Conversations with David J. Temple

In this conversation, Marc and Zak discuss the nature of value and its relationship to desire. They explore the idea that value is clarified desire and that it is self-validating. They also discuss the connection between value and the name of God, as well as the role of story and pleasure in understanding value. They critique the distortion of value in contemporary culture and emphasize the importance of clarifying and reanimating our desires. They conclude by highlighting the intimate relationship between value and pleasure. Takeaways Desire and need are interconnected but can be distinguished. Desire generates responsibility, while need generates rights. The right to attention is crucial in the technological age, as it allows individuals to exercise their other rights. The expansion of rights is necessary to protect human dignity and ensure equal access to fundamental aspects of human nature. Desire is a powerful force that should be clarified and protected, as it is essential for personal fulfillment and the well-being of society. The relationship between desire, rights, and responsibilities is complex and requires ongoing reflection and dialogue. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage 01:05 The Right to Sex and Gender Conversations 04:08 First Principles and First Values0 5:07 Desire as a Fundamental Structure of Reality 06:04 The Split Between Desire and Need 07:29 The Relationship Between Desire and Value 08:58 Rights and Responsibilities 10:06 Rights and Human Nature 11:28 Expanding the List of Rights 12:56 The Right to Attention 15:13 The Relationship Between Rights and Responsibilities 15:48 The System of Rights 24:28 Protecting Attention in the Technological Age 26:05 The Need to Name New Rights 27:28 The Relationship Between Desire and Power 29:01 The Relationship Between Desire and Need 33:09 The Right to Desire and the Right to Attention 35:21 Generating Desire and Responsibility 37:00 The Poignancy of Desire 40:12 The Evolution of Desire and Need 42:52 The Needs of God

The conversation explores the importance of value and the consequences of devaluing life and meaning. It discusses the impact of deconstructing the field of value and the emergence of anti-value. The absence of value leads to a predatory and destructive mindset. The conversation emphasizes the need to recognize and engage with value in education, society, and personal development. It also highlights the connection between value and the human drive to stay alive and reproduce. The discussion concludes by emphasizing the necessity of value in creating a meaningful and welcoming universe. Takeaways Value is essential and fundamental to human existence and society. Devaluing life and meaning leads to destructive mindsets and behaviors. Recognizing and engaging with value is crucial in education, society, and personal development. Value is connected to the human drive to stay alive and reproduce. Value creates a meaningful and welcoming universe. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction: Why is value important? 07:51 The Importance of Value in Human Existence 25:37 Engaging with Value in Education and Society 30:36 The Connection Between Value and the Drive to Stay Alive 35:00 Creating a Meaningful and Welcoming Universe

Summary This conversation explores the relationship between desire, rights, and responsibilities. It delves into the concept of a right to desire and the need to clarify desire. The chapters cover topics such as the split between desire and need, the relationship between desire and value, and the importance of attention in the technological age. The conversation also discusses the expansion of rights and the need to protect attention in a society driven by technology. It concludes with a reflection on the poignancy of desire and the evolution of desire and need. Takeaways Desire and need are interconnected but can be distinguished. Desire generates responsibility, while need generates rights. The right to attention is crucial in the technological age, as it allows individuals to exercise their other rights. The expansion of rights is necessary to protect human dignity and ensure equal access to fundamental aspects of human nature. Desire is a powerful force that should be clarified and protected, as it is essential for personal fulfillment and the well-being of society. The relationship between desire, rights, and responsibilities is complex and requires ongoing reflection and dialogue. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage 01:05 The Right to Sex and Gender Conversations 04:08 First Principles and First Values 05:07 Desire as a Fundamental Structure of Reality 06:04 The Split Between Desire and Need 07:29 The Relationship Between Desire and Value 08:58 Rights and Responsibilities 10:06 Rights and Human Nature 11:28 Expanding the List of Rights 12:56 The Right to Attention 15:13 The Relationship Between Rights and Responsibilities 15:48 The System of Rights 24:28 Protecting Attention in the Technological Age 26:05 The Need to Name New Rights 27:28 The Relationship Between Desire and Power 29:01 The Relationship Between Desire and Need 33:09 The Right to Desire and the Right to Attention 35:21 Generating Desire and Responsibility 37:00 The Poignancy of Desire 40:12 The Evolution of Desire and Need 42:52 The Needs of God

