Mind in the

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Mind in the
Mind in the Cosmos

• Evolution of Consciousness

Christian de Quincey, Ph.D.
University of Philosophical Research Institute of
Noetic Sciences John F. Kennedy University
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Session Two
Crisis Nature is Under Threat.Who Can Help?
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Overview of Session 2
In the previous session, I said that the
motivation for this course is the urgent fact
that nature is under threatand that our species
plays a critical role in the crisis. I asked
Who Can Help?and pointed out that science and
religion are unlikely candidates because they are
a core part of the problem. In this session, we
will move deeper into that questionand explore
further why science is so problematic.
Specifically, we will look more closely at what
science has to say about consciousnessand how
it fits into the physical world. For the next
hour or so, then, our guiding question will be
Can we turn to science for knowledge about
consciousness? Can science inform us about mind
in the cosmoswhat it is and where it came
from? Later on, we will look to see if religion
may be able to help us relate to nature . . . to
Earth . . . to cosmos
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Science Cosmos

• Universe began about 15 billion years ago
  (b.y.a.)
• Big Bang. Abundant, really hot, energy. No life
  or mind.
• Galaxies formed about 14 b.y.a.
• Matter and stars galore. Still no life or mind.
• Our solar system about 4.5 b.y.a.
• Family of planets. Still no life or mind.
• Life on Earth appears about 3.5 b.y.a.
• Bacteria. No mind.
• No evidence for life elsewhere in cosmos
• For all we know We are alone. No other
  intelligent beings.

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Science Evolution

• Life on Earth evolves for 3.5 billion years
• Bacteria. Jellyfish. Fish. Amphibians.
  Reptiles/Birds. Mammals.
• Still no mind.
• Primitive nervous system evolves about 500 m.y.a.
• Neural reflexes. Still no mind or consciousness.
  Nobody home.
• Brains evolve about 400 m.y.a.
• Perhaps primitive minds. Somebody home, but
  unconscious.
• Humans appear about 2 m.y.a.
• Human neocortex seat of self-reflective
  intelligence
• True consciousness arrives! Finally, somebody
  home who knows it!
• Homo sapiens sapiens (man who knows that he
  knows)

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Why Science?

• Purpose of Science
• To know and understand the world
• What the world is made of, what it is doing
• How it is structured

• Motivation
• Why do we want such knowledge?
• Simple answer curiosity (just want to know)
• Complex answer prediction (know the future)

• Why?
• Because prediction leads to control
• Control gives us power over nature
• Science serves human needs and desires

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What is Science?
If science aims for prediction, is it any
different from an oracle?

• science
• The observation, identification, description,
  experimental investigation, and theoretical
  explanation of phenomena. American Heritage
  Dictionary
• oracle
• An authoritative or wise statement or
  prediction American Heritage Dictionary
• Something that is foretold by (or as if by)
  supernatural means Rogets Thesaurus

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What is Science?

• Science is like an oracle
• Both attempt authoritative statements or
  predictions

• Science unlike an oracle
• Oracle something foretold by supernatural
  means
• Science something foretold by natural means

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What is Science?

• Science is a method for outing nature
• Observing the present (senses)
• Understanding the past (reason)
• Telling the future (prediction)
• OUT-maneuvering nature by manipulating changes
  (control)

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What is Science?

• The ERROR Method
• Empiricism Use senses instruments to get data
• Rationalism Analyze data with reason / logic
• Reductionism Explain wholes from smallest parts
• Objectification Separate subject (knower) from
  object (known)
• Replication Repeat experiment to falsify or
  confirm predictions

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Science In A Nutshell

• An Experimental Method for Prediction
• Observe Look closely and systematically at
  nature
• Predict Propose falsifiable hypothesis about
  specific part of nature
• Data Collect information about that part of
  nature
• Manipulate See how nature changes by controlling
  some variable
• Measure Quantify changing variable to produce
  objective evidence
• Confirm (or not) Test to see if results match
  prediction
• Theory Develop theory to explain experimental
  results
• Report Communicate results to community of peers
  (peer review)
• Repeat To replicate results, begin experimental
  cycle over again. . .
• Laws If no further tests contradict theoryit
  rises to status of law

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• Science is a method for discovering . . .

• Laws of Nature
• Remember this (it will be important later . . .)

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Foundations of Science

• Modern science rests on a set of foundational
  assumptionsbeginning with the
• 3 Ms

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Foundations of Science

• Materialism

• Reality ultimately composed of physical objects
• Mind or consciousness an epiphenomenon

• Mechanism

• All causality is physical
• All change due to energy exchange
• (Billiard-ball model of universe)

• Measurement

• Only what can be measured is real
• What counts is what matters to science

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• Not everything that can be counted counts . . .
  
