Name: The History of Life from Plato and Descartes to Darwin and Lovelock @Footnotes2Plato
Uploaded: 2026-09-18T08:17:00-05:00
Duration: 8 min 17 s
Description: The History of Life from Plato and Descartes to Darwin and Lovelock

The History of Life from Plato and Descartes to Darwin and Lovelock

Footnotes2Plato 2026-09-18 | The History of Life from Plato and Descartes to Darwin and Lovelock

Imaginal Cognition, Musical Improvisation, and Predictive Processing (Dialogue with Tim Jackson)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-10-18 | You can find links to the articles we are discussing in this brief reflection I wrote about them: footnotes2plato.substack.com/p/good-science-bad-philosophy-predictive

I asked ChatGPT4o to summarize our conversation in the form of a Platonic dialogue.

"In the Platonic style, we can condense the dialogue between Matt and Tim into succinct philosophical positions, with each interlocutor sharply focusing on their core points. Here’s a distilled version of their conversation:

Matt:
"Tim, you are but a hallucination, just as I am to you, a constructed model of your mind. Does this not lead us to question the reality of our perceptions?"

Tim:
"Indeed, the models we create must constantly update themselves. But this does not negate our experience—it refines it. We are not static beings; we exist as multiplicities, always shifting and adapting."

Matt:
"As in my recent experience, when time seemed to stretch in a moment of danger, our consciousness reveals its plasticity. Time dilates, and in that dilation, we discover the deep relationship between mind and world. Yet, is not this dilation evidence of a more profound engagement with reality than mere predictive error minimization?"

Tim:
"Ah, but therein lies the paradox. Predictive processing offers us a model, yet can it account for the spontaneity of improvisation, of flow states where we exceed even our own expectations?"

Matt:
"Predictive processing, as useful as it is, often seems to trap us in a feedback loop. We must turn to active inference, wherein perception is action, and action reshapes perception. It is in this engagement that we transcend the Kantian trap of a merely representational mind."

Tim:
"But even in improvisation, are we not bound by constraints? The self dissolves, yes, but does this not allow a deeper attunement to the richness of the world around us? The danger lies in confusing constraint with generation. We do not create the world—we respond to it."

Matt:
"True, but is not the act of responding itself a form of creation? When we act, we reshape the world. The brain may indeed function like a Bayesian engine, but we are not mere calculators. Our consciousness, our awareness, stretches beyond the confines of predictive models. We are agents, creators of novelty, not prisoners of expectation."

Tim:
"And yet, agency itself must be understood in context. The environment, too, acts upon us. Just as we shape it, it shapes us in return. The self, the environment, the organism—each influences the other in an endless dance of improvisation."

Matt:
"Exactly. This mutual shaping is the essence of experience. But the danger, as always, is in reducing this dynamic to mere mechanism. We must acknowledge the creativity at the heart of perception, the spontaneity at the core of life."

Our Relational Reality: Integrated Information, Predictive Processing, and Quantum Potential

Footnotes2Plato 2024-10-16 | Another dialogue with Dr. Flavio Lanfranconi

Flavio and I explored the intersection of Whitehead’s process philosophy with modern theories of consciousness, such as Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and the Free Energy Principle (FEP), while also tying in quantum physics (as we’ve discussed in prior sessions). Flavio had been pondering whether IIT could be compatible with Whitehead’s framework and how concepts like Von Neumann entropy in quantum mechanics might lead to a rethinking of FEP’s treatment of Shannon information.

I agreed that there are superficial similarities between IIT and Whitehead's philosophy, but pointed out a key difference: IIT treats experience as intrinsic and non-relational, while Whitehead’s process-relational ontology allows us to analyze experience in terms of prehensions or feelings; that is, in terms of its relational essence.

Flavio proposed that IIT might be useful in quantifying moments of concrescence, the process by which an actual occasion reaches satisfaction. I agree there is something to the comparison worthy of further consideration.

I also shared my concerns with FEP’s focus on error minimization, suggesting that Whitehead’s philosophy offers a more complete account of life, one that includes a creative urge to ingress novelty.

We moved into a discussion about quantum physics, specifically how Whitehead’s process ontology might address the question of wave function collapse. I introduced Quantum Bayesianism (Qbism), suggesting that with a slight shift from an epistemological to an ontological orientation it starts to sound a lot like Whitehead’s panexperientialism.

We ended by reflecting on the broader implications of moving from a mechanistic worldview to a cosmovision that embraces relationality and the intrinsic value of all life.

Time, Trauma, and the Unfolding of Evolutionary Potential (dialogue with Simon and Sam)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-10-14 | Another dialogue with Simon van der Els and Sam van Beljouw.

The dialogue shifts into deeper philosophical territory, as Matt again brings up the Voicecraft discussion, with Sam noting how thought-provoking it was. This leads to a discussion of creativity, initiated by Sam, who wonders whether human artistic expression is merely uncovering something already present rather than inventing something new. He reflects on Whitman’s idea that music already exists and is awakened through instruments. Matt ties this idea to Tolkien, drawing a parallel between divine creation and human receptivity, and further contrasts Tolkien's view with Whitehead’s more open-ended concept of divine creativity as a conductor guiding an orchestra.

The group then moves on to explore broader themes like the unconscious mind’s role in creativity, how human alignment with these unconscious patterns brings clarity to one’s purpose, and the relationship between past, present, and future possibilities. Sam and Simon explore these ideas through metaphors of constraints, growth, and improvisation, weaving in references to Whitehead’s eternal objects, potential futures, and teleology.

Matt contributes a reflection on how constraints, both from the past and the future, shape creativity. He contrasts randomness with meaningful improvisation and emphasizes Whitehead’s notion of a divine “lure” that entices but does not determine possibilities. Sam introduces the idea of mystic consciousness, asking whether those at the edges of human experience might access different realms of creativity or potential.

