Cognitive revolution and inner anxiety

Existence precedes essence. i viewed a discussion. between a historian Yuval Harari and a Peking University philosophy professor and i sense what the Chinese saying calls a chicken n a duck talking to each other.Both are the same species of fowls but vastly different in form and function.The duck can swim but the hen cant The wild duck can fly high but the chicken cant .the cock can fight with his feet and sharp spurs n talons but the ducks web feet cant. Both intellectuals share common interest in study of humanity and the past.Wheteas Harari looks at the past and its impact on the present and the future,the Chinese professor is describing the past and its influence on the present Chinese culture and worldview. What i found lacking is a good professional English translator for the Chinese philosopher.His misuse of certain vocabulary in English gives rise to misunderstanding rather than deeper understanding of Chinese thoughts.He seemed to imply that the advantage of humans over machine intelligence is the humans have desires,emotions and values which machines lack.But he uses the word human deficiency which has impilication to have emotions is a lack or liability in humans.It contradicts his optimistic stance whereas Harari has a more pessimistic worldview. Harari articulates his ideas well in English so maybe a Chinese translator can do more justice to his analysis which the Goggle auto. translate will mess everything up. I feel more than I think that both intellectuals share the same reflection on the underlying Taoist and Buddhist philiosophy of traditional Chinese culture. The Taoist looks at the balance between extremes,No way is the Way whereas Harari has a Buddhist bias in his explanation on the middle path as he doesnt pinpoint the good or evil people in his causative narrative but keeps to the neutral stance. Not being arrogant about ones knowledge is a lesson i get from Hararis narrative about being a gifted student in an exceptional school for the gifted.He shows the humility of Chinese philosopical worldview,that a high mountain is overshadowed by even higher peaks while a strong swordsman can be defeated by an even better opponent. Its a chilling scenario that Harari paints of the risks of overreliance on non human entity to run and take over human institutions like legal,military or financial systems .His caution to reflect should be heeded as the technology could be misused to our detriment.Hararis Buddhist view on reality is in line with the philosophy of existentialism and the individuals freedom to choose and act but ultimately humankind has to face the consequences of its own choosing. Even his parting advice is very Buddhist in its thinking on the interdependence of all beings as the breath unites us regardless of barriers of race and language.Thats a deep philosophical thought for a historian but i would have love to hear the parting remark of the Chinese philosophy professor on the meaning of history as the Chinese often flaunt their civilized status as bearers of a 5,000 year old history.That would be a balanced viewpoint indeed that would fit the title Understanding as an Antidote