Decoding the Enigma of Consciousness: Life, Cognition, and the Nature of Awareness | Evan Thompson
Release Date: 10/04/2024
The Crisis of Being
Dr. John Vervaeke
The Crisis of Being James Filler is a philosopher, theologian, and leading voice in metaphysics and post-Cartesian thought, specializing in substance ontology, the meaning crisis, and relational models of reason. With a PhD in philosophy and expertise in ancient and contemporary ontology, Filler is the author of Heidegger, Neoplatonism, and the History of Being Relation as Ontological Ground and Substance Ontology and the Crisis of Reason. His work traces the genealogical roots of modern nihilism and skepticism while advancing a powerful case for relationality, participation, and...
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The Return of the Sacred: Mysticism, Tradition, and the Challenge of Modernity
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Can artificial intelligence truly become wise? In this landmark lecture, John Vervaeke explores the future of AI through a lens few dare to examine: the limits of intelligence itself. He unpacks the critical differences between intelligence, rationality, reasonableness, and wisdom—terms often used interchangeably in discussions around AGI. Drawing from decades of research in cognitive science and philosophy, John argues that while large language models like ChatGPT demonstrate forms of generalized intelligence, they fundamentally lack core elements of human cognition: embodiment, caring, and...
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Lectern Q&As: The Virtue of Love | Featuring John Vervaeke, Ethan, and Ellie
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Welcome to a special installment of the Lectern Q&A! This month’s theme is Love as a Virtue and Existential Stance. This session dives into the nature of love—not just as a feeling, but as a participatory, person-making virtue that binds us to reality and each other. Joining John and Ethan is Ellie, who brings both a deeply reflective presence and insightful contributions to this exploration. Lectern Q&As are a monthly gathering where John and Ethan take questions from The Lectern’s members, threading through important themes that are most pertinent and perplexing to the...
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If you find yourself torn between rationality and spirituality, science and mysticism, facts and belief; The Lectern's inaugural 8-week course will offer you a new lens through which to reflect on these dilemmas. Click here to enroll: “What does it really mean to be authentic, and can this virtue be meaningfully understood and measured across psychology and philosophy?” John Vervaeke, Gregg Henriques and Matthew Schaublin embark on a discussion covering the concept of authenticity. The discussion explores authenticity as one of the premier virtues of modernity, comparing it with autonomy,...
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As AI continues to advance and integrate into our daily lives, can it truly be designed to align with our deepest human values and moral principles? If so, how can we ensure that AI not only understands but also respects and promotes our ethical frameworks, without compromising our privacy or hindering our personal growth and autonomy? John Vervaeke, Christopher Mastropietro, and Jordan Hall embark on a nuanced exploration of the intricate relationship between AI and human flourishing. They explore the concept of "intimate AI," a personalized guardian that attunes to individual...
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What if the deepest truth of reality lies not in substances or isolated things, but in the pure relationality that connects everything? John Vervaeke is joined by renowned scholar Douglas Hedley to explore James Filler's groundbreaking work "Heidegger, Neoplatonism, and the History of Being." John and Douglas examine the profound implications of viewing ultimate reality as fundamentally relational rather than substantial, uncovering significant convergences between Heidegger's later thought and the ancient Neoplatonic tradition. The dialogue goes into how Neoplatonic metaphysics offers potent...
info_outlineJohn Vervaeke and Evan Thompson continue the exploration of life, cognition, and consciousness, drawing from interdisciplinary collaboration and philosophical discourse. The discussion challenges reductionist perspectives in biology, examines organisms as autonomous agents, and questions the adequacy of current models to explain life's complexities. Consciousness is explored through presence and embodiment, while also debating the roles of large language models like ChatGPT in understanding cognitive processes. By integrating philosophical and phenomenological perspectives, the episode addresses the interconnectedness of consciousness, cognition, and life, transcending traditional mind-matter dichotomies and emphasizing the significance of embodiment in cognitive functions.
Evan Thompson is a philosopher and author, specializing in the integration of cognitive science, philosophy of mind, and Asian philosophical traditions. Based at the University of British Columbia, his work, including his recent book 'The Blind Spot', examines the intersections of consciousness, experience, and reality through a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach.
Immerse yourself in the groundbreaking insights of Evan Thompson's thought-provoking book, "The Blind Spot: Why Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience”
Notes:
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(0:00) Introduction: Welcome to the Lectern
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(0:15) Evan Thompson's Background and the Book 'The Blind Spot'
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(2:10) The Blind Spot in Perception: Cognitive Science, Asian Philosophy, and Mystical Insight
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(2:30) Revolution in Biology: Life, Cognition, and Consciousness
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(5:00) Autonomous Agents vs. Machines
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(11:30) Challenges to Newtonian Mechanics and Reductionist Ontology
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(22:00) Life as Self-Enabling, Not law-Entailing
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(32:00) Historical and Nomological Explanations in Biology
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(39:00) Epiphenomenalism
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(43:00) Debunking Computational Functionalism
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(45:00) Exploring Cognition and Relevance Realization
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(49:00) Limits of AI
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(51:00) The Energy and Social Costs of AI
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(1:00:00) Structures of Consciousness
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(1:08:00) The Primacy of Awareness and Embodiment
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(1:22:00) Concluding Thoughts and Future Discussions
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Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned in this Episode
The Blind Spot: Why Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience - book co-authored by Evan Thompson, Adam Frank, and Marcelo Gleiser
Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy - book by Evan Thompson
Why I Am Not a Buddhist - book by Evan Thompson
The Nature of Selection: Evolutionary Theory in Philosophical Focus by Elliott Sober
The Watchmen (comic series) by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
The Relevance Realization (paper) by John Vervaeke and colleagues
Chalmers' work on consciousness works by David Chalmers
The Visible and the Invisible by Maurice Merleau-Ponty
Neoplatonism
Hegelian Philosophy
Immanuel Kant
Alfred North Whitehead
Douglas Harding
Marcelo Gleiser
Quotes:
“Organisms are autonomous agents, not machines.” -Evan Thompson (4:00)
“Consciousness has the order of priority in terms of intelligibility or meaning.” -Evan Thompson (1:04:00)