As the conversation progresses, the participants dive into topics like evolution, trauma, and the role of suffering. Matt and Simon explore how trauma can overly constrain creativity but, when processed or reinterpreted, can free up new possibilities. They draw on metaphors of roots, slime molds, and nutrient gathering to illustrate how revisiting the past can release hidden potential. The conversation touches on the evolutionary process, with Matt noting how life seems to push beyond mere survival, seeking beauty and flourishing in ways that challenge materialistic reductionism. Sam brings up the duality of health and disease, suggesting that illness can enhance life’s depth, and the group reflects on how suffering, while painful, intensifies experience and might ultimately enhance beauty.

As they conclude, the conversation circles back to philosophical questions about justice, creativity, and aesthetics. Matt recommends Whitehead’s Adventures of Ideas and emphasizes how human creativity participates in the universe’s broader artistic impulse. The discussion closes with Simon asking what generative AI means for creativity, suggesting it as a topic for future conversation.

Matt talks to ChatGPT about the Logicist Project and Its Implications for Generative AI

Footnotes2Plato 2024-09-29 | reading from part 3 of this paper: footnotes2plato.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-iwc-paper-whiteheads-philosophy-of-organism-turning-idealism-inside-out-1.pdf

‘No Thinker Thinks Twice’: On the Attempt to Catch Whitehead in the Act of Philosophizing

Footnotes2Plato 2024-09-28 | My talk at the Whitehead centennial conference in Emerson Hall at Harvard University.

Freedom, Love, and the Confrontation with Evil (dialogue with Roman Campolo)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-09-23 | footnotes2plato.substack.com/p/freedom-and-the-confrontation-with

Carl Jungs Problem of the Fourth (dialoguing with Tim Jackson)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-09-20 | my notes on the essay we are discussing: footnotes2plato.substack.com/p/notes-on-carl-jungs-psychology-of

Growing Gaia through Human Communion (macro-thinking with a couple of microbiologists)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-09-06 | a dialogue with Simon van der Els and Sam van Beljouw, both microbiologists who also know how to do macro-thinking about life as a planetary phenomenon!

linkedin.com/in/simon-van-der-els-phd-66434b231/?originalSubdomain=nl

linkedin.com/in/sam-van-beljouw-4b5533140

C. S. Peirces Neglected Argument for the Reality of God (dialogue with Tim Jackson)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-09-06 | I mention that Tim's Basho quote about the growing grass reminded me of this part of Whitman's "Song of Myself": poets.org/poem/song-myself-6-child-said-what-grass

Peirce has both a radically original and a perennial understanding of the relationship between logic and ontology. He is defending a new kind of proof for the reality of God that is neither deductive nor inductive but rather abductive—rooted in our direct intuition and imaginal experience of ideals like Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. In Peirce’s cosmos, human imagination or “Musement” (and our scientific explication and evaluation of its speculative harvests) is continuous with nature’s spontaneous originality and order-creating tendency. In fact human imagination attuned to its own theurgic powers is just the biopsychosocial process of earthly and cosmic energetic transaction become aware of itself. One implication of Peirce’s argument is that evolutionary biology shall become the scientific study of spirit’s incarnation into flesh.

Peirce believes (at least in his brighter moods) that healthy thinking is or will be led by force of its own sound logic, careful observation, and moral pragmatism to affirm the hypothesis of God as necessary being.

Peirce’s triadic logic serves as his foundation for thinking about divine order. He is like other thinkers such as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Rudolf Steiner, and Alfred North Whitehead, who sought to integrate evolutionary theory with Christianity, implying a neglected continuity between evolutionary theory and the Biblical account of the crucial role of history in mediating the God-World relationship.

Tim describes Peirce’s argument as a form of meditation, one that begins with the contemplation of phenomena, approached from different perspectives and without the urge to leap to conclusions. For Tim, this contemplative approach mirrors the essay itself, as he treats it as a living encounter with Peirce's mind, full of personality and philosophical depth. He adds that Peirce's concept of God's reality—rather than God's existence—must be understood in terms of experience and its effect on conduct, much in line with Peirce's pragmatic maxim.

Our conversation often circled around Peirce's nuanced and problematic use of the word "God"—not as a precise term but as a vernacular one, vague and unscientific, yet useful in capturing something fundamental. Peirce criticizes logicians and scientists who become atheists by trying to over-define God, missing the point of its vagueness and its role in human experience. Tim expands on this, noting that Peirce distinguishes between arguments and argumentation: arguments as signs that induce belief, but not necessarily through precisely defined premises.

Peirce argues that abduction serves as the origin of all inquiry, not just in theology but also in natural science. For Peirce, this form of reasoning allows us to reach into the origins of phenomena, and encourages our primal faith in the human capacity to interpret and communicate.

Peirce claimed that everyone—atheists included—secretly believes in God due to their inherent faith in their own capacity to think and reason. Here, Peirce’s concept of thirdness becomes particularly important, as it refers to the divine element of mind and its role in creating the other categories (firstness and secondness). Tim and I engaged in a long discussion about whether thirdness should be considered primary or whether firstness and secondness already imply it. We agree there may be tension in Peirce's thinking, as Peirce sometimes implies that chance (firstness) is sufficient for order to arise, while at other times he suggests that a pre-existing habit-taking tendency (thirdness) is necessary.

Peirce suggests that God may be said to grow, contradicting the traditional notion of divine immutability. He acknowledges the inherent difficulty of reconciling a purposeful, evolving God with the notion of divine transcendence, yet leaves the tension unresolved.

We touched on the problem of evil, which Peirce links to secondness and describes as one of the "major perfections of the universe."

We linked Peirce’s thought to ancient traditions, including Kabbalah, Taoism, and hermeticism. I drew connections to thinkers like Gregory of Nyssa and Pseudo-Dionysius, who engaged in negative theology, establishing a tradition of unsaying God, which resonates with Peirce’s emphasis on vagueness. Tim brings in psychoanalytic perspectives, especially Jung and Lacan, noting how psychoanalysis, like theology, grapples with the deep structures of human meaning-making and its confrontation with trauma, alienation, and the symbolic order. Tim explores the idea of God as "insistence" rather than "existence," paralleling the way the unconscious insists through its perturbations of consciousness in psychoanalysis.