• . . . and not everything that counts can be
  counted. Albert Einstein

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Assumptions of Science

• Objectivity

• (1) Objects exist independent of mind
  (ontological)
• Cosmos consists entirely of objects out there
• (2) Knowledge undistorted by subjective bias
  (epistemological)
• Knowledge of cosmos as it is in itself

• Causality

• Every effect is result of prior cause
• All causes are physical, involving energy
  exchanges
• There can be no non-physical causes

• Universal Laws

• Nature is governed by laws
• All laws ultimately grounded in physics
• Scientific laws hold universally
• There can be no exceptions

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Sciences Ultimate Ideal

• Science is a law-making enterprise
• It is nomothetic

Laws

• Seeks laws that are
• Objective (independent of mind)
• Quantifiable (expressed mathematically)
• Universal (same everywhere in the cosmos)

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Sciences Ultimate Ideal

• Discover the laws of the universe
• By knowing all the physical causes

• Be able to predict all inevitable effects
• Ideal result Complete control of nature

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Benefits of Science

• Control-science very successful
• Highly sophisticated technologies
• Agriculture feeds growing populations
• Medicine sanitation help against diseases
• Architecture houses centralized communities
• Communications speed spread of education and
  commerce
• Industry feeds insatiable appetite for perpetual
  progress . . .
• . . . all this and more from our mastery of matter

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Theres just one little problem . . .
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Consciousness!

• Consciousness and laws dont mix
• Given the nomothetic ideal that . . .
• all causes are governed by laws
• all laws are objective, quantifiable, and
  universal,
• Given metaphysical assumption of materialism
• all causes are physical, then . . .

• Consciousness cannot exist
• Scientific causality must exclude consciousness
• Because consciousness is non-physical,
  non-objective, and not measurable
• At best it is epiphenomenal
• Consciousness cannot be causalcan have no
  potency
• Volition, free will, or choice must be illusion

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If Consciousness were Causal

• Choices would affect behavior of matter
• Something other than physical causes would
  interrupt the flow of events
• There could be no scientific laws!
• Laws would not be universal
• Precise prediction would be impossible
• Instead of laws wed have habits of nature

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A World of Its

• Scientific ideal laws are true everywhere
• goes hand-in-hand with ideal of objectivityof
  having no viewpoint at alla world without any
  subjects
• Laws are wholly objective descriptions of a
  universe composed utterly of external objects
• A world composed entirely of external
  third-person its
• Science cannot cope with first-person Is or
  second-person yous
• Science cannot cope with subjectswith knowers

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Paradox

• In a world full of objects science would be
  impossible
• All knowledge requires experiencing subjects
  consciousness

• But that would be absurd, so . . .

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Sciences Amnesia

• To avoid absurdity of knowledge without a knower
• Science had to create gap between knower and
  known
• As a methodology this worked for objective
  universe
• It allowed science to study nature w/o worrying
  about mind
• Subject-object split was just a convenience
• Science soon forgot, and elevated an
  epistemological maneuver into a ontological
  principle
• Science moved from all we want to know about are
  objects in the world (epistemological
  objectivity) to
• all the world contains are objects (ontological
  objectivity)

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Plate-Glass Science

• Objectivity assumes a gap between subjects and
  objects
• Science views nature as if behind a plate-glass
  window
• Nature is remote, a detached other
• Scientist is a detached, remote observer
• Works (more or less) until science focuses on
  mind
• Plate-glass science cannot work for mind
• Detached observation impossible in study of mind
• Because now consciousness studies itself

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Summary

• Criteria for Standard Plate-Glass Science
• Objectivityfor observation
• Measurement/Quantityfor precision and certainty
• Mechanismfor explanation
• Predictionfor control
• Controlunderlying motivation
• Deep motivationfear (of losing control)

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Fear-Based Science?

• Metaphysical Assumption of Materialism
• Nature/cosmos is intrinsically insentientwithout
  purpose or meaning
• Evolution is result of accumulated random
  accidents
• Survival goes to the fittest
• Fittest are those who reproduce most
  successfully
• Reproduction means turning matter into living
  flesh
• Anything that disrupts conversion of matter into
  human flesh threatens human population growth

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Fear-Based Science?

• Humans have the intellectual might (and the
  right?) to secure maximum acreage for human
  consumption
• But nature is either indifferent or hostile to
  idea of human privilege
• So, we need to tame the wild beast
• Science helps us OUT-maneuver nature
• by Observation of present. Understanding the
  past. Telling/Predicting the futureachieved by
  Manipulation/Control.
• Science gives us human-centered technologies (at
  the expense of the rest of nature)

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What Gives Us the Right?

