Matthew Segall: The Cosmos Is Made of Consciousness
Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal
00:00
Philosophical Evolution: From Plato to Process Thought
This chapter traces the evolution of philosophical thought from Plato to Whitehead, discussing key figures and concepts like substance, universals, and nominalism. It highlights the contemporary relevance of these ideas and their implications for morality, divine power, and the intersection of science and religion.
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Episode notes
Curt Jaimungal talks with Matthew Segall about the evolution of philosophical thought, linking ancient teachings on consciousness to modern scientific perspectives. They critique contemporary views of reality, compare them to the Ptolemaic model, and argue that confronting mortality can deepen meaning.
- 00:00 - Introduction
- 1:35 - The Roots of Process Philosophy
- 4:47 - The Rise of Nominalism
- 8:26 - The Evolution of Substance
- 11:02 - Descartes and the Dualist Divide
- 21:34 - Kant's Copernican Revolution
- 33:08 - The Nature of Knowledge
- 37:42 - Hegel's Dialectic Unfolds
- 46:18 - Schelling's Panpsychism
- 56:50 - Whitehead's Organic Realism
- 1:22:17 - The Bifurcation of Nature
- 1:31:38 - The Emergence of Consciousness
- 1:38:37 - The Nature of Self-Organization
- 1:53:40 - Perspectives on Actuality and Potentiality
- 2:11:35 - The Role of God in Process Philosophy
- 2:23:55 - The Human Experience and Self-Inquiry
- 2:40:34 - Reflections on Mortality and Meaning
- 2:47:44 - The Shift from Substance to Process
- 2:58:02 - Embracing Interconnectedness and Consciousness
- 3:00:49 - The Call for Inner Exploration
SPONSORS:
- The Economist: 20% off discount - https://www.economist.com/toe
- Curt Jaimungal Substack: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com
RESOURCES:
- Matthew's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Footnotes2Plato
- Matthew's Diagram of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z1zY39EKbs
- Matthew's talk with John Vervaeke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15akhXGHwzo
- Critique of Pure Reason (book): https://www.amazon.com/Critique-Pure-Reason-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140447474
- Critique of Judgement (book): https://www.amazon.com/Critique-Judgement-Immanuel-Kant/dp/1545245673/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
- The Phenomenology of Spirit (book): https://www.amazon.com/Georg-Wilhelm-Friedrich-Hegel-Phenomenology/dp/1108730086
- 1919 Eclipse (paper): https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10.1098/rsnr.2020.0040
- Einstein/Bergson debate (article): https://www.faena.com/aleph/einstein-vs-bergson-the-struggle-for-time
- The Principle of Relativity (book): https://www.amazon.com/Principle-Relativity-Alfred-North-Whitehead/dp/1602062188
- John Vervaeke's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke
- John Vervaeke on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVj1KYGyesI
- Philip Goff on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmaIBxkqcT4
- Sabine Hossenfelder on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3y-Z0pgupg
- Donald Hoffman on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmieNQH7Q4w
- Karl Friston on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk4NZorRjCo
- Iain McGilchrist on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9sBKCd2HD0
- Thomas Campbell on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kko-hVA-8IU
- Noam Chomsky on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
- v=3lcDT_-3v2k&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlORiRfcaQe8ZdxKxF-e2BCY&index=3
- Michael Levin on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8iFtaltX-s&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlN6E8KrxcYCWQIHg2tfkqvR&index=39
- Roger Penrose on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGm505TFMbU&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlN6E8KrxcYCWQIHg2tfkqvR&index=16
- Neil Turok's lecture on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gwhqmPqRl4&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlN6E8KrxcYCWQIHg2tfkqvR&index=35
- TOE's Consciousness Iceberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR4cpn8m9i0&ab_channel=TheoriesofEverythingwithCurtJaimungal
- TOE's String Theory Iceberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4PdPnQuwjY
- 00:00 - Introduction
- 1:35 - The Roots of Process Philosophy
- 4:47 - The Rise of Nominalism
- 8:26 - The Evolution of Substance
- 11:02 - Descartes and the Dualist Divide
- 21:34 - Kant's Copernican Revolution
- 33:08 - The Nature of Knowledge
- 37:42 - Hegel's Dialectic Unfolds
- 46:18 - Schelling's Panpsychism
- 56:50 - Whitehead's Organic Realism
- 1:22:17 - The Bifurcation of Nature
- 1:31:38 - The Emergence of Consciousness
- 1:38:37 - The Nature of Self-Organization
- 1:53:40 - Perspectives on Actuality and Potentiality
- 2:11:35 - The Role of God in Process Philosophy
- 2:23:55 - The Human Experience and Self-Inquiry
- 2:40:34 - Reflections on Mortality and Meaning
- 2:47:44 - The Shift from Substance to Process
- 2:58:02 - Embracing Interconnectedness and Consciousness
- 3:00:49 - The Call for Inner Exploration
SPONSORS:
- The Economist: 20% off discount - https://www.economist.com/toe
- Curt Jaimungal Substack: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com
RESOURCES:
- Matthew's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Footnotes2Plato
- Matthew's Diagram of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z1zY39EKbs
- Matthew's talk with John Vervaeke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15akhXGHwzo
- Critique of Pure Reason (book): https://www.amazon.com/Critique-Pure-Reason-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140447474
- Critique of Judgement (book): https://www.amazon.com/Critique-Judgement-Immanuel-Kant/dp/1545245673/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
- The Phenomenology of Spirit (book): https://www.amazon.com/Georg-Wilhelm-Friedrich-Hegel-Phenomenology/dp/1108730086
- 1919 Eclipse (paper): https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10.1098/rsnr.2020.0040
- Einstein/Bergson debate (article): https://www.faena.com/aleph/einstein-vs-bergson-the-struggle-for-time
- The Principle of Relativity (book): https://www.amazon.com/Principle-Relativity-Alfred-North-Whitehead/dp/1602062188
- John Vervaeke's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke
- John Vervaeke on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVj1KYGyesI
- Philip Goff on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmaIBxkqcT4
- Sabine Hossenfelder on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3y-Z0pgupg
- Donald Hoffman on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmieNQH7Q4w
- Karl Friston on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk4NZorRjCo
- Iain McGilchrist on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9sBKCd2HD0
- Thomas Campbell on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kko-hVA-8IU
- Noam Chomsky on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
- v=3lcDT_-3v2k&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlORiRfcaQe8ZdxKxF-e2BCY&index=3
- Michael Levin on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8iFtaltX-s&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlN6E8KrxcYCWQIHg2tfkqvR&index=39
- Roger Penrose on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGm505TFMbU&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlN6E8KrxcYCWQIHg2tfkqvR&index=16
- Neil Turok's lecture on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gwhqmPqRl4&list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlN6E8KrxcYCWQIHg2tfkqvR&index=35
- TOE's Consciousness Iceberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR4cpn8m9i0&ab_channel=TheoriesofEverythingwithCurtJaimungal
- TOE's String Theory Iceberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4PdPnQuwjY
Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science.
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