Selfhood, God, and Possibility in a World in Process (dialogue with Flavio Lanfranconi)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-09-03 | In a continuation of their previous discussion, Matt Segall and Dr. Flavio Lanfranconi engage in a deep exploration of the intersections between quantum physics, ontology, and Whitehead's process philosophy. Their conversation weaves together complex ideas from both science and philosophy, probing into the fundamental nature of reality and the relationships between continuity and discreteness, selfhood and the divine.

Dr. Lanfranconi begins by revisiting a concept from their earlier discussion: the nature of quantum fields and electrons. He reflects on the idea that electrons, as excitations within these fields, might be analogous to potentials—possibilities that exist throughout the universe, waiting to be actualized in specific places and times. This contemplation leads to a broader inquiry into how fields and potentials could be linked to the fundamental fabric of reality, an idea that both fascinates and challenges traditional scientific thought.

Segall then turns to a more personal inquiry from Lanfranconi, who asks him to articulate his current understanding of ontology, especially in relation to Whitehead's ideas. Segall dives into the tension between continuity and discreteness, a dichotomy that has long puzzled philosophers and scientists alike. He argues that both concepts are real, yet the challenge lies in integrating them coherently. To illustrate, he draws on the example of space and motion, explaining how paradoxes arise when either is viewed solely as continuous.

As the discussion unfolds, Segall elaborates on Whitehead's process philosophy, where reality is not composed of static substances but rather of dynamic events or "occasions." These occasions, though discrete, emerge from a continuous field of possibilities. In Whitehead's view, these possibilities are represented by "eternal objects," abstract forms that exist in a realm of potentiality until they are actualized in specific occasions.

The conversation shifts as Lanfranconi presses Segall on the nature of personal identity within this process-oriented framework. Segall explains that, in a process ontology, the self is not a fixed entity but a continuous process of becoming. This process involves a constant interplay between subjectivity and objectivity, challenging the traditional Cartesian notion of the self as a stable, unchanging essence.

Their dialogue takes a theological turn when they address Whitehead's concept of God. Segall explains that, in Whitehead’s system, God is not a traditional creator but rather a participant in the ongoing process of reality. God has both a primordial nature, associated with infinite possibilities, and a consequent nature, associated with the actualized universe. Segall acknowledges the historical baggage that comes with the term "God" but defends its use in Whitehead’s metaphysical framework as a necessary concept rather than a purely religious one.

The conversation then touches on the question of free will, a topic that Lanfranconi is eager to explore. He asks how much freedom each actual occasion has in shaping its future within the constraints of process philosophy. Segall responds by suggesting that the degree of freedom varies depending on the complexity of the occasion. For instance, human beings, with their advanced cognitive capacities, have a greater ability to exercise creative decision-making compared to simpler entities.

Quantum mechanics makes another appearance in their dialogue as they discuss the decoherence interpretation, which describes how quantum systems interact with their environments, leading to a loss of coherence and the emergence of classical behavior. Lanfranconi expresses skepticism about this interpretation, particularly concerning the idea of distinguishing between a quantum system and its environment. He questions whether such a distinction is even meaningful if everything in the universe is, in essence, a quantum system.

As the conversation draws to a close, Segall and Lanfranconi reflect on the limitations of human understanding. They emphasize the importance of integrating scientific models with lived experience, recognizing that while scientific theories provide valuable insights, they must be understood in the context of human consciousness and imagination. Despite the complexities and unresolved questions, both participants express a shared enthusiasm for continuing their exploration of these profound topics in future discussions.

Many-One Thinking and the Scientific Inadequacy of Materialism (Dialogue with Oliver Griebel)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-09-03 | In this conversation, Matt Segall and Oliver Griebel engage in a deep discussion about their shared interests in philosophy, cosmology, and the integration of modern scientific thought with spiritual and holistic perspectives. The conversation begins with Matt expressing his appreciation for Oliver’s anthology (wipfandstock.com/9781666781649/both-one-and-many), particularly the introduction and Oliver’s chapter, which he found insightful, especially in its critique of materialism and its exploration of Einstein's theories, including the possibility of a variable speed of light.

Oliver provides background on the contributors to the anthology, mentioning that most of them are familiar names except for Tilman Haberer, a German theologian and social worker. Oliver shares his personal intellectual journey, beginning with his studies in analytic philosophy and his discontent with its materialistic leanings. He discusses his early meditative practices and his philosophical development while driving a taxi in Munich, which led to his "many-one" approach—a concept he privately developed that emphasizes the complementarity between the cosmos as a whole and its parts.

Matt and Oliver then delve into the challenges of integrating holistic and relational worldviews with the current scientific paradigm, particularly the dominance of materialistic approaches in physics. Oliver reflects on the difficulty of engaging with the deeply entrenched materialist perspective in modern science, citing his struggles with the mathematical foundations necessary to challenge prevailing theories. He mentions Ilya Prigogine's work on replacing materialism with an emergentist and resonant worldview, which requires a different mathematical approach.

The conversation touches on the philosophical implications of science, with Matt noting that many scientists unknowingly engage in philosophy, often bad philosophy, when they extend their scientific models into metaphysical claims. They discuss the role of expertise and the need to balance inclusivity with the maintenance of rigorous, well-defended philosophical and scientific cores.

Oliver expresses his concerns about modernity's trajectory, particularly the mechanistic and consumerist aspects that seem to lead society toward a bottleneck. He emphasizes the need to preserve the existence of genuine events and evolution in the worldview, arguing against the block universe concept, which he finds absurd.

They also explore Whitehead's process philosophy, discussing its relevance to modern scientific developments and its potential to offer an alternative to materialistic reductionism. Oliver is intrigued by Whitehead's idea of a constantly updating universe, where each moment is a new emergence, and he considers how this might relate to his own cosmic holism, a view that places the cosmos as the ultimate, encompassing order of things.

The conversation concludes with Matt and Oliver agreeing on the importance of integrating spiritual and theological perspectives into their discussions. They acknowledge that their current conversation has focused more on the scientific aspects, and they plan to explore the spiritual and theological dimensions in a future exchange. Both express a desire to continue their dialogue, recognizing the value of their intellectual exchange in addressing the profound questions of existence, science, and spirituality.

