John Vervaeke: Evil, Psychedelics, and the Roots of Consciousness
Prof. John Vervaeke's info: https://www.youtube.com/user/johnvervaeke The "Meaning Crisis" series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john Subscribe if you want more conversations on Theories of Everything, Consciousness, Free Will, God, and the mathematics / physics of each. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:43 What is an "affordance" in Cognitive Science? 00:07:28 The different uses of the word "meaning" 00:10:10 Materialism vs Physical-ism 00:12:48 What is "truth"? Harris vs Peterson from a Cognitive Scientific perspective 00:17:43 Perspectival knowledge (definition and examples) 00:21:13 The ways we practice narrative 00:27:13 The two world model 00:31:13 Buddhism's influence on John's worldview 00:33:43 The definition of Harry Frankfurt's "bullshit" 00:42:43 Addiction 00:45:48 Relationship between Lucifer and Frankfurt's BS 00:55:23 What is the "meaning crisis"? (explicating the "meaning of life") 01:10:23 Poetry should be read aloud 01:11:53 Faith, love, and participatory knowledge 01:18:23 The Platonic / Aristotelian influence on Christianity 01:21:43 How do reverse-engineer other points of view (such as what it's like to be someone in the 1200s) 01:32:13 The relationship between "reason" and "love" 01:47:43 The skepticism toward wisdom institutions and the birth of narcissism 01:49:43 The way Vervaeke uses the word "God" (God as affording transcendence) 01:54:53 The language of myth is lost but we retain the grammar 02:00:43 Where are we going with the "meaning crisis"? Is it getting worse? 02:06:20 How does John manage his time? 02:07:45 What do psychedelics provide that meditation doesn't? 02:18:00 Modelling truth in the other domains of knowledge (procedural, participatory, perspectival) 02:21:40 The "interpretation crisis" vs the "meaning crisis" 02:22:40 "Meaning" is not present in the scientific world view 02:25:50 What's relevance? (technical term is: "relevance realization") 02:31:30 John Vervaeke's origin of recognition of others 02:34:10 How does John collaborate? 02:38:50 People will sacrifice wealth for meaning 02:43:50 What is "evil"? Buddhism vs Christianity 02:49:35 Is Nihilism negative to the psyche, or salutary? 02:50:00 What could "free will" mean, possibly? ("freedom" in a certain sense isn't intrinsically "good") 02:57:20 Trolley Problem + Sam Harris' model of "evil" being neurological and a reduction of responsibility 03:00:50 Jungian individuation's relationship to the Big 5 model 03:05:50 How do we practically use this knowledge to cultivate character? 03:10:45 On self-deception 03:13:00 Tony Robbins (and other self development gurus) operate primarily on the placebo effect 03:14:15 "Being in the present moment" is horrible advice 03:17:10 What is 3rd generation Cognitive Science? 03:24:40 On "wisdom is knowing the difference between what you control and what you don't." 03:27:50 What wisdom is (relevance realization) 03:28:15 Which theory of consciousness does Vervaeke think is most correct / wrong? 03:32:50 Are intelligent people more "consciousness" or wise? If so, are they then more valuable people? 03:39:00 What is "reason" vs "rationality"? 03:41:30 Audience question: What is objectivity / what is real? 03:45:40 Audience question: On evil, and a "moral dimension" 03:48:00 Audience question: Is the point of meditation to reduce anxiety?
Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal · Theories of Everything
Show Notes
- 00:00:00 - Introduction
- 00:02:43 - What is an "affordance" in Cognitive Science?
- 00:07:28 - The different uses of the word "meaning"
- 00:10:10 - Materialism vs Physical-ism
- 00:12:48 - What is "truth"? Harris vs Peterson from a Cognitive Scientific perspective
- 00:17:43 - Perspectival knowledge (definition and examples)
- 00:21:13 - The ways we practice narrative
- 00:27:13 - The two world model
- 00:31:13 - Buddhism's influence on John's worldview
- 00:33:43 - The definition of Harry Frankfurt's "bullshit"
- 00:42:43 - Addiction
- 00:45:48 - Relationship between Lucifer and Frankfurt's BS
- 00:55:23 - What is the "meaning crisis"? (explicating the "meaning of life")
- 01:10:23 - Poetry should be read aloud
- 01:11:53 - Faith, love, and participatory knowledge
- 01:18:23 - The Platonic / Aristotelian influence on Christianity
- 01:21:43 - How do reverse-engineer other points of view (such as what it's like to be someone in the 1200s)
- 01:32:13 - The relationship between "reason" and "love"
- 01:47:43 - The skepticism toward wisdom institutions and the birth of narcissism
- 01:49:43 - The way Vervaeke uses the word "God" (God as affording transcendence)
- 01:54:53 - The language of myth is lost but we retain the grammar
- 02:00:43 - Where are we going with the "meaning crisis"? Is it getting worse?
- 02:06:20 - How does John manage his time?
- 02:07:45 - What do psychedelics provide that meditation doesn't?
- 02:18:00 - Modelling truth in the other domains of knowledge (procedural, participatory, perspectival)
- 02:21:40 - The "interpretation crisis" vs the "meaning crisis"
- 02:22:40 - "Meaning" is not present in the scientific world view
- 02:25:50 - What's relevance? (technical term is: "relevance realization")
- 02:31:30 - John Vervaeke's origin of recognition of others
- 02:34:10 - How does John collaborate?
- 02:38:50 - People will sacrifice wealth for meaning
- 02:43:50 - What is "evil"? Buddhism vs Christianity
- 02:49:35 - Is Nihilism negative to the psyche, or salutary?
- 02:50:00 - What could "free will" mean, possibly? ("freedom" in a certain sense isn't intrinsically "good")
- 02:57:20 - Trolley Problem + Sam Harris' model of "evil" being neurological and a reduction of responsibility
- 03:00:50 - Jungian individuation's relationship to the Big 5 model
- 03:05:50 - How do we practically use this knowledge to cultivate character?
- 03:10:45 - On self-deception
- 03:13:00 - Tony Robbins (and other self development gurus) operate primarily on the placebo effect
- 03:14:15 - "Being in the present moment" is horrible advice
- 03:17:10 - What is 3rd generation Cognitive Science?
- 03:24:40 - On "wisdom is knowing the difference between what you control and what you don't."
- 03:27:50 - What wisdom is (relevance realization)
- 03:28:15 - Which theory of consciousness does Vervaeke think is most correct / wrong?
- 03:32:50 - Are intelligent people more "consciousness" or wise? If so, are they then more valuable people?
- 03:39:00 - What is "reason" vs "rationality"?
- 03:41:30 - Audience question: What is objectivity / what is real?
- 03:45:40 - Audience question: On evil, and a "moral dimension"
- 03:48:00 - Audience question: Is the point of meditation to reduce anxiety?
RESOURCES:
- Prof. John Vervaeke's info: https://www.youtube.com/user/johnvervaeke
- "Meaning Crisis" series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ
- John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john
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.
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