Metaphysics, Science, and Waking Up (dialogue with Roman Campolo)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 30 лип 2024
- 1:01 - Plato's View on the Physical World and Eternal Forms
5:01 - The Passive Nature of Eternal Objects and Active Role of Actual Occasions
12:00 - Metaphysics, Science, and Spirituality: Process Philosophy's Impact on Scientific Practice
22:08 - Reimagining Science as Relational and Value-Driven
35:04 - Integrating Moral and Spiritual Values into Scientific Inquiry
50:12 - The Relationship Between Suffering, Growth, and the Human Role in Evolution
55:05 - Contemplating Death, Continuity of Self, and Primal Wonder.
Roman and Matt delved into Whitehead's metaphysics, exploring its intersections with modern science and spiritual experience. Roman began by asking Matt about the distinction between Whitehead's eternal objects and Plato's eternal forms. Matt explained that although Whitehead was influenced by Plato, the two concepts are different. Plato saw the physical world as an imperfect imitation of an unchanging realm of forms, whereas Whitehead valued the process by which these forms become actualized in the physical world, emphasizing the dynamic nature of reality.
As their discussion continued, Roman sought to understand whether Whitehead's eternal objects are active influences. Matt clarified that in Whitehead's philosophy, eternal objects are passive, while actual occasions are the active elements that bring these objects into existence. This inversion of Plato's idea underscores Whitehead's focus on the processes of realization rather than static perfection.
Their conversation then shifted to the broader implications of metaphysics on science and spirituality. Roman inquired about how adopting a process philosophical viewpoint could transform scientific practice. Matt responded by critiquing modern science's historical drive to control nature, often leading to ecological and existential crises. He suggested that a Whiteheadian perspective would promote a more relational approach to science, one that emphasizes cooperation with nature rather than domination, potentially leading to more sustainable and compassionate practices.
Roman and Matt then explored the role of values in scientific inquiry. Matt argued for a reimagined science that treats knowledge as sacred and value-driven, rather than value-neutral. This perspective, he believed, could align scientific endeavors with broader human and ecological well-being, moving away from purely economic or militaristic goals.
Reflecting on the importance of abstraction and intuition in philosophy, Matt emphasized the need to ground philosophical abstractions in a wide range of human intuitions, including those that might seem irrational or spiritual. This inclusive approach, he argued, ensures that speculative cosmologies remain connected to lived human experiences.
The conversation also touched on the future of human knowledge and existence. Matt highlighted the potential for humans to positively influence the evolutionary process through compassionate and knowledgeable engagement with the world. While acknowledging the inevitability of suffering, he suggested that human efforts can reduce unnecessary suffering and enhance joy for all life forms on the planet.
They also pondered the relationship between suffering and growth, with Matt affirming that while suffering is inevitable, human actions can reduce unnecessary suffering and enhance overall well-being. When Roman raised questions about the nature of the self and continuity after death, Matt expressed his belief in some form of continuity, suggesting that karma creates a causal connection between lives. He likened death to a transition similar to sleep (or perhaps waking up from a dream!), implying ongoing spiritual development.
Ah, the lads.
6:25 eternal objects have a “lure of feeling” leading to psychic resonances and ingression.
...resonance, rhythm and rigor..... up through ...e-gression and in-gression with meta-gression, trans-gression and ultra-gression....
The feeling of the infinite seems like a dance with power and objects, if a person feels like they're in the middle of something, how can they know that while not knowing the end? Is it the end of the individual, or the end of the collective human, or does it keep moving outwards and inwards according to need, which is not intelligence as in being able to think of infinity, it's a feeling that is bound thru the center in this dance. Perhaps life (intelligence) is orthogonal to the fractal yet bound to that.
This was VERY beautiful to listen to!
Love the discussion around science!💕
An emerging and evolving integrally greater care for ...sense, science, and salience.... coming forth and going forward.
Eternal object as life that's meant to break, a shear pin holding the vertical expansion of the universe and the vertical shaft of creativity together. The horizontal pin contains the One and the Many in the way it breaks, one middle piece that stays in the shaft and two (or more) end pieces which concresce, with the superject as a new pin in an expanded universe.
around 35 min Matt says knowledge is sacred and it seems understanding is sacred, where information moves to knowledge then understanding. Knowledge by itself isn't tied to action as an autopoetic expression, which reduces trust, so I can trust someone's skills but not their person, which makes their skills irrelevant. It's possible that information is sacred also: I'll think about knowledge, thanks.
The thing about knowledge is that it can guide one thru two settings for compromise, where one compromises in the short term but not in the long term because that locks one into a lower level of perception. One uses pain killers as needed as opposed to an addict, and knowing of the addictive qualities helps avoid traps. Similar tricky mind mechanisms hold information in triggers that move one onto the philosophical silk road, perhaps. Past knowledge to understanding as peaks and valleys instead of a flat ontology, since it opens up and follows what's there.
also ritual as allowing the sacred, where the impact of the knowledge is a switch that has a certain threshold to cross, and this jump causes ripples that need time to subside or will corrupt the harmonics in a most discombobulating way. Switch bounce, avoided by allowance as intelligent as in the attention span.
~Hi. So many yeses, thanks.
I am doing the work... I'm trying to match God somehow... which is too much, too inflated.