Deleuze, Whitehead, and Computational Aesthetics (dialogue with Tim Jackson)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-30 | Tim Jackson and I discuss M. Beatrice Fazi's book "Contingent Computation: Abstraction, Experience, and Indeterminacy in Computational Aesthetics" (2018), focusing in particular on her interpretations of Gilles Deleuze and Alfred North Whitehead.
rowman.com/ISBN/9781786606099/Contingent-Computation-Abstraction-Experience-and-Indeterminacy-in-Computational-Aesthetics

Thinking With Owen Barfield (dialoguing with Ashton Arnoldy and Daniel Garner)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-29 | Ashton Arnoldy: substack.com/@micr0k0sm @micr0k0sm

Daniel Garner: substack.com/@ogrose

I fed ChatGPT4o the transcript and asked it to rewrite our dialogue in the style of a Shakespearean play.

**A quiet, moonlit garden. DANIEL, ASHTON, and MATT stand in deep contemplation, the night air filled with a sense of impending revelation.

MATT:
When words, like leaves, do fall from mortal lips,
What power holds them fast within the mind?
Is it mere chance, or do they bear a weight
Of meaning deep, that shapes the world around?

DANIEL:
The words we speak, if true, are not mere air,
But seeds, which when they fall on fertile ground,
Do grow into great trees, whose roots do delve
Into the earth, and whose branches reach the sky.
Imagination is the gardener’s hand,
That tills the soil and waters every seed,
And if we plant with care, then what may grow
Is beauty, truth, and all that’s good in man.

ASHTON:
But if we plant with careless hands, what then?
Mayhap the seeds will choke on thorny thoughts,
Or wither in the shadow of our doubts.
Imagination, though it holds great power,
Can lead us forth to light or to despair.

MATT:
Aye, that is true, and in this age of men,
Where machines do mimic mind and steal our voice,
The danger lies in what we choose to make,
And how we wield the power in our hands.

DANIEL:
These tools we craft, though born of mortal thought,
Do walk a line ‘twixt light and darkest night.
Convenience we may seek, but at what cost?
Shall we, in seeking ease, forget our souls,
And let the tools we forge become our chains?
No, we must ask, what doth these tools beget?
Do they inspire the mind to flights of thought,
Or do they pull us down, ensnare our hearts,
And bind us to the earth with heavy chains?

ASHTON:
To know the measure of a tool, we must
Look deep within and ask, what makes us men?
Is it the mind alone, or something more?
A heart that beats in tune with nature’s song,
A soul that yearns for truth, for beauty’s light,
And for a love that binds all things as one.

MATT:
And what is man, if not a friend to all?
In friendship do we find our truest selves,
For in the mirror of another’s soul,
We see our own, and in that bond we grow.
Yet now, in this new age of iron and glass,
The friends we knew are lost within the mist,
And in their place, cold shadows take their stand.

DANIEL:
Friendship, aye, ‘tis the heart of all that’s good.
For in true friendship lies a sacred bond,
That neither time nor distance can undo.
But now, with tools that mimic human thought,
We face a danger none have faced before.
The question is not whether we can make,
But whether we should let these shadows stand.

ASHTON:
For in these shadows lies the risk of loss,
The loss of self, the loss of all that’s true.
We must be wise, and in our wisdom see
That not all progress leads to brighter days.
Sometimes the road to ruin’s paved with gold,
And what seems gain may yet be greatest loss.

MATT:
The world stands at a crossroad dark and deep,
Where one path leads to light, the other shade.
Our task, dear friends, is clear: we must decide
Which way to walk, and with what tools to guide.

DANIEL:
And yet, within the heart of man, there lies
A spark, a fire that neither night nor cold
Can ever quench, if we but fan the flame.
Imagination is the breath of life,
That stirs the coals and brings the embers bright.

ASHTON:
Then let us kindle this bright flame anew,
And guard it well against the winds of doubt.
For in this light, we see the world as whole,
And in its warmth, our souls find true repose.

MATT:
So let us not forget the truth we’ve found,
That man is more than metal, more than clay.
We are the keepers of a sacred flame,
And with our words, we shape the world’s new day.

DANIEL:
Then onward, friends, and let our words take flight,
To plant the seeds of truth, of hope, of light.

ASHTON:
And may they grow into a mighty tree,
Whose roots run deep, and branches reach the sky.

MATT:
Together we shall walk this path of thought,
And find the meaning hidden in the dark.**

Cosmo-Local Commoning (dialogue with Michel Bauwens)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-27 | 4thgenerationcivilization.substack.com

wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Main_Page

Beyond the Creator God to God the Relator: Reply to Jim Rutt and Jordan Hall

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-27 | The Episode of The Jim Rutt Show I am responding to: jimruttshow.com/jordan-hall-3/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEzN69leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSNKyOLP7duXlSddvIK5dpIjSBE2zo3xlhdzfmil9izKYxMdLBaaXcBXtA_aem_kA_vHKV3JtP0wgyTUXP9-A

For more on how I’d want to think about the role of Christianity in moderating the relationship between markets and states, see this recent lecture on social threefolding: open.substack.com/pub/footnotes2plato/p/rudolf-steiners-threefold-social?r=2at642&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Catherine Keller on Genesis: youtu.be/dbYfFgX-kaI

The Triadic Logic of Charles Sanders Peirce: open.substack.com/pub/footnotes2plato/p/c-s-peirces-guess-at-the-riddle?r=2at642&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Quantum Physics and Process Metaphysics

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-26 | Flavio's earlier video on Whitehead and quantum physics: youtu.be/IEF2bnBn2lY?si=mnooNgHuwpfGDAsq

The Body and Mind of God: Spiritual Love and the Strife of Life (dialogue with Roman Campolo)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-25 | another Sunday dialogue with Roman

Renewal of Science - A Conference in Mountain View, CA - Oct 31-Nov 2, 2024

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-23 | More info and registration: renewalofculture.org/renewalofscience

Thinking with C. S. Peirce: Reading and Discussing A Guess at the Riddle with Tim Jackson

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-22 | my written reflections: open.substack.com/pub/footnotes2plato/p/c-s-peirces-guess-at-the-riddle

AI Summary of our dialogue:

Detailed Summary of Peirce's "A Guess at the Riddle"
Introduction and Background:
Charles Sanders Peirce's essay "A Guess at the Riddle" is a foundational text that lays the groundwork for his later, more refined cosmological theories. As Timothy Jackson notes, this essay can be seen as a prelude to Peirce's famous series of essays published in The Monist a few years later, where he expands on his ideas with more precision. The essay is particularly suggestive and rich because it allows readers to witness Peirce in the act of generating these ideas, often tentatively and cautiously, as Matt Segall highlights.

