“The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.”
–Alfred North Whitehead
-
Thinking With Machines
A rough transcript of the video above of me cleaning dog poo out of my robot vacuum: My earlier conversation about machines and organisms with Levin: Read more
-
Seminar Series next month on Process Approaches to the Philosophy of Biology
The Cobb Institute Science Advisory Committee, which I chair, will be hosting a series of seminars next month featuring the contributors to a new book, Process-Philosophcal Perspectives on Biology: Intuiting Life (Cambridge, 2023). The book challenges the reductionist, materialistic metaphysics often adopted by biologists, arguing that this approach overlooks the intricate complexities and essential characteristics Read more
Alfred North Whitehead, Ancient Philosophy, Aristotle, autopoiesis, Daniel Dennett, Darwin, Descartes, Evan Thompson, Francisco Varela, Henri Bergson, Kant, Modern Philosophy, Richard Dawkins, Romantic Philosophy, Schelling
-
Summary Reflections on Rudolf Steiner’s “Interdisciplinary Astronomy” (GA 323)
Our Urphänomen reading group is back in action, this time reading Steiner’s lecture cycle titled Interdisciplinary Astronomy (1921, GA 323). Frederick Amrine recently published a wonderful new translation. Earlier this week I summarized lecture 5 (video above). Below is a rough transcript of my reflections: The key issue here for Steiner is that we need Read more
Alfred North Whitehead, Copernican Revolution, Goethe, Hegel, imagination, Modern Philosophy, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Rudolf Steiner
-
Taming the Technological Dragon, with Michael Levin
Selections from the transcript of this conversation (complied by AI): Matt Segall: I just finished your paper “Technological Approaches to Mind Everywhere” that came out last year and really enjoyed it. The more I read your stuff, the more I am shaken free of some philosophical commitments that I think I had arrived at because Read more
Alfred North Whitehead, Aristotle, autopoiesis, Daniel Dennett, Darwin, Descartes, Kant, Modern Philosophy, Plato, reason
-
Metaphysics and the Matter With Things: Thinking With Iain McGilchrist
I’m very excited to announce that my graduate program (Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness at CIIS) and the Center for Process Studies are cohosting a conference March 29-31, 2024 focused on the work of Iain McGilchrist. The temporary conference landing page is HERE. You can provide an email address for updates on conference registration in the Read more
Alfred North Whitehead, Ancient Philosophy, Aristotle, autopoiesis, Darwin, Descartes, Evan Thompson, Francisco Varela, Goethe, Hegel, Heidegger, Henri Bergson, Heraclitus, imagination, john Keats, Kant, Meister Eckhart, Modern Philosophy, Plato, poetry, reason, Religion, Richard Tarnas, Romantic Philosophy, Schelling, William James
-
Music, Memory, and the Song of Life (dialogue with Karen Wong)
Karen Wong invited me on The Meaning Code again to discuss ideas we both find enriching. Below I’ll share a near transcript of some interesting tidbits, including discussion of Michael Levin’s work. Mike Levin frequently quotes William James, who defines intelligence as the ability to accomplish the same goal by different means. This definition emphasizes 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
Site Navigation
Follow me on social media.
© 2006-2024 Matthew David Segall
Footnotes2Plato 