Galen Strawson

[@jeremyhickersonsalem]

I need to thank you for putting me on to Paul Tillich's "Shaking of the Foundations" (in one of your other videos). I'm reminded of Tillich's sermon on Time, where he shows that none of its manifestations (past, present, future) can be grasped, that all of these three are inaccessible.

[@neilgriffiths5129]

Indeed. And the more one fixates on anything, it tends to disappear.

[@mitchelaxler7656]

When you reread In Search of Lost Time were you ever tempted to read it as In Search of Lost Selves? Would it have made any difference?

[@neilgriffiths5129]

I think that's an insightful way to read it.

[@aklcraigc]

I'm not altogether sure I followed that completely, is the general idea that conscious is not an emergent property of complexity?

[@neilgriffiths5129]

Strawson doesn't believe consciousness is an emergent property because he doesn't think there are 2 things - the physical and the mental. He thinks one thing, the physical is both properties, i.e the physical is intrinsically experiential.

[@paulwillisorg]

About free will and God's omniscience. Point one is knowing is not acting. Number two is what does "knowing the future" mean? The future isn't a thing.

[@neilgriffiths5129]

I think that's his point: if the future isn't a thing we can't have ownership of it.

[@paulwillisorg]

And why do we think God has ownership of the future? Also in his talk with Robert Wright Strawson says he thinks evolution "found" consciousness. Why wouldn't it more logically be that consciousness "found" evolution? It also better fits the sort of thing quantum cosmology hints at according to Andre Linde. That is consciousness may be primary in the universe. With its own degrees of freedom independent of spacetime.

[@MarcNash]

these more all-embracing stabs at human consciousness and the materiality of the observable world (and the juxtaposition of all to our mortality), ought to undermine the relentless quest for identity that dominates the social and political discourse of the West. Politically one can utterly see the need to pursue identity, but in the bigger picture it just serves to nullify human understanding. Have ordered "Things That Bother Me" not having read Stawson before, so thanks for the heads up

[@neilgriffiths5129]

Thanks for your comment. In the end, most people aim for 'all-embracing' systems - not sure why: maybe we're completists at heart. I'm for the 'don't knows'.

[@MarcNash]

The thing about the rabbit hole of identity is that rather than completion and group membership, it just fragments & atomises us further from each other.

[@mitchelaxler7656]

Better a good question than a bad answer.

[@neilgriffiths5129]

Mitch Axler recommended your channel - really enjoying it. I've subscribed.

[@MarcNash]

TY both

[@curioushmm9027]

well i will go watch a video of him now...you've interested me that much!

[@neilgriffiths5129]

He's got a very appealing manner!

[@curioushmm9027]

he does..