In this thought-provoking discussion, Ken Wilber, an influential author and philosopher known for his integral theory, dives into the intricate relationship between value and wholeness. He explores anthro-ontology, the mystery within us, and fundamental questions of identity and purpose. The conversation distinguishes between intrinsic and instrumental values, critiques societal pressures on individual values, and emphasizes the need for a linguistic understanding of value to address the crisis of meaning. Wilber advocates for deeper reflections on existence and the re-evaluation of our values.

SummaryThe conversation explores the concept of attention and its role in various first values and principles. It discusses the collapse of attention and its impact on the meta crisis. The importance of basic attention and the effects of social media on attention are also examined. The conversation delves into the history of attention through different eras, including pre-modern, modern, and post-modern. It concludes with a discussion on the return to text in the digital age.TakeawaysAttention is a fundamental principle and value that underlies many first values and principles.The collapse of attention is a significant factor contributing to the meta crisis.Social media and digital technologies have had a profound impact on attention.The history of attention can be traced through different eras and the evolution of communication technologies.The return to text in the digital age has both positive and negative implications for attention.Chapters00:00 Introduction and First Principles02:22 The Collapse of Attention and the Meta Crisis03:19 The Eros Equation and Attention07:20 The Intimacy Equation and Attention08:30 The Uniqueness Equation and Attention13:35 The Impact of Social Media on Attention16:59 The Importance of Basic Attention19:31 The Many Watching the Few and the Few Watching the Many24:34 The Collapse of Attention and the Cause of Evil25:18 Recap of Pre-Modern, Modern, and Post-Modern Attention29:10 The History of Attention through Communication Technologies35:26 The Return to Text in the Digital Age

Summary This conversation explores the concept of attention and its importance in our lives. It delves into the attention economy and the hijacking of attention in the digital age. The speakers discuss the value of attention and its role in uniqueness, eros, and intimacy. They also examine the evolution of attention and its expression in pre-modern, modern, and post-modern times. The conversation highlights the distinction between attending beings and reliably differentially responding beings. It explores the problems with surveillance and the degradation of attention in conditioning. Ultimately, the conversation emphasizes the fundamental need for attention and the consequences of degrading it. Takeaways The attention economy involves the grabbing and hijacking of attention in order to keep people online and engaged. Attention is a core structure of cosmos and is intimately related to love, creativity, and intimacy. Surveillance degrades attention by reducing it to a form of control and manipulation. The vulnerability of the attentional system makes it susceptible to capture and exploitation. Attention is a fundamental human need and its degradation threatens our humanity. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:46 The Attention Economy 03:02 The Problem with Stealing Attention 05:21 The Value of Attention 07:08 Attention as a Core Structure of Cosmos 08:49 The Evolution of Attention 10:08 Attention in Pre-Modern, Modern, and Post-Modern Times 11:19 Attention in Evolution 12:56 Joint Attention and Language 15:13 Attention in Intergenerational Transmission 18:05 The Universe Values Attention 20:36 The Relationship Between Love and Attention 23:55 Continuity and Discontinuity of Attention 26:05 The Difference Between Attending Beings and Reliably Differentially Responding Beings 27:40 The Problem with Surveillance 29:14 The Distortion of Love and Attention 30:00 The Degrading of Attention in Surveillance 32:27 The Difference Between Surveillance and Conditioning 36:23 The Manipulation and Control of Attention 37:59 The Vulnerability of the Attentional System 39:08 The Need for Attention