Triadic Relationship and Hypothesis:
Central to Peirce's thinking in this essay is the triadic relationship, a concept that he applies across various domains such as logic, physiology, physics, and psychology. Peirce is clear that he is making a hypothesis about this triadic relationship, suggesting its applicability across these different domains. He is tentative and open to the possibility of being wrong, which reflects his commitment to fallibilism—a key aspect of his philosophical approach.

Continuity and Fallibilism:
One of the major themes in the essay is the concept of continuity, or "synechism," as Peirce calls it. Timothy Jackson emphasizes that for Peirce, continuity is not an ultimate metaphysical principle but rather a regulative principle in the Kantian sense. It should guide our thought without being reified. Peirce relates the principle of continuity closely to fallibilism and evolution, proposing that "a true continuum is something whose possibilities of determination no multitude of individuals can exhaust." This idea aligns with Peirce's view that all knowledge is inherently uncertain and indeterminate, always "swimming in a continuum of uncertainty."

Evolutionary Logic and the Triad:
Peirce's evolutionary logic is articulated through the triad of tychism (chance), anancasm (necessity or law), and agapism (love or purpose). These correspond to the principles of variation, heritability, and selection in Darwinian evolutionary theory. Tychism represents spontaneity and chance, while anancasm signifies the repetition of what came before. Agapism, on the other hand, is about the creation of generals, purpose, and goals, which are characteristic of thirdness, or mediation, in Peirce's triadic logic.

Metaphysical and Theological Implications:
Peirce's cosmology also delves into metaphysical and theological dimensions. He proposes three different views—Epicurean, pessimist, and evolutionist—that reflect different metaphysical stances regarding the universe's origin, development, and ultimate destiny. The Epicurean view holds that only thirdness (the historical process) is real, while the pessimist view sees the origin and terminus as coincident, leading to a cyclical, nihilistic interpretation of reality. Peirce himself advocates for the evolutionist view, which posits a real distinction between the universe's origin (firstness) and its terminus (secondness), suggesting that the universe is evolving toward something genuinely new and different.

Convergence with Other Thinkers:
Both Segall and Jackson point out the convergences between Peirce and other thinkers, particularly Alfred North Whitehead. While Peirce's system is leaner and more minimalistic compared to Whitehead's elaborate metaphysical framework, both thinkers share a commitment to a relational ontology and the importance of continuity in understanding the evolution of the universe. However, as Jackson notes, Peirce's approach to continuity as a regulative principle differs from Whitehead's view, which involves a more structured understanding of the continuity of becoming.

Peirce's Influence and Legacy:
Despite Peirce's profound contributions to philosophy, he struggled with social and professional acceptance, as Segall and Jackson discuss. His prickly personality and inability to navigate social realities effectively contrasted with the more charismatic and socially adept William James. Nevertheless, Peirce's systematic and rigorous approach to logic and metaphysics has left a lasting legacy, influencing later thinkers like Whitehead and others in the process philosophy tradition.

Final Thoughts:
In conclusion, Peirce's "A Guess at the Riddle" is a complex and rich text that offers a glimpse into the early development of his cosmological and metaphysical ideas. The essay's emphasis on the triadic relationship, continuity, and fallibilism reflects Peirce's innovative approach to philosophy, one that continues to resonate with contemporary thinkers. As Segall and Jackson suggest, Peirce's work, though challenging and sometimes obscure, is ultimately rewarding for those willing to engage with his profound insights into the nature of reality, evolution, and the human quest for knowledge.

Evolution, Spirituality, and Evolutionary Spirituality (dialogue with Roman Campolo)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-18 | 0:00 - Reflections on Ayahuasca Experience: The conversation begins with reflections on a recent Ayahuasca ceremony, focusing on embodiment, spiritual nature, and the reminder of mortality.

9:14 - Morphic Resonance and Bioelectrical Memory: Introduction to Rupert Sheldrake's morphic resonance and its potential connection to Michael Levin’s research on memory storage in bioelectrical networks.

17:06 - Process Philosophy and Quantum Physics: Discussion on how findings in natural science, particularly quantum physics, called for a new cosmological scheme, leading to process philosophy.

24:21 - Abstraction and the Nature of Reality: Examination of the role of abstraction in understanding reality, the limits of scientific models, and the relationship between thought and experience.

41:01 - Evolutionary Process and Christ Event: Discussion on the evolutionary process, Christ event, and the concept of Christogenesis as described by Teilhard de Chardin, integrating biological and spiritual evolution.

53:04 - The Role of Evil in Creativity: Final discussion on the necessity of evil in the creative process, the nature of evil in human and natural contexts, and the ethical implications of a world without evil.

