1 00:00:06,470 --> 00:00:04,150 let me say quite genuinely that you do 2 00:00:08,230 --> 00:00:06,480 your your questions are some of the best 3 00:00:11,110 --> 00:00:08,240 um 4 00:00:11,990 --> 00:00:11,120 they target very important areas and no 5 00:00:13,669 --> 00:00:12,000 i think you're 6 00:00:15,589 --> 00:00:13,679 you know from that point of view you're 7 00:00:17,910 --> 00:00:15,599 one of the best interviewers that i've 8 00:00:22,550 --> 00:00:17,920 come across so thank you i could talk to 9 00:00:27,029 --> 00:00:24,870 ian mcgillcrist is a psychiatrist a 10 00:00:28,550 --> 00:00:27,039 writer and a former oxford scholar 11 00:00:30,710 --> 00:00:28,560 who came into prominence after the 12 00:00:32,630 --> 00:00:30,720 publication of his book master and its 13 00:00:33,110 --> 00:00:32,640 emissary which is a fantastic book by 14 00:00:35,670 --> 00:00:33,120 the way 15 00:00:37,270 --> 00:00:35,680 links are in the description this book 16 00:00:38,950 --> 00:00:37,280 is about the fundamental realities we 17 00:00:41,190 --> 00:00:38,960 experience that are different 18 00:00:43,270 --> 00:00:41,200 complementary yet incompatible and 19 00:00:45,350 --> 00:00:43,280 rooted in the by-hemispheric structures 20 00:00:46,630 --> 00:00:45,360 of the brain each time i think i can't 21 00:00:49,029 --> 00:00:46,640 top a podcast 22 00:00:49,990 --> 00:00:49,039 somehow the guest surprises me and ian 23 00:00:51,670 --> 00:00:50,000 is no different 24 00:00:53,830 --> 00:00:51,680 we touch on the problem of the modern 25 00:00:56,069 --> 00:00:53,840 world with its overemphasis on 26 00:00:57,430 --> 00:00:56,079 rational mechanistic explanations while 27 00:00:59,670 --> 00:00:57,440 it simultaneously 28 00:01:00,790 --> 00:00:59,680 s choose meaning we also talk about 29 00:01:02,869 --> 00:01:00,800 consciousness 30 00:01:04,630 --> 00:01:02,879 and how can one be a moral person if 31 00:01:06,230 --> 00:01:04,640 there are no objective truths are there 32 00:01:07,750 --> 00:01:06,240 objective truths we also talk about 33 00:01:09,670 --> 00:01:07,760 schizophrenia and i get 34 00:01:11,270 --> 00:01:09,680 fairly personal in this interview and 35 00:01:14,070 --> 00:01:11,280 the reason is that 36 00:01:14,710 --> 00:01:14,080 i am driven by the screenwriting adage 37 00:01:17,510 --> 00:01:14,720 which says 38 00:01:18,710 --> 00:01:17,520 the more general the pain the less 39 00:01:20,630 --> 00:01:18,720 personal it is and the more 40 00:01:22,310 --> 00:01:20,640 personal the pain the more general it is 41 00:01:24,550 --> 00:01:22,320 this means that ultimately people will 42 00:01:26,149 --> 00:01:24,560 relate more to someone speaking their 43 00:01:28,710 --> 00:01:26,159 experience earnestly 44 00:01:29,510 --> 00:01:28,720 and candidly rather than generic 45 00:01:31,190 --> 00:01:29,520 platitudes 46 00:01:33,030 --> 00:01:31,200 unfortunately there were connectivity 47 00:01:34,550 --> 00:01:33,040 issues with zoom as usual 48 00:01:36,550 --> 00:01:34,560 and some of his points were crushed 49 00:01:37,990 --> 00:01:36,560 omitted or overly compressed 50 00:01:40,149 --> 00:01:38,000 there's very little that can be done 51 00:01:42,469 --> 00:01:40,159 about this because for whatever reason 52 00:01:44,149 --> 00:01:42,479 the backup recording on ian's end 53 00:01:45,429 --> 00:01:44,159 stopped if you would like to contribute 54 00:01:47,270 --> 00:01:45,439 to watching or listening 55 00:01:48,670 --> 00:01:47,280 to more conversations like this then 56 00:01:51,590 --> 00:01:48,680 please consider visiting 57 00:01:53,510 --> 00:01:51,600 patreon.com slash kurt jaymungal every 58 00:01:54,870 --> 00:01:53,520 dollar helps not only financially but 59 00:01:58,550 --> 00:01:54,880 motivationally 60 00:02:00,310 --> 00:01:58,560 thank you so much enjoy 61 00:02:01,590 --> 00:02:00,320 i've heard about your book i don't 62 00:02:03,030 --> 00:02:01,600 remember exactly where i heard about 63 00:02:04,950 --> 00:02:03,040 your book master and it's emissary and i 64 00:02:06,870 --> 00:02:04,960 believe i even came to watch the film 65 00:02:08,150 --> 00:02:06,880 version of it maybe one of the first 66 00:02:09,430 --> 00:02:08,160 screenings of it where you had some 67 00:02:11,670 --> 00:02:09,440 laptop trouble 68 00:02:12,470 --> 00:02:11,680 and you were skyping live to us the 69 00:02:14,710 --> 00:02:12,480 movie was 70 00:02:15,589 --> 00:02:14,720 was okay but the book the movie doesn't 71 00:02:18,150 --> 00:02:15,599 sell the book 72 00:02:18,949 --> 00:02:18,160 the book is a fascinating fascinating 73 00:02:22,229 --> 00:02:18,959 it's a it's 74 00:02:24,229 --> 00:02:22,239 it's a frightening book at least i find 75 00:02:26,550 --> 00:02:24,239 it to be so i find it to be unnerving 76 00:02:27,589 --> 00:02:26,560 and subversive we can talk about why i 77 00:02:29,270 --> 00:02:27,599 find it 78 00:02:31,750 --> 00:02:29,280 to be that later this channel is about 79 00:02:33,030 --> 00:02:31,760 theories of everything and 80 00:02:34,949 --> 00:02:33,040 usually that involves talking to 81 00:02:36,790 --> 00:02:34,959 physicists string theories included and 82 00:02:38,550 --> 00:02:36,800 so on and so on but 83 00:02:39,830 --> 00:02:38,560 um the way that i conceptualize the 84 00:02:42,229 --> 00:02:39,840 theory of everything is 85 00:02:44,710 --> 00:02:42,239 there's no english word for it there's a 86 00:02:46,869 --> 00:02:44,720 german word it's called veltan 87 00:02:48,470 --> 00:02:46,879 that means a framework through which to 88 00:02:50,150 --> 00:02:48,480 interpret the world 89 00:02:51,509 --> 00:02:50,160 it's like it's more than a world view a 90 00:02:53,190 --> 00:02:51,519 world view would be not selling it 91 00:02:56,150 --> 00:02:53,200 properly and i believe you have a 92 00:02:56,630 --> 00:02:56,160 i believe you have a veltan xiaong and 93 00:03:02,390 --> 00:02:56,640 it's 94 00:03:04,390 --> 00:03:02,400 i don't know how you did it i also i 95 00:03:05,589 --> 00:03:04,400 also have a gaza 96 00:03:10,630 --> 00:03:05,599 [Laughter] 97 00:03:13,190 --> 00:03:10,640 what's that a theory of everything 98 00:03:13,990 --> 00:03:13,200 okay well this is a great time to give 99 00:03:15,910 --> 00:03:14,000 the audience 100 00:03:20,630 --> 00:03:15,920 a quick recapitulation of your main 101 00:03:20,640 --> 00:03:24,309 yes 102 00:03:31,750 --> 00:03:29,509 effectively people think 103 00:03:34,630 --> 00:03:31,760 that they noticed there was a difference 104 00:03:37,589 --> 00:03:34,640 between the two halves of the brain 105 00:03:40,470 --> 00:03:37,599 in the late 19th century and then this 106 00:03:43,190 --> 00:03:40,480 took a step forward in the 1960s and 70s 107 00:03:46,309 --> 00:03:43,200 with the first split brain operations 108 00:03:49,750 --> 00:03:46,319 in california 109 00:03:51,910 --> 00:03:49,760 in which people's brains were surgically 110 00:03:53,190 --> 00:03:51,920 severed in the middle the connection 111 00:03:54,550 --> 00:03:53,200 between the two halves of the bearing 112 00:03:57,110 --> 00:03:54,560 the corpus callosum 113 00:03:59,110 --> 00:03:57,120 was severed and so it was possible to 114 00:04:00,550 --> 00:03:59,120 interrogate and to investigate one 115 00:04:02,470 --> 00:04:00,560 hemisphere at a time 116 00:04:04,710 --> 00:04:02,480 and a number of theories arose out of 117 00:04:05,429 --> 00:04:04,720 that and most of them are now considered 118 00:04:13,190 --> 00:04:05,439 wrong 119 00:04:14,869 --> 00:04:13,200 but the problem that we have to 120 00:04:16,789 --> 00:04:14,879 rather different hemispheres doesn't go 121 00:04:19,590 --> 00:04:16,799 away why 122 00:04:20,710 --> 00:04:19,600 if the brain gets its power from making 123 00:04:23,189 --> 00:04:20,720 connections 124 00:04:24,629 --> 00:04:23,199 should there be an enormous divide right 125 00:04:26,390 --> 00:04:24,639 down the middle of it 126 00:04:28,390 --> 00:04:26,400 and this is not just for humans this is 127 00:04:31,990 --> 00:04:28,400 for all animals to be studied 128 00:04:32,710 --> 00:04:32,000 they all have an asymmetrical neuronal 129 00:04:34,550 --> 00:04:32,720 network 130 00:04:37,030 --> 00:04:34,560 with some kind of division between the 131 00:04:41,670 --> 00:04:37,040 parts so 132 00:04:43,830 --> 00:04:41,680 i set about investigating that and 133 00:04:46,550 --> 00:04:43,840 it occurred to me that what was the 134 00:04:48,390 --> 00:04:46,560 difference was the need to pay attention 135 00:04:49,590 --> 00:04:48,400 to the world in two different ways at 136 00:04:51,270 --> 00:04:49,600 once 137 00:04:53,430 --> 00:04:51,280 and that's a very important point 138 00:04:55,990 --> 00:04:53,440 because how we attend to things 139 00:04:57,590 --> 00:04:56,000 changes what we find not just whether 140 00:05:00,230 --> 00:04:57,600 we're aware of them 141 00:05:02,469 --> 00:05:00,240 but the quality of the awareness changes 142 00:05:04,629 --> 00:05:02,479 what it is that we find there 143 00:05:05,670 --> 00:05:04,639 and it also changes us who are doing the 144 00:05:09,110 --> 00:05:05,680 finding 145 00:05:25,749 --> 00:05:09,120 so attention is a moral act it creates 146 00:05:29,670 --> 00:05:27,670 different ways they will bring into 147 00:05:33,749 --> 00:05:29,680 being two different 148 00:05:37,749 --> 00:05:33,759 versions if you like of reality and 149 00:05:40,310 --> 00:05:37,759 i then started investigating 20 30 years 150 00:05:42,070 --> 00:05:40,320 what these differences were and 151 00:05:44,070 --> 00:05:42,080 effectively they aren't what people used 152 00:05:46,150 --> 00:05:44,080 to say they used to think it was 153 00:05:47,189 --> 00:05:46,160 you know as you think of a machine well 154 00:05:49,670 --> 00:05:47,199 what does it do 155 00:05:51,590 --> 00:05:49,680 well the left hemisphere does language 156 00:05:53,670 --> 00:05:51,600 and reason and the right hemisphere does 157 00:05:55,670 --> 00:05:53,680 pictures and emotion but this is not 158 00:05:58,790 --> 00:05:55,680 right since all these things 159 00:05:59,909 --> 00:05:58,800 are looked after by both hemispheres but 160 00:06:01,590 --> 00:05:59,919 we should have asked a different 161 00:06:04,070 --> 00:06:01,600 question if we've been thinking in terms 162 00:06:05,830 --> 00:06:04,080 of a living being instead of a machine 163 00:06:08,150 --> 00:06:05,840 instead of asking what does it do as 164 00:06:11,189 --> 00:06:08,160 though it's just a functional utility 165 00:06:11,830 --> 00:06:11,199 we'd ask in what manner how does it do 166 00:06:14,790 --> 00:06:11,840 it 167 00:06:15,430 --> 00:06:14,800 and to what sort of end because things 168 00:06:19,270 --> 00:06:15,440 evolve 169 00:06:22,710 --> 00:06:19,280 in in living beings 170 00:06:23,029 --> 00:06:22,720 in ways that answer to existential needs 171 00:06:26,390 --> 00:06:23,039 to be 172 00:06:27,830 --> 00:06:26,400 able to carry on being so and i think 173 00:06:29,990 --> 00:06:27,840 there is an answer to that that we do 174 00:06:31,830 --> 00:06:30,000 need in order to 175 00:06:34,070 --> 00:06:31,840 be able to pay attention to little 176 00:06:35,270 --> 00:06:34,080 details of things which is mainly things 177 00:06:37,270 --> 00:06:35,280 that we're going to use like 178 00:06:39,830 --> 00:06:37,280 food or you know if you're a bird 179 00:06:42,309 --> 00:06:39,840 picking up a twig to build a nest or 180 00:06:44,150 --> 00:06:42,319 catching your prey you need a certain 181 00:06:45,670 --> 00:06:44,160 kind of attention that doesn't really 182 00:06:47,430 --> 00:06:45,680 need to know the whole picture it just 183 00:06:48,790 --> 00:06:47,440 needs to know the little tiny bit in the 184 00:06:51,670 --> 00:06:48,800 middle of the picture which is 185 00:06:53,510 --> 00:06:51,680 very highly focused on but if it's only 186 00:06:55,430 --> 00:06:53,520 paying that kind of attention 187 00:06:57,830 --> 00:06:55,440 it will not survive because it will 188 00:06:59,189 --> 00:06:57,840 become prey to another creature very 189 00:07:01,029 --> 00:06:59,199 quickly so it needs to have 190 00:07:02,790 --> 00:07:01,039 a different attention which is a broad 191 00:07:06,070 --> 00:07:02,800 open attention 192 00:07:09,749 --> 00:07:06,080 and a sustained attention now 193 00:07:12,790 --> 00:07:09,759 that that's a very you know a very brief 194 00:07:13,589 --> 00:07:12,800 remark but on it hangs just about 195 00:07:16,309 --> 00:07:13,599 everything 196 00:07:17,029 --> 00:07:16,319 because because these two ways of 197 00:07:20,230 --> 00:07:17,039 attending 198 00:07:21,909 --> 00:07:20,240 bring about two different valtteri they 199 00:07:23,430 --> 00:07:21,919 bring about two different ways of 200 00:07:26,870 --> 00:07:23,440 looking at the world 201 00:07:29,110 --> 00:07:26,880 in one there are things that we can use 202 00:07:30,150 --> 00:07:29,120 and they're essentially fragmented one 203 00:07:32,469 --> 00:07:30,160 from another 204 00:07:34,230 --> 00:07:32,479 we can pick them up they're isolated we 205 00:07:35,189 --> 00:07:34,240 put them together to make things that we 206 00:07:37,270 --> 00:07:35,199 want 207 00:07:38,790 --> 00:07:37,280 and it has no meaning and it's not 208 00:07:40,390 --> 00:07:38,800 really connected to us but we can 209 00:07:41,589 --> 00:07:40,400 manipulate it and that's the left 210 00:07:43,350 --> 00:07:41,599 hemispheres picture 211 00:07:44,790 --> 00:07:43,360 the left hemisphere enables us to 212 00:07:47,830 --> 00:07:44,800 manipulate the world 213 00:07:50,469 --> 00:07:47,840 and in survival terms that's obviously 214 00:07:52,710 --> 00:07:50,479 very important but it doesn't help us 215 00:07:55,029 --> 00:07:52,720 understand the world at all 216 00:07:57,189 --> 00:07:55,039 the right hemisphere mean time which 217 00:07:59,350 --> 00:07:57,199 doesn't usually have access to speech 218 00:08:01,990 --> 00:07:59,360 it contributes to language but it for 219 00:08:04,309 --> 00:08:02,000 most of us doesn't actually speak 220 00:08:05,589 --> 00:08:04,319 is seeing a completely different world 221 00:08:09,350 --> 00:08:05,599 one in which things 222 00:08:10,070 --> 00:08:09,360 are never entirely isolated or atomistic 223 00:08:13,430 --> 00:08:10,080 they're 224 00:08:14,869 --> 00:08:13,440 interconnected they are in fact 225 00:08:15,270 --> 00:08:14,879 everything is connected to everything 226 00:08:18,390 --> 00:08:15,280 else 227 00:08:19,029 --> 00:08:18,400 ultimately and it's a a field that is 228 00:08:20,950 --> 00:08:19,039 changing 229 00:08:23,270 --> 00:08:20,960 all the time it's not just made up of 230 00:08:25,350 --> 00:08:23,280 things that sit in the field 231 00:08:26,469 --> 00:08:25,360 it's the whole field of things that we 232 00:08:28,710 --> 00:08:26,479 see and perceive 233 00:08:30,790 --> 00:08:28,720 and we relate to it we don't sort of see 234 00:08:32,230 --> 00:08:30,800 it as a thing and then relate to it 235 00:08:33,909 --> 00:08:32,240 it comes into being through our 236 00:08:36,149 --> 00:08:33,919 relationship with it 237 00:08:37,589 --> 00:08:36,159 so that built into it is the idea of 238 00:08:39,269 --> 00:08:37,599 relation 239 00:08:42,230 --> 00:08:39,279 and so this is a very very different 240 00:08:45,670 --> 00:08:42,240 world and it sees things as 241 00:08:47,269 --> 00:08:45,680 special unique that's 242 00:08:48,949 --> 00:08:47,279 that's a thing we might come back to 243 00:08:50,389 --> 00:08:48,959 because people might say but surely if 244 00:08:51,829 --> 00:08:50,399 they're unique then 245 00:08:53,670 --> 00:08:51,839 what's this about them being all 246 00:08:53,990 --> 00:08:53,680 interconnected but it seems to me the 247 00:08:55,829 --> 00:08:54,000 whole 248 00:08:58,470 --> 00:08:55,839 business is to be able to maintain 249 00:09:00,230 --> 00:08:58,480 together uniqueness and individuation 250 00:09:02,550 --> 00:09:00,240 with togetherness without collapsing 251 00:09:06,070 --> 00:09:02,560 into fragmentation and 252 00:09:08,470 --> 00:09:06,080 atomism so it sees a world made up of 253 00:09:10,150 --> 00:09:08,480 unique individuals that that are 254 00:09:11,590 --> 00:09:10,160 constantly changing it sees all the 255 00:09:13,670 --> 00:09:11,600 stuff that's implicit 256 00:09:16,710 --> 00:09:13,680 left hemisphere understands only 257 00:09:18,550 --> 00:09:16,720 understands the most explicit stuff 258 00:09:20,310 --> 00:09:18,560 this is the world that we live in every 259 00:09:22,949 --> 00:09:20,320 day nowadays 260 00:09:24,470 --> 00:09:22,959 it's nobody picks up the messages and if 261 00:09:25,110 --> 00:09:24,480 you do they become something quite 262 00:09:27,430 --> 00:09:25,120 different 263 00:09:29,750 --> 00:09:27,440 try explaining a joke try explaining a 264 00:09:31,750 --> 00:09:29,760 poem try explaining a piece of music 265 00:09:33,030 --> 00:09:31,760 you can't because it is an experience in 266 00:09:34,070 --> 00:09:33,040 which all the important stuff is 267 00:09:38,070 --> 00:09:34,080 implicit 268 00:09:39,269 --> 00:09:38,080 and so of course is the whole realm of 269 00:09:42,470 --> 00:09:39,279 what we seem to have completely 270 00:09:45,990 --> 00:09:42,480 abandoned the idea of there being 271 00:09:47,190 --> 00:09:46,000 a sacred world a a divine element in the 272 00:09:48,710 --> 00:09:47,200 cosmos 273 00:09:50,550 --> 00:09:48,720 these things don't make sense to the 274 00:09:51,670 --> 00:09:50,560 left hemisphere it seems obviously a 275 00:09:55,030 --> 00:09:51,680 mistake 276 00:09:56,070 --> 00:09:55,040 but that's because it hasn't seen so 277 00:09:57,350 --> 00:09:56,080 much of the picture 278 00:09:59,190 --> 00:09:57,360 anyway i'll leave it there and you can 279 00:10:00,790 --> 00:09:59,200 ask me some questions 280 00:10:03,269 --> 00:10:00,800 you mentioned that the right hemisphere 281 00:10:05,829 --> 00:10:03,279 is involved in understanding 282 00:10:08,949 --> 00:10:05,839 and understanding your meaning okay what 283 00:10:14,630 --> 00:10:12,630 well yes a very good question 284 00:10:16,230 --> 00:10:14,640 there are any word you like the left 285 00:10:18,069 --> 00:10:16,240 hemisphere has one idea which on the 286 00:10:20,150 --> 00:10:18,079 right hand is for a different one 287 00:10:21,750 --> 00:10:20,160 so to the left hemisphere meaning is 288 00:10:22,630 --> 00:10:21,760 something that is as you might expect 289 00:10:24,949 --> 00:10:22,640 put together 290 00:10:26,230 --> 00:10:24,959 from bits and it could be something we 291 00:10:28,550 --> 00:10:26,240 create by 292 00:10:29,750 --> 00:10:28,560 you know words are tokens they're put 293 00:10:32,790 --> 00:10:29,760 together by 294 00:10:34,949 --> 00:10:32,800 systematic uh syntax and 295 00:10:36,630 --> 00:10:34,959 they turn into a meaning the computer 296 00:10:38,870 --> 00:10:36,640 might be able to find out of the 297 00:10:40,630 --> 00:10:38,880 combination of a dictionary and a book 298 00:10:44,949 --> 00:10:40,640 of grammar rules 299 00:10:47,750 --> 00:10:44,959 but meaning is not that when i say 300 00:10:49,110 --> 00:10:47,760 that there is meaning in certain 301 00:10:51,430 --> 00:10:49,120 experiences 302 00:10:52,870 --> 00:10:51,440 like the you know my my wife means 303 00:10:56,550 --> 00:10:52,880 everything to me 304 00:10:58,790 --> 00:10:56,560 or this piece of music means so much 305 00:11:00,310 --> 00:10:58,800 or you know just being able to walk in 306 00:11:03,269 --> 00:11:00,320 wilderness is so 307 00:11:03,750 --> 00:11:03,279 important and it brings meaning to 308 00:11:06,069 --> 00:11:03,760 things 309 00:11:08,870 --> 00:11:06,079 now what i want to stress is that 310 00:11:12,069 --> 00:11:08,880 nowadays when people 311 00:11:13,670 --> 00:11:12,079 allow that there could be meaning coming 312 00:11:17,030 --> 00:11:13,680 from certain experiences 313 00:11:19,750 --> 00:11:17,040 they see that