“The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.”
–Alfred North Whitehead
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Whitehead and the Free Energy Principle: The Physics and Metaphysics of Information (dialogue with Tim Jackson)
Tim Jackson and I met for another thought jam to explore the interplay between contemporary physics, information theory, biology, and Whitehead’s process philosophy. We got into the ontology of abstraction and in the end found ourselves ruminating on the nature of reality in an increasingly technologically mediated world. Our conversation unveiled a shared concern: as Read more
Alfred North Whitehead, autopoiesis, Daniel Dennett, Darwin, Edmund Husserl, Evan Thompson, Francisco Varela, Graham Harman, Hume, Isabelle Stengers, Kant, Modern Philosophy, Schelling, speculative realism, William James
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The Metaphysics of Psychedelics (thoughts on Chris Letheby’s new article)
Here is a fantastic new publication on psychedelics by Chris Letheby: “Psychedelics: Recent Philosophical Discussions.”It will appear in T. Schramme and M. Walker (eds.), Handbook of the Philosophy of Medicine (Springer, forthcoming). The whole paper is worth a close read, as it provides a digestible summary of the major philosophical questions that have arisen during the last couple Read more
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Artificial Intelligence, Moral Imagination, and Spiritual Evolution (dialogue with Roman Campolo)
Roman and I had another wide-ranging dialogue. Topics traversed include: Read more
Alfred North Whitehead, Fichte, Goethe, Hegel, Heraclitus, imagination, Kant, Religion, Romantic Philosophy, Rudolf Steiner, Schelling
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Dying to be Born (Dialogue with Roman Campolo)
Roman and I sat down for another dialogue. Topics discussed this time include: anatman, evil, relevant novelty, death, the ontological argument for the existence of God and its discontents, and other such matters. Read more
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Renewing Philosophy (Dialogue with Tim Adalin)
Tim Adalin hosted me on his Voicecraft podcast to discuss process philosophy and its applications. The conversation opened with an exploration of the relationship between philosophy, the elite, and democracy (particularly its susceptibility to tyranny and the importance of wise leadership over populism). I emphasized the role of education in a democratic society, proposing a culture Read more
Alfred North Whitehead, Ancient Philosophy, Aristotle, Carl Jung, Plato, politics, reason, Religion, Romantic Philosophy, Rudolf Steiner
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‘The Progress of Knowledge Has Led to a Regression of Thought’ By Edgar Morin
Edgar Morin: The Progress of Knowledge Has Led to a Regression of Thought The multiplication of wars, global warming, the rise of authoritarian regimes: the world is rushing towards disaster, but we must resist hatred, argues the sociologist and philosopher in a column for Le Monde. Originally published on January 22, 2024. ChatGPT translation with corrections from Sean Kelly. Read more
“In one sense philosophy does nothing. It merely satisfies the entirely impractical craving to probe and adjust ideas which have been found adequate each in its special sphere of use. In the same way the ocean tides do nothing. Twice daily they beat upon the cliffs of continents and then retire. But have patience and look deeper; and you find that in the end whole continents of thought have been submerged by philosophic tides, and have been rebuilt in the depths awaiting emergence. The fate of humanity depends upon the ultimate continental faith by which it shapes its action, and this faith is in the end shaped by philosophy.”
—Alfred North Whitehead
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