Episode 41: Bernardo Kastrup
Rupert Spira Podcast
Numbers & Historical Development of Physicalism and Materialism. The map & Territory
Throughout history, the role of numbers in describing the universe of perceptions has been crucial. In the early 17th century, scientists found it convenient to use numbers to describe qualities of perception and differentiate them from the domain of consciousness and qualities, which were deemed the territory of the church. This distinction was a political move to safeguard scientists from persecution by the church. However, in the 19th century, this distinction evolved into the belief that only quantities, represented by numbers, truly exist, leading to the belief in materialism. This shift resulted in the challenge known as the hard problem of consciousness, where attempts to extract the world from a mere description have proven unsuccessful, yet there remains a persistent belief that a future iteration of this materialistic view will resolve this issue.