Revitalizing Christianity (Thinking Beyond Modernity with John Vervaeke and Brendan Graham Dempsey)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-16 | my reply to their recent conversation about metamodern Christianity: youtu.be/a8w6VoUL8ik?si=QFHGDIR-7192mpvi
a written version of this (I edited the transcript): open.substack.com/pub/footnotes2plato/p/revitalizing-christianity?r=2at642&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

@johnvervaeke @BrendanGrahamDempsey

The Ontological Politics of Psychedelic Medicine (dialogue with Tim Jackson)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-16 | Nese Devenot's article on "psychedelic and AI hype as inequality engines": akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/7/S1/article-p22.xml

Rudolf Steiner and the Dream of External Matter: An Esoteric Physiosophy of the Senses

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-15 | an addendum to this talk: "Etheric Imagination as Participatory Knowing: A Process Philosophical Reading of Rudolf Steiner's 'Light Course'": youtu.be/r7i72EJBk6Y?si=MBiNRGZxz8zLDowO

Rudolf Steiners Threefold Social Organism

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-14 | for more on the threefold social order, read my article "The Urgency of Social Threefolding in a World Still At War With Itself" (2023): cosmosandhistory.org/index.php/journal/article/view/1069/1723

Etheric Imagination as Participatory Knowing: A Whiteheadian Reading of R. Steiners Light Course

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-12 | urphanomen.substack.com/p/etheric-imagination-as-participatory

David Abram and Matt Segall on Animism, Panpsychism, and the More than Human World

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-12 | Recorded May 19, 2022 in San Francisco, CA

Descendental Realism, Etheric Imagination, and Spatiotemporal Experience

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-09 | Reading from my book "Crossing the Threshold" (2023): https://revelore.press/product/crossing-the-threshold/

Becoming the World-Body

Footnotes2Plato 2024-08-04 | ...

The Heat of All Beings: Or, on Thermodynamic Explanations

Footnotes2Plato 2024-07-29 | Heat is not a number, it is the sign of the sacrifice of higher beings.

Reflections on Naturalizing Relevance Realization (dialoguing with Tim Jackson)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-07-19 | discussing this paper: frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1362658/full

We discuss the concept of relevance realization, the nature of life and cognition, computational models, the grounding problem, formal causation, and various metaphysical frameworks. We reference philosophers and scientists such as Charles Sanders Peirce, Alfred North Whitehead, David Deutsch, and others.

Between Phenomenology, Science, and Process Ontology (dialogue with James Schofield)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-07-12 | James mentioned ahartsolutions.com at the end of our conversation.

Other relevant links:
https://faculty.bentley.edu/profile/jschofield
philpeople.org/profiles/james-schofield-2

Metaphysics, Science, and Waking Up (dialogue with Roman Campolo)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-07-09 | 1:01 - Plato's View on the Physical World and Eternal Forms
5:01 - The Passive Nature of Eternal Objects and Active Role of Actual Occasions
12:00 - Metaphysics, Science, and Spirituality: Process Philosophy's Impact on Scientific Practice
22:08 - Reimagining Science as Relational and Value-Driven
35:04 - Integrating Moral and Spiritual Values into Scientific Inquiry
50:12 - The Relationship Between Suffering, Growth, and the Human Role in Evolution
55:05 - Contemplating Death, Continuity of Self, and Primal Wonder.

Roman and Matt delved into Whitehead's metaphysics, exploring its intersections with modern science and spiritual experience. Roman began by asking Matt about the distinction between Whitehead's eternal objects and Plato's eternal forms. Matt explained that although Whitehead was influenced by Plato, the two concepts are different. Plato saw the physical world as an imperfect imitation of an unchanging realm of forms, whereas Whitehead valued the process by which these forms become actualized in the physical world, emphasizing the dynamic nature of reality.

As their discussion continued, Roman sought to understand whether Whitehead's eternal objects are active influences. Matt clarified that in Whitehead's philosophy, eternal objects are passive, while actual occasions are the active elements that bring these objects into existence. This inversion of Plato's idea underscores Whitehead's focus on the processes of realization rather than static perfection.

Their conversation then shifted to the broader implications of metaphysics on science and spirituality. Roman inquired about how adopting a process philosophical viewpoint could transform scientific practice. Matt responded by critiquing modern science's historical drive to control nature, often leading to ecological and existential crises. He suggested that a Whiteheadian perspective would promote a more relational approach to science, one that emphasizes cooperation with nature rather than domination, potentially leading to more sustainable and compassionate practices.

Roman and Matt then explored the role of values in scientific inquiry. Matt argued for a reimagined science that treats knowledge as sacred and value-driven, rather than value-neutral. This perspective, he believed, could align scientific endeavors with broader human and ecological well-being, moving away from purely economic or militaristic goals.

Reflecting on the importance of abstraction and intuition in philosophy, Matt emphasized the need to ground philosophical abstractions in a wide range of human intuitions, including those that might seem irrational or spiritual. This inclusive approach, he argued, ensures that speculative cosmologies remain connected to lived human experiences.

The conversation also touched on the future of human knowledge and existence. Matt highlighted the potential for humans to positively influence the evolutionary process through compassionate and knowledgeable engagement with the world. While acknowledging the inevitability of suffering, he suggested that human efforts can reduce unnecessary suffering and enhance joy for all life forms on the planet.

They also pondered the relationship between suffering and growth, with Matt affirming that while suffering is inevitable, human actions can reduce unnecessary suffering and enhance overall well-being. When Roman raised questions about the nature of the self and continuity after death, Matt expressed his belief in some form of continuity, suggesting that karma creates a causal connection between lives. He likened death to a transition similar to sleep (or perhaps waking up from a dream!), implying ongoing spiritual development.

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: A dialogue with Evan Sola, PsyD and Casey Paleos, MD

Footnotes2Plato 2024-07-05 | A clinical psychologist and psychiatrist involved in MAPS' phase 3 MDMA trials weigh in on the ethical and ontological challenges of psychedelic psychotherapy. Rough transcript available here: footnotes2plato.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/transcript-of-matt-evan-and-casey.pdf

Evan and Casey both have chapters in a soon to be published American Psychological Association textbook on psychedelic therapy, which formed the basis of our dialogue.

