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(em português, incluindo um artigo traduzido do livro → sol2070.in/2023/10/Princ%C3%ADpios-do-descentralismo)

"... we are in a period of excess centralization. It is demonstrable that in many functions this style is economically inefficient, technologically unnecessary and humanly damaging. Therefore we ought to adopt a political maxim: to decentralize where, how and how much is expedient." ... "It is not “anarchy.” (But of course most Anarchists, like the anarcho-syndicalists or the community-anarchists, have not been “anarchists” either, but decentralists.)" Paul Goodman (in 1964)

Ursula Le Guin was the one who led me to read Paul Goodman (1911 - 1972), referring to the American intellectual as the anarchist who most influenced her.

"Drawing the Line Once Again: Paul Goodman's Anarchist Writings" is a short book that brings together articles on topics related to anarchism. Perhaps it's not the best book to introduce the author. I felt that many of the articles were a bit dated: as they weren't originally intended as a book, they make frequent references and are even based on news stories from the time, for example.

But I really liked the sharp analysis and pragmatism. One example is the article "Some Prima Facie Objections to Decentralism", which I liked the most.

It's about a basic principle of anarchism, decentralization at (almost) all levels. Answering frequent questions from young people, Paul introduces how this could actually be implemented.

(em português → sol2070.in/2023/09/Fic%C3%A7%C3%A3o-sobre-IA-oldschool )

I read the novel "Galatea 2.2" (1995) because I had become a big fan of Richard Powers, for his book "The Overstory". It's about a writer who is asked to train a neural network -- in the "old-fashioned way", with 90s tech -- to pass a test by commenting on literary classics. Had she developed a genuine subjective awareness?

I'd give an 8. I was disappointed that it wasn't as strong as "The Overstory", but that was only my half-unconscious expectation. It's not science fiction like I'm used to, being much more "high literature" than I imagined, but it was a nice surprise. There is, for example, a very well-told love story. I was surprised at how involved I became, as this is a genre that usually doesn't appeal to me.

Much of the story is based on Powers' own biography. I liked it a lot, but the writer's egotrips can make those who read it expecting only scifi impatient.

Although it was written almost 30 years ago, the moving reflection on what is consciousness or life remains relevant today. And the technical details are believable, as the author has also worked as a programmer.