Matthew Segall: The Cosmos Is Made of Consciousness

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

Curt Jaimungal

Physics, Philosophy, Society & Culture, Science

4.6 • 606 Ratings

🗓️ 24 December 2024

⏱️ 185 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Curt Jaimungal talks with Matthew Segall on the evolution of philosophical thought, linking ancient teachings on consciousness to modern science. They critique contemporary views of reality and argue that confronting mortality deepens meaning.0:00 Introduction1:35 The Roots of Process Philosophy4:47 The Rise of Nominalism8:26 The Evolution of Substance11:02 Descartes and the Dualist Divide21:34 Kant's Copernican Revolution33:08 The Nature of Knowledge37:42 Hegel's Dialectic Unfolds46:18 Schelling's Panpsychism56:50 Whitehead's Organic Realism1:22:17 The Bifurcation of Nature1:31:38 The Emergence of Consciousness1:38:37 The Nature of Self-Organization1:53:40 Perspectives on Actuality and Potentiality2:11:35 The Role of God in Process Philosophy2:23:55 The Human Experience and Self-Inquiry2:40:34 Reflections on Mortality and Meaning2:47:44 The Shift from Substance to Process2:58:02 Embracing Interconnectedness and Consciousness3:00:49 The Call for Inner ExplorationSPONSORS:- I personally subscribe to The Economist. TOE listeners get 35% off the annual subscription. No other podcast has this! https://economist.com/TOE- Curt Jaimungal Substack: https://curtjaimungal.substack.comRESOURCES:- Matthew's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Footnotes2Plato- Matthew's Hegel Diagram: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z1zY39EKbs- Matthew with John Vervaeke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15akhXGHwzo- Critique of Pure Reason: https://www.amazon.com/Critique-Pure-Reason-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140447474- Critique of Judgement: https://www.amazon.com/Critique-Judgement-Immanuel-Kant/dp/1545245673/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=- Phenomenology of Spirit: https://www.amazon.com/Georg-Wilhelm-Friedrich-Hegel-Phenomenology/dp/1108730086- 1919 Eclipse paper: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10.1098/rsnr.2020.0040- Einstein/Bergson debate: https://www.faena.com/aleph/einstein-vs-bergson-the-struggle-for-time- The Principle of Relativity: https://www.amazon.com/Principle-Relativity-Alfred-North-Whitehead/dp/1602062188- John Vervaeke's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke- John Vervaeke on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVj1KYGyesI- Philip Goff on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmaIBxkqcT4- Sabine Hossenfelder on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3y-Z0pgupg- Donald Hoffman on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmieNQH7Q4w- Karl Friston on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk4NZorRjCo- Iain McGilchrist on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9sBKCd2HD0- Thomas Campbell on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kko-hVA-8IU- Noam Chomsky on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?- v=3lcDT_-3v2k&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlORiRfcaQe8ZdxKxF-e2BCY&index=3- Michael Levin on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8iFtaltX-s&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlN6E8KrxcYCWQIHg2tfkqvR&index=39- Roger Penrose on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGm505TFMbU&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlN6E8KrxcYCWQIHg2tfkqvR&index=16- Neil Turok on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gwhqmPqRl4&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlN6E8KrxcYCWQIHg2tfkqvR&index=35- Consciousness Iceberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR4cpn8m9i0&ab_channel=TheoriesofEverythingwithCurtJaimungal- String Theory Iceberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4PdPnQuwjY Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I really have a strong suspicion that our current understanding of the physical world as this gargantuan space,
0:07.0	mostly empty, is just as short-sighted as the Ptolemaic conception of the solar system was 500 years ago.
0:15.0	To live your life backwards from the perspective of death affords you the greatest possibility of living a meaningful life.
0:22.9	Matthew Seagall is a professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies,
0:27.0	whose work bridges ancient views on consciousness with modern scientific insights.
0:31.6	In this conversation, we trace the development of philosophical thought from Plato and Aristotle's
0:36.8	understanding of substance
0:38.0	through Kant's transcendental idealism, non-dualism, and of course Whitehead's process philosophy.
0:44.4	We explore fundamental questions about the nature of reality. What is substance? How do
0:49.5	universals relate to particulars and what role does God play in different philosophical systems?
0:56.2	My name is Kurt Jymongle and on this channel I research mathematical physics and philosophy
1:01.9	in front of you in podcast form, bridging these disparate subjects and making abstract concepts
1:07.7	digestible while not skimping on nor being afraid of the technicalities.
1:12.6	Matt explocates expertly, all while keeping an eye on how these recondite ideas connect to you.
1:18.6	That is, how can any of these philosophies have real-world implications for how you live your life?
1:25.0	The discussion culminates in Matt's vision for how process thinking
1:28.7	may help us navigate our present potential civilizational crisis. To understand process philosophy
1:37.7	and how it led to Whitehead and then yourself, Matt, it's useful to provide a historical account starting with, say, Aristotle or even
1:47.0	Plato. Actually, your channel is named footnotes to Plato, so that may be relevant. Then we move on
1:53.1	to Descartes, Kant, Schelling, Hegel for sure, and then finally to Whitehead and how your views have
2:00.2	evolved from Whitehead.
2:02.4	Wow, okay, the whole history of philosophy, just to get things warmed up. I think I need to start
	...

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