Is Free Will an Illusion? Navigating Kantian Thought with Dr. Vervaeke & Matt Segall
Dr. John Vervaeke
Challenges in Describing Causal Pathways and the Crack in Understanding Living Organisms
This chapter explores the challenges of describing causal pathways in natural phenomena, including circular explanations and the limitations of reductionism in biology. It also explores the crack in our understanding of living organisms and its relation to Shelling's philosophy of nature.
In this third encounter between Dr. John Vervaeke and Matt Segall on Voices with Vervaeke, the conversation challenges conventional philosophical paradigms as it navigates complex terrain, from Kantian thresholds to Whitehead's modern implications. Vervaeke and Segall share a dynamic interplay, illuminating obscure ideas and rendering them pertinent to today's world. By examining the labyrinth of causality, freedom, and feeling, they invite the audience to reconsider what it means to understand ourselves and the universe we inhabit. Philosophical jargon is expertly unpacked, all the while maintaining a palpable sense of urgency as they dissect philosophical texts' relevance to everyday life. With multiple nods to their previous conversations, they lay the groundwork for a future rendezvous, promising more exploration into the evolving landscape of contemporary thought.
Matthew David Segall, Ph.D., is a multifaceted thinker straddling the realms of philosophy, science, and consciousness studies. He serves as an Associate Professor in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Not just confined to academia, Segall also chairs the Science Advisory Committee for the Cobb Institute. His work pioneers process-relational thought across various disciplines, from the natural and social sciences to the exploration of consciousness. A transdisciplinary researcher, writer, teacher, and philosopher, Segall synthesizes complex ideas into accessible insights that invite deeper inquiry.
Resources:
Matt Segall: Website | Patreon | Facebook | X | YouTube
John Vervaeke: Website | Patreon | Facebook | X | YouTube
John Vervaeke — YouTube:
Whitehead and religion in the making w/ Matt Segall
Emergence-emanation, Whitehead, Kastrup: a dialectic ontology w/ Matt Segall
Books
Crossing the Threshold: Etheric Imagination in the Post-Kantian Process Philosophy of Schelling and Whitehead - Matthew David Segall
Critique of Pure Reason - Immanuel Kant
Critique of Practical Reason - Immanuel Kant
The Critique of Judgement - Immanuel Kant
The Concept of Nature - Alfred North Whitehead
Opus Postumum - Immanuel Kant, Eckart Förster (Editor)
Miscellaneous
Mundus Imaginalis or the Imaginary and the Imaginal - Henry Corbin
People
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling
Timecodes
00:00:00 — The episode kicks off with Dr. John Vervaeke giving an introduction and presenting his guest, Matt Segall, an expert in Whitehead's theories on existential issues.
00:01:37 — Discussions around Immanuel Kant and the nature of reality come into focus as Matt Segall elaborates on his book, a revised and expanded version of his dissertation.
00:05:15 — Segall introduces the compelling concept of "etheric imagination" and its multifaceted connotations.
00:09:26 — Accessibility of philosophical texts to the general public is emphasized by Matt Segall.
00:13:30 — Agreement on Kant's idea of freedom comes from Segall, who underscores the importance of agency over mere consumer choice.
00:16:40 — Matt Segall discusses the intricacies of providential world order and imminent purpose in organisms.
00:20:00 — Segall speaks about Kant's controversial usage of categories of understanding beyond their intended realm.
00:30:20 — The enigmatic root of imagination as a vital human experience is further explored by Segall.
00:33:40 — Clarifying Matt Segall's point, Dr. Vervaeke argues that imagination should have a deeper role in cognition, not a diminished one.
00:37:00 — Polarity over strict opposites is the topic of discussion between Vervaeke and Segall.
00:38:33 — Cultural tensions between Romanticism and Enlightenment are dissected.
00:43:31 — Segall introduces Whitehead's view of space-time as an inherited pattern.
00:47:46 — Vervaeke and Segall challenge the traditional philosophical view that feelings are private.
00:54:08 — Dr. Vervaeke discusses the complexities of string theory and the importance of a follow-up discussion.
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