Brendan Graham Dempsey, a writer and director of the Sky Meadow Institute, dives deep into the evolution of meaning in this intriguing discussion. He shares insights from his book on universal learning processes and explores the shift from religious to academic approaches. Dempsey highlights the crisis of meaning affecting mental health and the complex interplay of values across cultures. He also examines the emergence of consciousness and the evolving concept of the sacred, raising questions about our understanding amid modern complexities.
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insights INSIGHT
Meaning as Adaptive Information
Meaning is information that causally impacts an organism's viability.
It relates an entity to its field, like a deer interpreting sunrise as a cue to eat.
insights INSIGHT
Meaning, Dissipative Systems, and Information
Dissipative systems create order to efficiently dissipate energy, like whirlpools.
Meaning emerges from this energy-information exchange, informing entities about their viability.
insights INSIGHT
Shannon vs. Semantic Information
Shannon information measures accuracy, while semantic information relates to an entity's existence.
Meaningful information is intrinsically about an entity in context and its continued existence.
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The Iliad is an epic poem attributed to Homer, set during the Trojan War. It begins in the ninth year of the war, where a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles sets off a chain of events. The poem explores themes of heroism, honor, and fate as it describes the battles and interactions between Greek warriors like Achilles, Diomedes, and Odysseus, and Trojan warriors like Hector and Paris. The story is interspersed with divine interventions from Greek gods and goddesses, influencing the outcome of the war. The poem culminates with Achilles' reconciliation with Agamemnon and his subsequent rage against the Trojans, leading to the death of Hector and the eventual funeral rites for Patroclus and Hector[1][3][5].
The symbolic species
Terrence William Deacon
In 'The Symbolic Species', Terrence Deacon delves into the evolution of language and its impact on human consciousness. He argues that language and symbolic thought co-evolved with the brain, shaping human cognitive abilities and cultural development. The book offers insights into the biological and cultural factors that contributed to this transformation, highlighting the unique role of symbols in human evolution.
How Buildings Learn
What Happens After They're Built
Stewart Brand
This book proposes that buildings adapt best when constantly refined and reshaped by their occupants. It argues that architects can mature from being artists of space to becoming artists of time. The book covers a wide range of architectural examples, from connected farmhouses in New England to I.M. Pei’s Media Lab, and discusses the evolution of various architectural styles. Brand emphasizes the importance of flexibility and adaptability in building design, criticizing modernist approaches that prioritize form over function and human needs. He also highlights the different layers of a building (site, structure, skin, services, and space plan) and how each layer has a different lifespan and requires different maintenance strategies[2][3][5].
The meaning revolution
Fred Kofman
Fred Kofman's 'The Meaning Revolution' offers a powerful framework for creating a life of purpose and meaning. Kofman draws on his experience as a leadership coach and his understanding of Zen Buddhism to provide practical strategies for aligning our actions with our values. He emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, self-mastery, and living in accordance with our deepest aspirations. The book challenges readers to examine their beliefs and assumptions, encouraging them to embrace a more conscious and intentional way of living. 'The Meaning Revolution' provides a compelling vision for creating a life of purpose and fulfillment, both personally and professionally.
UTOK: The Unified Theory of Knowledge
UTOK: The Unified Theory of Knowledge
Gregg Henriques
Language: The Cultural Tool
Dan Everett
Social Learning and Language Evolution
Social Learning and Language Evolution
Kevin Laland
A New Synthesis for Solving the Problem of Psychology
Addressing the Enlightenment Gap
Gregg Henriques
This book introduces a new vision for scientific psychology called mental behaviorism, integrating insights from physics, neuroscience, cognitive science, and more. It aims to provide a holistic understanding of mental behavioral patterns and address the Enlightenment gap in psychology. The work is particularly relevant for students and scholars of theoretical psychology.
A Universal Learning Process
A Universal Learning Process
The Evolution of Meaning
Brendan Graham Dempsey
A Universal Learning Process is the first installment of The Evolution of Meaning series by Brendan Graham Dempsey. It frames the evolution of the universe as a learning process, moving from energy and information to symbolic learning in human culture. The book sets the stage for a broader exploration of how meaning develops across cosmic and cultural evolution.
Design in nature
Adrian Bejan
In 'Design in Nature', Adrian Bejan and J. Peder Zane reveal how the constructal law explains the recurring patterns in nature, from trees and tributaries to neural networks and lightning bolts. The book shows how all systems, whether biological or inanimate, evolve to facilitate flow more efficiently. It offers a paradigm-shifting perspective on the natural world and its designs.
Jim talks with Brendan Graham Dempsey about the ideas in his new book, The Evolution of Meaning: A Universal Learning Process. They discuss Jim's love for the book, the thinking behind the title, future books in the series, why Brendan avoided the word "religion," the nature of meaning, dissipative systems, Shannon information vs semantic information, relations vs static objects, meaning as adaptive information, the meaning of value, Gregg Henriques's Unified Theory of Knowledge, the meaning of learning, why the world is full of bogus learning, whether complexity increases over time, information overload, John Vervaeke's relevance realization, wisdom, evolution as learning, the meaning & evolution of sacredness, and much more.
Episode Transcript
The Evolution of Meaning: A Universal Learning Process, by Brendan Graham Dempsey
JRS EP 172 - Brendan Graham Dempsey on Emergentism
JRS EP 176 - Gregg Henriques Part 1: Addressing the Enlightenment Gap
UTOK: The Unified Theory of Knowledge, by Gregg Henriques
JRS EP 159 - Bobby Azarian on the Romance of Reality
JRS EP 143 - John Vervaeke Part 1: Awakening from the Meaning Crisis
Brendan Graham Dempsey is a writer, researcher, organic farmer, and the director of Sky Meadow Institute, an organization dedicated to "promoting systems-based thinking about the things that matter most." He graduated summa cum laude with a BA in religious studies and classical civilizations from the University of Vermont and earned his master's from Yale University, where he studied religion and culture. He is the author of Metamodernism: Or, The Cultural Logic of Cultural Logics and host of the Metamodern Spirituality Podcast. His primary interests include theorizing developments in culture after postmodernism, productively bridging the divide between science and spirituality, and developing sustainable systems for life to flourish. All of these lead through the paradigms of emergence and complexity, which inform all of his work.
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