as an invention 314 00:11:21,590 --> 00:11:19,760 of ours so we do this and we think okay 315 00:11:23,190 --> 00:11:21,600 now we've added some meaning 316 00:11:25,030 --> 00:11:23,200 but that's not the image that's the left 317 00:11:25,590 --> 00:11:25,040 hemisphere image of something that is 318 00:11:27,750 --> 00:11:25,600 added 319 00:11:28,710 --> 00:11:27,760 to something else mechanically what i'm 320 00:11:31,910 --> 00:11:28,720 saying is 321 00:11:33,269 --> 00:11:31,920 we are in certain experiences made to be 322 00:11:36,550 --> 00:11:33,279 more receptive 323 00:11:38,310 --> 00:11:36,560 more aware of something that is there to 324 00:11:40,069 --> 00:11:38,320 be brought into being through the 325 00:11:41,990 --> 00:11:40,079 commerce between 326 00:11:43,509 --> 00:11:42,000 ourselves our own consciousness and 327 00:11:47,110 --> 00:11:43,519 whatever it is that 328 00:11:47,509 --> 00:11:47,120 we're conscious of so it's a relational 329 00:11:49,910 --> 00:11:47,519 thing 330 00:11:52,069 --> 00:11:49,920 absolutely at its core is relation and 331 00:11:54,550 --> 00:11:52,079 at its core it's consciousness 332 00:11:55,509 --> 00:11:54,560 so in this way i found that you're a 333 00:11:59,670 --> 00:11:55,519 physicist 334 00:12:01,350 --> 00:11:59,680 have written to me since the master and 335 00:12:02,870 --> 00:12:01,360 this emissary was published 336 00:12:04,870 --> 00:12:02,880 saying this is very important and 337 00:12:06,629 --> 00:12:04,880 interesting from our point of view 338 00:12:08,069 --> 00:12:06,639 and in the book that i've just finished 339 00:12:10,550 --> 00:12:08,079 and want to publish in the next few 340 00:12:12,470 --> 00:12:10,560 months called the matter with things 341 00:12:13,670 --> 00:12:12,480 i take three ways of looking at the 342 00:12:17,110 --> 00:12:13,680 world one is 343 00:12:21,190 --> 00:12:17,120 neuro science one 344 00:12:23,430 --> 00:12:21,200 is philosophy and the third is physics 345 00:12:25,269 --> 00:12:23,440 and i show that quite coherently by 346 00:12:28,389 --> 00:12:25,279 pursuing each of these powers 347 00:12:29,269 --> 00:12:28,399 we can come to a vision of a picture of 348 00:12:31,590 --> 00:12:29,279 the world 349 00:12:32,310 --> 00:12:31,600 which is very very different from the 350 00:12:34,629 --> 00:12:32,320 one 351 00:12:36,069 --> 00:12:34,639 that we're taught and that which the 352 00:12:38,710 --> 00:12:36,079 popular media 353 00:12:39,829 --> 00:12:38,720 and the the vox pop of sort of 354 00:12:41,350 --> 00:12:39,839 scientists who 355 00:12:44,470 --> 00:12:41,360 do too much talking and not enough 356 00:12:46,790 --> 00:12:44,480 thinking i would suggest 357 00:12:48,310 --> 00:12:46,800 something that impresses me to an 358 00:12:50,069 --> 00:12:48,320 extreme amount about your book 359 00:12:51,509 --> 00:12:50,079 at least though i've only i've only read 360 00:12:54,949 --> 00:12:51,519 the master and it's emissary 361 00:12:57,430 --> 00:12:54,959 in that one it's quite a tome and 362 00:12:58,949 --> 00:12:57,440 you see someone you don't just see them 363 00:13:00,310 --> 00:12:58,959 compile chapters together you see them 364 00:13:03,190 --> 00:13:00,320 work through their life 365 00:13:05,190 --> 00:13:03,200 in these pages and i'm wondering okay 366 00:13:07,750 --> 00:13:05,200 how did you go about doing this because 367 00:13:08,389 --> 00:13:07,760 it seems like to me there's a plethora 368 00:13:10,389 --> 00:13:08,399 of data 369 00:13:11,670 --> 00:13:10,399 at first you have to just accumulate and 370 00:13:14,069 --> 00:13:11,680 dispassionately view 371 00:13:15,509 --> 00:13:14,079 so that you don't bias it beforehand 372 00:13:18,629 --> 00:13:15,519 with your own worldview 373 00:13:19,350 --> 00:13:18,639 and then you had to cohere somehow what 374 00:13:22,949 --> 00:13:19,360 you saw 375 00:13:25,509 --> 00:13:22,959 into a unified message how long 376 00:13:27,430 --> 00:13:25,519 was the researching process and then how 377 00:13:29,030 --> 00:13:27,440 long from once you started 378 00:13:30,470 --> 00:13:29,040 did you find enough of a through line 379 00:13:32,829 --> 00:13:30,480 that you're like i can legitimately 380 00:13:34,870 --> 00:13:32,839 start writing instead of just 381 00:13:36,790 --> 00:13:34,880 researching 382 00:13:37,990 --> 00:13:36,800 yes well it's easy to say about the 383 00:13:41,189 --> 00:13:38,000 gathering of the data 384 00:13:44,550 --> 00:13:41,199 that took about 20 years um 385 00:13:50,550 --> 00:13:48,230 the core of the idea was that i 386 00:13:51,829 --> 00:13:50,560 felt already that there were two kinds 387 00:13:53,670 --> 00:13:51,839 of 388 00:13:56,069 --> 00:13:53,680 ways we could think about the world two 389 00:14:00,069 --> 00:13:56,079 kinds of awareness of it that we 390 00:14:02,230 --> 00:14:00,079 we both we needed both and we use both 391 00:14:03,269 --> 00:14:02,240 and as always it's not either that you 392 00:14:05,750 --> 00:14:03,279 just 393 00:14:06,949 --> 00:14:05,760 collect data and then look at it and 394 00:14:09,990 --> 00:14:06,959 something happens 395 00:14:12,310 --> 00:14:10,000 nor is it that uh you have an idea and 396 00:14:15,750 --> 00:14:12,320 you collect the data just to support it 397 00:14:17,910 --> 00:14:15,760 it's like everything it's a kind of 398 00:14:19,910 --> 00:14:17,920 an encounter a rapprochement coming 399 00:14:20,550 --> 00:14:19,920 together of two things that sense each 400 00:14:23,829 --> 00:14:20,560 other's 401 00:14:26,150 --> 00:14:23,839 existence as to loving people 402 00:14:26,949 --> 00:14:26,160 uh understand come to understand one 403 00:14:29,829 --> 00:14:26,959 another and 404 00:14:31,590 --> 00:14:29,839 as indeed we understand the sacred and 405 00:14:33,110 --> 00:14:31,600 the divine it's a coming together of 406 00:14:34,790 --> 00:14:33,120 something that speaks to us and we speak 407 00:14:36,870 --> 00:14:34,800 to it and if you don't speak to it you 408 00:14:40,550 --> 00:14:36,880 won't hear anything back from it 409 00:14:42,710 --> 00:14:40,560 so you most people 410 00:14:44,069 --> 00:14:42,720 in think that science is made out of 411 00:14:47,910 --> 00:14:44,079 just doing hundreds and 412 00:14:51,030 --> 00:14:47,920 thousands of tests and then following an 413 00:14:52,790 --> 00:14:51,040 entirely logical path but in fact 414 00:14:54,150 --> 00:14:52,800 a lot of great scientists have pointed 415 00:14:56,069 --> 00:14:54,160 out that what happens is you have 416 00:14:58,150 --> 00:14:56,079 intuitions of a shape 417 00:14:59,509 --> 00:14:58,160 of something that is you know you can't 418 00:15:00,790 --> 00:14:59,519 put your finger on it but you know 419 00:15:03,910 --> 00:15:00,800 there's something here 420 00:15:05,670 --> 00:15:03,920 and you start to look at the data and 421 00:15:07,509 --> 00:15:05,680 you find that some of the data fit with 422 00:15:09,110 --> 00:15:07,519 it but some of the data don't 423 00:15:11,110 --> 00:15:09,120 and that's really important and 424 00:15:13,350 --> 00:15:11,120 interesting because then 425 00:15:15,509 --> 00:15:13,360 you say okay i was thinking of it like 426 00:15:16,550 --> 00:15:15,519 this now i see i need to accommodate 427 00:15:19,430 --> 00:15:16,560 this other thing 428 00:15:20,389 --> 00:15:19,440 so for 20 years or 25 years this is what 429 00:15:23,269 --> 00:15:20,399 i did 430 00:15:24,230 --> 00:15:23,279 i saw things and i changed what i 431 00:15:27,750 --> 00:15:24,240 thought 432 00:15:30,949 --> 00:15:27,760 it evolved as all things evolve 433 00:15:32,629 --> 00:15:30,959 the whole cosmos evolves evolution isn't 434 00:15:33,430 --> 00:15:32,639 just something that darwin spotted in 435 00:15:37,269 --> 00:15:33,440 animals 436 00:15:39,189 --> 00:15:37,279 evolution is being being is becoming 437 00:15:41,350 --> 00:15:39,199 and this is a cosmos that is becoming 438 00:15:44,710 --> 00:15:41,360 not one that is just static and being 439 00:15:46,389 --> 00:15:44,720 so that process of creation was like all 440 00:15:48,150 --> 00:15:46,399 processes of creation 441 00:15:50,790 --> 00:15:48,160 the sensing of something that at the 442 00:15:52,949 --> 00:15:50,800 moment you can't put your finger on 443 00:15:54,310 --> 00:15:52,959 like a painter doesn't know exactly 444 00:15:55,350 --> 00:15:54,320 where all the bits in the painting are 445 00:15:57,829 --> 00:15:55,360 going to go 446 00:15:58,629 --> 00:15:57,839 when he or she starts it the poet 447 00:16:02,069 --> 00:15:58,639 doesn't know 448 00:16:03,749 --> 00:16:02,079 exactly but here's certain the shape of 449 00:16:06,310 --> 00:16:03,759 a few lines some images 450 00:16:08,150 --> 00:16:06,320 and then it starts to grow from that so 451 00:16:11,269 --> 00:16:08,160 science is not 452 00:16:14,230 --> 00:16:11,279 different or opposite to 453 00:16:16,310 --> 00:16:14,240 different from or opposite to the 454 00:16:19,350 --> 00:16:16,320 creative arts it is in fact 455 00:16:21,030 --> 00:16:19,360 very similar to the creative arts is 456 00:16:21,430 --> 00:16:21,040 there a reason why god is associated 457 00:16:23,509 --> 00:16:21,440 with 458 00:16:25,269 --> 00:16:23,519 becoming rather than being or rather 459 00:16:29,269 --> 00:16:25,279 than a combination of both becoming and 460 00:16:32,710 --> 00:16:31,990 well there are as many ideas of god as 461 00:16:34,870 --> 00:16:32,720 there are 462 00:16:37,030 --> 00:16:34,880 you know traditions in the world and 463 00:16:41,990 --> 00:16:37,040 probably as many as there are people 464 00:16:46,230 --> 00:16:42,000 so ideas about god can be very different 465 00:16:48,069 --> 00:16:46,240 but i have noted a very interesting 466 00:16:51,509 --> 00:16:48,079 strain 467 00:16:54,790 --> 00:16:51,519 in the mythologies and anthropologies 468 00:16:57,330 --> 00:16:54,800 of peoples around the world from 469 00:16:58,470 --> 00:16:57,340 china and india from um 470 00:17:01,670 --> 00:16:58,480 [Music] 471 00:17:04,470 --> 00:17:01,680 from the circumpolar regions from 472 00:17:05,909 --> 00:17:04,480 the native american peoples and so on 473 00:17:09,510 --> 00:17:05,919 that speak 474 00:17:12,870 --> 00:17:09,520 of a world that is becoming not just 475 00:17:16,549 --> 00:17:12,880 made but is constantly coming into being 476 00:17:19,669 --> 00:17:18,630 you can bring together the idea of a god 477 00:17:22,789 --> 00:17:19,679 that is 478 00:17:24,549 --> 00:17:22,799 being 479 00:17:26,150 --> 00:17:24,559 but if i had to put my money on one or 480 00:17:27,829 --> 00:17:26,160 the other it would be the coming into 481 00:17:29,110 --> 00:17:27,839 being it seems to me that that is 482 00:17:31,190 --> 00:17:29,120 utterly primary 483 00:17:32,789 --> 00:17:31,200 and interestingly people like paulie and 484 00:17:35,669 --> 00:17:32,799 heisenberg and 485 00:17:37,190 --> 00:17:35,679 and uh scherdinger and so forth in the 486 00:17:39,990 --> 00:17:37,200 20th century 487 00:17:41,430 --> 00:17:40,000 thought similarly that becoming was more 488 00:17:43,830 --> 00:17:41,440 important than being 489 00:17:45,669 --> 00:17:43,840 david boehm said that as well and i 490 00:17:47,510 --> 00:17:45,679 think niels bohr 491 00:17:48,789 --> 00:17:47,520 okay this reminds me of another line 492 00:17:50,549 --> 00:17:48,799 from your book and it could be you said 493 00:17:51,830 --> 00:17:50,559 the mind or the brain i don't regret i 494 00:17:52,950 --> 00:17:51,840 don't remember which one 495 00:17:53,909 --> 00:17:52,960 which we can talk about what's the 496 00:17:55,350 --> 00:17:53,919 difference between the mind and the 497 00:17:57,190 --> 00:17:55,360 brain but regardless 498 00:17:59,029 --> 00:17:57,200 you said either the mind or the brain 499 00:17:59,510 --> 00:17:59,039 it's not correct to think of it as the 500 00:18:01,750 --> 00:17:59,520 brain 501 00:18:03,590 --> 00:18:01,760 slash mind is grappling with the world 502 00:18:04,789 --> 00:18:03,600 but instead it's bringing the world 503 00:18:07,190 --> 00:18:04,799 about 504 00:18:08,470 --> 00:18:07,200 okay now to some that conflates the 505 00:18:09,750 --> 00:18:08,480 objective world with the 506 00:18:11,190 --> 00:18:09,760 phenomenological one 507 00:18:13,110 --> 00:18:11,200 so i'm wondering can you explain what 508 00:18:15,110 --> 00:18:13,120 you mean when you say it brings the 509 00:18:17,430 --> 00:18:15,120 world about 510 00:18:19,350 --> 00:18:17,440 well i may not be able to explain it 511 00:18:21,350 --> 00:18:19,360 very well in language because i think 512 00:18:22,630 --> 00:18:21,360 our language is not very well suited to 513 00:18:24,710 --> 00:18:22,640 describing 514 00:18:25,750 --> 00:18:24,720 reality it's very well suited to 515 00:18:28,710 --> 00:18:25,760 describing 516 00:18:29,590 --> 00:18:28,720 everyday things like getting lunch and 517 00:18:31,669 --> 00:18:29,600 uh 518 00:18:33,190 --> 00:18:31,679 building a wall but when it comes to 519 00:18:34,150 --> 00:18:33,200 actually understanding what we're 520 00:18:35,990 --> 00:18:34,160 dealing with 521 00:18:38,549 --> 00:18:36,000 we don't necessarily have the words for 522 00:18:40,789 --> 00:18:38,559 it and you know bohr himself said there 523 00:18:42,870 --> 00:18:40,799 is no way we can talk about 524 00:18:44,710 --> 00:18:42,880 physics eventually except in the 525 00:18:46,070 --> 00:18:44,720 language of poetry and he said the same 526 00:18:49,830 --> 00:18:46,080 thing is true 527 00:18:51,830 --> 00:18:49,840 of um philosophy and and of 528 00:18:55,270 --> 00:18:51,840 the talking about the divine or whatever 529 00:19:02,070 --> 00:18:58,390 yes what i've struggled with very much 530 00:19:05,669 --> 00:19:02,080 is not collapsing into one or other of 531 00:19:08,950 --> 00:19:05,679 two major areas of our age 532 00:19:10,870 --> 00:19:08,960 one is to say quite simply it's all made 533 00:19:11,510 --> 00:19:10,880 up by us so it's like we're sitting in a 534 00:19:13,830 --> 00:19:11,520 little 535 00:19:15,270 --> 00:19:13,840 um cinema inside our heads and sitting 536 00:19:16,870 --> 00:19:15,280 on the sofa little homunculus watching 537 00:19:17,669 --> 00:19:16,880 the scene but we have no contact with 538 00:19:20,150 --> 00:19:17,679 the world of 539 00:19:20,870 --> 00:19:20,160 anything else out there and the other is 540 00:19:22,470 --> 00:19:20,880 that you know 541 00:19:24,310 --> 00:19:22,480 just the world is out there and it's 542 00:19:26,310 --> 00:19:24,320 just a matter of going out measuring it 543 00:19:28,549 --> 00:19:26,320 photographing it and you've got it 544 00:19:30,710 --> 00:19:28,559 so you know in one case you've got very 545 00:19:33,029 --> 00:19:30,720 simplistic materialism and in the other 546 00:19:34,789 --> 00:19:33,039 you've got very simplistic idealism 547 00:19:36,070 --> 00:19:34,799 and i don't think that either of these 548 00:19:38,710 --> 00:19:36,080 positions 549 00:19:40,950 --> 00:19:38,720 uh gets us very far i think the 550 00:19:41,750 --> 00:19:40,960 important thing is to see these bridges 551 00:19:43,590 --> 00:19:41,760 because as i say 552 00:19:45,590 --> 00:19:43,600 everything is actually connected and 553 00:19:49,270 --> 00:19:45,600 it's through the connection 554 00:19:50,870 --> 00:19:49,280 that they come into being so let me 555 00:19:52,470 --> 00:19:50,880 say that again because it's something 556 00:19:53,990 --> 00:19:52,480 that again as a physicist you will 557 00:19:55,430 --> 00:19:54,000 understand you probably know david 558 00:19:58,470 --> 00:19:55,440 merman the physicist 559 00:20:01,909 --> 00:19:58,480 he says relations 560 00:20:03,270 --> 00:20:01,919 are prior to relata now i was delighted 561 00:20:05,350 --> 00:20:03,280 when i heard that 562 00:20:08,070 --> 00:20:05,360 because i have been working on that 563 00:20:09,990 --> 00:20:08,080 basis for most of my adult life 564 00:20:12,549 --> 00:20:10,000 and that sounds nonsense to most people 565 00:20:14,390 --> 00:20:12,559 how can relations exist before there are 566 00:20:16,230 --> 00:20:14,400 things that relate 567 00:20:18,230 --> 00:20:16,240 but actually the things only become what 568 00:20:19,270 --> 00:20:18,240 they are in the process of the 569 00:20:21,590 --> 00:20:19,280 relationship 570 00:20:23,350 --> 00:20:21,600 indeed we only are what we are as human 571 00:20:24,710 --> 00:20:23,360 beings in the process of the many 572 00:20:26,710 --> 00:20:24,720 relationships we have 573 00:20:27,830 --> 00:20:26,720 with other people and with the world at 574 00:20:31,270 --> 00:20:27,840 large 575 00:20:33,190 --> 00:20:31,280 and there's an image in the vedic 576 00:20:34,710 --> 00:20:33,200 tradition which i like very much of 577 00:20:41,830 --> 00:20:34,720 indra's net 578 00:20:45,909 --> 00:20:41,840 net that covers the whole world 579 00:20:48,230 --> 00:20:45,919 and in it at every place where the 580 00:20:50,310 --> 00:20:48,240 threads cross there is a little jewel 581 00:20:52,230 --> 00:20:50,320 and in this jewel it reflected all the 582 00:20:54,630 --> 00:20:52,240 other jewels and the whole of the net 583 00:20:56,470 --> 00:20:54,640 so it's like a hologram in a way but 584 00:20:59,990 --> 00:20:56,480 what is fabulous about it 585 00:21:01,110 --> 00:21:00,000 is that they point out that the threads 586 00:21:03,190 --> 00:21:01,120 the connections 587 00:21:05,350 --> 00:21:03,200 exist before any of the points that make 588 00:21:06,230 --> 00:21:05,360 a net the things that make it a net are 589 00:21:08,470 --> 00:21:06,240 the crossings 590 00:21:09,990 --> 00:21:08,480 that's what we see but they just stand 591 00:21:11,750 --> 00:21:10,000 forward after 592 00:21:13,270 --> 00:21:11,760 interesting uh the relations have done 593 00:21:14,230 --> 00:21:13,280 what they are so i think it's a good 594 00:21:16,070 --> 00:21:14,240 image because 595 00:21:18,549 --> 00:21:16,080 i think we tend to focus on certain 596 00:21:21,350 --> 00:21:18,559 things that stand forward to us 597 00:21:23,110 --> 00:21:21,360 in the world immediately and neglect the 598 00:21:24,630 --> 00:21:23,120 background out of which they emerge and 599 00:21:26,909 --> 00:21:24,640 from which they're never separate 600 00:21:28,470 --> 00:21:26,919 and this is a very basic 601 00:21:29,990 --> 00:21:28,480 neuropsychological 602 00:21:31,590 --> 00:21:30,000 distinction between the left and right 603 00:21:32,950 --> 00:21:31,600 hemisphere which you can demonstrate in 604 00:21:34,870 --> 00:21:32,960 the lab any day 605 00:21:37,190 --> 00:21:34,880 the left hemisphere sees a single thing 606 00:21:38,789 --> 00:21:37,200 of interest that is foregrounded 607 00:21:40,470 --> 00:21:38,799 and it ignores the rest whereas the 608 00:21:43,830 --> 00:21:40,480 right hemisphere sees the whole 609 00:21:44,950 --> 00:21:43,840 scene with whatever it is embedded in it 610 00:21:46,470 --> 00:21:44,960 now this reminds me 611 00:21:48,230 --> 00:21:46,480 of in one of your talks you were talking 612 00:21:48,470 --> 00:21:48,240 about it was an offhand comment you said 613 00:21:50,710 --> 00:21:48,480 that 614 00:21:51,909 --> 00:21:50,720 existence is predicated on resistance 615 00:21:55,430 --> 00:21:51,919 and so what i'm wondering is 616 00:21:59,750 --> 00:21:55,440 is this resistance akin to a relation 617 00:22:01,669 --> 00:21:59,760 yes but it's not the same thing 618 00:22:03,029 --> 00:22:01,679 but without some degree of resistance 619 00:22:06,149 --> 00:22:03,039 without some degree 620 00:22:09,990 --> 00:22:06,159 of opposition 621 00:22:12,710 --> 00:22:10,000 nothing comes into being nothing can do 622 00:22:14,630 --> 00:22:12,720 anything i mean in a very simple way 623 00:22:16,310 --> 00:22:14,640 motion is only made possible because of 624 00:22:18,470 --> 00:22:16,320 friction which is the 625 00:22:19,590 --> 00:22:18,480 thing that itself brings motion to