Evan's clinical practice site: evansolapsyd.com

Casey’s non-profit: http://nautilussanctuary.org

Some background material:

Psychedelics and the ‘inner healer’: Myth or mechanism? By Peill J, Marguilho M, Erritzoe D, et al. in Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2024;38(5):417-424: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02698811241239206

Comment to FDA advisory committee looking at MDMA therapy by Nese Devenot: regulations.gov/comment/FDA-2024-N-1938-0043

“A Theological Reckoning with ‘Bad Trips’” by Rachel Petersen: https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/a-theological-reckoning-with-bad-trips/

Philosophy of/as Information in Simondon, Floridi, and Whitehead (dialogue with Tim Jackson)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-07-05 | we discuss Ashley Woodward's pape on Simondonr: discovery.dundee.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/117607882/Ashley_Woodward_Philosophy_ofas_Information.pdf

The Blind Spot (2024): A Critical and Reconstructive Review with Timothy Jackson

Footnotes2Plato 2024-06-27 | Tim and I discuss the core chapters from Frank, Gleiser, and Thompson's new book "The Blind Spot: Why Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience" (MIT Press, 2024): penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739505/the-blind-spot-by-adam-frank-marcelo-gleiser-and-evan-thompson/9780262048804

Read my other reviews of this book:

open.substack.com/pub/footnotes2plato/p/review-of-the-blind-spot-by-frank

open.substack.com/pub/footnotes2plato/p/more-reflections-on-the-blind-spot

Timestamps:
0:10 The contemporary urban life-world
10:34 In defense of "direct experience"
19:26 Life is a surprise to physics?
35:45 Real time vs. Clock time
42:13 Organization precedes Evolution?
1:04:27 Organicism includes mechanism; beyond evolution by survivability and cosmic teloi
1:28:47 Kantian residues in the autopoietic account of "outside"
1:43:55 Criticisms of Bayesian Brain/Predictive Processing accounts of consciousness
2:03:24 Model-centrism and misplaced concreteness
2:14:36 Is pure experience pre-conceptual? Whitehead's conceptual prehensions...
2:24:50 A new approach in neuroscience: Neurophenomenology

Sexuality, Gender, and the Evolution of Consciousness (dialogue with Roman Campolo)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-06-23 | from the personal to the cosmic, polyamory, deep time, and the incarnation of the Logos

Metamodern Christianity? Or Christ as Cosmogram

Footnotes2Plato 2024-06-22 | rambling appreciation for John Vervaeke and Brandan Graham Dempsey's dialogue (youtu.be/AlpQJVy18H4?si=0S6w8MVQB71f0SuB), and a few offerings of my own on the topic (footnotes2plato.substack.com/p/what-is-metamodern-christianity)

Alfred North Whitehead on Instinct, Intelligence, and Wisdom

Footnotes2Plato 2024-05-22 | From "Adventures of Ideas" (1933), pp. 47-48.

"Our consciousness does not initiate our modes of functioning. We awake to find ourselves engaged in process, immersed in satis¬factions and dissatisfactions, and actively modifying, either by intensification, or by attenuation, or by the introduction of novel purposes. This primary procedure which is presupposed in con¬sciousness, I will term Instinct. It is the mode of experience directly arising out of the urge of inheritance, individual and environmental. Also, after instinct and intellectual ferment have done their work, there is a decision which determines the mode of coalescence of instinct with intelligence. I will term this factor Wisdom. It is the function of wisdom to act as a modifying agency on the intellectual ferment so as to produce a self-determined issue from the given conditions. Thus for the purpose of understanding social institutions, this crude three-fold division of human nature is required: Instinct, Intelligence, Wisdom.
But this division must not be made too sharply. After all, intel¬lectual activity is itself an inherited factor. We do not initiate thought by an effort of self-consciousness. We find ourselves think¬ing, just as we find ourselves breathing and enjoying the sunset. There is a habit of daydreaming, and a habit of thoughtful elucida¬tion. Thus the autonomy of thought is strictly limited, often neglig¬ible, generally beyond the threshold of consciousness. The ways of thought of a nation are as much instinctive—that is to say, are sub¬ject to routine—as are its ways of emotional reaction. But most of us believe that there is a spontaneity of thought which lies beyond routine. Otherwise, the moral claim for freedom of thought is with¬out meaning. This spontaneity of thought is, in its turn, subject to control as to its maintenance and efficiency. Such control is the judg¬ment of the whole, attenuating or strengthening the partial flashes of self-determination. The whole determines what it wills to be, and thereby adjusts the relative importance of its own inherent flashes of spontaneity. This final determination is its Wisdom or, in other words, its subjective aim as to its own nature, with its limits set by inherited factors.
Wisdom is proportional to the width of the evidence made effec¬tive in the final self-determination. The intellectual operations con¬sist in the coordination of notions derived from the primary facts of instinctive experience into a logically coherent system. Those facts, whose qualitative aspects are thus coordinated, gain importance in the final self-determination. This intellectual coordination is more readily achieved when the primary facts are selected so as to dismiss the baffling aspects of things into intellectual subordination. For this reason intellectual activity is apt to flourish at the expense of Wisdom. To some extent, to understand is always to exclude a back¬ground of intellectual incoherence. But Wisdom is persistent pursuit of the deeper understanding, ever confronting intellectual system with the importance of its omissions. These three elements, Instinct, Intelligence, Wisdom, cannot be torn apart. They integrate, react, and merge into hybrid factors. It is the case of the whole emerging from its parts, and the parts emerging within the whole. In judging social institutions, their rise, their culmination, and their decay, we have to estimate the types of instinct, of intelligence, and of wisdom which have cooperated with natural forces to develop the story. The folly of intelligent people, clear-headed and narrow-visioned, has precipitated many catastrophes."

Jungs Answer to Job (part 2 dialoging with Tim Jackson)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-05-13 | footnotes2plato.substack.com/p/part-2-on-jungs-answer-to-job

On Jungs Answer to Job (dialogue with Timothy Jackson, part 1)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-05-10 | footnotes2plato.substack.com/p/on-jungs-answer-to-job

