In this discussion, Alexander Bard, an author with a penchant for philosophical exploration, delves into his latest work on metaphysics and narratology. He unpacks the distinction between 'individuals' and 'dividuals', critiquing traditional views of identity. The conversation also touches on the cyclical nature of events and time, the essence of emergence in complexity, and the implications of Zoroastrianism on modern thought. Bard advocates for coherent pluralism in today's society, emphasizing the importance of decentralized structures to counter tyranny.
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insights INSIGHT
Metaphysics Redefined
Metaphysics is redefined as the ultimate form of storytelling about storytelling.
It explores the types of stories humans tell and their purposes, respecting the Hegelian dialectical process.
insights INSIGHT
The Sociont
The "sociont" is a fundamental social unit in human populations, existing at clan (157 people) and tribe (1200-1500) levels.
Socionts demonstrate inherent social order without needing police, highlighting human loyalty within these sizes.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Tristan da Cunha
The island of Tristan da Cunha, with a population never exceeding 600, has no crime.
This illustrates that strong social cohesion and shared narratives at the "tribe" level eliminate the need for a police force.
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Jim talks with Alexander Bard for the first in a series of conversations about his and Jan Söderqvist's recent book Process and Event. They discuss Jim's process for reading the book, metaphysics, narratology, the sociont, dividuals vs individuals, a biochemical definition of individuality, eventology, Alexander's conversion to Zoroastrianism, nomadology, Nietzsche's concept of the eternal recurrence, 4 varieties of time, a defense of armchair philosophy, phallic linear time, the phallic gaze & direction, transcendental emergentism, the tendency to want a single explanation, problems with emergentism, emergence vectors, the ubiquity of uniqueness, the Great Filter, the narratological triad, 3 brains & their proportions in the population, the problem with literal belief in mythos, root of the phallus, the end of the age of mass religion, the barred absolute & whether it's desirable, tribopoiesis, membranes & boundaries, lawful semipermeability, membranics as a dialectical process, tantric labs, coherent pluralism & Zoroastrianism, decentralization, avoiding tyranny, disenfranchising the emergence of big men, boy pharaohs vs pillar saints, and much more.
Episode Transcript
Process and Event, by Alexander Bard and Jan Söderqvist
JRS Currents 065: Alexander Bard on Protopian Narratology
JRS EP95 - Alexander Bard on God in the Internet Age
JRS Currents 100: Sara Walker and Lee Cronin on Time as an Object
The Emergence of Everything: How the World Became Complex, by Harold Morowitz
Hierarchy in the Forest: The Evolution of Egalitarian Behavior, by Christopher Boehm
Alexander Bard is a philosopher, artist, songwriter and music producer, author of six books with Jan Söderqvist, living in Stockholm, Sweden. Bard built his career as a philosopher in parallel with a highly successful 25-years-plus career in the international music industry. Bard & Söderqvist's philosophy concentrates on the relationship between human beings and technology, using human beings as the constant throughout civilization, with technology as the ever faster changing variable. Their work takes inspiration from thinkers like Hegel, Nietzsche, Whitehead, Deleuze, and Eastern philosophy and spirituality, in the latter case adding Persia to the well known triad of India, China and Japan. They are convinced philosophy will be the last human activity to ever be affected by AI.
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