a 626 00:22:21,590 --> 00:22:19,600 standstill 627 00:22:23,590 --> 00:22:21,600 so i mean i know that's a folk sort of 628 00:22:27,270 --> 00:22:23,600 idea but i think it's helpful 629 00:22:29,190 --> 00:22:27,280 that actually what comes into being is 630 00:22:32,070 --> 00:22:29,200 shaped 631 00:22:32,870 --> 00:22:32,080 it's not just formless there are forms 632 00:22:35,990 --> 00:22:32,880 that shape 633 00:22:38,710 --> 00:22:36,000 what comes into being and we our minds 634 00:22:40,390 --> 00:22:38,720 partake of those and of course any form 635 00:22:42,950 --> 00:22:40,400 any shape 636 00:22:43,430 --> 00:22:42,960 is already a denial of something else 637 00:22:47,669 --> 00:22:43,440 because 638 00:22:49,750 --> 00:22:47,679 if it didn't deny or negate anything 639 00:22:50,950 --> 00:22:49,760 it would be just a formless chaos a bag 640 00:22:52,070 --> 00:22:50,960 of nothing 641 00:22:53,270 --> 00:22:52,080 because it would be everything and 642 00:22:54,789 --> 00:22:53,280 everything would be nothing because 643 00:22:56,149 --> 00:22:54,799 there'd be no differentiation of 644 00:22:57,029 --> 00:22:56,159 anything from anything else nothing 645 00:23:00,230 --> 00:22:57,039 would exist 646 00:23:02,870 --> 00:23:00,240 right or everything you have to exclude 647 00:23:03,750 --> 00:23:02,880 you have to you have to exclude you have 648 00:23:06,830 --> 00:23:03,760 to 649 00:23:09,510 --> 00:23:06,840 limit and that is the process of 650 00:23:11,190 --> 00:23:09,520 resistance 651 00:23:12,310 --> 00:23:11,200 and you know there are lots of ways in 652 00:23:13,750 --> 00:23:12,320 which you can think of this but there's 653 00:23:16,149 --> 00:23:13,760 one that i like particularly if you're 654 00:23:19,029 --> 00:23:16,159 going to talk about 655 00:23:19,990 --> 00:23:19,039 consciousness because i believe that our 656 00:23:24,390 --> 00:23:20,000 consciousness 657 00:23:28,950 --> 00:23:24,400 not entirely separate 658 00:23:32,549 --> 00:23:28,960 from other consciousnesses 659 00:23:35,590 --> 00:23:32,559 but for the while it is shaped 660 00:23:36,630 --> 00:23:35,600 uh by whatever form it is that our 661 00:23:40,470 --> 00:23:36,640 consciousness is 662 00:23:43,590 --> 00:23:40,480 instantiated in and william james who 663 00:23:45,430 --> 00:23:43,600 i think is one of the towering 664 00:23:48,390 --> 00:23:45,440 intellects of the last 665 00:23:48,710 --> 00:23:48,400 couple of hundred years said about this 666 00:23:52,230 --> 00:23:48,720 that 667 00:23:54,070 --> 00:23:52,240 it is like the breath passing over his 668 00:23:57,669 --> 00:23:54,080 vocal cords 669 00:23:59,669 --> 00:23:57,679 breath would say nothing 670 00:24:00,950 --> 00:23:59,679 it would mean nothing but because there 671 00:24:04,230 --> 00:24:00,960 are vocal cords that 672 00:24:05,190 --> 00:24:04,240 restrict it it becomes the voice that is 673 00:24:08,070 --> 00:24:05,200 him 674 00:24:08,710 --> 00:24:08,080 so i think you know we can you can allow 675 00:24:10,789 --> 00:24:08,720 that 676 00:24:12,070 --> 00:24:10,799 to germinate in your imagination but i 677 00:24:15,350 --> 00:24:12,080 think the point is 678 00:24:17,510 --> 00:24:15,360 that things are not isolated by 679 00:24:19,029 --> 00:24:17,520 resistance but actually strengthened by 680 00:24:20,310 --> 00:24:19,039 and come into being by resistance let me 681 00:24:23,350 --> 00:24:20,320 just mention another 682 00:24:25,510 --> 00:24:23,360 very interesting small insight 683 00:24:26,549 --> 00:24:25,520 you know there are these uh to get their 684 00:24:29,750 --> 00:24:26,559 golden but these 685 00:24:31,510 --> 00:24:29,760 eco domes in which plants 686 00:24:33,669 --> 00:24:31,520 some of them are very large plants are 687 00:24:36,070 --> 00:24:33,679 grown in a protected environment under 688 00:24:39,269 --> 00:24:36,080 glass biosphere some of them are 689 00:24:41,190 --> 00:24:39,279 biospheres that's it thank you um 690 00:24:43,750 --> 00:24:41,200 and people were puzzled to begin with 691 00:24:45,669 --> 00:24:43,760 that trees in these biospheres 692 00:24:46,950 --> 00:24:45,679 kept falling over before they had any 693 00:24:49,269 --> 00:24:46,960 maturity 694 00:24:49,990 --> 00:24:49,279 and it turned out that trees in order to 695 00:24:52,630 --> 00:24:50,000 grow 696 00:24:53,430 --> 00:24:52,640 properly need wind they need wind to 697 00:24:56,630 --> 00:24:53,440 blow them 698 00:25:00,070 --> 00:24:56,640 and challenge them and they they produce 699 00:25:02,070 --> 00:25:00,080 a core of strength in the wood 700 00:25:03,269 --> 00:25:02,080 and in their roots which enables them to 701 00:25:05,990 --> 00:25:03,279 thrive 702 00:25:07,029 --> 00:25:06,000 there we are it's just another image of 703 00:25:08,789 --> 00:25:07,039 the same thing 704 00:25:10,310 --> 00:25:08,799 let's talk about the title of your book 705 00:25:11,990 --> 00:25:10,320 the master in its emissary which i 706 00:25:12,789 --> 00:25:12,000 believe is derived from the nietzschean 707 00:25:16,870 --> 00:25:12,799 story 708 00:25:19,750 --> 00:25:16,880 contemptuous of the master 709 00:25:20,870 --> 00:25:19,760 now that has me wondering does the left 710 00:25:22,630 --> 00:25:20,880 hemisphere 711 00:25:24,070 --> 00:25:22,640 have some emotional reason that it 712 00:25:26,789 --> 00:25:24,080 thinks that it 713 00:25:28,870 --> 00:25:26,799 is primal or that it has an emotional 714 00:25:30,390 --> 00:25:28,880 reason to usurp the right brain because 715 00:25:31,909 --> 00:25:30,400 people normally associate emotion with 716 00:25:34,630 --> 00:25:31,919 the right and the left is just 717 00:25:37,830 --> 00:25:36,149 well it's interesting because all those 718 00:25:40,870 --> 00:25:37,840 things that people used to say 719 00:25:42,070 --> 00:25:40,880 that they're just you know emotions in 720 00:25:44,789 --> 00:25:42,080 one hemisphere that is 721 00:25:46,230 --> 00:25:44,799 entirely wrong as i say what is 722 00:25:47,669 --> 00:25:46,240 different is the way 723 00:25:49,190 --> 00:25:47,679 so they each have emotions they just 724 00:25:49,830 --> 00:25:49,200 have different ways of relating to the 725 00:25:52,710 --> 00:25:49,840 world 726 00:25:54,549 --> 00:25:52,720 and interestingly the emotion that most 727 00:25:55,990 --> 00:25:54,559 lateralizes is anger 728 00:25:58,870 --> 00:25:56,000 and it lateralizes to the left 729 00:26:02,230 --> 00:25:58,880 hemisphere not to the right 730 00:26:04,310 --> 00:26:02,240 it's tempting um 731 00:26:05,430 --> 00:26:04,320 and not perhaps entirely wrong since 732 00:26:07,909 --> 00:26:05,440 after all 733 00:26:09,430 --> 00:26:07,919 the brain is part of a person to think 734 00:26:11,590 --> 00:26:09,440 of these two hemispheres as having 735 00:26:14,950 --> 00:26:11,600 personalities of a kind 736 00:26:16,390 --> 00:26:14,960 um i mean of course one immediately 737 00:26:18,430 --> 00:26:16,400 invites the 738 00:26:20,070 --> 00:26:18,440 past that you know everyone's 739 00:26:22,070 --> 00:26:20,080 anthropomorphizing a 740 00:26:25,669 --> 00:26:22,080 a computer or something but of course 741 00:26:27,590 --> 00:26:25,679 one's easy easily sort of 742 00:26:28,789 --> 00:26:27,600 skewing the picture by thinking of the 743 00:26:30,310 --> 00:26:28,799 brain as a computer because it's 744 00:26:30,950 --> 00:26:30,320 obviously part of a living person as 745 00:26:34,870 --> 00:26:30,960 well 746 00:26:38,710 --> 00:26:34,880 anyway um to cut a long story short yes 747 00:26:41,029 --> 00:26:38,720 uh when when you isolate one hemisphere 748 00:26:43,510 --> 00:26:41,039 at a time 749 00:26:45,190 --> 00:26:43,520 the left hemisphere is more confident 750 00:26:47,110 --> 00:26:45,200 even when it's entirely wrong 751 00:26:49,029 --> 00:26:47,120 and tends to increase its sense of 752 00:26:51,830 --> 00:26:49,039 conviction when it's presented with data 753 00:26:53,590 --> 00:26:51,840 that suggests that it might be wrong 754 00:26:58,630 --> 00:26:53,600 whereas the right hemisphere 755 00:27:00,549 --> 00:26:58,640 tends to be more um more open to 756 00:27:02,310 --> 00:27:00,559 well it might be something different 757 00:27:05,909 --> 00:27:02,320 actually ramachandran you know 758 00:27:07,110 --> 00:27:05,919 very well known neuroscientist says um 759 00:27:10,390 --> 00:27:07,120 that 760 00:27:11,269 --> 00:27:10,400 he calls it the the um the devil's 761 00:27:12,710 --> 00:27:11,279 advocate 762 00:27:13,990 --> 00:27:12,720 the right hemisphere because well the 763 00:27:15,830 --> 00:27:14,000 left hemisphere is jumping to 764 00:27:17,750 --> 00:27:15,840 conclusions which it does 765 00:27:19,590 --> 00:27:17,760 very quickly the right hemisphere is 766 00:27:20,549 --> 00:27:19,600 going yes but on the one hand and on the 767 00:27:24,549 --> 00:27:20,559 other 768 00:27:27,590 --> 00:27:24,559 miss very much in today's 769 00:27:28,230 --> 00:27:27,600 culture is that the ability to nuance 770 00:27:30,310 --> 00:27:28,240 physician 771 00:27:31,350 --> 00:27:30,320 opinions and see this good and bad in 772 00:27:32,789 --> 00:27:31,360 many things 773 00:27:34,310 --> 00:27:32,799 that more and more of something you 774 00:27:35,669 --> 00:27:34,320 think is good is not necessarily good 775 00:27:39,350 --> 00:27:35,679 and so forth 776 00:27:44,149 --> 00:27:40,950 it's also true that the left hemisphere 777 00:27:46,230 --> 00:27:44,159 sees less i mean it literally sees less 778 00:27:48,789 --> 00:27:46,240 uh in the sense of it attends to less 779 00:27:52,070 --> 00:27:48,799 and therefore takes in less of the world 780 00:27:54,230 --> 00:27:52,080 and when you see or or understand less 781 00:27:56,230 --> 00:27:54,240 you think you know it all right there's 782 00:27:58,070 --> 00:27:56,240 uh a phenomenon in 783 00:28:00,310 --> 00:27:58,080 psychology called the dunning-kruger 784 00:28:01,430 --> 00:28:00,320 effect which basically is that when 785 00:28:03,350 --> 00:28:01,440 people are very bright 786 00:28:04,870 --> 00:28:03,360 they think they don't know very much but 787 00:28:05,909 --> 00:28:04,880 when they're stupid they think they know 788 00:28:08,149 --> 00:28:05,919 everything 789 00:28:11,750 --> 00:28:08,159 and so it's the people who are at least 790 00:28:15,350 --> 00:28:11,760 intelligent who are most dogmatic 791 00:28:16,789 --> 00:28:15,360 about their views and i think that 792 00:28:19,510 --> 00:28:16,799 you could say that the left hemisphere 793 00:28:22,630 --> 00:28:19,520 suffers from not really understanding 794 00:28:25,190 --> 00:28:22,640 jumping to conclusions and tending to be 795 00:28:28,950 --> 00:28:25,200 rather impatient and angry 796 00:28:30,630 --> 00:28:28,960 um so yes i think you could you could 797 00:28:33,750 --> 00:28:30,640 say that about them and what 798 00:28:34,710 --> 00:28:33,760 what i've been amazed by is in how many 799 00:28:37,669 --> 00:28:34,720 cultures 800 00:28:38,630 --> 00:28:37,679 there is a story like the master in his 801 00:28:41,830 --> 00:28:38,640 emissary 802 00:28:44,389 --> 00:28:41,840 of two brothers or 803 00:28:45,269 --> 00:28:44,399 an emperor and his general or whatever 804 00:28:47,590 --> 00:28:45,279 it is 805 00:28:48,789 --> 00:28:47,600 these two powers and one of them is 806 00:28:51,510 --> 00:28:48,799 clearly 807 00:28:52,230 --> 00:28:51,520 sort of superintendent of the other but 808 00:28:56,389 --> 00:28:52,240 the 809 00:28:57,669 --> 00:28:56,399 master 810 00:29:00,149 --> 00:28:57,679 even though it doesn't really understand 811 00:29:02,070 --> 00:29:00,159 what it's doing and it 812 00:29:03,190 --> 00:29:02,080 tries to resist and even to try to 813 00:29:05,830 --> 00:29:03,200 destroy 814 00:29:07,029 --> 00:29:05,840 that force now that that story exists in 815 00:29:10,230 --> 00:29:07,039 iroquois 816 00:29:12,710 --> 00:29:10,240 legends it exists in chinese 817 00:29:13,430 --> 00:29:12,720 8th century literature you know it's 818 00:29:17,669 --> 00:29:13,440 it's there 819 00:29:19,909 --> 00:29:17,679 inward mythology 820 00:29:22,070 --> 00:29:19,919 what is this that we're seeing i think 821 00:29:25,269 --> 00:29:22,080 it is an understanding 822 00:29:28,870 --> 00:29:25,279 that there is a part of us that is 823 00:29:31,990 --> 00:29:28,880 somehow unwilling to accept um 824 00:29:33,830 --> 00:29:32,000 that it knows very little 825 00:29:35,909 --> 00:29:33,840 and if only more people einstein 826 00:29:36,870 --> 00:29:35,919 actually said in the letter to the queen 827 00:29:40,230 --> 00:29:36,880 of belgium 828 00:29:42,710 --> 00:29:40,240 he said if more people understood how 829 00:29:46,870 --> 00:29:42,720 very little we know the world would be a 830 00:29:50,230 --> 00:29:48,870 speaking of stories i'm reminded of one 831 00:29:51,590 --> 00:29:50,240 by hildegard the bingham 832 00:29:53,350 --> 00:29:51,600 it's one of my favorite quotes i'm not 833 00:29:54,470 --> 00:29:53,360 sure if you're aware of it but it goes 834 00:29:56,950 --> 00:29:54,480 something like this 835 00:29:57,510 --> 00:29:56,960 and pride germinated in the first angel 836 00:29:59,110 --> 00:29:57,520 as he 837 00:30:01,830 --> 00:29:59,120 could no longer comprehend the source of 838 00:30:03,510 --> 00:30:01,840 his own light and so he spoke to himself 839 00:30:05,190 --> 00:30:03,520 i want to be master and want none above 840 00:30:07,350 --> 00:30:05,200 me and that one is powerful 841 00:30:08,630 --> 00:30:07,360 i think about that often because in one 842 00:30:10,870 --> 00:30:08,640 so the first angel satan 843 00:30:12,149 --> 00:30:10,880 and then two through his own radiance he 844 00:30:13,909 --> 00:30:12,159 couldn't comprehend the source of his 845 00:30:17,350 --> 00:30:13,919 own light and then three 846 00:30:18,549 --> 00:30:17,360 and so he spoke to himself and so he 847 00:30:20,789 --> 00:30:18,559 spoke to himself 848 00:30:22,870 --> 00:30:20,799 and that to me is there's something 849 00:30:24,549 --> 00:30:22,880 about being overly self-conscious and 850 00:30:26,710 --> 00:30:24,559 and just simply speaking to yourself and 851 00:30:29,029 --> 00:30:26,720 not talking to others 852 00:30:30,389 --> 00:30:29,039 that breeds well it it reinforces 853 00:30:31,909 --> 00:30:30,399 arrogance but it also wants you 854 00:30:34,830 --> 00:30:31,919 there's something there's something evil 855 00:30:37,909 --> 00:30:37,510 yes i'm interested that you use that 856 00:30:39,669 --> 00:30:37,919 word 857 00:30:41,110 --> 00:30:39,679 most people these days are frightened of 858 00:30:42,549 --> 00:30:41,120 using it 859 00:30:45,669 --> 00:30:42,559 having spent a long time as a 860 00:30:50,149 --> 00:30:45,679 psychiatrist i've certainly seen 861 00:30:51,110 --> 00:30:50,159 sickness and i've seen unhappiness but i 862 00:30:54,710 --> 00:30:51,120 have also 863 00:30:58,230 --> 00:30:54,720 at times seen evil 864 00:31:00,389 --> 00:30:58,240 something that is not fueled by any need 865 00:31:01,750 --> 00:31:00,399 or anything except the desire to destroy 866 00:31:04,870 --> 00:31:01,760 and to hurt 867 00:31:06,149 --> 00:31:04,880 and i think that does exist in all 868 00:31:08,230 --> 00:31:06,159 cultures people 869 00:31:10,789 --> 00:31:08,240 have thought that he did and that it's 870 00:31:14,149 --> 00:31:10,799 probably not just confined to us 871 00:31:15,590 --> 00:31:14,159 so i mean the absolute locus classicus 872 00:31:18,630 --> 00:31:15,600 in the west is 873 00:31:20,389 --> 00:31:18,640 milton's paradise lost which is whose 874 00:31:22,070 --> 00:31:20,399 theme is entirely this 875 00:31:24,470 --> 00:31:22,080 because of course it was lucifer the 876 00:31:26,950 --> 00:31:24,480 lightbringer as the name means 877 00:31:28,230 --> 00:31:26,960 who became the chief of the of the 878 00:31:31,110 --> 00:31:28,240 devils 879 00:31:33,029 --> 00:31:31,120 and in that sense he was exactly like 880 00:31:34,630 --> 00:31:33,039 the emissary to the master because in 881 00:31:36,389 --> 00:31:34,640 the story of that 882 00:31:38,070 --> 00:31:36,399 the reason the master points the 883 00:31:41,110 --> 00:31:38,080 emissary is that he's 884 00:31:42,710 --> 00:31:41,120 such a good emissary the trouble is he's 885 00:31:46,070 --> 00:31:42,720 not a very good master 886 00:31:47,110 --> 00:31:46,080 and this this unequal dynamic is very 887 00:31:48,630 --> 00:31:47,120 important and i think it's very 888 00:31:49,590 --> 00:31:48,640 difficult people to understand these 889 00:31:52,470 --> 00:31:49,600 days 890 00:31:54,070 --> 00:31:52,480 because we'd like to think in a rather 891 00:31:55,350 --> 00:31:54,080 left hemisphere way that things should 892 00:31:57,029 --> 00:31:55,360 be just symmetrical 893 00:32:00,149 --> 00:31:57,039 that if there's a and b they should be 894 00:32:01,669 --> 00:32:00,159 just symmetrical but they may not be one 895 00:32:02,870 --> 00:32:01,679 of them may be much more important and 896 00:32:06,149 --> 00:32:02,880 creative than the other 897 00:32:07,029 --> 00:32:06,159 so i think these drives if you like that 898 00:32:10,950 --> 00:32:07,039 are in things 899 00:32:12,870 --> 00:32:10,960 are are different not necessarily easily 900 00:32:14,549 --> 00:32:12,880 reconciled 901 00:32:16,310 --> 00:32:14,559 um and this has nothing to do with a 902 00:32:16,870 --> 00:32:16,320 particularly religious point of view i 903 00:32:19,830 --> 00:32:16,880 i'm 904 00:32:21,669 --> 00:32:19,840 sorry to say that i don't really i mean 905 00:32:22,470 --> 00:32:21,679 i certainly honor religions and 906 00:32:24,710 --> 00:32:22,480 spiritual 907 00:32:26,470 --> 00:32:24,720 traditions but i i don't myself feel 908 00:32:29,350 --> 00:32:26,480 that i have any 909 00:32:30,230 --> 00:32:29,360 particular connection to to the divine 910 00:32:32,710 --> 00:32:30,240 but i do 911 00:32:33,990 --> 00:32:32,720 i would hate to lose the sense that 912 00:32:35,669 --> 00:32:34,000 there is something 913 00:32:38,230 --> 00:32:35,679 beyond the material that is very 914 00:32:41,350 --> 00:32:38,240 important and powerful and beautiful 915 00:32:43,110 --> 00:32:41,360 in this world 916 00:32:45,269 --> 00:32:43,120 part of why your book is so fascinating 917 00:32:46,710 --> 00:32:45,279 is there are sentences 918 00:32:49,190 --> 00:32:46,720 embedded within paragraphs which are 919 00:32:51,430 --> 00:32:49,200 already far-reaching implications 920 00:32:52,389 --> 00:32:51,440 so there's a set of three sentences i 921 00:32:54,149 --> 00:32:52,399 don't recall where 922 00:32:55,509 --> 00:32:54,159 somewhere chapter seven chapter eight i 923 00:32:55,990 --> 00:32:55,519 wish i had written them down but i just 924 00:32:57,669 --> 00:32:56,000 wrote down 925 00:32:59,110 --> 00:32:57,679 a note what you've done in these three 926 00:33:01,909 --> 00:32:59,120 sentences is connect 927 00:33:03,750 --> 00:33:01,919 nihilism borderism sorry boredom the 928 00:33:05,509 --> 00:33:03,760 platonic realm of timelessness 929 00:33:07,269 --> 00:33:05,519 and then to me that also connects 930 00:33:08,549 --> 00:33:07,279 eastern mysticism and then the idea of 931 00:33:09,909 --> 00:33:08,559 the present moment 932 00:33:11,669 --> 00:33:09,919 as for the exact connection the 933 00:33:12,870 --> 00:33:11,679 relations between those i'm still 934 00:33:15,269 --> 00:33:12,880 cogitating i'm still trying to 935 00:33:17,990 --> 00:33:15,279 understand but you said that 936 00:33:19,430 --> 00:33:18,000 in an almost an offhand with an offhand 937 00:33:20,870 --> 00:33:19,440 remark and i was wondering i don't know 938 00:33:24,789 --> 00:33:20,880 if you realize the profundity 939 00:33:27,430 --> 00:33:24,799 of those statements 940 00:33:28,950 --> 00:33:27,440 i don't remember actually the words but 941 00:33:30,630 --> 00:33:28,960 i could have said something like that 942 00:33:33,430 --> 00:33:30,640 definitely 943 00:33:35,669 --> 00:33:33,440 i i know i say which i think believe is 944 00:33:36,470 --> 00:33:35,679 correct that the concept of boredom and 945 00:33:39,430 --> 00:33:36,480 the word for 946 00:33:41,029 --> 00:33:39,440 boredom arose in the 18th century when 947 00:33:43,110 --> 00:33:41,039 we first began to 948 00:33:44,870 --> 00:33:43,120 feel that we really had control of 949 00:33:48,149 --> 00:33:44,880 everything and that the whole 950 00:33:51,190 --> 00:33:48,159 of life and the world around us was 951 00:33:53,029 --> 00:33:51,200 under human uh control we could have it 952 00:33:55,269 --> 00:33:53,039 the way we wanted it 953 00:33:57,430 --> 00:33:55,279 and it was then that people started to 954 00:34:00,470 --> 00:33:57,440 feel the sense of emptiness of 955 00:34:03,990 --> 00:34:00,480 as you say the beginnings of nihilism 956 00:34:06,630 --> 00:34:04,000 um and so on so i do think it's very 957 00:34:08,310 --> 00:34:06,640 interesting and in in the book that i 958 00:34:10,069 --> 00:34:08,320 i've said an awful lot more about all 959 00:34:11,510 --> 00:34:10,079 this in the in the book i'm 960 00:34:13,829 --> 00:34:11,520 i've just written called the matter with 961 00:34:16,310 --> 00:34:13,839 things um 962 00:34:17,030 --> 00:34:16,320 and the last part of the book i look at 963 00:34:21,109 --> 00:34:17,040 the 964 00:34:22,149 --> 00:34:21,119 daring thing or perhaps a stupid thing 965 00:34:25,270 --> 00:34:22,159 for somebody 966 00:34:27,589 --> 00:34:25,280 to do unless they they think they 967 00:34:29,030 --> 00:34:27,599 they somehow have an insight into into 968 00:34:32,790 --> 00:34:29,040 physics which i i 969 00:34:35,430 --> 00:34:32,800 i i rely very much on colleagues and on 970 00:34:38,230 --> 00:34:35,440 guidance from physicists but to talk 971 00:34:39,990 --> 00:34:38,240 about time and space 972 00:34:41,990 --> 00:34:40,000 and i think these things are very very 973 00:34:42,950 --> 00:34:42,000 important and one of the things that 974 00:34:46,470 --> 00:34:42,960 people 975 00:34:48,790 --> 00:34:46,480 believe in the real world a lot of 976 00:34:52,310 --> 00:34:48,800 people who have a spiritual take think 977 00:34:53,990 --> 00:34:52,320 really time is an illusion really time 978 00:34:57,510 --> 00:34:54,000 is just a mistake 979 00:35:00,630 --> 00:34:57,520 it doesn't really exist but 980 00:35:03,750 --> 00:35:00,640 i with lee smolin who i 981 00:35:07,030 --> 00:35:03,760 very much admire um who's 982 00:35:09,910 --> 00:35:07,040 gonna be interviewing lee oh 983 00:35:11,349 --> 00:35:09,920 well for what he's worth i i'm an 984 00:35:13,990 --> 00:35:11,359 acolyte i think he's 985 00:35:16,069 --> 00:35:14,000 he's very very interesting and i quote 986 00:35:19,829 --> 00:35:16,079 him a lot in in my new book 987 00:35:21,670 --> 00:35:19,839 but with him i think i'm right in saying 988 00:35:23,910 --> 00:35:21,680 i consider that you know time is 989 00:35:27,109 --> 00:35:23,920 absolutely 990 00:35:30,550 --> 00:35:27,119 primary ontologically speaking 991 00:35:34,550 --> 00:35:30,560 and there is a saying of dogen 992 00:35:37,990 --> 00:35:34,560 chinese sage that even god cannot 993 00:35:42,150 --> 00:35:40,150 now you can i mean that would be a 994 00:35:44,230 --> 00:35:42,160 fascinating conversation all on its own 995 00:35:45,270 --> 00:35:44,240 but there is such a thing as time moving 996 00:35:49,270 --> 00:35:45,280 and developing 997 00:35:51,190 --> 00:35:49,280 and at the same time not running away 998 00:35:52,630 --> 00:35:51,200 an image i quite like is the idea of 999 00:35:54,390 --> 00:35:52,640 being in a stream 1000 00:35:55,910 --> 00:35:54,400 and if you move with the stream you 1001 00:35:57,910 --> 00:35:55,920 don't stop the stream moving 1002 00:35:59,829 --> 00:35:57,920 but as far as you are concerned the 1003 00:36:01,990 --> 00:35:59,839 world is permanently there with you 1004 00:36:04,470 --> 00:36:02,000 because you are moving with that stream 1005 00:36:06,069 --> 00:36:04,480 it's only if you're standing on the bank 1006 00:36:08,470 --> 00:36:06,079 impatiently with a clipboard and a 1007 00:36:11,750 --> 00:36:08,480 stopwatch watching things pass 1008 00:36:13,910 --> 00:36:11,760 and from outside that time appears to 1009 00:36:16,230 --> 00:36:13,920 have this erosive quality 1010 00:36:17,349 --> 00:36:16,240 um instead it's part of the experience 1011 00:36:19,190 --> 00:36:17,359 of becoming 1012 00:36:22,230 --> 00:36:19,200 which is what it is to be a human 1013 00:36:26,870 --> 00:36:25,430 speaking of streams and time 1014 00:36:28,710 --> 00:36:26,880 is river this is mentioned quite a bit 1015 00:36:32,230 --> 00:36:28,720 in your book and i have a 1016 00:36:35,510 --> 00:36:33,510 it's okay i'm just going to read it 1017 00:36:36,069 --> 00:36:35,520 because i don't have it in my working 1018 00:36:38,390 --> 00:36:36,079 memory 1019 00:36:39,910 --> 00:36:38,400 so the right brain is the type that when 1020 00:36:41,109 --> 00:36:39,920 i say right brain i mean hemisphere so 1021 00:36:42,150 --> 00:36:41,119 the right hemisphere is the type that 1022 00:36:43,990 --> 00:36:42,160 would come up with the statement that 1023 00:36:45,910 --> 00:36:44,000 there's unceasing change 1024 00:36:47,109 --> 00:36:45,920 it's constantly constantly changing and 1025 00:36:48,470 --> 00:36:47,119 then the left is the one that needs to 1026 00:36:50,790 --> 00:36:48,480 stand back and abstract 1027 00:36:52,310 --> 00:36:50,800 and see some constancy and then it made 1028 00:36:53,990 --> 00:36:52,320 me think about time and then the arrow 1029 00:36:55,190 --> 00:36:54,000 of physics 1030 00:36:56,710 --> 00:36:55,200 and i'm wondering if you had any 1031 00:36:59,829 --> 00:36:56,720 thoughts on the nature of time or the 1032 00:37:05,510 --> 00:36:59,839 nature of era of time and physics 1033 00:37:10,470 --> 00:37:07,589 how good they are but i i've thought 1034 00:37:13,349 --> 00:37:10,480 about it an enormous amount 1035 00:37:14,790 --> 00:37:13,359 and physicists themselves are divided on 1036 00:37:16,630 --> 00:37:14,800 the arrow of time 1037 00:37:18,150 --> 00:37:16,640 but i tend to be with those who say that 1038 00:37:20,790 --> 00:37:18,160 without the arrow of time 1039 00:37:21,589 --> 00:37:20,800 nothing could mean or be anything at all 1040 00:37:24,790 --> 00:37:21,599 that all 1041 00:37:26,950 --> 00:37:24,800 that we know of physics even down to the 1042 00:37:28,710 --> 00:37:26,960 you know the most rarefied kind of 1043 00:37:30,550 --> 00:37:28,720 contemporary physique 1044 00:37:32,069 --> 00:37:30,560 none of it could be without the 1045 00:37:33,829 --> 00:37:32,079 existence of time 1046 00:37:35,829 --> 00:37:33,839 there could be no processes in fact 1047 00:37:38,069 --> 00:37:35,839 without time and i believe that this 1048 00:37:39,829 --> 00:37:38,079 processes are prior to things 1049 00:37:41,510 --> 00:37:39,839 which is partly why i entitled this book 1050 00:37:43,670 --> 00:37:41,520 the matter with things 1051 00:37:44,870 --> 00:37:43,680 it's a pun on various levels because i 1052 00:37:45,990 --> 00:37:44,880 think there's a problem with our 1053 00:37:47,589 --> 00:37:46,000 material 1054 00:37:49,750 --> 00:37:47,599 obsession and there's a problem with our 1055 00:37:52,870 --> 00:37:49,760 thinking the world is made up of things 1056 00:37:53,349 --> 00:37:52,880 so i think you know i don't take the 1057 00:37:55,589 --> 00:37:53,359 block 1058 00:37:56,950 --> 00:37:55,599 theory of time you know that it's really 1059 00:37:59,829 --> 00:37:56,960 a static thing but we just 1060 00:38:01,510 --> 00:37:59,839 move about it nor do i take the view 1061 00:38:07,589 --> 00:38:01,520 that 1062 00:38:09,750 --> 00:38:07,599 most of the philosophers who've tried to 1063 00:38:11,670 --> 00:38:09,760 approach time 1064 00:38:13,270 --> 00:38:11,680 with the single exception of bergson 1065 00:38:16,710 --> 00:38:13,280 seem to me to have 1066 00:38:18,630 --> 00:38:16,720 confused what they're talking about and 1067 00:38:19,829 --> 00:38:18,640 unfortunately most people nowadays don't 1068 00:38:23,589 --> 00:38:19,839 read bergson 1069 00:38:27,190 --> 00:38:23,599 is they've inherited a prejudice 1070 00:38:29,109 --> 00:38:27,200 that somehow bergson was wrong 1071 00:38:30,550 --> 00:38:29,119 because he had a debate with einstein in 1072 00:38:31,589 --> 00:38:30,560 which it said he didn't understand 1073 00:38:35,349 --> 00:38:31,599 einstein 1074 00:38:36,790 --> 00:38:35,359 didn't understand bergson 1075 00:38:38,870 --> 00:38:36,800 they were looking at two different 1076 00:38:41,430 --> 00:38:38,880 things and they weren't necessarily at 1077 00:38:43,270 --> 00:38:41,440 odds with one another 1078 00:38:45,510 --> 00:38:43,280 einstein was looking at a kind of time 1079 00:38:48,710 --> 00:38:45,520 like a clock time 1080 00:38:50,710 --> 00:38:48,720 whereas bergson was looking at time 1081 00:38:52,950 --> 00:38:50,720 as not something that can be measured in 1082 00:38:56,069 --> 00:38:52,960 that way and 1083 00:38:59,670 --> 00:38:56,079 the distinction between a flow 1084 00:39:01,750 --> 00:38:59,680 and a series is absolutely fundamental 1085 00:39:05,030 --> 00:39:01,760 and bergson spent most of his life 1086 00:39:07,829 --> 00:39:05,040 trying to help people see why this was 1087 00:39:09,190 --> 00:39:07,839 so fundamental and when i saw it it was 1088 00:39:11,510 --> 00:39:09,200 absolutely one of the three or four 1089 00:39:13,589 --> 00:39:11,520 great eureka moments of my life 1090 00:39:15,430 --> 00:39:13,599 i saw that a lot of the problems that we 1091 00:39:16,950 --> 00:39:15,440 have philosophically speaking and with 1092 00:39:20,390 --> 00:39:16,960 our attitude to the world 1093 00:39:21,109 --> 00:39:20,400 come from us having seen a seamless 1094 00:39:23,910 --> 00:39:21,119 motion 1095 00:39:24,870 --> 00:39:23,920 as a concatenation of an infinite number 1096 00:39:26,950 --> 00:39:24,880 of slices 1097 00:39:29,030 --> 00:39:26,960 that sounds like an almost technical 1098 00:39:32,390 --> 00:39:29,040 difference but in fact 1099 00:39:35,030 --> 00:39:32,400 it goes right to the core of 1100 00:39:37,750 --> 00:39:35,040 the two versions of the world that come 1101 00:39:40,150 --> 00:39:37,760 into being because the left hemisphere 1102 00:39:41,430 --> 00:39:40,160 is always trying to stop time it's 1103 00:39:43,510 --> 00:39:41,440 always trying to freeze time 1104 00:39:45,270 --> 00:39:43,520 because imagine its idea is to pick 1105 00:39:48,230 --> 00:39:45,280 something up or to catch something 1106 00:39:49,030 --> 00:39:48,240 so it it wants to freeze it and catch it 1107 00:39:52,230 --> 00:39:49,040 and get 1108 00:39:54,310 --> 00:39:52,240 it and have it and hold it but you know 1109 00:39:55,430 --> 00:39:54,320 as goethe said as blake said when you 1110 00:39:58,630 --> 00:39:55,440 try to freeze 1111 00:40:01,670 --> 00:39:58,640 the fleeing moment then you're lost 1112 00:40:05,349 --> 00:40:01,680 because all is in this process 1113 00:40:06,630 --> 00:40:05,359 of change and flow and it's respecting 1114 00:40:10,710 --> 00:40:06,640 that 1115 00:40:12,950 --> 00:40:10,720 wise not 1116 00:40:14,550 --> 00:40:12,960 trying to resist it or pretend it 1117 00:40:16,790 --> 00:40:14,560 doesn't exist 1118 00:40:18,150 --> 00:40:16,800 so those are some of my thoughts about 1119 00:40:19,910 --> 00:40:18,160 time 1120 00:40:21,270 --> 00:40:19,920 what is the other model then so i know 1121 00:40:21,750 --> 00:40:21,280 you can't go through berkson's entire 1122 00:40:22,870 --> 00:40:21,760 model 1123 00:40:25,430 --> 00:40:22,880 and i'm assuming you're talking about 1124 00:40:28,630 --> 00:40:25,440 bergson as in henry berkson 1125 00:40:30,150 --> 00:40:28,640 absolutely yes yes okay okay yes 1126 00:40:32,309 --> 00:40:30,160 all i know about henry berkson is that 1127 00:40:33,030 --> 00:40:32,319 he's associated with bohmian mechanics 1128 00:40:34,710 --> 00:40:33,040 and i need to 1129 00:40:36,150 --> 00:40:34,720 investigate more about bergson's 1130 00:40:37,990 --> 00:40:36,160 theories i've been told to 1131 00:40:39,349 --> 00:40:38,000 so that's on my list for those who are 1132 00:40:41,990 --> 00:40:39,359 listening and are eager 1133 00:40:43,030 --> 00:40:42,000 i'm working on it what's the alternative 1134 00:40:45,349 --> 00:40:43,040 to viewing 1135 00:40:46,710 --> 00:40:45,359 time as in infinite slices infinitesimal 1136 00:40:48,630 --> 00:40:46,720 slices 1137 00:40:49,829 --> 00:40:48,640 well what he noticed and it's very 1138 00:40:51,990 --> 00:40:49,839 important 1139 00:40:53,990 --> 00:40:52,000 is that it only can be turned into 1140 00:40:55,829 --> 00:40:54,000 slices retrospectively 1141 00:40:57,910 --> 00:40:55,839 and it's like a point on a line when you 1142 00:40:59,750 --> 00:40:57,920 draw a line you don't draw 1143 00:41:01,670 --> 00:40:59,760 a point infinitely small and then 1144 00:41:02,710 --> 00:41:01,680 another one and so on you the line is 1145 00:41:05,670 --> 00:41:02,720 there 1146 00:41:07,270 --> 00:41:05,680 in retrospect you can find a point at 1147 00:41:10,309 --> 00:41:07,280 which your pencil was at 1148 00:41:12,550 --> 00:41:10,319 point a in the line you can 1149 00:41:13,510 --> 00:41:12,560 you could designate it but actually 1150 00:41:15,270 --> 00:41:13,520 there wasn't 1151 00:41:17,030 --> 00:41:15,280 a business of going from point a to 1152 00:41:18,950 --> 00:41:17,040 point b or whatever 1153 00:41:21,910 --> 00:41:18,960 similarly if you move your arm it is a 1154 00:41:24,790 --> 00:41:21,920 single seamless motion 1155 00:41:25,510 --> 00:41:24,800 and you can't say i move it to a to b to 1156 00:41:28,510 --> 00:41:25,520 c to d 1157 00:41:29,750 --> 00:41:28,520 you don't but in retrospect the 1158 00:41:33,109 --> 00:41:29,760 representation 1159 00:41:35,670 --> 00:41:33,119 of motion can be dissected 1160 00:41:37,349 --> 00:41:35,680 but motion itself can't be dissected 1161 00:41:40,230 --> 00:41:37,359 similarly the representation 1162 00:41:42,150 --> 00:41:40,240 of time can be dissected but time itself 1163 00:41:44,790 --> 00:41:42,160 can't be dissected now why that is so 1164 00:41:46,710 --> 00:41:44,800 important to me is that one of the most 1165 00:41:48,550 --> 00:41:46,720 fundamental differences between the 1166 00:41:50,910 --> 00:41:48,560 right hemisphere and the left 1167 00:41:52,390 --> 00:41:50,920 is that the left hemisphere deals with 1168 00:41:54,230 --> 00:41:52,400 representations 1169 00:41:56,309 --> 00:41:54,240 so the right hemisphere deals with 1170 00:42:00,150 --> 00:41:56,319 things as they are present 1171 00:42:03,589 --> 00:42:00,160 more so it it deals with them as they 1172 00:42:05,510 --> 00:42:03,599 presence as heidiger would have said 1173 00:42:07,109 --> 00:42:05,520 has they at the very moment that they 1174 00:42:08,950 --> 00:42:07,119 are not just present because that sounds 1175 00:42:10,710 --> 00:42:08,960 rather passive and mechanical 1176 00:42:13,030 --> 00:42:10,720 but as their presence they come into 1177 00:42:17,510 --> 00:42:13,040 being for you they come into your 1178 00:42:19,510 --> 00:42:17,520 your field of of of being an awareness 1179 00:42:21,430 --> 00:42:19,520 and the right the renee chemistry is 1180 00:42:23,190 --> 00:42:21,440 therefore with that living moment but 1181 00:42:25,109 --> 00:42:23,200 the left hemisphere 1182 00:42:26,950 --> 00:42:25,119 is categorizing things you can only 1183 00:42:29,750 --> 00:42:26,960 categorize them 1184 00:42:30,790 --> 00:42:29,760 a small time after you experience them 1185 00:42:33,910 --> 00:42:30,800 so 1186 00:42:36,950 --> 00:42:33,920 if you like its world is a world of 1187 00:42:40,069 --> 00:42:36,960 a schema a representation a map 1188 00:42:41,829 --> 00:42:40,079 which can only be made to make any sense 1189 00:42:43,510 --> 00:42:41,839 when there's something that can be 1190 00:42:43,990 --> 00:42:43,520 schematized when there's something that 1191 00:42:47,270 --> 00:42:44,000 can be 1192 00:42:49,589 --> 00:42:47,280 mapped so the difference between what is 1193 00:42:51,670 --> 00:42:49,599 in the present moment and what is 1194 00:42:55,030 --> 00:42:51,680 reflected on later 1195 00:42:57,030 --> 00:42:55,040 and dissected is profound 1196 00:42:58,710 --> 00:42:57,040 and what he noticed was that in our 1197 00:43:01,750 --> 00:42:58,720 thinking process because we stop 1198 00:43:04,630 --> 00:43:01,760 and talk and reflect on things we think 1199 00:43:05,349 --> 00:43:04,640 that we find the world as our left 1200 00:43:08,790 --> 00:43:05,359 hemisphere 1201 00:43:11,349 --> 00:43:08,800 intellect presents it as 1202 00:43:12,309 --> 00:43:11,359 a thing that's divided up into areas and 1203 00:43:14,390 --> 00:43:12,319 so on whereas 1204 00:43:16,230 --> 00:43:14,400 actually the experience of it is not 1205 00:43:19,270 --> 00:43:16,240 like that and because we're so 1206 00:43:22,870 --> 00:43:21,349 to seeing it the left hemisphere way 1207 00:43:24,390 --> 00:43:22,880 most people wouldn't see what i'm 1208 00:43:26,550 --> 00:43:24,400 talking about they just about i don't 1209 00:43:29,990 --> 00:43:26,560 know what he means by that i mean 1210 00:43:33,109 --> 00:43:30,000 how and it's almost like having to 1211 00:43:35,030 --> 00:43:33,119 see a spiritual insight or or sort of 1212 00:43:37,270 --> 00:43:35,040 you know it's almost like something one 1213 00:43:38,390 --> 00:43:37,280 would get from meditation to be able to 1214 00:43:43,030 --> 00:43:38,400 see 1215 00:43:45,589 --> 00:43:43,040 it it's it's obvious it's everywhere 1216 00:43:47,069 --> 00:43:45,599 that the world is this seamless flow and 1217 00:43:48,630 --> 00:43:47,079 it's quite different from a dead 1218 00:43:51,990 --> 00:43:48,640 concatenation of 1219 00:43:55,910 --> 00:43:53,990 you point out beautifully at one point 1220 00:43:57,670 --> 00:43:55,920 that language is like money 1221 00:43:59,270 --> 00:43:57,680 and i believe it's because it only takes 1222 00:44:01,910 --> 00:43:59,280 its value at the terminus 1223 00:44:03,270 --> 00:44:01,920 but you have to cash it in so for 1224 00:44:05,109 --> 00:44:03,280 example with cash 1225 00:44:06,550 --> 00:44:05,119 it's meaningless until you buy something 1226 00:44:07,990 --> 00:44:06,560 with it and then this 1227 00:44:10,230 --> 00:44:08,000 place in which it bottoms out is the 1228 00:44:11,829 --> 00:44:10,240 body in some sense okay 1229 00:44:14,870 --> 00:44:11,839 can you explain what that what you mean 1230 00:44:21,030 --> 00:44:18,309 well again what i mean is that um 1231 00:44:22,069 --> 00:44:21,040 we can be led into thinking that the 1232 00:44:29,270 --> 00:44:22,079 world is the world 1233 00:44:33,030 --> 00:44:29,280 as we reflect on it and 1234 00:44:35,270 --> 00:44:33,040 verbalize it but 1235 00:44:36,710 --> 00:44:35,280 because that's the bit that we're used 1236 00:44:38,550 --> 00:44:36,720 to attending to in fact the right 1237 00:44:40,150 --> 00:44:38,560 hemisphere can't speak for the vision 1238 00:44:41,990 --> 00:44:40,160 that it sees 1239 00:44:43,990 --> 00:44:42,000 so it has to somehow convey to the left 1240 00:44:46,630 --> 00:44:44,000 hemisphere 1241 00:44:47,270 --> 00:44:46,640 how to use language to convey things 1242 00:44:50,390 --> 00:44:47,280 that are not 1243 00:44:53,589 --> 00:44:50,400 structured serially and analytically in 1244 00:44:55,670 --> 00:44:53,599 the way that the left hemisphere prefers 1245 00:44:56,950 --> 00:44:55,680 this is why as i mentioned earlier bohr 1246 00:44:59,349 --> 00:44:56,960 said you can only talk about 1247 00:45:00,309 --> 00:44:59,359 physics you can only talk about the 1248 00:45:02,069 --> 00:45:00,319 sacred 1249 00:45:03,990 --> 00:45:02,079 by using poetry and the whole point 1250 00:45:07,109 --> 00:45:04,000 about