussed“this is why the first verse of the TA Ching is the da that is namable is not the Eternal da”
Where to get it
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Cultural Materialism
Cultural Materialism by Marvin Harris is an anthropological study that examines how infrastructural conditions, including technology and environmental constraints, shape the development of human culture and social institutions.
Discussed“Marvin Harris's work called cultural materialism looked at this deeply”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“like in uh heer's guide there's I think like a paragraph or a couple sentences”