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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121">Hi everyone,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#212121">This week’s speaker in the University of Sydney Philosophy Seminar Series is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Alex Horne (Sydney).<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121">The title of<span class="apple-converted-space"> Alex</span>’s talk is “The Self-improvement machine”. Here’s the abstract for<span class="apple-converted-space"> the</span> talk:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#212121">Suppose that in the not-too-distant future, scientists invented a self-improvement machine. The machine adds a chip into your brain which contains lots of new information and helps you conform more readily with the norms of epistemic
and practical rationality. As a result of the procedure, many of your priorities, interests, values and tastes are quite different from what they were before entering the machine. Despite the obvious benefits, I am reluctant to step into the self-improvement
machine. That is, I am reluctant to risk losing my present attachments, values, preferences and desires even where I<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>know</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>that losing them in the machine meant they
were<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>irrational</i>. This sounds odd and yet, I suspect I am not alone in feeling a degree of disquiet at the prospect of undergoing such a procedure. My hunch is that exploring the source of this disquiet can
help us better understand the relationships between agency, identity, morality and self-improvement of the more “organic” variety.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#212121">The talk will take place on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="jtukpc">Wednesday the 6<sup>th</sup></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="jtukpc">of September at 3:30 p.m.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in
the Philosophy Seminar Room (N494) in the Quadrangle and will be simulcast via Zoom:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/88699564848" title="https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/88699564848"><span style="color:#0078D7">https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/88699564848</span></a>.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:#212121"> </span></span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#212121">The talk will be followed by drinks and informal discussion at a nearby venue. All welcome!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#212121">Enquiries about the seminar series can be directed to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:ryan.cox@sydney.edu.au" title="mailto:ryan.cox@sydney.edu.au"><span style="color:#0078D7">ryan.cox@sydney.edu.au</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:black">Ryan Cox<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:black">Associate Lecturer in Philosophy</span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:black">Discipline of Philosophy</span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:black">School of Humanities</span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:black">University of Sydney</span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:black"><a href="mailto:ryan.cox@sydney.edu.au" title="mailto:ryan.cox@sydney.edu.au"><span style="color:#0078D7">ryan.cox@sydney.edu.au</span></a></span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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