• Scientific Materialism
• Matter is dead, dumb, insentient, mindless
• Consciousness emerges with brains
• Only creatures with brains have intelligence
• Humans have highly-developed neocortex
• Humans have self-reflective intelligence
• Humans can understand and control nature
• Only humans can OUT-smart nature
• Therefore, humans are special.

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Humans Right?

• Examine the logic
• Humans are special because of superior
  intelligence
• Produced by highly-complex brainsmade of matter
• Matter is nothing but insentient, objective
  energy
• And thats all there is . . . Nothing else exists
• Core metaphysical assumption of materialism
• But this cannot account for consciousness
• Without consciousness, no possibility of science
• Yet science exists. So, consciousness must exist.
• So materialism must be flawed or incomplete

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Humans Right?

• If materialism is flawed because it cannot
  account for consciousness
• Then perhaps we dont live in an indifferent,
  hostile, unfeeling cosmos
• Consciousness would come from something other
  than insentient, dead matter
• It would come from sentient, experiential matter
• In which case, we are surrounded by a natural
  world brim-full of sentience and consciousness
• We cannot OUT-smart nature because our
  intelligence is rooted in the intelligence of
  nature itself

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Learning from Nature

• The presence of consciousness in nature does not
  automatically guarantee fairness and balance
  (just witness the example of humans)
• We may still need to protect ourselves from other
  creatures and the vagaries of nature
• However, with consciousness comes purpose and
  meaningand we can be open to learning from
  nature by participating with it, rather than by
  attempting to control it.
• We may learn to communicate with other
  intelligences in nature, and thereby learn to
  trust itinstead of fearing it.

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A New Kind of Science

• Trusting nature opens the way for a new kind of
  science
• includes exploration of consciousness as well as
  exploration of matter
• explores subjects as well as objects
• moves beyond myth of objectivity to include
  subjectivity and intersubjectivity
• Employs different ways of knowing beyond the
  senses and reason
• intuition, feeling, transrational, nonsensory

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• Instead of Plate-Glass Science

We get . . .
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New Consciousness Science

• Looking-Glass Science

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New Consciousness Science

• Looking-Glass Science
• Objectivityfor observation
• Measurement/Quantityfor precision certainty
• Mechanismfor explanation
• Predictionfor control
• Controlunderlying motivation
• Deep motivationfear (of losing control)

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New Consciousness Science

• Looking-Glass Science
• Subjectivityfor observation-participation
• Measurement/Quantityfor precision certainty
• Mechanismfor explanation
• Predictionfor control
• Controlunderlying motivation
• Deep motivationfear (of losing control)

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New Consciousness Science

• Looking-Glass Science
• Subjectivityfor observation-participation
• Engagement/Qualityfor subtle discernment
• Mechanismfor explanation
• Predictionfor control
• Controlunderlying motivation
• Deep motivationfear (of losing control)

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New Consciousness Science

• Looking-Glass Science
• Subjectivityfor observation-participation
• Engagement/Qualityfor subtle discernment
• Meaningfor understanding
• Predictionfor control
• Controlunderlying motivation
• Deep motivationfear (of losing control)

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New Consciousness Science

• Looking-Glass Science
• Subjectivityfor observation-participation
• Engagement/Qualityfor subtle discernment
• Meaningfor understanding
• Growthfor transformation
• Controlunderlying motivation
• Deep motivationfear (of losing control)

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New Consciousness Science

• Looking-Glass Science
• Subjectivityfor observation-participation
• Engagement/Qualityfor subtle discernment
• Meaningfor understanding
• Growthfor transformation
• Transformationunderlying motivation
• Deep motivationfear (of losing control)

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New Consciousness Science

• Looking-Glass Science
• Subjectivityfor observation-participation
• Engagement/Qualityfor subtle discernment
• Meaningfor understanding
• Growthfor transformation
• Transformationunderlying motivation
• Deep motivationtrust (in natures process)

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Old and New Science

• Looking-Glass Science
• Subjectivity
• Engagement/Quality
• Meaning
• Growth
• Transformation
• Deep motivation Trust

• Plate-Glass Science
• Objectivity
• Measurement/Quantity
• Mechanism
• Prediction
• Control
• Deep motivation Fear

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How Can Science Help?

• Summary
• By changing foundational story of materialism
• from an ontology of dead matter to
• one where matter tingles with experience
• By recognizing mind in nature
• By acknowledging the obvious potency of
  consciousness
• giving up brain-centric dogma of epiphenomenal
  consciousness
• By acknowledging sacredness of all nature
• By radically changing the way science is done
• adopting a radical epistemology
• that honors other ways of knowing such as
  intuition, feeling
• By adopting new guiding criteriaespecially when
  exploring consciousness

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Religion

• Having looked closely at science and how it tries
  to explain the relationship between humans and
  nature, between consciousness and cosmos . . .
• Lets now recap the problem with religion ...

