Metamodern Meaning

The Spiritual Naturalist Society is for folks exploring spirituality beyond supernaturalism. Here I'm joined by Daniel Strain and Alex Cheruk to discuss the origins and goals of this awesome organization.0:00 Introduction1:35 What is Spiritual Naturalism?17:22 The Role of Community22:29 Daniel and Alex's Stories44:09 What is the Spiritual Naturalist Society?53:15 Can Christianity Naturalize?59:15 How to Get Involved1:02:50 ConclusionLearn more about about The Spiritual Naturalist Society here: https://www.snsociety.org/ To hear more, visit brendangrahamdempsey.substack.com

Developmental researcher Dr. Cheryl Armon discusses her work on the way different philosophical conceptions of the good life relate to psychological development.0:00 Introduction1:38 The Complexification of Value8:03 The 5 Philosophical Orientations:13:07 Hedonism: Classical22:24 Hedonism: Social29:54 Perfectionism: Functionalist41:22 Perfectionism: Unitarianist52:35 Perfectionism: Progressivist1:06:49 Are Some Orientations More Common among Higher Levels of Development?1:11:23 What Are the Next Steps for this Line of Research?1:15:52 Conclusion To hear more, visit brendangrahamdempsey.substack.com

Nish Dubashia walks through his new book, A Brief History of God: From Nature Spirits to Cosmic Consciousness, the newest offering from Sky Meadow Press. After laying out his framework for religion as a story of the self's aspiration to reunite with Spirit, Nish goes through the major stages of religion's evolution, from humanity's tribal origins to the rise of polytheism in early agricultural civilizations to the Axial Age transformation of transcendence to the modern shift to materialism and the postmodern emphasis on pluralistic harmony. We then explore post-postmodern forms of religiosity as an integral perspective before Nish's concluding speculations on the future of spirituality. 0:00 Introduction 1:12 A Brief History of 'A Brief History of God' 6:11 Religion's Archetypal Story: The Dance of Self and Spirit 11:25 Stage 1. The Beginning of Spiritual Awareness 16:11 Stage 2. The Rise of Individualism 25:27 Stage 3. Tradition and the Search for Order 34:08 Stage 4. Science and the Quest for Truth 41:59 Stage 5. The Path to Harmony 53:17 Stage 6. Bridging Perspectives 1:00:53 Stage 7. Holistic Spirituality 1:09:41 The Future of Spirituality Link for the book: https://www.amazon.com/Brief-History-God-Spirits-Consciousness/dp/B0FH28Q63K/ To hear more, visit brendangrahamdempsey.substack.com

Dr. Theo Dawson, founder of Lectica, Inc., introduces MindLog, a groundbreaking tool designed to track developmental progress in education and adult learning. She discusses its innovative scoring system that moves away from traditional grading, fostering personal growth and autonomy. The podcast highlights the tool's unique applications for both educators and adult learners and addresses the ethical implications of personal data usage. Dawson also emphasizes the importance of polymathy and authentic self-expression in learning journeys.

Educator and philosopher Brad Kershner joins me to discuss the crisis facing our civilizational frameworks and educational institutions, with considerations of what the path out of this cul-de-sac looks like and how we get there.0:00 Introduction3:54 Designing a World for Value13:58 A Trans-Partisan Issue20:03 The Modern Breakdown of Value32:19 The Failure of the Postmodern Response38:38 Metamodernism and/or Perennialism 48:01 The Multi-Dimensional Nature of Value Alignment52:15 An Evolutionary Story1:00:04 Epistemic Humility and an Embodied Taste for Wisdom1:14:38 The Value of AttentionCheck out Brad's recent lectures on his YT channel @bradkershner52 ​ To hear more, visit brendangrahamdempsey.substack.com

How do we do the most good? Answers popular in the Rationality and effective altruism spaces can be helpful in some ways, but could also be radically misframing the issue in others. Here Anna Riedl joins me to discuss more of what she means by an "autopoiethics" approach to the topic, which takes seriously the implications of complex systems science for understanding "doing the right thing" in context. 0:00 Introduction1:51 Autopoiethics5:34 On "Doing the Right Thing" at Different Scales11:01 Metamodern Ethics beyond the "View from Nowhere"17:01 The Normative Primacy of Self-Maintenance 20:55 The Relation of Self to Others28:56 Autopoiethics and Intersubjectivity: The Other in the Self34:58 Does Complexity Have Intrinsic Value?40:17 Complexify Self to Complexify Other47:21 Your Starbucks Receipt and Schindler's List 51:20 Moral Foundations Theory and Opponent Processing58:36 Ethics and Relevance Realization1:05:42 Bottom Up or Top Down? A Counter-Argument from Emergent Causality1:17:29 Summing Up1:23:47 Conclusion To hear more, visit brendangrahamdempsey.substack.com

Boaz Feldman, a researcher and psychologist from Harvard, discusses the transformative potential of the Education for Flourishing Conference. He highlights the importance of integrating contemplative practices into education to address societal challenges. The conversation touches on fostering community through in-person connections. Feldman shares insights on moving from theory to action in areas like climate change and democracy, while emphasizing collaboration as a key to effective solutions. Overall, it’s a deep dive into metamodern thinking for meaningful change.

I'm joined by professor Gary Cziko, author of Without Miracles: Universal Selection Theory and the Second Darwinian Revolution, to discuss the universal learning process driving adaptive complexification across cosmic scales. We get into the issue of "puzzles of fit" and how they've tended to be accounted for, the scope and power of selectionist theories for understanding evolution and knowledge generation, and relationships of the theory to a number of important topics, including how we make meaning in life. 0:00 Introduction2:22 Puzzles of Fit and Universal Selection Theory8:55 A Metatheory for Meaningful Knowledge Generation16:23 The Universe Learning, & Learning How It Learns23:02 Transcending Constraints of Knowledge Structures31:22 History of the Theory40:31 Adjusting Experience for Meaning47:17 Piaget and Universal Selection Theory55:52 Hegel?57:08 The Miracle 'Without Miracles'59:44 The Existential Basis of Purpose1:06:27 Conclusion To hear more, visit brendangrahamdempsey.substack.com

Oliver Griebel joins me to discuss the topic of the anthology he edited on the metaphysical relationship between the one and the many. To hear more, visit brendangrahamdempsey.substack.com

Evolutionary spirituality writer Tim Freke joins me for a live Limicon event to discuss his take on the new form of spirituality emerging in metamodern culture. We explore a few topics together, then open the conversation up for Q&A from the rest of the attendees. Evolution, consciousness, death, mysticism--it's a good ride! To hear more, visit brendangrahamdempsey.substack.com