poetry is that it allows one to 1251 00:45:08,230 --> 00:45:07,119 see beyond the everyday meanings of 1252 00:45:10,470 --> 00:45:08,240 words to 1253 00:45:11,510 --> 00:45:10,480 a web of interconnected meanings that 1254 00:45:14,230 --> 00:45:11,520 are hinted at 1255 00:45:15,589 --> 00:45:14,240 so in a good poem a phrase has 1256 00:45:17,750 --> 00:45:15,599 resonances that may set 1257 00:45:19,430 --> 00:45:17,760 seven or eight different things going in 1258 00:45:23,030 --> 00:45:19,440 your mind rather than 1259 00:45:26,230 --> 00:45:23,040 the clinical and illusory 1260 00:45:28,390 --> 00:45:26,240 uh antiseptic nature of 1261 00:45:29,510 --> 00:45:28,400 the words taken out of context and put 1262 00:45:33,349 --> 00:45:29,520 into a kind of 1263 00:45:36,790 --> 00:45:33,359 manual of instruction so 1264 00:45:37,910 --> 00:45:36,800 words arise out of our bodies they arise 1265 00:45:40,950 --> 00:45:37,920 historically 1266 00:45:43,510 --> 00:45:40,960 out of emotional responses 1267 00:45:44,950 --> 00:45:43,520 animals in their own way have a kind of 1268 00:45:48,069 --> 00:45:44,960 very primitive language 1269 00:45:48,790 --> 00:45:48,079 they make sounds that mean things and 1270 00:45:52,150 --> 00:45:48,800 they express 1271 00:45:54,710 --> 00:45:52,160 themselves in gesture and in words 1272 00:45:56,069 --> 00:45:54,720 and there's a very long-standing 1273 00:46:01,349 --> 00:45:56,079 tradition 1274 00:46:05,589 --> 00:46:01,359 um coming forth into the 20th century 1275 00:46:07,990 --> 00:46:05,599 that language evolved out of 1276 00:46:08,870 --> 00:46:08,000 the generation of embodied meaning in 1277 00:46:10,870 --> 00:46:08,880 sound 1278 00:46:12,790 --> 00:46:10,880 in other words out of music and this is 1279 00:46:14,550 --> 00:46:12,800 where although i very much admire 1280 00:46:16,390 --> 00:46:14,560 stephen pinker in many ways i do 1281 00:46:18,710 --> 00:46:16,400 rather take issue with his notion that 1282 00:46:20,790 --> 00:46:18,720 music is sort of about as useful as 1283 00:46:24,470 --> 00:46:20,800 pornography or cheesecake 1284 00:46:28,309 --> 00:46:24,480 music is terrifically profound 1285 00:46:29,990 --> 00:46:28,319 and is um is actually 1286 00:46:31,430 --> 00:46:30,000 more profound than language which is why 1287 00:46:32,470 --> 00:46:31,440 we often say well it's beyond me to 1288 00:46:34,710 --> 00:46:32,480 express and 1289 00:46:37,430 --> 00:46:34,720 and so forth but it's not just the very 1290 00:46:39,510 --> 00:46:37,440 rarified things that are beyond language 1291 00:46:40,950 --> 00:46:39,520 the philosopher brian mcgee makes a very 1292 00:46:43,829 --> 00:46:40,960 good point 1293 00:46:45,030 --> 00:46:43,839 that from the the most exalted things to 1294 00:46:48,150 --> 00:46:45,040 the most humble things 1295 00:46:49,829 --> 00:46:48,160 so he says for example the the towel 1296 00:46:52,230 --> 00:46:49,839 that i've dropped on the bathroom floor 1297 00:46:53,750 --> 00:46:52,240 there is no language to describe the 1298 00:46:56,470 --> 00:46:53,760 shades of color in it 1299 00:46:58,309 --> 00:46:56,480 the configuration of the folds the way 1300 00:46:59,190 --> 00:46:58,319 in which it relates to everything else 1301 00:47:01,190 --> 00:46:59,200 in the room 1302 00:47:02,309 --> 00:47:01,200 and yet my consciousness immediately 1303 00:47:05,109 --> 00:47:02,319 takes all that in 1304 00:47:06,870 --> 00:47:05,119 i'm aware of it i know it but there's no 1305 00:47:09,990 --> 00:47:06,880 way i can do it in language 1306 00:47:10,790 --> 00:47:10,000 and how can i say leonardo's supper you 1307 00:47:13,750 --> 00:47:10,800 know how 1308 00:47:16,150 --> 00:47:13,760 how do you so language we we we fool 1309 00:47:18,390 --> 00:47:16,160 ourselves when we think that language 1310 00:47:20,630 --> 00:47:18,400 is where we live language is something 1311 00:47:21,430 --> 00:47:20,640 we use to try and communicate a certain 1312 00:47:24,390 --> 00:47:21,440 level 1313 00:47:26,150 --> 00:47:24,400 of meaning about the world but not all 1314 00:47:28,790 --> 00:47:26,160 of its meaning 1315 00:47:30,950 --> 00:47:28,800 so what if someone says we can using 1316 00:47:33,430 --> 00:47:30,960 language or some language 1317 00:47:35,430 --> 00:47:33,440 give a representation a fairly accurate 1318 00:47:36,870 --> 00:47:35,440 one of the last supper 1319 00:47:39,430 --> 00:47:36,880 by taking a picture of it and then the 1320 00:47:41,349 --> 00:47:39,440 zeros and ones that are the rgb values 1321 00:47:42,470 --> 00:47:41,359 you're not able to read and consciously 1322 00:47:44,710 --> 00:47:42,480 comprehend it as a 1323 00:47:46,069 --> 00:47:44,720 human being but in some way shape or 1324 00:47:48,870 --> 00:47:46,079 form it's information 1325 00:47:50,390 --> 00:47:48,880 what if someone says that well they've 1326 00:47:52,230 --> 00:47:50,400 just 1327 00:47:54,230 --> 00:47:52,240 definitely sidestepped the problem by 1328 00:47:56,870 --> 00:47:54,240 saying if we take all these 1329 00:47:58,069 --> 00:47:56,880 um ones and zeroes which if you look at 1330 00:48:00,150 --> 00:47:58,079 them and i look at them 1331 00:48:01,829 --> 00:48:00,160 there's no last supper there we can put 1332 00:48:04,390 --> 00:48:01,839 them into a machine which creates a 1333 00:48:07,349 --> 00:48:04,400 simulacrum we've developed a machine 1334 00:48:07,670 --> 00:48:07,359 with instructions on make this come to 1335 00:48:09,990 --> 00:48:07,680 be 1336 00:48:11,349 --> 00:48:10,000 something like the last supper so that's 1337 00:48:13,670 --> 00:48:11,359 really 1338 00:48:15,829 --> 00:48:13,680 that's just a way of circumventing the 1339 00:48:16,390 --> 00:48:15,839 point which it has not been expressed in 1340 00:48:18,630 --> 00:48:16,400 words 1341 00:48:20,630 --> 00:48:18,640 it i mean there are certain things you 1342 00:48:22,470 --> 00:48:20,640 can try to express in words but you you 1343 00:48:24,069 --> 00:48:22,480 immediately come down to a handful of 1344 00:48:26,549 --> 00:48:24,079 cliched terms 1345 00:48:27,270 --> 00:48:26,559 as nietzsche says language makes the 1346 00:48:29,349 --> 00:48:27,280 uncommon 1347 00:48:30,950 --> 00:48:29,359 common you know because there's only so 1348 00:48:33,510 --> 00:48:30,960 many words you can use to describe 1349 00:48:35,510 --> 00:48:33,520 someone's appearance you know they're 1350 00:48:37,349 --> 00:48:35,520 tall or short or thin or fat or black or 1351 00:48:39,750 --> 00:48:37,359 white or whatever they are 1352 00:48:40,790 --> 00:48:39,760 and they have this colored hair and that 1353 00:48:42,950 --> 00:48:40,800 colored eyes and 1354 00:48:44,390 --> 00:48:42,960 so on but that doesn't get you any 1355 00:48:48,710 --> 00:48:44,400 nearer to what your 1356 00:48:51,270 --> 00:48:48,720 your loved one looks like you know so uh 1357 00:48:53,270 --> 00:48:51,280 language is a a very useful tool but 1358 00:48:55,750 --> 00:48:53,280 that's all it is 1359 00:48:57,030 --> 00:48:55,760 and it it comes about we learn language 1360 00:48:57,750 --> 00:48:57,040 and i know you're going to be talking to 1361 00:49:00,950 --> 00:48:57,760 chomsky 1362 00:49:01,990 --> 00:49:00,960 and you may have noticed that i gently 1363 00:49:05,030 --> 00:49:02,000 disagree 1364 00:49:05,349 --> 00:49:05,040 with the i dare to gently decrease but 1365 00:49:06,549 --> 00:49:05,359 i'm 1366 00:49:08,790 --> 00:49:06,559 encouraged by the fact lots of other 1367 00:49:12,069 --> 00:49:08,800 people do too with the idea that 1368 00:49:14,710 --> 00:49:12,079 it is something like um 1369 00:49:15,990 --> 00:49:14,720 an abstract system in in the brain like 1370 00:49:18,150 --> 00:49:16,000 it could be in a computer 1371 00:49:20,790 --> 00:49:18,160 waiting for stuff to be filled in 1372 00:49:23,109 --> 00:49:20,800 because in fact we develop language 1373 00:49:25,829 --> 00:49:23,119 through the process of interrelationship 1374 00:49:29,030 --> 00:49:25,839 with other people in an embodied way 1375 00:49:31,030 --> 00:49:29,040 which involves emotion and 1376 00:49:32,390 --> 00:49:31,040 feeling and gesture and so on this is 1377 00:49:35,430 --> 00:49:32,400 how children learn 1378 00:49:38,549 --> 00:49:35,440 words um and 1379 00:49:39,270 --> 00:49:38,559 so language has its roots in emotion and 1380 00:49:41,510 --> 00:49:39,280 the body 1381 00:49:42,309 --> 00:49:41,520 it's not some abstract clinical thing 1382 00:49:45,910 --> 00:49:42,319 that then gets 1383 00:49:48,870 --> 00:49:45,920 clothed in emotion in the body it starts 1384 00:49:49,430 --> 00:49:48,880 from those places that's my point 1385 00:49:51,030 --> 00:49:49,440 metaphor 1386 00:49:52,870 --> 00:49:51,040 is language is cure for the ills 1387 00:49:55,829 --> 00:49:52,880 entailed to abide language 1388 00:49:56,870 --> 00:49:55,839 explain that that's another one that's 1389 00:49:58,309 --> 00:49:56,880 just beautiful 1390 00:50:01,829 --> 00:49:58,319 that's a quote okay well it's a 1391 00:50:09,190 --> 00:50:05,670 well it tries to compress the idea 1392 00:50:11,750 --> 00:50:09,200 that what are the ills i'm referring to 1393 00:50:14,710 --> 00:50:11,760 well the ills are 1394 00:50:15,670 --> 00:50:14,720 as i say that something that is only a 1395 00:50:18,069 --> 00:50:15,680 symbol 1396 00:50:20,630 --> 00:50:18,079 or representation of something has to 1397 00:50:23,190 --> 00:50:20,640 the thing that it represents 1398 00:50:23,990 --> 00:50:23,200 and in this way it's like money that 1399 00:50:27,030 --> 00:50:24,000 money can 1400 00:50:29,030 --> 00:50:27,040 mean ultimately that i can 1401 00:50:31,109 --> 00:50:29,040 have lunch tomorrow with a friend or i 1402 00:50:34,150 --> 00:50:31,119 can you know buy a car or whatever it is 1403 00:50:37,190 --> 00:50:34,160 but the the 1404 00:50:39,349 --> 00:50:37,200 money itself only has that quality when 1405 00:50:40,630 --> 00:50:39,359 it's cashed back into life which is very 1406 00:50:42,390 --> 00:50:40,640 complex thing 1407 00:50:43,910 --> 00:50:42,400 and language is rather like this we can 1408 00:50:46,150 --> 00:50:43,920 refer to things 1409 00:50:48,150 --> 00:50:46,160 but the experience that we refer to is 1410 00:50:51,430 --> 00:50:48,160 no longer in 1411 00:50:53,349 --> 00:50:51,440 the representation or the reference it's 1412 00:50:55,190 --> 00:50:53,359 it's implied by it that it isn't 1413 00:50:58,390 --> 00:50:55,200 actually 1414 00:51:00,630 --> 00:50:58,400 there but that doesn't matter because 1415 00:51:02,790 --> 00:51:00,640 we think metaphorically all the time and 1416 00:51:04,710 --> 00:51:02,800 all language is metaphorical 1417 00:51:06,790 --> 00:51:04,720 interestingly the language of science 1418 00:51:08,230 --> 00:51:06,800 and philosophy is particularly heavily 1419 00:51:10,870 --> 00:51:08,240 dependent on for on 1420 00:51:11,990 --> 00:51:10,880 metaphor a point made by lakov and 1421 00:51:15,270 --> 00:51:12,000 johnson in their 1422 00:51:18,710 --> 00:51:15,280 wonderful books metaphors we live by and 1423 00:51:25,190 --> 00:51:22,069 so um metaphor 1424 00:51:27,510 --> 00:51:25,200 literally means a carrying a cross 1425 00:51:28,230 --> 00:51:27,520 and so if you imagine there is this sort 1426 00:51:32,150 --> 00:51:28,240 of 1427 00:51:36,230 --> 00:51:32,160 divide or gulf between 1428 00:51:38,390 --> 00:51:36,240 what the word love means and the 1429 00:51:41,750 --> 00:51:38,400 experience of love 1430 00:51:43,430 --> 00:51:41,760 metaphors can carry us across that 1431 00:51:45,670 --> 00:51:43,440 linguistic divide 1432 00:51:46,470 --> 00:51:45,680 they can take us back to the experience 1433 00:51:48,549 --> 00:51:46,480 of love 1434 00:51:50,870 --> 00:51:48,559 and so something as metaphorical as a 1435 00:51:51,750 --> 00:51:50,880 shakespeare play or at a piece of music 1436 00:51:54,710 --> 00:51:51,760 or whatever 1437 00:51:55,750 --> 00:51:54,720 and music is metaphorical it uses 1438 00:51:58,390 --> 00:51:55,760 metaphors based 1439 00:51:59,910 --> 00:51:58,400 on bodily movements so risings and 1440 00:52:02,309 --> 00:51:59,920 fallings and 1441 00:52:03,109 --> 00:52:02,319 resonances and all those things that are 1442 00:52:05,910 --> 00:52:03,119 experienced 1443 00:52:06,790 --> 00:52:05,920 in a bodily sense so these things are 1444 00:52:09,829 --> 00:52:06,800 evoked 1445 00:52:12,470 --> 00:52:09,839 in great art in ritual in religion and 1446 00:52:13,430 --> 00:52:12,480 in narratives in mythology and and so 1447 00:52:16,230 --> 00:52:13,440 forth 1448 00:52:18,230 --> 00:52:16,240 and they take us back across the divide 1449 00:52:19,829 --> 00:52:18,240 from those sterile words 1450 00:52:21,430 --> 00:52:19,839 to the thing that those words were 1451 00:52:25,030 --> 00:52:21,440 trying but not 1452 00:52:28,150 --> 00:52:27,589 speaking of lakov and johnson you 1453 00:52:29,910 --> 00:52:28,160 mentioned 1454 00:52:31,510 --> 00:52:29,920 well it's in your book a couple quotes 1455 00:52:32,950 --> 00:52:31,520 from them one is that 1456 00:52:34,230 --> 00:52:32,960 reason doesn't separate us from the 1457 00:52:35,430 --> 00:52:34,240 animals but instead puts us on a 1458 00:52:38,790 --> 00:52:35,440 continuum with it 1459 00:52:39,990 --> 00:52:38,800 because we're well reason is predicated 1460 00:52:42,870 --> 00:52:40,000 in embodiment 1461 00:52:43,589 --> 00:52:42,880 now i'm wondering if you can explain 1462 00:52:45,589 --> 00:52:43,599 that because 1463 00:52:46,950 --> 00:52:45,599 reason to me has to do with logical 1464 00:52:47,510 --> 00:52:46,960 inference and so on like if then 1465 00:52:49,349 --> 00:52:47,520 statements 1466 00:52:53,270 --> 00:52:49,359 how is an if then statement related to 1467 00:52:56,309 --> 00:52:54,470 well i think the problem might be in 1468 00:52:57,190 --> 00:52:56,319 thinking too literalistically about what 1469 00:53:00,870 --> 00:52:57,200 your body 1470 00:53:02,230 --> 00:53:00,880 is um 1471 00:53:04,150 --> 00:53:02,240 i mean it might not be as it were in 1472 00:53:07,750 --> 00:53:04,160 your thumb i agree 1473 00:53:10,790 --> 00:53:07,760 but your body is everything that is you 1474 00:53:13,190 --> 00:53:10,800 apart from well not apart from anything 1475 00:53:17,190 --> 00:53:13,200 really i mean 1476 00:53:20,870 --> 00:53:17,200 we are for the time that we are alive 1477 00:53:27,670 --> 00:53:23,990 what our bodies make us 1478 00:53:30,950 --> 00:53:27,680 and animals that don't have language 1479 00:53:33,670 --> 00:53:30,960 and don't apparently have 1480 00:53:36,069 --> 00:53:33,680 any kind of schema of logic can solve 1481 00:53:39,109 --> 00:53:36,079 logical puzzles they can reason things 1482 00:53:43,349 --> 00:53:39,119 you know crows and magpies 1483 00:53:45,109 --> 00:53:43,359 can give correct answers to logical 1484 00:53:47,589 --> 00:53:45,119 problems as an eight or nine year old 1485 00:53:49,349 --> 00:53:47,599 human being won't 1486 00:53:50,790 --> 00:53:49,359 i mean that's just one example but i 1487 00:53:53,589 --> 00:53:50,800 mean the more one 1488 00:53:54,549 --> 00:53:53,599 reads about animals and even insects the 1489 00:53:57,430 --> 00:53:54,559 more one 1490 00:53:58,390 --> 00:53:57,440 realizes that the concept that only we 1491 00:54:03,750 --> 00:53:58,400 can act 1492 00:54:07,670 --> 00:54:05,349 you've probably seen on youtube there is 1493 00:54:11,109 --> 00:54:07,680 in fact 1494 00:54:13,190 --> 00:54:11,119 a filmed episode of a crow solving an 1495 00:54:15,190 --> 00:54:13,200 eight-step logical puzzle 1496 00:54:16,390 --> 00:54:15,200 and although it has solved each step of 1497 00:54:19,030 --> 00:54:16,400 the puzzle 1498 00:54:20,630 --> 00:54:19,040 in isolation before it has never solved 1499 00:54:22,470 --> 00:54:20,640 this particular sequence 1500 00:54:24,150 --> 00:54:22,480 and in a matter of about three minutes 1501 00:54:26,230 --> 00:54:24,160 or five minutes it's not a very long 1502 00:54:28,230 --> 00:54:26,240 clip it has actually taken the eight 1503 00:54:29,510 --> 00:54:28,240 steps that will allow it to secure the 1504 00:54:32,710 --> 00:54:29,520 food that it's after 1505 00:54:33,750 --> 00:54:32,720 now i mean that's in itself what do you 1506 00:54:35,510 --> 00:54:33,760 say about that 1507 00:54:37,349 --> 00:54:35,520 you know is it the crow's language is 1508 00:54:40,549 --> 00:54:37,359 its mathematics or what 1509 00:54:42,390 --> 00:54:40,559 somehow from experience and our bodies 1510 00:54:45,349 --> 00:54:42,400 are the repositories of 1511 00:54:46,950 --> 00:54:45,359 all our experience that is that is 1512 00:54:49,430 --> 00:54:46,960 solving this problem 1513 00:54:52,390 --> 00:54:49,440 and we don't solve half as many things 1514 00:54:54,549 --> 00:54:52,400 as we think by thinking about them 1515 00:54:55,990 --> 00:54:54,559 in fact nine tenths of all the great 1516 00:54:58,549 --> 00:54:56,000 decisions we make 1517 00:54:59,430 --> 00:54:58,559 are done unconsciously we arrive at them 1518 00:55:01,030 --> 00:54:59,440 unconsciously 1519 00:55:03,109 --> 00:55:01,040 after thinking about other things 1520 00:55:04,470 --> 00:55:03,119 sleeping and then saying i think i'll do 1521 00:55:06,470 --> 00:55:04,480 that 1522 00:55:07,750 --> 00:55:06,480 and when we are not aware of things as 1523 00:55:11,190 --> 00:55:07,760 julian james first 1524 00:55:13,589 --> 00:55:11,200 did out to me anyway in his 1976 book 1525 00:55:15,829 --> 00:55:13,599 um the origins of consciousness in the 1526 00:55:17,510 --> 00:55:15,839 breakdown of the bicameral mind 1527 00:55:20,390 --> 00:55:17,520 we don't really need consciousness for 1528 00:55:23,750 --> 00:55:20,400 very much we can weigh 1529 00:55:26,870 --> 00:55:23,760 options form judgments solve puzzles 1530 00:55:29,190 --> 00:55:26,880 evaluate beauty fall in love um 1531 00:55:31,270 --> 00:55:29,200 and do many many things without thinking 1532 00:55:34,549 --> 00:55:31,280 about them 1533 00:55:37,750 --> 00:55:34,559 at some level we are working on them 1534 00:55:38,710 --> 00:55:37,760 but that what the left hemisphere 1535 00:55:41,670 --> 00:55:38,720 privileges as 1536 00:55:42,870 --> 00:55:41,680 thinking is just the left hemispheres 1537 00:55:45,990 --> 00:55:42,880 kind of thinking 1538 00:55:48,230 --> 00:55:46,000 which is explicit in language 1539 00:55:50,309 --> 00:55:48,240 and foregrounding whatever is in the 1540 00:55:52,950 --> 00:55:50,319 mind but there's a whole 1541 00:55:53,750 --> 00:55:52,960 what we're conscious of is only one 1542 00:55:55,829 --> 00:55:53,760 percent 1543 00:55:58,870 --> 00:55:55,839 maximum of all that there is that's 1544 00:56:00,870 --> 00:55:58,880 going on in our minds 1545 00:56:02,230 --> 00:56:00,880 so the idea that you know we have to be 1546 00:56:04,870 --> 00:56:02,240 conscious and 1547 00:56:07,030 --> 00:56:04,880 reason in order to think cleverly is 1548 00:56:12,390 --> 00:56:07,040 wrong i mean my one of my favorite 1549 00:56:15,670 --> 00:56:14,630 in the book in fact on the structure of 1550 00:56:19,030 --> 00:56:15,680 mathematics he's 1551 00:56:20,710 --> 00:56:19,040 that um i can't remember the exact 1552 00:56:21,430 --> 00:56:20,720 phrase which is wonderful but he says 1553 00:56:24,710 --> 00:56:21,440 that 1554 00:56:28,549 --> 00:56:24,720 um conscious thought is like 1555 00:56:31,109 --> 00:56:28,559 cavalry charges in battle it's expensive 1556 00:56:33,750 --> 00:56:31,119 it's wasteful it requires fresh horses 1557 00:56:36,470 --> 00:56:33,760 and can only be done at unusual moments 1558 00:56:38,150 --> 00:56:36,480 so most of the time we're we're living 1559 00:56:39,190 --> 00:56:38,160 perfectly rationally perfectly 1560 00:56:41,190 --> 00:56:39,200 intelligently 1561 00:56:44,630 --> 00:56:41,200 but without actually thinking about 1562 00:56:46,630 --> 00:56:44,640 things explicitly 1563 00:56:47,990 --> 