Decoding the Enigma of Consciousness: Life, Cognition, and the Nature of Awareness | Evan Thompson

Dr. John Vervaeke

John Vervaeke and Evan Thompson continue the exploration of life, cognition, and consciousness, drawing from interdisciplinary collaboration and philosophical discourse. The discussion challenges reductionist perspectives in biology, examines organisms as autonomous agents, and questions the adequacy of current models to explain life's complexities. Consciousness is explored through presence and embodiment, while also debating the roles of large language models like ChatGPT in understanding cognitive processes. By integrating philosophical and phenomenological perspectives, the episode addresses the interconnectedness of consciousness, cognition, and life, transcending traditional mind-matter dichotomies and emphasizing the significance of embodiment in cognitive functions.

Evan Thompson is a philosopher and author, specializing in the integration of cognitive science, philosophy of mind, and Asian philosophical traditions. Based at the University of British Columbia, his work, including his recent book 'The Blind Spot', examines the intersections of consciousness, experience, and reality through a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach.

Immerse yourself in the groundbreaking insights of Evan Thompson's thought-provoking book, "The Blind Spot: Why Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience”

Notes:

• (0:00) Introduction: Welcome to the Lectern

• (0:15) Evan Thompson's Background and the Book 'The Blind Spot'

• (2:10) The Blind Spot in Perception: Cognitive Science, Asian Philosophy, and Mystical Insight

• (2:30) Revolution in Biology: Life, Cognition, and Consciousness

• (5:00) Autonomous Agents vs. Machines

• (11:30) Challenges to Newtonian Mechanics and Reductionist Ontology

• (22:00) Life as Self-Enabling, Not law-Entailing

• (32:00) Historical and Nomological Explanations in Biology

• (39:00) Epiphenomenalism

• (43:00) Debunking Computational Functionalism

• (45:00) Exploring Cognition and Relevance Realization

• (49:00) Limits of AI

• (51:00) The Energy and Social Costs of AI

• (1:00:00) Structures of Consciousness

• (1:08:00) The Primacy of Awareness and Embodiment

• (1:22:00) Concluding Thoughts and Future Discussions

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Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned in this Episode

The Blind Spot: Why Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience - book co-authored by Evan Thompson, Adam Frank, and Marcelo Gleiser

Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy - book by Evan Thompson

Why I Am Not a Buddhist - book by Evan Thompson

The Nature of Selection: Evolutionary Theory in Philosophical Focus by Elliott Sober

The Watchmen (comic series) by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

The Relevance Realization (paper) by John Vervaeke and colleagues

Chalmers' work on consciousness works by David Chalmers

The Visible and the Invisible by Maurice Merleau-Ponty

Neoplatonism

Hegelian Philosophy

Immanuel Kant

Alfred North Whitehead

Douglas Harding

Marcelo Gleiser

Quotes:

“Organisms are autonomous agents, not machines.” -Evan Thompson (4:00)

“Consciousness has the order of priority in terms of intelligibility or meaning.” -Evan Thompson (1:04:00)