Philosophy, Transformation, and Reality

This chapter explores the application of philosophical thought in real-world contexts such as bioethics and artificial intelligence, focusing on how it influences personal transformation and policy-making. It contrasts the ideas of Agnes Callard on aspiration with critical perspectives on self-change, while also examining the transformative effects of psychedelics on perception and identity. The discussion emphasizes the interplay between existential challenges and philosophical inquiry, offering insights into the nature of experience, reality, and personal values.

Transcript

chevron_right

Play full episode

chevron_right

Transcript

Episode notes

L.A. Paul is the Millstone Family Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Cognitive Science at Yale University. She is also the author of Transformative Experience. Her work on transformative experience has been covered by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, NPR, and the BBC, among others. And in 2024, she was profiled by The New Yorker.

Sponsors:

MUD\WTR energy-boosting coffee alternative—without the jitters: https://MUDWTR.com/Tim (between 15% and 43% off)

Eight Sleep’s Pod 4 Ultra sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: https://eightsleep.com/tim (save $350 on the Pod 4 Ultra)

LinkedIn Ads, the go-to tool for B2B marketers and advertisers who want to drive brand awareness and generate leads: LinkedIn.com/TFS ($100 LinkedIn ad credit)

Timestamps:

[00:00;00] Start

[00:05:55] The role of Quentin Smith.

[00:09:56] Early philosophy class disasters.

[00:13:34] How is philosophy relevant to the average person?

[00:20:17] A correspondence experiment with philosophers.

[00:25:29] The role of philosophy in modern times.

[00:27:50] The vampire problem.

[00:39:31] What you can't expect when you're expecting.

[00:42:36] When transformative experiences happen without our consent.

[00:48:12] Choosing between potentially transformative experiences.

[00:52:09] How Laurie made the choice to have children.