Ep. 32: James Madden, Ph.D.: The Recovery of the Self: Embodied and Embedded Persons
Jul 14, 2021
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James Madden, philosophy of mind expert, discusses the loss of self as an embodied and embedded person and its impact on nihilism. They explore materialism, dualism, and Hylomorphism. Topics include trans-humanism, neuroscience, Aristotle's ethics, and Heidegger's critique of technology.
Materialism and dualism are forms of mechanism that fail to fully explain the complexity of human thought and consciousness.
Hylomorphism posits that beings are composed of a form and matter, allowing for a teleological understanding of organisms.
The podcast suggests that a more philosophically sound approach to understanding the mind is through hylomorphism, which recognizes the interconnectedness of matter and form.
The podcast emphasizes the limitations and criticisms of materialism and dualism, encouraging a deeper exploration of human nature through natural theology.
Deep dives
Materialism and Dualism as Species of Mechanism
Materialism and dualism are both forms of mechanism, the view that everything can be identified as discrete individuals related by external causal relations.
Hylomorphism: Form and Matter
Hylomorphism posits that beings are composed of a form and matter. The form is the principle that organizes and animates the matter.
Distinctiveness of Living Organisms
Living organisms, unlike artifacts, possess a form that is inseparable from their parts and gives them their unique capacities and modes of existence.
Teleology and the Good Life
Hylomorphism allows for a teleological understanding of organisms, including humans. The form of an organism is directed toward the realization of a good life, which varies for different species and individuals within a species.
Understanding the Philosophy of Nature and the Mind
The podcast episode explores the philosophy of nature and its connection to the understanding of the mind. It discusses the differences between high logomorphism and mechanism, particularly materialism and dualism. Materialism, the predominant worldview in the academy, and dualism, the popular way that most people think about the world, both fall under the mechanistic view of the world. However, the podcast emphasizes the limitations and criticisms of these two dominant views. Materialism fails to explain the complexity of human thought and consciousness, while dualism faces the challenge of competing causal explanations. The episode suggests that a more philosophically sound approach to understanding the mind is through hylomorphism, which recognizes the interconnectedness of matter and form, and sees the mind as being related to the world in a special way.
The Problems with Materialism
The podcast delves into the problems associated with materialism, which holds that everything in the world can be reduced to discrete entities that occupy space and time. It argues that materialism fails to account for the intricacies of human thought and consciousness. Materialism's reductionist approach falls short in explaining higher-level mental phenomena, such as the experience of thinking about specific objects or places. The podcast highlights the flaws in materialism by questioning its ability to provide a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the human mind.
The Critique of Dualism and the Need for Natural Theology
The podcast also addresses the concerns with dualism, particularly the mind-body problem and the challenge of explaining how the mind and body interact. It points out that dualism often leads to competing causal explanations for the same events in the human body, which raises further questions and inconsistencies. However, the podcast suggests that these philosophical challenges and unanswered questions should not discourage the pursuit of a deeper understanding of human nature. Instead, it calls for an engagement with natural theology to explore the possibility of an eternal dimension to human existence and to gain insights into questions of immortality and transcendence. The episode acknowledges that while philosophy and natural theology may not provide definitive answers, they offer a direction for contemplating the deeper meaning of human life and existence.
In this episode, I speak with James Madden about his book, "Mind, Matter, and Nature", about philosophy of mind, and what it means to be an embodied and an embedded person. We discuss how the loss of a sense of ourselves as embodied and embedded leads to a loss of contact with the world and ultimately to nihilism. We discuss competing visions of the person—materialism, dualism and Aristotle's and St. Thomas Aquinas' idea of Hylomorphism—a union of form and matter—and what it means for a person to lead a good life. We talk about a number of issues including trans-humanism, the idea of uploading ourselves, neuroscience, Aristotle's four causes, Bob the Chameleon, Heidegger's critique of Technology, and Aristotle's ethics as a response to Sophocles Oedipus cycle. If you are interested in what it means to be a person, you will enjoy this wide ranging episode with James Madden.
