Philosopher and cognitive scientist John Vervaeke discusses the crisis of identity and meaning in the Western world. The speakers explore the loss of wisdom, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need to regain a deeper understanding of sacredness. They also delve into the flow state and the significance of music in cultivating wisdom.
The loss of purpose and self-actualization in society has led to a meaning crisis, affecting various aspects of our lives including environmental, political, and spiritual issues.
Flow states, characterized by complete immersion and effortless engagement, are highly predictive of well-being and a desire to keep living, highlighting the importance of finding experiences that foster deep connection and meaning in life.
Advancements in artificial intelligence raise concerns about the blurring of boundaries between human and non-human intelligence, challenging our understanding of personhood and calling for responsible decision-making in AI development to ensure rationality and ethical considerations.
Deep dives
The Crisis of Meaning in the Western World
In this podcast episode, the host engages in a conversation with psychology professor John Viveki to explore the crisis of meaning and identity in the Western world. They discuss how the loss of a clear sense of purpose and self-actualization has led to feelings of meaninglessness and anxiety in society. Viveki explains the need for a more comprehensive and multi-dimensional sense of rationality that goes beyond logical computation. He highlights the importance of embodied experiences, rituals, and sacred spaces in reconnecting with a sense of the sacred and finding meaning in life. The conversation also touches on the impact of advancements in artificial intelligence and the blurring of boundaries between human and non-human intelligence, raising questions about our understanding of personhood and the potential future implications for society.
The Importance of Flow and Sacredness
The podcast delves into the significance of flow states and their correlation to a meaningful life. Flow states, characterized by a sense of complete immersion and effortless engagement, not only provide a deep sense of connection to the world, but are also highly predictive of well-being and a desire to keep living. The concept of the sacred is explored as a balance between anchoring individuals in a profound sense of cosmic belonging and exposing them to the boundary of horror. The sacred is closely tied to experiences of home, cosmic intelligibility, and the sense of being deeply connected through embodied practices and places of significance. The role of ritual and imagination are highlighted as implicit forms of enacting the sacred and reorienting oneself towards meaning.
The Future of Artificial Intelligence
The conversation touches upon the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and its potential impact on the meaning crisis. Viveki emphasizes the need to ensure that highly intelligent machines also possess rationality and the capacity to care about truth and wisdom. He warns of the dangers of super intelligent yet irrational machines and advocates for responsible decision-making to guide the development of AI. The discussion also highlights the extent to which AI blurs the traditional boundaries between human and non-human, provoking existential anxiety and raising questions about the nature of personhood and the comprehension of reality.
The Enlightenment and the Proposal of AI
During the Enlightenment, philosopher Thomas Hobbes recognized that Descartes' ideas of cognition as computation align with the proposal of artificial intelligence. Hobbes suggested that if cognition is just computation, then machines could be created to perform logical computations. However, Hobbes also identified the limitations of this proposal, emphasizing that true virtue and wisdom involve more than just logical reasoning or belief generation.
Rationality, Perspective, and the Sacredness of Belief
The concept of rationality extends beyond logical reasoning and encompasses skill development, perspective-taking, as well as character cultivation. While logic plays a role in the generation of beliefs, it does not account for the larger dimensions of virtue and wisdom. Rationality involves deeply understanding one's beliefs, skills, and perspectives, and being open to transformative insights. The sacredness of belief goes beyond static adherence to ideas or ideologies. It involves actively engaging with the world, adopting multiple perspectives, and being open to self-transformation. Art, particularly music, is seen as a powerful means of connecting with the sacred and engaging in deep sense-making and transformation.
UnHerd’s Flo Read and philosopher and cognitive scientist John Vervaeke sat down at the UnHerd Club to diagnose the alienation and anxiety that pervades our contemporary culture. Is a “meaning crisis” at the root of all the other crises we face – environmental, political, spiritual?
