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Love, Logic, Self-consciousness, and the continuity of mind and life: This episode is with Karen Ng, author of Hegel's Concept of Life, and an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. Andrea and Karen discuss Hegel's concept of life, self-consciousness, and the problem of contradiction, emphasizing how life and love are fundamental to understanding his ideas. The episode moves through Kant's influence on Hegel, internal and external purposiveness, and how these philosophical concepts relate to our modern understanding of the mind, nature, and meaning. Karen shares her journey and insights on making Hegel’s complex ideas accessible and relevant to contemporary issues.

Philosopher Karen Ng
Hegel's Concept of Life

00:00 Hegel's Contradictory Philosophy

00:31 The Concept of Life and Self-Consciousness

02:48 Karen Ng's Insights on Hegel

09:48 Understanding Hegel's Rationalism

17:57 Kant's Influence and the Copernican Turn

25:11 Mechanism vs. Teleology in Philosophy

29:57 Internal vs. External Purposiveness

37:08 Life as Process and Meaning

40:34 Hegel's Radical Thought on Intelligibility and Life

41:44 The Connection Between Life and Meaning

42:25 Hegel's Perspective on Self-Consciousness and Life

44:14 The Role of Logic and Life in Hegel's Philosophy

49:46 Hegel's Critique of Cartesian Dualism

51:31 The Speculative Identity Thesis and Cognition

53:36 Modern Philosophical Challenges and Hegel's Relevance

54:26 Hegel's Influence and Contemporary Philosophers

01:01:28 The Journey of Writing a Book on Hegel

01:09:05 Hegel's Concept of Love and Life

01:14:46 Concluding Thoughts on Hegel's Philosophy

Karen Ng at Vanderbilt University

“True union, or love proper, exists only between living beings who are alike in power and thus in one another’s eyes living beings from every point of view; in no respect is either dead for the other.”

“… love is a sensing of something living …”

These Hegel quotes that Karen mentions are from the fragment on love, published in Early Theological Writings, trans. T.M. Knox, UPenn Press, 1975. The passages are on pages 304 and 305. And the German can be found in volume 1 of the Suhrkamp edition of Hegel’s Werke.

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Happy 2025 ❤️ everyone.
Philosopher Evan Thompson discusses 'The Blind Spot' which delves into the complexities of human perception, science, and the interconnectedness of nature. Together Andrea Hiott and Evan Thompson explore themes such as the impact of idealized scientific models on our understanding of reality, the importance of integrating arts and humanities with STEM disciplines, and the urgency of addressing ecological and meaning crises. The episode also touches on the historical context and influences behind Thompson's work, including his upbringing around pioneering thinkers like Lynn Margulis, Francisco Varela and Gregory Bateson. Evan wrote The Blind Spot with astrophysicist Adam Frank and theoretical physicist Marcelo Gleiser.

00:00 Understanding the Crisis: Human Impact on the Planet
02:25 Introduction to Love and Philosophy
02:46 Interview with Philosopher Evan Thompson
03:02 Exploring Evan Thompson's Background and Influences
04:36 Discussing 'The Blind Spot' and Its Themes
05:32 The Concept of Crisis and Its Philosophical Roots
06:18 The Parable of Temperature and Scientific Abstraction
21:40 The Bifurcation of Nature and Its Implications
35:19 Philosophical Practices and Cognitive Humility
41:06 Philosophers with a Scientific Background
41:35 The Crisis of Meaning in Science
42:26 Science Triumph and Denial
44:36 Educational Emphasis on STEM
45:36 Technology and Scientific Models
47:02 Atoms, Electrons, and Reality
50:07 Large Language Models and Understanding
56:53 The Evolution of Cognitive Science
01:00:24 The Influence of Heterodox Thinkers
01:14:31 The Importance of Love in Knowledge
01:17:17 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

The Blind Spot
Evan Thompson
Einstein and Bergson

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Karl Friston has ranked as 'the most influential brain scientist in the world' and been called a genius (as in the WIRED magazine piece), though many find his work mysterious. The melody of this unique conversation between Karl and Andrea, however, is the concept of 'flow' and how it relates to making the right choices within a constantly changing world. Andrea and Karl also explore Friston's significant contributions, including active inference and the free energy principle, discussing how these models might provide a first-principles account of sentient behavior. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, from the mathematics and neuroscience behind Friston's theories to practical implications in understanding human behavior and consciousness. It also touches on the theme of interconnectedness, emphasizing the importance of listening, empathy, and holding paradoxes to understand the patterns that connect various scales of life and cognition.

00:00 Introduction to Flow and Existence
02:42 Welcome to Love and Philosophy
02:53 Holiday Episode and One-Year Anniversary
03:59 Introducing Karl Friston and His Work
04:32 Understanding the Free Energy Principle
04:59 The Intersection of Math, Neuroscience, and Everyday Life
12:24 Karl Friston's Journey and Contributions
21:16 The Role of Psychiatry in Karl's Career
24:34 The Disconnection Hypothesis in Schizophrenia
29:53 The Evolution of Brain Imaging
36:17 The Importance of Brain Imaging Software
39:07 Statistical Parametric Mapping Explained
41:27 Functional Segregation and Integration
42:36 Dynamic Causal Modeling and Connectivity
43:00 Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM)
44:18 The Paradigm Shift in Cognitive Neuroscience
49:43 The Free Energy Principle and Active Inference
50:34 Unconscious Inference and Bayesian Belief
58:53 Thermostats vs. Human Cognition
01:06:44 Affordances and the Free Energy Principle
01:20:02 Scale Invariance and the Free Energy Principle
01:22:23 Entropy and Energy in Thermodynamics
01:23:39 Understanding Sensory Entropy
01:25:47 Maximizing Variational Entropy
01:29:25 Fractals and Multiscale Patterns
01:35:02 Hierarchies in the Brain
01:46:40 Generative Models and Perspective
01:52:46 Social Neuroscience and Group Dynamics
01:57:40 The Importance of Listening and Empathy
02:00:46 Reflections and New Year Resolutions

History of the Future
Karl Friston Google Scholar
Active Inference Institute

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