Consciousness and the Probability of Being: The Origin of the Particualr "I"

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About Stochastic Books...

What does “Stochastic” mean?

A stochastic event is an occurrence that can be profitably analyzed using the tools of probability; that is, one may properly apply the discipline and laws of chance in an attempt to predict the next occurrence of a particular event.

And what is a Stochastic Book?

Science and philosophy do not lightly relinquish to chance the explanation of a newly recognized physical conundrum or process. If a newly discovered phenomenon can be explained using a deterministic paradigm, it will be. And it should be.

However, if it becomes apparent that there is no alternative, we discover the surrender of deterministic approaches to the realm of chance. Usually this is an ambiguous, ill-defined occurrence. It has the aura of a "nonevent"—a tacit, slowly growing realization among principals that perhaps this is a venue best governed by that unsavory agent: "chance." The unspoken surrender is never orchestrated, never publicly announced, never documented, and never unanimously supported.

Unfortunately, the "nonevent" frequently sets the unexplained issue adrift for integration into various new age and religious paradigms. Almost immediately, the puzzle is "resolved" by a plethora of supernatural hypotheses. This is not new; even before there were philosophers and scientists, man was relying upon intricately weaved supernatural explanations of natural phenomena to get him through the night.

The charter of Stochastic Books is to dignify the role of abstract chance as a causal agent and to endorse the practical application of probability theory where it is justified. We endorse its use in all arenas of life, not just those strictly nonmetaphysical topics normally assigned to statistical science. Probability theory is valid science, and it has a world of application. We will hold to empirical evidence in all intellectual pursuits of mankind and ungrudgingly accord abstract chance the recognition and merits the impartial operative deserves—when and where it is due.

Further, we will highlight its misuse; for example, the incorrect use of genes (the origin view) to answer the question, “Why does my individual ‘I’ exist?” And our personal favorite, the absurd use of tornadoes and junk yards by delighted creationists everywhere to demonstrate that random chance cannot create life (or Boeing-747s). *

Our first offering, Consciousness and the Probability of Being, examines the applicability of the discipline of probability to the origin of individual subjectivity. For decades the rules of probability have been misused in attempts to explain the origin of the "I" by calculating the odds of particular gene sequences. The probabilistic approach taken in this book to address this almost metaphysical arena is a completely new one. We hope that you will enjoy the voyage.