Galen Strawson On Consciousness, Free Will, the Self, and the Meaning of Life

[@arifkizilay]

Galen Strawson should read divine comedy as prose with his beautiful voice. Please convey this message to him. He has a very unique voice, he should take advantage of that beautiful voice. thank you.

[@anatolwegner9096]

Great interview-Thank you.

[@baxterwilliams2170]

I know he jokes that he mostly just does quote mining at this point but honestly those were some great quotes! "There are things that only philosophers, with a long training in absurdity, could succeed in believing". I'm going to remember that one!

[@danielhouse6244]

ChatGPT helped me find Galen when I chatted with it about my views about ultimate responsibility. I've felt the way Galen articulated since I was about 20. i am the way i am, under the conditions (whatever they are) in which i find myself. I must respond to these conditions in the way that seems best to me - i can do nothing else - because i am what i am (at a given point in time)! If i could act in another way, i would not be myself, but someone else, which is impossible. Certain behaviors take blame, praise, the outliers are noted and given special focus - but we are all like puzzle pieces in society seeing if we fit. Certainly some people do not fit into respectable society - but perhaps they'd have worked in other eras. The average person just wants to condemn or praise but i think most human behavior lines, even maladaptive ones, might've had a place in our evolutionary past. So then even the time in which one is born can lead to blame or praise ...

[@rogertripp8131]

James, great first KZbin clip. Strawson is one of my favorites, although FYI I’ve never taken a philosophy course. But concerning the first premise concerning free will, “the way we are,” it’s the ‘are’ that seems to me to be worthy of some unpacking. What ‘are’ I? Best of luck to you.

[@EmersonGreen]

Loved this! So cool that it took place.

[@j.p.andrew8488]

Thanks so much for watching! Glad you liked it.

[@sammichaels5908]

we meet again emerson. im glad this is a video you agree with. we know you block people that dare challenge your views

[@EmersonGreen]

@@sammichaels5908 Many (if not most) of my friends challenge my views. I only block people who are annoying.

[@sammichaels5908]

@@EmersonGreen haha. I truly dont know what annoyed you in our exchange. i asked questions and made counter arguments. if you find that annoying, you may wanna reconsider how you approach convos or twitter convos admittedly. i've had back and forths with plenty of people on twitter including some professional academics and whatnot, and they dont feel the need to block. if you find yourself blocking often the problem may be you

[@BugRib]

I totally agree that the concept of (libertarian) free will is incoherent, but I still think there's something to it...

[@tommitchell6307]

What a lovely discussion between two brilliant people who are obviously fond and respectful of one another. I wish J.P. Andrew had asked Strawson what he makes of Sean Carroll's objection to panpsychism, namely that, if consciousness were fundamental, we'd have found it in our particle accelerators already. The onus, says Carroll, is on panpsychists to explain how the laws of physics arise from whatever they mean by fundamental consciousness. Is it a new field (we'd have found it), does is somehow 'underlie' all of physics (in which case how?)...

[@BugRib]

The onus lies with physicist to explain how physics arises from…whatever underlies physics…just as much-far more, actually-as the panpsychists. I’m sure Carroll is a great physicist, but he’s an utterly clueless philosopher. At least pansychists don’t claim to be an authority on physics, the way so many loudmouth scientists these days think they’re authorities on philosophy-or think they understand it well enough to be dismissive of it.

[@BugRib]

Most of the most prominent and well-known founders of QM had great respect and admiration for philosophy, and many, quite possibly most, were *explicitly* not materialists, if their own words, in-context, are to be believed.

[@BugRib]

What I’m saying is, I don’t agree with Carroll on this matter (but I have enjoyed a couple of books, haha).

[@gingerbard2607]

Kinda surprised to see Pirsig on the shelves!

[@beherenowspace1863]

Our narrative story is optional and it takes place within one Self.

[@beherenowspace1863]

Physics is Fields not particles. This means Cosmo-panpsychism which is idealism.

[@beherenowspace1863]

The ego is radically free to exert limited influence and executive override and therefore can bring about progressive change in our nature.

[@williamcallahan5218]

I moved on after he said that he was a materialist. Lost all credibility with that one. As a materialist he doesn't have the insight or language to even talk about consciousness.

[@JudeLind]

That’s pretty early on though and he later explains how he’s a panpsychist materialist and so maybe that helps with his credibility on your lights

[@BugRib]

He's more like a "materialist" than an actual materialist.