00:56:46,640 if we had different bodies or if we grew 1564 00:56:48,789 --> 00:56:48,000 up on a different planet a different 1565 00:56:51,349 --> 00:56:48,799 evolutionary 1566 00:56:52,789 --> 00:56:51,359 chain or tree would we have reason 1567 00:56:56,390 --> 00:56:52,799 differently would we reason differently 1568 00:57:02,710 --> 00:56:59,589 or is logic universal 1569 00:57:04,640 --> 00:57:02,720 well how would i know i mean the too 1570 00:57:05,750 --> 00:57:04,650 many counterfactuals in that um 1571 00:57:09,030 --> 00:57:05,760 [Music] 1572 00:57:11,030 --> 00:57:09,040 you can't extrapolate from us to a being 1573 00:57:14,069 --> 00:57:11,040 that we can only imagine 1574 00:57:15,910 --> 00:57:14,079 and we don't know everything in fact we 1575 00:57:17,990 --> 00:57:15,920 can only know what it is 1576 00:57:19,750 --> 00:57:18,000 how about let me rephrase it is logic or 1577 00:57:21,109 --> 00:57:19,760 the way that we formulated logic and 1578 00:57:22,230 --> 00:57:21,119 rationality and reason which i'm 1579 00:57:23,109 --> 00:57:22,240 conflating and i know there's a 1580 00:57:25,589 --> 00:57:23,119 difference between them 1581 00:57:27,030 --> 00:57:25,599 but for the sake of this are they 1582 00:57:29,750 --> 00:57:27,040 substrate dependent 1583 00:57:31,589 --> 00:57:29,760 so the fact that we are human we came up 1584 00:57:33,910 --> 00:57:31,599 with reason in this particular manner 1585 00:57:35,270 --> 00:57:33,920 and that aliens might not share our 1586 00:57:38,390 --> 00:57:35,280 reason they would come up with different 1587 00:57:41,190 --> 00:57:38,400 inferences and it would be valid 1588 00:57:42,470 --> 00:57:41,200 well i would i mean again i don't think 1589 00:57:45,030 --> 00:57:42,480 anyone can be 1590 00:57:46,470 --> 00:57:45,040 certain about such things but my 1591 00:57:50,150 --> 00:57:46,480 intuition would be 1592 00:57:53,349 --> 00:57:50,160 that reason 1593 00:57:56,230 --> 00:57:53,359 and logic are if you like 1594 00:57:57,030 --> 00:57:56,240 substrate independent that they're not 1595 00:57:59,829 --> 00:57:57,040 just a human 1596 00:58:01,589 --> 00:57:59,839 invention but then i think that about a 1597 00:58:03,270 --> 00:58:01,599 lot of things that are not so much 1598 00:58:06,150 --> 00:58:03,280 inventions as discoveries uh 1599 00:58:07,109 --> 00:58:06,160 i mean confusingly the word invention 1600 00:58:09,829 --> 00:58:07,119 originally meant 1601 00:58:10,950 --> 00:58:09,839 to find something but it now i mean to 1602 00:58:13,990 --> 00:58:10,960 make it up 1603 00:58:17,589 --> 00:58:14,000 and and so what i think 1604 00:58:19,670 --> 00:58:17,599 we do in experience is come to an 1605 00:58:21,829 --> 00:58:19,680 awareness and an understanding of things 1606 00:58:23,589 --> 00:58:21,839 that are not entirely dependent on us 1607 00:58:26,789 --> 00:58:23,599 let me put it that way 1608 00:58:31,349 --> 00:58:26,799 and i think these things include um 1609 00:58:34,789 --> 00:58:31,359 essential values like good goodness 1610 00:58:37,109 --> 00:58:34,799 and evil and beauty and 1611 00:58:38,549 --> 00:58:37,119 things like that so and and this is not 1612 00:58:42,069 --> 00:58:38,559 unusual 1613 00:58:44,789 --> 00:58:42,079 um derek perfect who is a colleague 1614 00:58:45,430 --> 00:58:44,799 at all souls and i say a colleague i 1615 00:58:46,789 --> 00:58:45,440 mean 1616 00:58:48,710 --> 00:58:46,799 in that we were both fellows of the same 1617 00:58:49,990 --> 00:58:48,720 college but i mean he was a very great 1618 00:58:51,990 --> 00:58:50,000 philosopher and an 1619 00:58:53,270 --> 00:58:52,000 atheist but he believed that goodness 1620 00:58:55,190 --> 00:58:53,280 and beauty were 1621 00:58:56,549 --> 00:58:55,200 ontological primaries that they weren't 1622 00:58:58,150 --> 00:58:56,559 things that were just 1623 00:59:00,150 --> 00:58:58,160 valuations we put on things because we 1624 00:59:03,349 --> 00:59:00,160 happen to like them or not like them 1625 00:59:05,910 --> 00:59:03,359 and i would be i would be rather 1626 00:59:07,190 --> 00:59:05,920 inclined to that position too 1627 00:59:09,670 --> 00:59:07,200 you also talked about okay so 1628 00:59:11,270 --> 00:59:09,680 inventiveness is 1629 00:59:13,670 --> 00:59:11,280 the etymology of it is related to 1630 00:59:16,789 --> 00:59:13,680 finding and then also 1631 00:59:17,829 --> 00:59:16,799 being originated so being original has 1632 00:59:19,510 --> 00:59:17,839 to do with the origin 1633 00:59:20,950 --> 00:59:19,520 going back can you explain that because 1634 00:59:21,670 --> 00:59:20,960 that was one part of your book and your 1635 00:59:24,069 --> 00:59:21,680 book is quite 1636 00:59:25,829 --> 00:59:24,079 lengthy and i wanted to finish this in 1637 00:59:28,230 --> 00:59:25,839 time i spent the past 1638 00:59:29,510 --> 00:59:28,240 week or so just absorbing pretty much 1639 00:59:34,789 --> 00:59:29,520 pure ian 1640 00:59:37,030 --> 00:59:34,799 i made notes where i wasn't able to 1641 00:59:37,670 --> 00:59:37,040 comprehend fully and i just had to move 1642 00:59:43,430 --> 00:59:37,680 on 1643 00:59:45,349 --> 00:59:43,440 thinking or coming up with some original 1644 00:59:46,069 --> 00:59:45,359 object and its relationship we think of 1645 00:59:47,750 --> 00:59:46,079 it as a new 1646 00:59:50,470 --> 00:59:47,760 but you also made an analogy that it's 1647 00:59:54,390 --> 00:59:50,480 original that is it's going back 1648 00:59:56,150 --> 00:59:54,400 yes okay um again i can't remember 1649 00:59:57,750 --> 00:59:56,160 exactly what what it was i said that 1650 00:59:58,789 --> 00:59:57,760 you're referring to but i think i can 1651 01:00:02,789 --> 00:59:58,799 see 1652 01:00:06,789 --> 01:00:02,799 what's being hinted at um 1653 01:00:09,990 --> 01:00:06,799 it's partly a distinction if i may say 1654 01:00:11,109 --> 01:00:10,000 that is in similar structure to that 1655 01:00:15,109 --> 01:00:11,119 between 1656 01:00:18,150 --> 01:00:15,119 fantasy and imagination so 1657 01:00:19,270 --> 01:00:18,160 fantasy is the putting together in a 1658 01:00:22,230 --> 01:00:19,280 novel way 1659 01:00:24,309 --> 01:00:22,240 of things that elements that really we 1660 01:00:26,230 --> 01:00:24,319 have experienced and 1661 01:00:27,990 --> 01:00:26,240 are aware of but we put them together 1662 01:00:28,789 --> 01:00:28,000 rather as i say like those children's 1663 01:00:31,750 --> 01:00:28,799 books 1664 01:00:33,990 --> 01:00:31,760 where the pages are divided uh in into 1665 01:00:35,430 --> 01:00:34,000 three parts and you can turn the pages 1666 01:00:37,750 --> 01:00:35,440 and create animals with a 1667 01:00:38,630 --> 01:00:37,760 head of a seal and a body of a goat and 1668 01:00:41,829 --> 01:00:38,640 all that sort of thing 1669 01:00:43,430 --> 01:00:41,839 um so that is fantasy but imagination is 1670 01:00:45,589 --> 01:00:43,440 looking at something 1671 01:00:47,109 --> 01:00:45,599 that you think you know and it seems 1672 01:00:48,870 --> 01:00:47,119 entirely ordinary 1673 01:00:51,030 --> 01:00:48,880 and suddenly seeing it for the first 1674 01:00:52,950 --> 01:00:51,040 time this is something wordsworth wrote 1675 01:00:54,829 --> 01:00:52,960 about a great deal that it wasn't about 1676 01:00:57,829 --> 01:00:54,839 striving for something 1677 01:01:01,109 --> 01:00:57,839 um outside of the ordinary 1678 01:01:02,150 --> 01:01:01,119 it was finding the extraordinary within 1679 01:01:04,870 --> 01:01:02,160 the ordinary 1680 01:01:05,190 --> 01:01:04,880 now when when you talk about the origin 1681 01:01:11,030 --> 01:01:05,200 or 1682 01:01:12,870 --> 01:01:11,040 revolutionaries and and i don't mean to 1683 01:01:13,829 --> 01:01:12,880 say political revolutionaries especially 1684 01:01:16,390 --> 01:01:13,839 i mean people who 1685 01:01:17,270 --> 01:01:16,400 brought about paradigm shifts in our 1686 01:01:20,309 --> 01:01:17,280 thinking 1687 01:01:22,390 --> 01:01:20,319 did so by going back to perception that 1688 01:01:25,109 --> 01:01:22,400 had been lost sight of 1689 01:01:26,870 --> 01:01:25,119 sometimes a thousand years ago or more 1690 01:01:28,789 --> 01:01:26,880 and they renovated something that had 1691 01:01:30,870 --> 01:01:28,799 been lost from the culture 1692 01:01:31,829 --> 01:01:30,880 and that was what was revolutionary 1693 01:01:34,870 --> 01:01:31,839 about it 1694 01:01:36,789 --> 01:01:34,880 so that i don't think that 1695 01:01:37,990 --> 01:01:36,799 an original thinker was somebody who 1696 01:01:41,030 --> 01:01:38,000 just makes it all up 1697 01:01:44,789 --> 01:01:41,040 because none of us do that we are all 1698 01:01:46,950 --> 01:01:44,799 the repositories of centuries millennia 1699 01:01:48,630 --> 01:01:46,960 of other people's experience that has 1700 01:01:51,750 --> 01:01:48,640 gone into the making of us 1701 01:01:52,549 --> 01:01:51,760 and into the ideas that we believe and 1702 01:01:55,670 --> 01:01:52,559 so 1703 01:01:56,870 --> 01:01:55,680 to strive to be original is to cut 1704 01:01:58,470 --> 01:01:56,880 yourself off from that 1705 01:02:00,390 --> 01:01:58,480 and to cut yourself off from the rest of 1706 01:02:03,109 --> 01:02:00,400 humanity saying look i did this 1707 01:02:03,430 --> 01:02:03,119 on my own whereas i think that is a you 1708 01:02:06,309 --> 01:02:03,440 know 1709 01:02:08,069 --> 01:02:06,319 a typical problem of our age that it's 1710 01:02:09,349 --> 01:02:08,079 great that we're individuals don't get 1711 01:02:12,390 --> 01:02:09,359 me wrong and i think that 1712 01:02:14,630 --> 01:02:12,400 you know conformism is a problem but 1713 01:02:16,950 --> 01:02:14,640 we are only also individuals because we 1714 01:02:18,549 --> 01:02:16,960 also belong together in a society that 1715 01:02:22,309 --> 01:02:18,559 both brings together 1716 01:02:24,950 --> 01:02:22,319 and nourishes individual flourishing 1717 01:02:26,390 --> 01:02:24,960 curiously the coming together helps the 1718 01:02:28,710 --> 01:02:26,400 being different 1719 01:02:29,750 --> 01:02:28,720 i i sometimes talk about a couple in a 1720 01:02:32,710 --> 01:02:29,760 relationship 1721 01:02:35,430 --> 01:02:32,720 that a good couple is one who become 1722 01:02:37,829 --> 01:02:35,440 more themselves through the relationship 1723 01:02:39,510 --> 01:02:37,839 not less though but it sacrificed their 1724 01:02:40,710 --> 01:02:39,520 individuality but it is actually 1725 01:02:44,069 --> 01:02:40,720 realized 1726 01:02:47,829 --> 01:02:44,079 and enriched and fought in 1727 01:02:49,349 --> 01:02:47,839 greater being by the the relationship 1728 01:02:51,829 --> 01:02:49,359 going back to where we started 1729 01:02:53,349 --> 01:02:51,839 that relationships create the things 1730 01:02:55,349 --> 01:02:53,359 that are related as much as the other 1731 01:02:56,870 --> 01:02:55,359 way around okay here's what occurs to me 1732 01:02:58,630 --> 01:02:56,880 when you say that so let's say you have 1733 01:03:00,950 --> 01:02:58,640 a great couple let's say you are you 1734 01:03:05,430 --> 01:03:00,960 married 1735 01:03:06,870 --> 01:03:05,440 so let's just take me as an example 1736 01:03:08,870 --> 01:03:06,880 yeah let's say me and my wife i find 1737 01:03:10,870 --> 01:03:08,880 that the longer i spend with her 1738 01:03:12,309 --> 01:03:10,880 the more i do feel authentic but at the 1739 01:03:13,510 --> 01:03:12,319 same time and the more she feels 1740 01:03:15,029 --> 01:03:13,520 authentic but at the same time i can 1741 01:03:16,710 --> 01:03:15,039 imagine we're becoming closer 1742 01:03:18,630 --> 01:03:16,720 and more and more akin to one another's 1743 01:03:21,190 --> 01:03:18,640 personality so then i wonder 1744 01:03:23,029 --> 01:03:21,200 is the most authentic self for each 1745 01:03:23,750 --> 01:03:23,039 individual as we come closer and closer 1746 01:03:27,750 --> 01:03:23,760 to our core 1747 01:03:29,029 --> 01:03:27,760 is it the same or extremely similar 1748 01:03:30,950 --> 01:03:29,039 because otherwise i can't make sense of 1749 01:03:31,990 --> 01:03:30,960 this paradox of you becoming authentic 1750 01:03:33,750 --> 01:03:32,000 as an individual 1751 01:03:35,829 --> 01:03:33,760 but at the same time becoming closer to 1752 01:03:38,470 --> 01:03:35,839 other people 1753 01:03:40,230 --> 01:03:38,480 well i think that the deep structure of 1754 01:03:42,150 --> 01:03:40,240 reality is entirely 1755 01:03:45,109 --> 01:03:42,160 paradoxical to the left hemisphere's 1756 01:03:49,349 --> 01:03:45,119 take on it that things that are opposite 1757 01:03:51,270 --> 01:03:49,359 are absolutely bound up with one another 1758 01:03:53,029 --> 01:03:51,280 and it's the left hemisphere that wants 1759 01:03:55,029 --> 01:03:53,039 things to be either the one thing or the 1760 01:03:56,309 --> 01:03:55,039 other either to be separate or to be 1761 01:03:59,270 --> 01:03:56,319 together 1762 01:04:00,789 --> 01:03:59,280 but the right hemisphere sees it it 1763 01:04:04,390 --> 01:04:00,799 doesn't have to be either or 1764 01:04:07,990 --> 01:04:04,400 it has to be both and and what's more 1765 01:04:10,950 --> 01:04:08,000 it has to be both either or and 1766 01:04:13,750 --> 01:04:10,960 both and i don't know if you've heard of 1767 01:04:17,270 --> 01:04:13,760 para consistent logic with grand priest 1768 01:04:18,950 --> 01:04:17,280 i have yes yes and i'm not sure i 1769 01:04:20,710 --> 01:04:18,960 entirely understand it but what i know 1770 01:04:23,270 --> 01:04:20,720 of it i rather like 1771 01:04:23,829 --> 01:04:23,280 yeah okay so explain to me to the 1772 01:04:28,630 --> 01:04:23,839 audience 1773 01:04:35,430 --> 01:04:32,230 um well that's a big question 1774 01:04:39,270 --> 01:04:35,440 but when we say something is something 1775 01:04:41,829 --> 01:04:39,280 we may well mean when viewed in this way 1776 01:04:43,109 --> 01:04:41,839 or in this context change the context 1777 01:04:45,430 --> 01:04:43,119 change the point of view 1778 01:04:46,309 --> 01:04:45,440 and they're equally something different 1779 01:04:47,750 --> 01:04:46,319 so 1780 01:04:49,750 --> 01:04:47,760 the trouble with the left hemisphere is 1781 01:04:52,549 --> 01:04:49,760 that it decontextualizes 1782 01:04:53,829 --> 01:04:52,559 this is very very important difference 1783 01:04:55,750 --> 01:04:53,839 the right hemisphere alone 1784 01:04:58,309 --> 01:04:55,760 understands that what a thing is is what 1785 01:04:59,190 --> 01:04:58,319 it is only because of the context in 1786 01:05:01,430 --> 01:04:59,200 which it is 1787 01:05:03,670 --> 01:05:01,440 and that context doesn't take away from 1788 01:05:05,109 --> 01:05:03,680 its being what it is but contributes it 1789 01:05:07,029 --> 01:05:05,119 to its being what it is 1790 01:05:09,829 --> 01:05:07,039 if you take the context away you 1791 01:05:11,670 --> 01:05:09,839 diminish it now that's just a very 1792 01:05:12,870 --> 01:05:11,680 obvious down-to-earth example of what 1793 01:05:15,910 --> 01:05:12,880 i'm really saying 1794 01:05:18,710 --> 01:05:15,920 that we we form social context 1795 01:05:21,990 --> 01:05:18,720 we form loving contexts and in those 1796 01:05:24,789 --> 01:05:22,000 contexts we are changed we are altered 1797 01:05:26,150 --> 01:05:24,799 everything we do everything we think 1798 01:05:27,910 --> 01:05:26,160 alters us 1799 01:05:30,230 --> 01:05:27,920 which is why we need to be careful about 1800 01:05:31,349 --> 01:05:30,240 how we think as i say attention is a 1801 01:05:33,670 --> 01:05:31,359 moral act 1802 01:05:35,029 --> 01:05:33,680 it changes us and it changes the world 1803 01:05:37,990 --> 01:05:35,039 well that's one of the most frightening 1804 01:05:41,349 --> 01:05:39,270 okay you know we can get to that part 1805 01:05:41,910 --> 01:05:41,359 later a distinction that's important for 1806 01:05:43,430 --> 01:05:41,920 the audience 1807 01:05:45,349 --> 01:05:43,440 it was important and enlightening for me 1808 01:05:47,670 --> 01:05:45,359 was between 1809 01:05:50,390 --> 01:05:47,680 vissen and kennen i believe they're 1810 01:05:52,230 --> 01:05:50,400 german words about knowledge yes do you 1811 01:05:55,510 --> 01:05:52,240 mind expanding 1812 01:05:57,910 --> 01:05:55,520 yes or if you prefer and 1813 01:06:00,710 --> 01:05:57,920 connect in french and the simple way of 1814 01:06:03,829 --> 01:06:00,720 saying it is that 1815 01:06:04,470 --> 01:06:03,839 is knowing that something is the case 1816 01:06:07,829 --> 01:06:04,480 whereas 1817 01:06:10,870 --> 01:06:07,839 connector cannon is knowing something 1818 01:06:13,510 --> 01:06:10,880 direct so i know that 1819 01:06:14,390 --> 01:06:13,520 paris is the capital of france i know 1820 01:06:16,230 --> 01:06:14,400 paris 1821 01:06:18,150 --> 01:06:16,240 because of the times i've spent there 1822 01:06:21,190 --> 01:06:18,160 and what they've meant to me 1823 01:06:23,430 --> 01:06:21,200 you know i know that um 1824 01:06:25,829 --> 01:06:23,440 you know the the the tree in my garden 1825 01:06:29,029 --> 01:06:25,839 is of a certain species and a certain 1826 01:06:29,349 --> 01:06:29,039 um height and so forth but i only know 1827 01:06:35,670 --> 01:06:29,359 it 1828 01:06:37,430 --> 01:06:35,680 really 1829 01:06:38,789 --> 01:06:37,440 there's a distinction between a kind of 1830 01:06:42,870 --> 01:06:38,799 abstracted 1831 01:06:45,990 --> 01:06:42,880 form of knowing data knowing things 1832 01:06:49,190 --> 01:06:46,000 about things and the knowing of them 1833 01:06:53,270 --> 01:06:50,630 i'll tell you one of the aspects of your 1834 01:06:55,990 --> 01:06:53,280 book that i found unsettling let's say 1835 01:06:57,349 --> 01:06:56,000 i i've had this experience i think i've 1836 01:06:58,470 --> 01:06:57,359 talked about it before on another 1837 01:07:00,390 --> 01:06:58,480 podcast 1838 01:07:02,950 --> 01:07:00,400 perhaps at the bernardo castro if you've 1839 01:07:08,069 --> 01:07:05,910 where it was the middle of the night i 1840 01:07:10,470 --> 01:07:08,079 had woken up from a dream 1841 01:07:11,109 --> 01:07:10,480 and then as i was falling back to sleep 1842 01:07:14,309 --> 01:07:11,119 in this 1843 01:07:17,349 --> 01:07:14,319 hypnagogic state i heard 1844 01:07:18,230 --> 01:07:17,359 my wife say a word i don't know what 1845 01:07:19,510 --> 01:07:18,240 she's i don't know 1846 01:07:21,190 --> 01:07:19,520 i don't i still don't know she said it 1847 01:07:22,630 --> 01:07:21,200 or didn't say but it could have been it 1848 01:07:23,910 --> 01:07:22,640 doesn't actually matter it was like yes 1849 01:07:26,390 --> 01:07:23,920 or okay 1850 01:07:27,510 --> 01:07:26,400 and then i wasn't sure if she had 1851 01:07:30,630 --> 01:07:27,520 actually said it 1852 01:07:32,870 --> 01:07:30,640 and i started to go into a spiral 1853 01:07:35,510 --> 01:07:32,880 of extreme anxiety and i'm not a person 1854 01:07:37,910 --> 01:07:35,520 who's ever had a panic attack in my life 1855 01:07:39,589 --> 01:07:37,920 but then i started to feel like am i 1856 01:07:42,150 --> 01:07:39,599 going crazy 1857 01:07:42,950 --> 01:07:42,160 am i am i hearing voices i don't want to 1858 01:07:44,870 --> 01:07:42,960 hear voices 1859 01:07:46,230 --> 01:07:44,880 oh my gosh and then i started to think 1860 01:07:47,670 --> 01:07:46,240 okay don't hear a voice don't hear voice 1861 01:07:49,109 --> 01:07:47,680 but then i was thinking about freudian 1862 01:07:50,470 --> 01:07:49,119 repression am i now repressing a voice 1863 01:07:52,390 --> 01:07:50,480 that will come back even harder later 1864 01:07:53,990 --> 01:07:52,400 oh no so should i move toward a voice 1865 01:07:55,589 --> 01:07:54,000 what would what if the voice tells me to 1866 01:07:55,990 --> 01:07:55,599 kill myself i'm not suicidal i don't 1867 01:07:57,670 --> 01:07:56,000 hate my 1868 01:07:59,029 --> 01:07:57,680 life not in the least what if it tells 1869 01:08:01,670 --> 01:07:59,039 me