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Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

262 | Eric Schwitzgebel on the Weirdness of the World

Jan 15, 2024
01:20:09
Snipd AI
Philosopher Eric Schwitzgebel discusses the weirdness of the world, including quantum mechanics, consciousness, living in a simulation, and the limitations of common sense. The chapter explores the uncertainty of perception, skepticism, and the nature of consciousness.
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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Attempts to understand consciousness lead to bizarre and dubious conclusions, such as substance dualism, materialism, idealism, and compromise/rejection views.
  • Incorporating skepticism into our daily lives involves engaging in low-cost activities that would be enjoyable if we were in a dream, while recognizing the limit of our knowledge and accepting radical ignorance about the distant future.

Deep dives

The Bizarre World of Consciousness

Attempts to understand consciousness lead to bizarre and dubious conclusions. Substance dualism posits immaterial souls, materialism denies the existence of souls, idealism suggests only minds exist, and compromise/rejection views lead to multiple bizarre theses. For example, dualism raises the question of which entities have souls, with options like only humans, everything in the world, a sharp line between animals, or graded souls. Materialism also has its challenges, such as the possibility that complex entities like the United States could be conscious. These philosophical investigations demonstrate the inherent weirdness in grappling with consciousness.

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