De Matrix Essay Trilogie
Op 21 september 2019 verscheen in Letter & Geest van het dagblad Trouw ter gelegenheid van de twintigste verjaardag van de iconische sciencefiction film The Matrix het essay 'The Matrix. Actueler dan in 1999'.
De oorspronkelijke Matrix Essay Trilogie verscheen in 2003 in NRC ter gelegenheid van de première van de tweede en derde film in de Matrix filmtrilogie.
Kant formuleerde de drie kernvragen van de filosofie: Wat kan ik weten? Wat moet ik doen? Wat mag ik hopen?
De gebroeders Wachowski lijken door deze drie vragen gebiologeerd te zijn in hun Matrix-filmtrilogie.
I Ontologische paranoia. The Matrix: Wat kan ik weten? NRC Handelsblad. Cultureel Supplement, 13 juni, 2003, blz. 21.
II Noodlottige vrijheid. The Matrix Reloaded: Wat moet ik doen? NRC Handelsblad. Cultureel Supplement, 20 juni 2003, blz.27.
III Posthumane doeleinden. The Matrix Revolution: Wat mag ik hopen? NRC Handelsblad. Cultureel Supplement, 14 november, 2003 blz. 23.
Beluister ook het interview voor VPRO Radio Cinema over de Matrix, dat eerder deze maand plaatsvond.
2019-01-21 (Nieuwsrubriek Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam) Zij kennen alle geheimen van blockchain
Fleur Willemsen. Zij kennen alle geheimen van blockchain. Interview met Jurgen Goossen en Jos de Mul. Nieuwsrubriek Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, 21 januari, 2019.
2018 was óók het jaar van de blockchaintechnologie. Niet alleen goudzoekers op zoek naar een bitcoinfortuin maken gebruik van deze technologie, maar ook de overheid waagt zich er langzaamaan aan. Hoe dat precies zit, vertellen blockchainexperts Jurgen Goossens (universitair docent staatsrecht) en Jos de Mul, hoogleraar wijsgerige antropologie.
2017-03-28 (Erasmus Today) Panic in the Polder
Geert Maarse. Panic in the Polder. Interview with Jos de Mul. Erasmus Today, March 28, 2017.
Panic in the Polder or how the Netherlands can survive populism. Days before the Dutch elections professor Jos de Mul spoke on Erasmus Studio, presenting his book ‘Paniek in de polder’ (Panic in the Polder) in which he analyses the so called fight between ‘the people’ and ‘the elites’. He also explains the popularity of Donald Trump and Geert Wilders among populist voters. The question is: who are these populists? And is our democracy in crisis?
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
Marxism according to Groucho
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book."
"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'."
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana."
"From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down, I convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend on reading it."
"Humor is reason gone mad."
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception."
"I sent the club a wire stating, "PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT ME AS A MEMBER."
"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made."
"Learn from the mistakes of others. You can never live long enough to make them all yourself."
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it."
"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them...well I have others."
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies."
"One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I'll never know."
"Well, art is art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now, uh... now you tell me what you know."
"Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, and I'm going to be happy in it."
"If you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong."
"I'm not crazy about reality, but it's still the only place to get a decent meal."
"Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light."
"I have nothing but respect for you -- and not much of that."
"He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot."
"Some people claim that marriage interferes with romance. There's no doubt about it. Anytime you have a romance, your wife is bound to interfere."
"Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot."
"If a black cat crosses your path, it signifies that the animal is going somewhere."
"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it."
"A child of five could understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five."
"Whatever it is, I'm against it."
"Life is a whim of several billion cells to be you for a while"
"Just give me a comfortable couch, a dog, a good book, and a woman. Then if you can get the dog to go somewhere and read the book, I might have a little fun."
"While money can't buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery."
"Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough."
"I intend to live forever, or die trying."
"She got her looks from her father. He's a plastic surgeon."
"Why, look at me. I've worked my way up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty."
"Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped."
"I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury."
"Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men -- the other 999 follow women."
"Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted."
"Room service? Send up a larger room."
"Time wounds all heels."