to harm someone else 1870 01:08:02,950 --> 01:08:01,680 and and then i i had to wake my wife up 1871 01:08:05,829 --> 01:08:02,960 and tell her 1872 01:08:06,549 --> 01:08:05,839 please help me because i'm i'm i need 1873 01:08:08,069 --> 01:08:06,559 help breathing 1874 01:08:09,910 --> 01:08:08,079 and then so she calmed me through that 1875 01:08:10,470 --> 01:08:09,920 the next day i had a similar panic 1876 01:08:13,910 --> 01:08:10,480 attack 1877 01:08:15,349 --> 01:08:13,920 and then two days later had half of one 1878 01:08:16,550 --> 01:08:15,359 then it just went away i even talked to 1879 01:08:17,990 --> 01:08:16,560 my doctor about this she said you should 1880 01:08:21,430 --> 01:08:18,000 go to psychotherapy to talk 1881 01:08:22,309 --> 01:08:21,440 talk this out but it it ameliorated on 1882 01:08:25,189 --> 01:08:22,319 its own 1883 01:08:26,950 --> 01:08:25,199 then a couple days ago this is fresh but 1884 01:08:28,870 --> 01:08:26,960 this came from your book this is why i 1885 01:08:30,709 --> 01:08:28,880 i love you but then i curse you at the 1886 01:08:32,149 --> 01:08:30,719 same time there's plenty of talk in your 1887 01:08:33,590 --> 01:08:32,159 book about schizophrenia 1888 01:08:36,229 --> 01:08:33,600 and each time that would come up my 1889 01:08:39,349 --> 01:08:36,239 heart would race and i'm hearing myself 1890 01:08:41,030 --> 01:08:39,359 in it where i'm not the type of person 1891 01:08:43,990 --> 01:08:41,040 that as you know if i'm talking to you 1892 01:08:46,390 --> 01:08:44,000 i'm not a a fundamentalist materialist 1893 01:08:48,229 --> 01:08:46,400 who dispenses with the divine and so on 1894 01:08:50,470 --> 01:08:48,239 in fact i'm extremely open to it 1895 01:08:51,990 --> 01:08:50,480 and the eulogisms i get for this channel 1896 01:08:53,349 --> 01:08:52,000 is that i'm extremely 1897 01:08:54,470 --> 01:08:53,359 open and actually trying to understand 1898 01:08:55,349 --> 01:08:54,480 like i'm trying to understand your point 1899 01:08:56,789 --> 01:08:55,359 of view i'm trying to 1900 01:08:58,630 --> 01:08:56,799 morph it with mine i'm trying to 1901 01:08:59,590 --> 01:08:58,640 understand other people's but that's 1902 01:09:01,990 --> 01:08:59,600 extremely 1903 01:09:03,269 --> 01:09:02,000 difficult because it puts me on such 1904 01:09:05,510 --> 01:09:03,279 unstable ground 1905 01:09:07,910 --> 01:09:05,520 that i don't know what's real and then 1906 01:09:09,749 --> 01:09:07,920 i'm constantly questioning what's real 1907 01:09:10,950 --> 01:09:09,759 is this real am i the only one that's 1908 01:09:14,789 --> 01:09:10,960 real my fake 1909 01:09:18,149 --> 01:09:14,799 is are people lying to me and and 1910 01:09:19,829 --> 01:09:18,159 sometimes just when i say it out loud it 1911 01:09:21,110 --> 01:09:19,839 it helps me through it part of it is 1912 01:09:22,470 --> 01:09:21,120 like i'm keeping it in and i don't want 1913 01:09:24,229 --> 01:09:22,480 to scare my spouse i don't want to scare 1914 01:09:25,990 --> 01:09:24,239 someone else 1915 01:09:27,269 --> 01:09:26,000 but i also thought another part is that 1916 01:09:29,030 --> 01:09:27,279 there's no one else that i hear talk 1917 01:09:29,669 --> 01:09:29,040 about this much not no one in the public 1918 01:09:32,550 --> 01:09:29,679 sphere 1919 01:09:34,390 --> 01:09:32,560 and so i thought one time i heard 1920 01:09:35,590 --> 01:09:34,400 peterson was schizophrenic it was turns 1921 01:09:37,749 --> 01:09:35,600 out to be false 1922 01:09:39,189 --> 01:09:37,759 but that actually gave me gave me hope 1923 01:09:40,470 --> 01:09:39,199 because i was like oh my gosh someone 1924 01:09:41,749 --> 01:09:40,480 else is experiencing this 1925 01:09:43,349 --> 01:09:41,759 and then i thought okay kurt why don't 1926 01:09:44,470 --> 01:09:43,359 you talk about it first of all it's 1927 01:09:46,070 --> 01:09:44,480 curative to myself 1928 01:09:48,070 --> 01:09:46,080 second of all someone else might hear it 1929 01:09:51,590 --> 01:09:48,080 and be like okay this is 1930 01:09:53,110 --> 01:09:51,600 i'm not someone who's asinine and and so 1931 01:09:55,430 --> 01:09:53,120 maybe someone else who's somewhat normal 1932 01:09:56,470 --> 01:09:55,440 is going through this castrop said kurt 1933 01:09:57,990 --> 01:09:56,480 don't worry 1934 01:09:59,669 --> 01:09:58,000 this is part of the spiritual journey 1935 01:10:00,950 --> 01:09:59,679 when you question consciousness and you 1936 01:10:02,149 --> 01:10:00,960 involve yourself in these subjects this 1937 01:10:04,709 --> 01:10:02,159 will happen 1938 01:10:05,990 --> 01:10:04,719 but either way what you said which is 1939 01:10:07,750 --> 01:10:06,000 that you view the world more and more 1940 01:10:09,430 --> 01:10:07,760 mechanistically that's the left brain 1941 01:10:10,550 --> 01:10:09,440 now that's my entire life up until maybe 1942 01:10:12,390 --> 01:10:10,560 a few years ago 1943 01:10:13,910 --> 01:10:12,400 because i'm trained as a physicist a 1944 01:10:17,430 --> 01:10:13,920 scientist 1945 01:10:19,030 --> 01:10:17,440 and that and that you're extremely 1946 01:10:20,790 --> 01:10:19,040 speaking to yourself over and over and 1947 01:10:22,709 --> 01:10:20,800 over and i feel like that's what i do 1948 01:10:24,229 --> 01:10:22,719 and i've estrude music too 1949 01:10:26,229 --> 01:10:24,239 for the past 12 years i haven't listened 1950 01:10:27,270 --> 01:10:26,239 to music because i just find it to be a 1951 01:10:28,870 --> 01:10:27,280 time waster 1952 01:10:31,830 --> 01:10:28,880 and i'm wondering how much have i hurt 1953 01:10:34,149 --> 01:10:31,840 myself by doing so 1954 01:10:35,910 --> 01:10:34,159 i wanted to say this to you because well 1955 01:10:37,510 --> 01:10:35,920 first i just want to hear your thoughts 1956 01:10:42,830 --> 01:10:37,520 and then you can also relate it to the 1957 01:10:46,229 --> 01:10:45,510 well um i think it's not unusual for 1958 01:10:49,430 --> 01:10:46,239 people to 1959 01:10:53,669 --> 01:10:49,440 to have these experiences and 1960 01:10:57,270 --> 01:10:53,679 people who think a lot ponder a lot 1961 01:11:00,870 --> 01:10:57,280 philosophize a lot conceptualize a lot 1962 01:11:01,910 --> 01:11:00,880 do come to this crisis of doubt if you 1963 01:11:04,229 --> 01:11:01,920 like and it's 1964 01:11:06,310 --> 01:11:04,239 i mean the first great exponent of this 1965 01:11:10,310 --> 01:11:06,320 was descartes 1966 01:11:16,950 --> 01:11:13,830 for his age he lived a remarkably 1967 01:11:19,350 --> 01:11:16,960 ungrounded kind of existence what i mean 1968 01:11:22,470 --> 01:11:19,360 is that most people then still 1969 01:11:25,590 --> 01:11:22,480 lived a more rooted embodied existence 1970 01:11:29,669 --> 01:11:28,229 by his personality as much as anything 1971 01:11:32,470 --> 01:11:29,679 was inclined 1972 01:11:35,830 --> 01:11:32,480 to i think he had a schizoid temperament 1973 01:11:40,550 --> 01:11:37,510 and why this is important is that 1974 01:11:43,430 --> 01:11:40,560 there's a wonderful book which i 1975 01:11:43,830 --> 01:11:43,440 often mentioned and then we'll mention 1976 01:11:47,110 --> 01:11:43,840 again 1977 01:11:47,750 --> 01:11:47,120 by louis sass a psychologist at rutgers 1978 01:11:49,750 --> 01:11:47,760 called 1979 01:11:50,870 --> 01:11:49,760 madness and modernism and it is a 1980 01:11:54,070 --> 01:11:50,880 fascinating 1981 01:11:56,310 --> 01:11:54,080 work and 1982 01:11:58,870 --> 01:11:56,320 it was completely another of these sort 1983 01:12:01,270 --> 01:11:58,880 of eureka moments for me when i read it 1984 01:12:02,630 --> 01:12:01,280 because he drew so many parallels 1985 01:12:05,669 --> 01:12:02,640 between schizophrenia 1986 01:12:08,709 --> 01:12:05,679 and modern culture 1987 01:12:09,510 --> 01:12:08,719 i mean even including high culture and 1988 01:12:12,950 --> 01:12:09,520 he drew 1989 01:12:13,669 --> 01:12:12,960 25 or 30 parallels that are clear to 1990 01:12:15,830 --> 01:12:13,679 anyone 1991 01:12:17,910 --> 01:12:15,840 like him or me who has treated many 1992 01:12:21,830 --> 01:12:17,920 patients with schizophrenia 1993 01:12:26,070 --> 01:12:21,840 between the way they encounter things 1994 01:12:27,830 --> 01:12:26,080 experience them and aspects of modernity 1995 01:12:29,669 --> 01:12:27,840 and this comes together for me in the 1996 01:12:30,790 --> 01:12:29,679 fact that the left hemisphere is in a 1997 01:12:33,430 --> 01:12:30,800 way ungrounded 1998 01:12:35,189 --> 01:12:33,440 it has taken things taken them out of 1999 01:12:37,189 --> 01:12:35,199 context 2000 01:12:38,550 --> 01:12:37,199 taking them out of the lived experience 2001 01:12:40,870 --> 01:12:38,560 of the body 2002 01:12:41,750 --> 01:12:40,880 just detached them from what they mean 2003 01:12:43,270 --> 01:12:41,760 to us 2004 01:12:44,790 --> 01:12:43,280 and then said i don't know what this 2005 01:12:47,110 --> 01:12:44,800 means because 2006 01:12:48,709 --> 01:12:47,120 as it were having taken it out ripped it 2007 01:12:49,590 --> 01:12:48,719 out of the context it would give it 2008 01:12:53,350 --> 01:12:49,600 meaning 2009 01:12:54,390 --> 01:12:53,360 induces a sort of what's real what isn't 2010 01:12:56,310 --> 01:12:54,400 real 2011 01:12:58,390 --> 01:12:56,320 now only people who live the sort of 2012 01:13:01,750 --> 01:12:58,400 very strange life that we do 2013 01:13:03,430 --> 01:13:01,760 are likely to be tormented by this 2014 01:13:05,510 --> 01:13:03,440 because they don't see consciousness 2015 01:13:08,310 --> 01:13:05,520 there's something in here 2016 01:13:10,149 --> 01:13:08,320 and a reality that's just out there we 2017 01:13:12,229 --> 01:13:10,159 come back to something 2018 01:13:15,030 --> 01:13:12,239 we talked about a little earlier and 2019 01:13:18,070 --> 01:13:15,040 could talk about a lot more 2020 01:13:20,070 --> 01:13:18,080 which is how are you see two things 2021 01:13:23,189 --> 01:13:20,080 related co-creating it's neither that 2022 01:13:25,590 --> 01:13:23,199 there's just an in here and an out there 2023 01:13:26,550 --> 01:13:25,600 nor that it's all made up or it's you 2024 01:13:29,990 --> 01:13:26,560 know 2025 01:13:33,350 --> 01:13:30,000 so it's a it's a connection 2026 01:13:37,830 --> 01:13:33,360 we are beings that can 2027 01:13:41,430 --> 01:13:37,840 attend to the world that is our essence 2028 01:13:44,630 --> 01:13:41,440 and as louis lavelle of 20th century 2029 01:13:46,470 --> 01:13:44,640 philosopher said attention is love love 2030 01:13:47,030 --> 01:13:46,480 is a pure attention to the existence of 2031 01:13:49,990 --> 01:13:47,040 whatever 2032 01:13:51,030 --> 01:13:50,000 is other another person another thing 2033 01:13:54,149 --> 01:13:51,040 and i think that that 2034 01:13:55,350 --> 01:13:54,159 is how we relate to the world that it is 2035 01:14:03,189 --> 01:13:55,360 not 2036 01:14:06,149 --> 01:14:03,199 figure it out as if it were an odd thing 2037 01:14:06,709 --> 01:14:06,159 that had dropped in our past you know um 2038 01:14:10,950 --> 01:14:06,719 paley 2039 01:14:13,189 --> 01:14:10,960 in his um deism thought that 2040 01:14:14,790 --> 01:14:13,199 it gave the image that the universe was 2041 01:14:18,149 --> 01:14:14,800 like a watch that some 2042 01:14:20,950 --> 01:14:18,159 sorry paley an 18th century bishop 2043 01:14:21,910 --> 01:14:20,960 yes yes thomas paley i think he was um 2044 01:14:24,870 --> 01:14:21,920 said that 2045 01:14:25,350 --> 01:14:24,880 um you know imagine the world it's like 2046 01:14:40,070 --> 01:14:25,360 a 2047 01:14:43,030 --> 01:14:40,080 himself 2048 01:14:45,110 --> 01:14:43,040 a paleous without god because he just 2049 01:14:47,350 --> 01:14:45,120 like paley thinks there is a mechanism 2050 01:14:49,189 --> 01:14:47,360 here that is working itself out 2051 01:14:51,110 --> 01:14:49,199 he just doesn't think it's god he thinks 2052 01:14:51,590 --> 01:14:51,120 it's genetics that there is something as 2053 01:14:54,709 --> 01:14:51,600 it were 2054 01:14:56,950 --> 01:14:54,719 in a gene the robot that 2055 01:14:58,149 --> 01:14:56,960 controls et cetera these images of 2056 01:14:59,830 --> 01:14:58,159 control 2057 01:15:01,590 --> 01:14:59,840 are there in him as they would be in the 2058 01:15:04,310 --> 01:15:01,600 idea of a deistic god 2059 01:15:05,669 --> 01:15:04,320 i what i mean by a deity god is a an 2060 01:15:07,590 --> 01:15:05,679 engineering god 2061 01:15:09,430 --> 01:15:07,600 an engineer who is separate from 2062 01:15:11,590 --> 01:15:09,440 creation winds it up and 2063 01:15:13,350 --> 01:15:11,600 occasionally tinkers with it whereas i 2064 01:15:14,310 --> 01:15:13,360 believe whatever is divine is in the 2065 01:15:16,709 --> 01:15:14,320 fabric 2066 01:15:18,709 --> 01:15:16,719 of the world and is not known not 2067 01:15:19,110 --> 01:15:18,719 certainly even to whatever that divinity 2068 01:15:22,229 --> 01:15:19,120 is 2069 01:15:25,110 --> 01:15:22,239 it's a process of true creation sort of 2070 01:15:27,590 --> 01:15:25,120 exhilaration of that that carries the 2071 01:15:28,550 --> 01:15:27,600 whole process of creation of a creative 2072 01:15:32,070 --> 01:15:28,560 cosmos 2073 01:15:34,229 --> 01:15:32,080 anyway i'm i'm probably not making sense 2074 01:15:35,510 --> 01:15:34,239 it's so hard to convey these things 2075 01:15:37,189 --> 01:15:35,520 briefly but 2076 01:15:38,870 --> 01:15:37,199 shelling in the 18th century was one of 2077 01:15:42,310 --> 01:15:38,880 my favorite um 2078 01:15:44,870 --> 01:15:42,320 philosophers was able to express this 2079 01:15:46,149 --> 01:15:44,880 not not very easy german i have to agree 2080 01:15:47,430 --> 01:15:46,159 but this is at the core of his 2081 01:15:50,229 --> 01:15:47,440 perception that 2082 01:15:50,790 --> 01:15:50,239 the inner and the outer as is often said 2083 01:15:53,189 --> 01:15:50,800 in 2084 01:15:55,510 --> 01:15:53,199 many non-western cultures they are 2085 01:15:57,669 --> 01:15:55,520 distinct but they're not separate 2086 01:15:59,510 --> 01:15:57,679 and that's a very important point that 2087 01:16:00,630 --> 01:15:59,520 it comes back again to the business of 2088 01:16:05,110 --> 01:16:00,640 not being lost 2089 01:16:08,310 --> 01:16:05,120 in a context you're distinct 2090 01:16:11,830 --> 01:16:08,320 from another person but you're not 2091 01:16:12,630 --> 01:16:11,840 separate from them or sort of divided 2092 01:16:14,550 --> 01:16:12,640 from them 2093 01:16:16,630 --> 01:16:14,560 you're connected to them but you're 2094 01:16:18,310 --> 01:16:16,640 still distinct 2095 01:16:20,630 --> 01:16:18,320 and i sort of think of the world as 2096 01:16:23,990 --> 01:16:20,640 being seamless but with 2097 01:16:27,189 --> 01:16:24,000 you can go seamlessly from 2098 01:16:29,590 --> 01:16:27,199 um red to green without even knowing 2099 01:16:32,070 --> 01:16:29,600 that this has happened 2100 01:16:34,149 --> 01:16:32,080 you know in a three or four minute film 2101 01:16:35,669 --> 01:16:34,159 the color can change nobody notices the 2102 01:16:36,470 --> 01:16:35,679 color changing but it's changed 2103 01:16:39,189 --> 01:16:36,480 completely 2104 01:16:40,149 --> 01:16:39,199 so it's possible to move along a 2105 01:16:42,709 --> 01:16:40,159 continuum and 2106 01:16:44,950 --> 01:16:42,719 and the spectrum of colors is an example 2107 01:16:46,950 --> 01:16:44,960 of something that is not a concatenation 2108 01:16:49,510 --> 01:16:46,960 it's not lots of little separate colors 2109 01:16:52,550 --> 01:16:49,520 it is simply a spectrum 2110 01:16:54,790 --> 01:16:52,560 that can be moved along in such a way 2111 01:16:58,070 --> 01:16:54,800 that you can go from something very 2112 01:16:59,510 --> 01:16:58,080 distinct to something else distinct but 2113 01:17:00,790 --> 01:16:59,520 they're never been separate they've 2114 01:17:02,950 --> 01:17:00,800 never been 2115 01:17:04,709 --> 01:17:02,960 cut off from one another they they're 2116 01:17:07,669 --> 01:17:04,719 part of the same 2117 01:17:09,590 --> 01:17:07,679 whole and i think that a number of 2118 01:17:13,110 --> 01:17:09,600 physicists that i've 2119 01:17:17,030 --> 01:17:13,120 read in my attempts to understand modern 2120 01:17:18,310 --> 01:17:17,040 um well quantum field theory actually is 2121 01:17:20,630 --> 01:17:18,320 the theory that 2122 01:17:22,630 --> 01:17:20,640 i find most congenial to my philosophy 2123 01:17:22,950 --> 01:17:22,640 and seems to be being espoused by a lot 2124 01:17:26,470 --> 01:17:22,960 of 2125 01:17:28,149 --> 01:17:26,480 physicists but in that case again 2126 01:17:29,990 --> 01:17:28,159 things can be distinct but not 2127 01:17:32,790 --> 01:17:30,000 ultimately separate they they 2128 01:17:34,709 --> 01:17:32,800 belong to fields which can be more 2129 01:17:38,950 --> 01:17:34,719 concentrated or collapsed in certain 2130 01:17:42,709 --> 01:17:40,310 actually speaking of quantum field 2131 01:17:44,630 --> 01:17:42,719 theory on these 2132 01:17:46,229 --> 01:17:44,640 pages that i have notes for you at the 2133 01:17:47,750 --> 01:17:46,239 back because i thought that we were 2134 01:17:48,870 --> 01:17:47,760 scheduled for two hours earlier by 2135 01:17:51,030 --> 01:17:48,880 accident so i was 2136 01:17:52,630 --> 01:17:51,040 just doing some quantum field problems 2137 01:17:53,189 --> 01:17:52,640 just to get myself more familiar with it 2138 01:17:54,470 --> 01:17:53,199 because i 2139 01:17:56,470 --> 01:17:54,480 i've been out of the game for a little 2140 01:17:58,070 --> 01:17:56,480 while okay 2141 01:18:01,430 --> 01:17:58,080 why is it that you mentioned one day 2142 01:18:04,550 --> 01:18:01,440 you'll be able to explain it to me 2143 01:18:07,990 --> 01:18:04,560 why why is it that non-rhythmic music is 2144 01:18:10,870 --> 01:18:08,000 salutary compared to rhythmic music 2145 01:18:11,990 --> 01:18:10,880 see let me explain my reasoning for this 2146 01:18:12,390 --> 01:18:12,000 well first of all you mentioned it in 2147 01:18:15,990 --> 01:18:12,400 the book 2148 01:18:18,229 --> 01:18:16,000 but second i told you i don't listen to 2149 01:18:22,310 --> 01:18:18,239 music i don't get pleasure for music 2150 01:18:24,630 --> 01:18:22,320 and i i 2151 01:18:26,790 --> 01:18:24,640 i haven't done so for maybe 12 or even 2152 01:18:27,830 --> 01:18:26,800 14 years i play music like i can play 2153 01:18:29,510 --> 01:18:27,840 this and sing 2154 01:18:31,189 --> 01:18:29,520 i like to do that i like to listen to 2155 01:18:32,790 --> 01:18:31,199 eminem occasionally 2156 01:18:35,669 --> 01:18:32,800 but i don't like to listen to music and 2157 01:18:37,270 --> 01:18:35,679 for me it's because i'm so in my head 2158 01:18:39,110 --> 01:18:37,280 i'm such a child of the enlightenment 2159 01:18:41,430 --> 01:18:39,120 let's say that 2160 01:18:42,470 --> 01:18:41,440 i see that as a waste of time and i just 2161 01:18:44,390 --> 01:18:42,480 need to be thinking 2162 01:18:45,669 --> 01:18:44,400 and it came from when i was around 18 2163 01:18:47,910 --> 01:18:45,679 and i was 2164 01:18:49,430 --> 01:18:47,920 on a train and the train ride passed in 2165 01:18:50,550 --> 01:18:49,440 like two minutes when it was a 20-minute 2166 01:18:51,910 --> 01:18:50,560 train ride and it was because i was 2167 01:18:52,470 --> 01:18:51,920 listening to music and i stopped and 2168 01:18:53,910 --> 01:18:52,480 thought 2169 01:18:55,030 --> 01:18:53,920 that's not good because i could have 2170 01:18:55,830 --> 01:18:55,040 been thinking could have been solving 2171 01:18:57,750 --> 01:18:55,840 problems 2172 01:18:59,270 --> 01:18:57,760 so then i'm like from this day forward 2173 01:19:02,149 --> 01:18:59,280 on the train you just think 2174 01:19:02,790 --> 01:19:02,159 think think think think it reminds me of 2175 01:19:07,270 --> 01:19:02,800 the 2176 01:19:09,110 --> 01:19:07,280 i feel like i have inadvertently been 2177 01:19:11,669 --> 01:19:09,120 