Introduction to Jung's Answer to Job, published in 1952 after Jung's heart attack and encounter with mortality. Discussion of Jung's attempt to mediate between secular and religious worldviews.
Themes discussed:
The role of the feminine (Sophia) in Jung's interpretation of the Book of Job. Jung identifies Sophia with the Holy Spirit in a Gnostic way. Importance of the feminine for bringing God's ego into relationship with his shadow.
The nature of psychic facts and psychic truth as distinguished from just physical facts/truth. Beliefs are psychological facts that need to be accounted for. Job as an allegory for the human condition and instinct for justice.
The relationship between Yahweh and Satan, and the ambiguity between figures like Ahriman and Lucifer representing evil. The question of the status of evil as a positive aspect of the Godhead rather than just a privation.
Yahweh's unconsciousness and need to project onto Job in order to develop self-awareness. Parallels to Hegel's master-slave dialectic. Job's development of moral consciousness in the face of an amoral God.
The importance of doubt and questioning in Jung's approach, as opposed to blind faith in dogma or omniscience. Doubt as perturbation necessary for individuation and the creative process. God's need to act in creation to elicit knowledge.
The nature of the "nothing" (unformed matter, chaos) from which creation emerges, and whether the archetypes pre-exist in the mind of God prior to creation. The progressive differentiation, determinacy and contingency that emerges through the process of creation.
The uniqueness of Christ and the problem of demythologization by comparing Christ to other religious figures like Buddha and Muhammad. The retroactive significance of the incarnation for the dead and the living. Christianity as one contingent manifestation of a universal archetypal pattern.
The evolution of consciousness through the Father (Yahweh), Son (Christ) and Holy Spirit. The need to understand this in a pluralistic, post-colonial context beyond just the "West." Internal vs external forms of doubt in relation to Christianity.
The role of narrative and myth in understanding the self and its relationship to others. The importance of inter-religious dialogue for self-understanding. The necessity of some form of "threat" or challenge for the development of consciousness.

Iain McGilchrist - Life of Brian intro on Fri March 29 2024

Footnotes2Plato 2024-05-06 | Iain's impromptu intro

open.substack.com/pub/footnotes2plato/p/in-defense-of-truth-as-participation?r=2at642&utm_medium=ios

my conference welcome and opening

Footnotes2Plato 2024-05-06 | open.substack.com/pub/footnotes2plato/p/in-defense-of-truth-as-participation?r=2at642&utm_medium=ios

C. G. Jung: Reception and Relevance (Dialogue with Tim Jackson)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-05-06 | John Vervaeke's dialogue about the Jung/Buber debate: youtu.be/SKQZY30YZQk?si=x2aHrOtiNy-vLHU7

0:10 Personal discoveries of Jung
10:50 Psychology of Religion and Psychedelics
18:07 Jung's Psychotherapy Approach
28:42 Individuation and Political Reform
43:50 The charge of anti-semitism
1:08:45 Hitler/Trump Comparisons?
1:12:09 Jung on the dangers of modern disenchantment
1:20:16 Comparisons with Owen Barfield's Final Participation
1:27:40 The Psychoid and Archetypal Agencies
1:46:58 Jung as Kant for a Psychological Age

Imagining the Ether (dialogue with Roman Campolo)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-05-05 | amzn.to/3K8pAQ5

Open and Relational Christianity (podcast with Jonathan Foster)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-05-03 | footnotes2plato.substack.com/p/open-and-relational-christianity
JF's podcast link: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jonathan-foster/id1479338607

Polycomputing and Process Philosophy (dialogue with Tim Jackson)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-04-30 | "There's Plenty of Room Right Here: Biological Systems as Evolved, Overloaded, Multi-scale Machines" by Joshua Bongard, Michael Levin: arxiv.org/abs/2212.10675

1:10 Polycomputing and Biological Complexity
15:05 Eternal Objects in Whitehead's Philosophy
27:59 Potentiality, Actualization, and Intentionality
38:52 Polycomuting, Adaptability, and Relational Entities
47:56 Realism, Purposes, and Holism in Science
1:01:51 The connection between Bayesian understandings of intelligence and Calvinist theology
1:09:23 Collective Intelligence in Cellular Communities
1:18:51 Relational Transcendence and Scale-Free Processes
1:32:40 Machine Learning, Evolution, and Constraint
1:41:12 Causality, Memory, and Relational Constraints
1:50:50 Abduction, Cognition, and Novelty
2:00:16 Relevant Novelty, Evolution, and Information
2:09:30 Next discussion: Exploring Carl Jung's Archetypes and Evolution

The Strange Uses of Philosophy (dialogue with Roman Campolo)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-04-29 | 0:11 - Psychedelic conference in Mexico
5:12 - Current philosophical interests
6:09 - Reflections on political and geopolitical issues
18:10 - Introduction to Goethe and his works
34:05 - Discussion on the practical applications of philosophy
54:05 - Socrates' influence on philosophy and his approach to questioning

Generalizing the Function: Process Ontology and Free Energy (dialogue with Tim Jackson)

Footnotes2Plato 2024-04-26 | "The Speculative Generalization of the Function: A Key to Whitehead" by James Bradley: inflexions.org/n2_bradleyhtml.html

4:12 Balancing Travel, Work, and Food poisoning
11:30 Balancing Travel, Work, and Fasting Experiences
17:30 Functions as relational properties
25:12 Whitehead's Organisms and Simondon's Analogies
30:44 Discussing Daniel Dennett's Influence
38:48 Representationalism, Ecological Perception, and Free Energy Principle
49:00 Organism-Environment Relationship and Dynamics
57:12 Conformity, Transduction, and Rock Analogies

In Defense of Truth as Participation: A Process Philosophical Proposal

Footnotes2Plato 2024-04-08 | Presented at the conference "Metaphysics and the Matter With Things: Thinking With Iain McGilchrist" as part of the Philosophy and Aesthetics session. Hosted at CIIS in San Francisco on Saturday, March 30, 2024.

Whiteheads Panprehensionism: A Feeling For Reality (dialogue with Tim Jackson

Footnotes2Plato 2024-03-16 | Timestamps:
0:00 Whitehead's Theory of Propositions and Consciousness
9:37 Whitehead's Philosophy and Eternal Objects
35:53 Balancing Generalization and Preserving Boundaries
53:25 Realism in Philosophy and Metaphysical Frameworks
1:01:13 Exploring Consciousness and the Brain
1:15:06 Panpsychism, Animism, and Metaphysical Pictur
1:25:02 Exploring Flow States and Psychedelics
1:40:44 Perception, Illusionism, and Whitehead's Philosophy
1:49:20 Propositions, Conformity, and Evolutionary Spectrum
1:57:29 Whitehead's Philosophy and Floridi's Information Philosophy