"If you've heard this story before, don't stop me, because I'd like to hear it again"
"The trouble with writing a book about yourself is that you can't fool around. If you write about someone else, you can stretch the truth from here to Finland. If you write about yourself the slightest deviation makes you realize instantly that there may be honor among thieves, but you are just a dirty liar."
"Marriage is a wonderful institution...but who wants to live in an institution?"
"I am free of all prejudices. I hate every one equally."
"I don't have a photograph, but you can have my footprints. They're upstairs in my socks."
"Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms."
"Do you mind if I don't smoke?"
"Groucho: You know I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world?
Woman: Really?
Groucho: No, but I don't mind lying if it gets me somewhere."
"We'll meet at the theater tonight. I'll hold your seat 'til you get there. Once you get there; you're on your own."
"I must admit, I was born at an early age. "
The sovereign debt crisis or Sophie’s choice. On European tragedies, guilt and responsibility
Liesbeth Noordegraaf-Eelens and Jos de Mul, The sovereign debt crisis or Sophie’s choice. On European tragedies, guilt and responsibility. Heinrich Böll Stiftung. European Union. December 21, 2011.
Does it matter at all?
The year 2011 will probably be known for its quick succession of Euro summits. They all had a similar, tragic outline. Every summit started with good intentions: this would be the summit bringing the solution for the crisis. As a result, expectations ran sky high and financial markets lifted. As the summit came closer, expectations were moderated, ballyhooing tempered, rumors about failures spread, and possible solutions were put into doubt. During – or just before – the summit, it became clear that although some solution was to be expected, it definitely would not be the solution. For a moment markets had seemed relieved after the summits, but within a few days pessimism took over. Instead of restoring confidence the summit had further weakened it: once again it became clear that this was not the final solution; once again a new summit would be needed. Just as in Greek tragedy, every next step seems to bring us closer to the final catastrophe.
Database aesthetics
Jos de Mul. Database aesthetics. Weblog Jos de Mul.
The psychoanalyst Abraham Maslov once remarked that for someone who only has a hammer, everything appears to be a nail. For a globaliz ing culture, in which the computer rapidly has become the main instrument, the world becomes a gigantic database.
Beste Geert. Open brief aan Geert Wilders
Jos de Mul. Beste Geert. Open brief aan Geert Wilders. Ter gelegenheid van de publicatie van Paniek in de polder. Polytiek en populisme in Nederland. Zoetermeer: Klement.
Verzoening met het noodlot
Jos de Mul. Verzoening met het noodlot. Ter gelegenheid van de opening van de Maand van de Filosofie. Website Filosofie Magazine.
Vrijheid en identiteit: een strijdige harmonie
Jos de Mul. Vrijheid en identiteit: een strijdige harmonie. Gastcolumn voor Nationaal Comite Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei, 2009 (http://www.4en5mei.nl/)
‘Vrijheid en identiteit staan op gespannen voet met elkaar’, lezen we in de toelichting van het Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei bij het jaarthema 2009, waarin de relatie tussen de twee genoemde begrippen centraal staat . ‘Als de één zich sterk maakt ten koste van de ander, ontstaat er verstikkingsgevaar. Dan dreigen zowel de vrijheid als de identiteit het loodje te leggen’. Waar individuen of groepen hun identiteit superieur achten en die met verbaal of fysiek geweld aan anderen gaan opleggen, daar wordt de vrijheid van de ander geschonden. We hoeven niet ver in de geschiedenis terug te gaan om te beseffen welke dramatische gevolgen dit kan hebben. Het is één van de belangrijkste oorzaken van oorlogen. Omgekeerd kan het ruim baan geven aan de eigen vrijheid de identiteit van de ander kwetsen of schenden. In een wereld waarin mobiliteit en media maken dat individuen en groepen met verschillende identiteiten steeds vaker en intensiever met elkaar worden geconfronteerd, leidt dat al snel tot allerlei conflicten.
Gimme Shelter: Global Discourses in Aesthetics
Jos de Mul and Renée van de Vall (eds.) Gimme Shelter: Global Discourses in Aesthetics. Proceedings of an international symposium, organized by the Dutch Aesthetic Federation and the International Association of Aesthetics. Amsterdam, October 8-10, 2009. Online publication International Association of Aesthetics.