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Can Religion Help?

• religion
• Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power
  or powers regarded as creator and governor of the
  universe.
• American Heritage Dictionary

• God is supernatural
• transcendent, remote, Other

• Focused on afterlife
• Attention elsewhere beyond nature

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Religion

• Simplified generalizations
• about mainstream monotheistic religions

• Many varieties
• Each religion has many subtle variations in
  beliefs
• With some exceptions, all focus attention on
  human spiritual welfare and salvation
• Exceptions include indigenous religions, some
  forms of Taoism and Buddhism
• However, to the extent that any religion singles
  out human souls for divine attention, it
  privileges our species, and contributes to the
  split between humans and the rest of nature

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Monotheistic Religions

• Judaism
• Supreme deity Yahweh is creator of the world
• Focused less on afterlife, more on future
  messiah
• Genesis story emphasizes mans dominion over
  nature. Focus is on historically chosen people

• Christianity
• God is transcendent yet historically incarnate
• Emphasizes caritas or human love
• Ultimate focus on heaven in afterlife
• Body/flesh seen as sinful

• Islam
• Allah is utterly transcendent
• Focus on getting afterlife reward in paradise

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Polytheistic Religions

• Hinduism
• Multiple gods all unified in ultimate Brahman
• Nature is maya or illusionyet may deserve
  respect

• Buddhism
• Essentially a non-theistic psychospiritual
  therapy-religion
• Avoids metaphysical speculation
• Urges liberation from wheel of samsara
• Honors all sentient beings

• Taoism
• Religious Taoism full of ancestral gods nature
  spirits
• Philosophical Taoism deep reverence for nature

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Human-Nature Split

• Conventional religious doctrines do not teach us
  to look for meaning and spiritual guidance in
  nature

• Many religions say we are special by divine fiat
• God gave us souls so we may survive and transcend
  inevitable corruption of the flesh

• Human souls are separate from body
• . . . from human body, Earth body, Cosmic body

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Human-Nature Split

• Path to meaning Pray to remote God
• Relies on priests, rabbis, and mullahs . . .

• Only humans have souls
• No soul, no intelligence or purpose in nature

• Humans are special
• Created in the image of God

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New Religion

• God is not supernatural
• not remote/transcendent

• Spirit is present throughout Nature
• Spirit talks to us thru Natureif we listen

• No need for priests to mediate with God
• priests become shamans, guiding us to communicate
  with Spirit-in-Nature

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New Religion

• Sacred is all around us
• Path to sacred not only through priests and
  churches
• We can experience the sacred anywhere in nature
• watching a sunset
• playing with animals
• walking through a forest or on a beach
• climbing a mountain
• digging in the garden or planting flowers
• filling our lungs with fresh air
• dancing through crackling autumn leaves
• embracing a loved one
• holding the hand of a dying parent . . .

• Most direct way to divine
• Touching and feeling the Earth and its
  inhabitants
• Open to spirit in ordinary, everyday events

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New Religion

• Way to meaning
• By reconnecting with world of nature
• Through exuberant participation or through
  stillness of meditation
• By just being present and listening with our
  whole bodies and being
• And then we learn . . .

• We are not alone
• We are not uniquely special
• We share this magnificent planet and cosmos with
  countless billions of fellow sentient beings

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Pantheism

• New religion is ancient wisdom
• common to indigenous peoples

• Often called pantheism . . .
• God is Nature, Nature is God

• In philosophy panpsychism . . .
• mind or spirit everywhere throughout Nature

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Beyond Science Religion

• Problem in a nutshell
• Neither science or religion recognize humans as
  wholly one with nature

• Solution A New Story
• Weve looked at how science and religion can take
  a broader view of how humans fit into nature
• By giving up the story that humans are special
• By recognizing that all of nature is ensouled
• That matter itself tingles with the spark of
  spirit

• Next we turn to philosophy . . .

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Philosophy

• Question basic assumptions of science

• Question assumptions of religion

• Question metaphysics
• Especially relation between matter spirit

• Thats the topic for our next session
• Major Worldviews on Mind and Matter

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Next Session 3Major Worldviews on Mind and
Matter

• In the next session, we will move deeper into
  philosophy of mind to see how the major paradigms
  of dualism, materialism, and idealism help or
  hinder our understanding of mind in the cosmos.
• We will also look at a fourth alternative,
  panpsychism, that places consciousness right at
  the heart of the physical universe.