2014-12-30 (Sociale vraagstukken) Europa: beter ten halve gekeerd dan ten hele gedwaald
Jos de Mul. Europa: beter ten halve gekeerd dan ten hele gedwaald. Sociale vraagstukken. 29 december 2014.
In zijn lezing aan de Erasmusuniversiteit op 23 oktober 2014 bepleitte Jürgen Habermas om het democratische tekort in de EU op te heffen door de Europese burger een dubbele soevereiniteit toe te kennen. Filosoof Jos de Mul bracht daar tegenin dat de uitvoering van dit voorstel eerder spanningen zal oproepen dan solidariteit creëren tussen lidstaten en volkeren. We moeten voorkomen de culturele rijkdom van Europa op te offeren aan een neoliberale superstaat.
Net als Habermas hou ik van Europa. Een decennium na het einde van de Tweede Europese Burgeroorlog (WO II) geboren, had ik het geluk op te groeien in een democratische en vreedzame welvaartstaat, die mij in staat stelde de culturele rijkdom van Europa te genieten en te waarderen. Die liefde is alleen maar gegroeid gedurende de periode dat ik in de Verenigde Staten en China woonde en werkte, en ik me voor het eerst ten volle realiseerde dat ik behalve Nederlander ook Europeaan ben. Tegelijkertijd blijft Europa een mythisch fenomeen. Zelfs de meest basale vragen – Wat is Europa? Waar is Europa? Wanneer is Europa? en, in het bijzonder sinds de eurocrisis die de liefde voor Europa bij velen deed verkoelen, Waarom Europa? – zijn niet simpel te beantwoorden. Slechts één ding lijkt boven elke twijfel verheven: in de kern is Europa een moderne versie van de klassieke Atheense democratie. Tegelijkertijd is echter duidelijk dat de Europese democratie én de verworvenheden van de welvaartsstaat stevig onder druk staan. De oorzaak daarvan is een nauwelijks door de Europese natiestaten gecontroleerde, neoliberale markteconomie.
2014-10-10 (Rotterdam) Transnationalizing tragedy
Jos de Mul. Transnationalizing tragedy. Comment on Jürgen Habermas' lecture "How Europe faces the challenge of transnationalising democracy". Rotterdam, October 10, 2014.
Dear professor Habermas!
In the past decades, you have been an inexhaustible supporter of the Idea of Europe and of the European Union, as well as a profound analyst of the forces that threaten to undermine the ‘faltering project’ of Europe (to quote the title of the English translation of your book Ach, Europa). In the lecture you gave this afternoon, you focused on one of these threats: the democratic deficit of the European Union.
I fully share your enthusiasm for Europe. Just like you, my enthusiasm is closely connected with my personal history. Born a decade after the Second World War I had the privilege to grow up in a democratic and peaceful European welfare state, which enabled me, moreover, to enjoy the great variety of European culture. However, only in the past ten years, in which I had the opportunity to live and work in the United States and in China for some time, I became fully aware of the fact that I’m not only Dutch, but a European as well.
This does not mean that it is easy to define Europe. Europe in many respects remains a mythic phenomenon. Even the most basic questions – What is Europe? Where is Europe? When is Europe? and (especially since the Euro crisis that has strongly undermined the public support of the European Union) Why is Europe? – are very hard to answer.
Noble versus Dawkins. DNA Is not the program of the concert of life.
Jos de Mul. Noble versus Dawkins. DNA Is not the program of the concert of life. Translation of Dutch review, published in the weekly Vrij Nederland
Forty years ago Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene launched Neo-Darwinism to the general public. It is still as controversial as it was then. Philosopher Jos de Mul examines the case of Dawkins' biggest critic: Denis Noble.
Text: Jos de Mul
Illustration: Siegfried Woldhek
It is forty years since the publication of Richard Dawkins' book The Selfish Gene, published in Dutch as De zelfzuchtige genen. Over evolutie, agressie en eigenbelang. This text of 'orthodox neo-Darwinism’ (Dawkins' own words) sold 1 million copies in more than 25 languages. Probably since Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859) no other biology book has had such a huge influence both on general public understanding of what it is to be human, and on scientific research, not only in the life sciences, but also in the social sciences and humanities. It is a particularly radical book which with its brilliantly worded message - that organisms are not much more than temporary vehicles for their immortal genes – expresses a reductionist, dramatically deterministic and ultimately nihilistic image of humanity.
Next Nature. Sublime Natural and Technological Landscapes
Jos de Mul. Next Nature. Sublime Landscapes Technological and Natural Sublime. In: Nakama Yuko and Takenaka Yumi (ed.), An Anthropology of Landscape - On Representations of Nature, Cities and Memories. Tokyo: Sangensha, 2020, 50-77.
The Japanese version appeared in print as ジョス・デ・ムル、「次世代の自然─崇高なる自然科学技術的風景」 仲間裕子、竹中悠美編『風景の人類学─自然と都市、そして記憶の表象』 三元社、2020年, 50-77.
This English version has been published on the website of Sangensha Publisher.
Abstract
The development of the representation of the landscape in Europe since the 14th century Renaissance can be understood as a mirror of the development of modern and postmodern Western culture as a whole. After sketching the development of landscape representation in modern and postmodern Europe, the article focuses on the theme of sublimity, which, at least since the era of Romanticism, has been inherent to the European experience and representation of the landscape, both in its successive natural and technological manifestation. Against this background, the paper also discusses some striking differences between the European and the Asian landscape.
Keywords : NextNature, Sublimity, Sublime landscapes, European landscape, Asian landscape, natural landscapes, technological landscapes
The Total Turing Test. Eastern versus Western robotics
Jos de Mul. The Total Turing Test. Robotics from Japanese and European perspectives [Translation of the Japanese original: ジョス・デ・ムル . 総合的チューリング・テスト ─日本的観点およびヨーロッパ的観点からロボティクスを考える─ Ritsumeikan Studies in Language and Culture. Vol.31 (2020), Vol.32, no.2, 95-107.]
It’s a great honor and pleasure to be here again at the Graduate School of Sociology of Ritsumeikan University. I have wonderful memories of my 2016 stay in Kyoto as a guest professor.[1] It was a privilege to work with my Japanese colleagues – especially Yuko Nakama, with whom I have collaborated in the past decade in different projects about landscape and space – and to discuss with the students who attended my course at Ritsumeikan, on the relevance of Greek tragedy for understanding the human condition in our present, high-technological world. During my stay in 2016 I also spent quite some time researching android robotics in the Kansai region. Especially interesting were the visits to the Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories in the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) in Kansai Science City.
Although the subjects mentioned – landscape, tragedy, and robotics – seem to be quite diverse, my research in these fields share a comparative approach, bringing in dialogue Eastern and Western, more particularly Japanese and European perspectives in these three domains. In each of these domains we find striking similarities as well as fundamental differences. In my lecture today I hope to demonstrate this, taking the so-called Turing Test as starting point for a reflection on the similarities and differences of Asian and Western perspectives on and attitudes towards robotics.
In the first part I will analyze three recent Western science fiction movies in which the Turing test plays a prominent role. Although all three movies are fiction films, they reveal some important characteristics of the Western view on robotics. In the second part I will contrast the Western approach with the way the Turing Test is approached in Japanese robotics, more particular in social android robotics. Hiroshi Ishigiro’s ERICA (ERato Intelligent Conversational Android) will be my main example. In the third and final part I will I will argue that, in the final analysis, the difference in approaches in Western and Eastern robotics is closely connected with different religious worldviews, which even in a secularized world still inform robotics and AI research at a fundamental level.
Jos de Mul studied philosophy, art history and social sciences at the universities of Amsterdam, Utrecht and Nijmegen (The Netherlands). At present he is full professor Philosophy of Man and Culture at the Faculty of Philosophy, Erasmus University Rotterdam. He has also taught at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, 2007-2008), Fudan University (Shanghai, 2008), and Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto, 2016). In 2012 he became a visiting fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, USA. From 2005 to 2011 he was Vice-President of the Helmuth Plessner Gesellschaft, and from 2007 to 2010 President of the International Association for Aesthetics.