harming myself and now what i'm doing is 2178 01:19:13,030 --> 01:19:11,679 a slow process of undoing 2179 01:19:14,950 --> 01:19:13,040 and your book is helping but it's also 2180 01:19:15,270 --> 01:19:14,960 unnerving thank you either way you said 2181 01:19:18,950 --> 01:19:15,280 that 2182 01:19:21,830 --> 01:19:18,960 okay listen music these days is rhythmic 2183 01:19:23,110 --> 01:19:21,840 and that's not the best embodiment 2184 01:19:25,270 --> 01:19:23,120 non-rhythmic music is 2185 01:19:26,149 --> 01:19:25,280 so can you explain i don't i don't think 2186 01:19:29,110 --> 01:19:26,159 i said that 2187 01:19:29,910 --> 01:19:29,120 i i really don't um i haven't got 2188 01:19:32,870 --> 01:19:29,920 anything against 2189 01:19:33,830 --> 01:19:32,880 rhythmic music i just said that the most 2190 01:19:37,669 --> 01:19:33,840 powerful 2191 01:19:40,870 --> 01:19:37,679 expressive elements in music include 2192 01:19:41,350 --> 01:19:40,880 melody and harmony and that rhythm is 2193 01:19:45,830 --> 01:19:41,360 only 2194 01:19:46,709 --> 01:19:45,840 that the left hemisphere really 2195 01:19:48,709 --> 01:19:46,719 understands 2196 01:19:50,070 --> 01:19:48,719 especially very basic pounding beats 2197 01:19:53,830 --> 01:19:50,080 that are repetitive and 2198 01:19:55,990 --> 01:19:53,840 mechanical um because even complex beats 2199 01:19:57,430 --> 01:19:56,000 with cross rhythms and syncopations are 2200 01:19:58,630 --> 01:19:57,440 better understood by the right 2201 01:20:01,110 --> 01:19:58,640 atmosphere 2202 01:20:01,990 --> 01:20:01,120 but melody and armor are really very 2203 01:20:03,510 --> 01:20:02,000 much dependent 2204 01:20:05,350 --> 01:20:03,520 for most people non-professional 2205 01:20:08,550 --> 01:20:05,360 musicians dependent on 2206 01:20:09,430 --> 01:20:08,560 the right hemisphere and all i was 2207 01:20:12,229 --> 01:20:09,440 really saying 2208 01:20:13,350 --> 01:20:12,239 is that in our culture i was just 2209 01:20:16,870 --> 01:20:13,360 pointing to the 2210 01:20:19,270 --> 01:20:16,880 101 ways in which we can see 2211 01:20:20,310 --> 01:20:19,280 what i consider to be the the dire 2212 01:20:22,550 --> 01:20:20,320 impact of 2213 01:20:24,550 --> 01:20:22,560 not using or paying attention to what 2214 01:20:25,270 --> 01:20:24,560 our right hemispheres will still tell us 2215 01:20:27,510 --> 01:20:25,280 if we just 2216 01:20:29,590 --> 01:20:27,520 listen to what they're enabling us to 2217 01:20:32,870 --> 01:20:29,600 understand experience and 2218 01:20:35,910 --> 01:20:32,880 live in 2219 01:20:37,750 --> 01:20:35,920 one of those um one of those 101 2220 01:20:39,830 --> 01:20:37,760 things is the way in which music has 2221 01:20:42,950 --> 01:20:39,840 changed interestingly to be 2222 01:20:44,550 --> 01:20:42,960 largely a matter of rhythm and that 2223 01:20:47,350 --> 01:20:44,560 melodies and harmonies are not as 2224 01:20:49,590 --> 01:20:47,360 settled as they they used to be 2225 01:20:50,790 --> 01:20:49,600 and are in many kinds of music but 2226 01:20:51,350 --> 01:20:50,800 there's nothing wrong with rhythm in 2227 01:20:52,629 --> 01:20:51,360 itself 2228 01:20:55,830 --> 01:20:52,639 although there is something very 2229 01:20:59,350 --> 01:20:55,840 important about variation in rhythm 2230 01:21:02,229 --> 01:20:59,360 so certainly in playing 2231 01:21:02,709 --> 01:21:02,239 if you're a great pianist you you 2232 01:21:04,470 --> 01:21:02,719 wouldn't 2233 01:21:06,470 --> 01:21:04,480 play something in the way that a 2234 01:21:09,189 --> 01:21:06,480 computer would play the notes 2235 01:21:10,470 --> 01:21:09,199 with exact same lengths and exact same 2236 01:21:12,229 --> 01:21:10,480 intervals 2237 01:21:13,750 --> 01:21:12,239 um there's something called rubato which 2238 01:21:15,990 --> 01:21:13,760 you may know of which is 2239 01:21:17,669 --> 01:21:16,000 the business of very slight variations 2240 01:21:21,030 --> 01:21:17,679 from outer bar 2241 01:21:24,870 --> 01:21:21,040 in the movement of the music 2242 01:21:27,189 --> 01:21:24,880 um and this is a parallel to the fact 2243 01:21:28,310 --> 01:21:27,199 that living rhythms are always variable 2244 01:21:31,669 --> 01:21:28,320 they're not 2245 01:21:33,910 --> 01:21:31,679 uh mechanical and i was absolutely 2246 01:21:37,110 --> 01:21:33,920 amazed when i was on the 2247 01:21:40,310 --> 01:21:37,120 obstetrics wards um 2248 01:21:43,830 --> 01:21:40,320 when i was a doctor in training 2249 01:21:47,669 --> 01:21:43,840 and just begun that attachment to learn 2250 01:21:48,870 --> 01:21:47,679 that when the fetus the heartbeat the 2251 01:21:52,070 --> 01:21:48,880 fetal heartbeat 2252 01:21:53,030 --> 01:21:52,080 is entirely rhythmical the baby is an 2253 01:21:56,629 --> 01:21:53,040 emergency 2254 01:21:59,590 --> 01:21:56,639 the baby is in danger of dying 2255 01:22:01,189 --> 01:21:59,600 and a healthy fetus has a variable 2256 01:22:03,189 --> 01:22:01,199 heartbeat 2257 01:22:04,229 --> 01:22:03,199 now i mean that's an image to me of many 2258 01:22:07,189 --> 01:22:04,239 other things 2259 01:22:08,709 --> 01:22:07,199 that you know that there is a beauty in 2260 01:22:12,229 --> 01:22:08,719 the slight hesitancies 2261 01:22:14,229 --> 01:22:12,239 in dance in music it's very 2262 01:22:15,750 --> 01:22:14,239 very hard to put your finger on what 2263 01:22:18,470 --> 01:22:15,760 they are and they're 2264 01:22:21,510 --> 01:22:18,480 they're within an overall frame of 2265 01:22:23,750 --> 01:22:21,520 irregularity so the irregularities 2266 01:22:25,110 --> 01:22:23,760 within the overarching frame of 2267 01:22:27,270 --> 01:22:25,120 regularity 2268 01:22:28,550 --> 01:22:27,280 and this comes to something very very 2269 01:22:32,470 --> 01:22:28,560 deep for me 2270 01:22:37,430 --> 01:22:32,480 which is that 2271 01:22:39,750 --> 01:22:37,440 we need togetherness but we also need 2272 01:22:41,110 --> 01:22:39,760 distinctness we need individuality but 2273 01:22:44,790 --> 01:22:41,120 we need 2274 01:22:48,149 --> 01:22:44,800 um the whole but the important thing is 2275 01:22:50,790 --> 01:22:48,159 we should be under the embrace of 2276 01:22:51,590 --> 01:22:50,800 force for togetherness not the force for 2277 01:22:54,390 --> 01:22:51,600 separation 2278 01:22:55,270 --> 01:22:54,400 so in brief we need the force for 2279 01:22:57,510 --> 01:22:55,280 division 2280 01:22:58,629 --> 01:22:57,520 and we need the force for union we need 2281 01:23:02,790 --> 01:22:58,639 both 2282 01:23:05,910 --> 01:23:02,800 unified 2283 01:23:06,709 --> 01:23:05,920 not divided this reminds me of longing 2284 01:23:08,229 --> 01:23:06,719 versus want 2285 01:23:10,310 --> 01:23:08,239 in your book you mentioned longing is a 2286 01:23:13,110 --> 01:23:10,320 unification a stretching out to 2287 01:23:14,390 --> 01:23:13,120 but want is a desire which puts you it 2288 01:23:15,590 --> 01:23:14,400 separate from 2289 01:23:17,510 --> 01:23:15,600 yes is there a connection or is that 2290 01:23:20,629 --> 01:23:17,520 just in my head 2291 01:23:22,390 --> 01:23:20,639 no i'm delighted that you made that 2292 01:23:23,110 --> 01:23:22,400 connection i think it's it's exactly 2293 01:23:25,590 --> 01:23:23,120 right 2294 01:23:26,790 --> 01:23:25,600 from from my point of view and in fact 2295 01:23:29,910 --> 01:23:26,800 there is um 2296 01:23:31,669 --> 01:23:29,920 if people are interested if you if you 2297 01:23:32,870 --> 01:23:31,679 google mcgilfrid's longing and one thing 2298 01:23:36,870 --> 01:23:32,880 i think it's called 2299 01:23:39,189 --> 01:23:36,880 i gave an hour-long talk um in london 2300 01:23:40,950 --> 01:23:39,199 about four years ago on the distinction 2301 01:23:43,990 --> 01:23:40,960 between longing and wanting 2302 01:23:44,470 --> 01:23:44,000 and nowadays it seems to me that we have 2303 01:23:46,870 --> 01:23:44,480 lost 2304 01:23:48,310 --> 01:23:46,880 the sense of a longing for something to 2305 01:23:50,709 --> 01:23:48,320 which we already feel 2306 01:23:52,149 --> 01:23:50,719 an attraction and which is calling to us 2307 01:23:55,350 --> 01:23:52,159 and which we are 2308 01:23:58,629 --> 01:23:55,360 we are sort of uh rather 2309 01:24:00,310 --> 01:23:58,639 blind way trying to to reach towards but 2310 01:24:02,310 --> 01:24:00,320 constant reaching out to 2311 01:24:03,350 --> 01:24:02,320 instead we have once you know i don't 2312 01:24:05,189 --> 01:24:03,360 that that 2313 01:24:07,030 --> 01:24:05,199 you get to put it in your little bag of 2314 01:24:10,070 --> 01:24:07,040 stuff what do you want in a relationship 2315 01:24:13,910 --> 01:24:12,709 well i think these words all have their 2316 01:24:14,790 --> 01:24:13,920 meaning and they all have their value 2317 01:24:17,030 --> 01:24:14,800 and they they will 2318 01:24:18,629 --> 01:24:17,040 have their place but but no i think 2319 01:24:19,110 --> 01:24:18,639 there was a very i mean it's fascinating 2320 01:24:21,270 --> 01:24:19,120 the word 2321 01:24:23,750 --> 01:24:21,280 long literally comes from an anglo-saxon 2322 01:24:26,629 --> 01:24:23,760 rude langion which means to stretch out 2323 01:24:28,149 --> 01:24:26,639 something that is gone from you but 2324 01:24:29,669 --> 01:24:28,159 which you are still connected you want 2325 01:24:32,870 --> 01:24:29,679 to reconnect with 2326 01:24:36,390 --> 01:24:34,950 sisterly and diastole if you like which 2327 01:24:38,310 --> 01:24:36,400 are from the heartbeat you know the 2328 01:24:39,750 --> 01:24:38,320 sisterly followed by the diastole the 2329 01:24:41,750 --> 01:24:39,760 lup followed by the top 2330 01:24:42,790 --> 01:24:41,760 there's this kind of contraction and 2331 01:24:44,950 --> 01:24:42,800 release is 2332 01:24:46,030 --> 01:24:44,960 the way in which movement happens in 2333 01:24:49,350 --> 01:24:46,040 nature by 2334 01:24:50,709 --> 01:24:49,360 alternations of that kind produce 2335 01:24:51,750 --> 01:24:50,719 something that is just a kind of 2336 01:24:54,070 --> 01:24:51,760 addition 2337 01:24:56,229 --> 01:24:54,080 of the two in some neutral way or a or 2338 01:24:58,629 --> 01:24:56,239 perhaps a compromise of 50 50. 2339 01:24:59,590 --> 01:24:58,639 it produces something completely new 2340 01:25:01,830 --> 01:24:59,600 this is the point 2341 01:25:04,149 --> 01:25:01,840 it is the creation the creativity of 2342 01:25:07,189 --> 01:25:04,159 your life of this world of the cosmos 2343 01:25:10,950 --> 01:25:07,199 depends on our ability to see that 2344 01:25:13,030 --> 01:25:10,960 opposites need to be held together 2345 01:25:15,350 --> 01:25:13,040 the world is not as simple as we think 2346 01:25:17,510 --> 01:25:15,360 it is things that we think are good 2347 01:25:18,950 --> 01:25:17,520 also can seem kill something that is bad 2348 01:25:20,470 --> 01:25:18,960 the things that we think are bad also 2349 01:25:22,229 --> 01:25:20,480 conceal something that is good 2350 01:25:24,629 --> 01:25:22,239 and we need to finesse these things in 2351 01:25:27,110 --> 01:25:24,639 order to find our way in the world 2352 01:25:28,709 --> 01:25:27,120 what i mean by the opposition bringing 2353 01:25:31,430 --> 01:25:28,719 something new into being 2354 01:25:33,910 --> 01:25:31,440 is the tension of a string of a guitar 2355 01:25:36,550 --> 01:25:33,920 or a violin 2356 01:25:38,149 --> 01:25:36,560 it's important for that that it's pulled 2357 01:25:39,750 --> 01:25:38,159 in two directions at once 2358 01:25:41,669 --> 01:25:39,760 in fact if it weren't pulled in two 2359 01:25:43,430 --> 01:25:41,679 directions at once it wouldn't 2360 01:25:44,950 --> 01:25:43,440 work you might say well that's a waste 2361 01:25:46,390 --> 01:25:44,960 of energy why pull things in two 2362 01:25:47,750 --> 01:25:46,400 directions at once why not come to an 2363 01:25:49,430 --> 01:25:47,760 agreement and a compromise 2364 01:25:50,870 --> 01:25:49,440 and just stop pulling well then you 2365 01:25:52,790 --> 01:25:50,880 don't have a string anymore you don't 2366 01:25:56,070 --> 01:25:52,800 have a violin anymore you don't have any 2367 01:26:00,149 --> 01:25:57,830 well something comes out of that 2368 01:26:01,750 --> 01:26:00,159 conflict which is very important sorry 2369 01:26:03,590 --> 01:26:01,760 to be fair in string theory you can't 2370 01:26:04,870 --> 01:26:03,600 have closed loop strings and you just 2371 01:26:05,750 --> 01:26:04,880 give them attention it's just like a 2372 01:26:08,870 --> 01:26:05,760 variable you vary 2373 01:26:11,110 --> 01:26:08,880 oh i i really wasn't um uh pretending to 2374 01:26:14,310 --> 01:26:11,120 talk about string seriously 2375 01:26:16,870 --> 01:26:14,320 you don't understand it i know okay 2376 01:26:17,669 --> 01:26:16,880 when you say that you're like we need to 2377 01:26:20,310 --> 01:26:17,679 we're separate 2378 01:26:21,590 --> 01:26:20,320 but we're also together and this impulse 2379 01:26:23,350 --> 01:26:21,600 to be separated 2380 01:26:24,709 --> 01:26:23,360 should be there and the impulse to be 2381 01:26:26,870 --> 01:26:24,719 together should be there we should 2382 01:26:28,070 --> 01:26:26,880 be guided by the together one more so 2383 01:26:31,830 --> 01:26:28,080 than the separate one 2384 01:26:35,270 --> 01:26:31,840 that's the individuality okay that to me 2385 01:26:36,390 --> 01:26:35,280 it reminds me is i i'm not meaning this 2386 01:26:38,709 --> 01:26:36,400 by the way can i just say i'm not 2387 01:26:41,189 --> 01:26:38,719 meaning this principally or only 2388 01:26:43,270 --> 01:26:41,199 uh to do with social relations i'm 2389 01:26:45,910 --> 01:26:43,280 thinking of it as 2390 01:26:48,149 --> 01:26:45,920 a metaphysical structural feature of 2391 01:26:49,510 --> 01:26:48,159 reality that it has this structure 2392 01:26:51,910 --> 01:26:49,520 of the need for difference and 2393 01:26:52,550 --> 01:26:51,920 togetherness not just we as human beings 2394 01:26:54,390 --> 01:26:52,560 have it 2395 01:26:55,990 --> 01:26:54,400 okay well now you gave me another idea 2396 01:26:57,990 --> 01:26:56,000 so let's say i'm walking along 2397 01:26:59,830 --> 01:26:58,000 the beach yeah and i'm looking at the 2398 01:27:02,470 --> 01:26:59,840 waves and the sand and the sun 2399 01:27:03,270 --> 01:27:02,480 am i supposed to feel or is it good for 2400 01:27:05,750 --> 01:27:03,280 me to feel 2401 01:27:07,590 --> 01:27:05,760 connected to it and feel as if the waves 2402 01:27:08,950 --> 01:27:07,600 are alive in some manner and i'm 2403 01:27:12,070 --> 01:27:08,960 speaking to the rocks 2404 01:27:15,270 --> 01:27:12,080 because in the dead end left hemispheric 2405 01:27:17,189 --> 01:27:15,280 view i see them or one would see them as 2406 01:27:18,390 --> 01:27:17,199 impressions picturesque impressions upon 2407 01:27:21,350 --> 01:27:18,400 my slate 2408 01:27:22,310 --> 01:27:21,360 of sense so sense data pressed upon me 2409 01:27:23,669 --> 01:27:22,320 but then i can 2410 01:27:26,149 --> 01:27:23,679 and then i know that that's associated 2411 01:27:28,709 --> 01:27:26,159 with schizophrenias schizophrenic 2412 01:27:30,229 --> 01:27:28,719 ideation in its extreme okay but then in 2413 01:27:32,390 --> 01:27:30,239 the other extreme i could see 2414 01:27:34,149 --> 01:27:32,400 someone going and talking to the rocks 2415 01:27:36,070 --> 01:27:34,159 and and holding them up and kissing them 2416 01:27:38,229 --> 01:27:36,080 as that its own form of 2417 01:27:39,270 --> 01:27:38,239 psychosis but i'm not sure i don't know 2418 01:27:40,229 --> 01:27:39,280 if that's actually associated with 2419 01:27:42,070 --> 01:27:40,239 schizophrenic 2420 01:27:43,830 --> 01:27:42,080 thought either way i want to hear so 2421 01:27:47,110 --> 01:27:43,840 which one should i do should i 2422 01:27:49,910 --> 01:27:47,120 stand back passively of you or should i 2423 01:27:50,709 --> 01:27:49,920 treat it somehow emulated in my brain as 2424 01:27:53,510 --> 01:27:50,719 this is living 2425 01:27:53,910 --> 01:27:53,520 be curt be in this world as if you're 2426 01:27:56,229 --> 01:27:53,920 living 2427 01:27:58,470 --> 01:27:56,239 engaging with it but these are not just 2428 01:28:02,149 --> 01:27:58,480 plastic objects that of wood 2429 01:28:03,430 --> 01:28:02,159 they're they're also not beings let's 2430 01:28:04,950 --> 01:28:03,440 say but they're 2431 01:28:07,030 --> 01:28:04,960 there's something to them there's some 2432 01:28:09,350 --> 01:28:07,040 life that they have so how 2433 01:28:11,110 --> 01:28:09,360 how does one dance that web because i 2434 01:28:13,270 --> 01:28:11,120 can see 2435 01:28:14,709 --> 01:28:13,280 inane craziness on both ends of the 2436 01:28:16,790 --> 01:28:14,719 spectrum 2437 01:28:18,709 --> 01:28:16,800 but does it have to be one or the other 2438 01:28:21,750 --> 01:28:18,719 in keeping with what i've been saying 2439 01:28:23,830 --> 01:28:21,760 isn't it an error to go to one extreme 2440 01:28:25,910 --> 01:28:23,840 of either of these not because the 2441 01:28:27,430 --> 01:28:25,920 reality exists in a compromise 2442 01:28:30,149 --> 01:28:27,440 but because there is a wholly different 2443 01:28:32,229 --> 01:28:30,159 position that is only found when you 2444 01:28:35,350 --> 01:28:32,239 reconcile the two opposites 2445 01:28:35,750 --> 01:28:35,360 that is my point um and it's imaged in 2446 01:28:40,149 --> 01:28:35,760 that 2447 01:28:44,149 --> 01:28:40,159 taut string um but 2448 01:28:45,430 --> 01:28:44,159 i think it's a very unusual view we have 2449 01:28:47,590 --> 01:28:45,440 of the world 2450 01:28:48,950 --> 01:28:47,600 that we are separate from it and it is 2451 01:28:51,110 --> 01:28:48,960 dead 2452 01:28:53,750 --> 01:28:51,120 uh and that any life in it is something 2453 01:28:56,310 --> 01:28:53,760 we attribute to it 2454 01:28:56,950 --> 01:28:56,320 i argue and it's too long an argument to 2455 01:29:00,229 --> 01:28:56,960 do now 2456 01:29:03,750 --> 01:29:00,239 i even argue that inanimacy 2457 01:29:05,510 --> 01:29:03,760 is if you like the ultimate limit case 2458 01:29:07,830 --> 01:29:05,520 of animacy 2459 01:29:09,669 --> 01:29:07,840 not that animacy is some weird thing 2460 01:29:12,950 --> 01:29:09,679 that popped into the cosmos 2461 01:29:15,910 --> 01:29:12,960 i think animacy is of the essence 2462 01:29:18,470 --> 01:29:15,920 of a conscious universe in different 2463 01:29:20,870 --> 01:29:18,480 ways in different degrees 2464 01:29:21,830 --> 01:29:20,880 as an animosity or are the union animals 2465 01:29:25,750 --> 01:29:21,840 no no as 2466 01:29:28,950 --> 01:29:25,760 as as in things being animated so 2467 01:29:31,910 --> 01:29:28,960 obviously yes um but 2468 01:29:32,870 --> 01:29:31,920 we don't have to to go to to to that 2469 01:29:34,950 --> 01:29:32,880 that extr 2470 01:29:36,629 --> 01:29:34,960 well not an extreme but but to that 2471 01:29:39,030 --> 01:29:36,639 length if you like 2472 01:29:40,390 --> 01:29:39,040 um we i wouldn't have time to justify 2473 01:29:41,030 --> 01:29:40,400 that position but i think i do in my 2474 01:29:43,669 --> 01:29:41,040 book 2475 01:29:45,270 --> 01:29:43,679 but in any case most people at most 2476 01:29:48,629 --> 01:29:45,280 times in the world 2477 01:29:50,470 --> 01:29:48,639 have not failed to make a proper 2478 01:29:53,590 --> 01:29:50,480 scientific assessment and 2479 01:29:54,790 --> 01:29:53,600 come up with a theory that things around 2480 01:29:57,189 --> 01:29:54,800 them are alive 2481 01:29:58,390 --> 01:29:57,199 they know they're alive because they 2482 01:30:01,830 --> 01:29:58,400 actually experience 2483 01:30:04,229 --> 01:30:01,840 that and we have told ourselves that we 2484 01:30:06,149 --> 01:30:04,239 can't be experiencing that because 2485 01:30:07,430 --> 01:30:06,159 it's just not wrong isn't it i mean an 2486 01:30:10,149 --> 01:30:07,440 age of science 2487 01:30:11,669 --> 01:30:10,159 but what do we know about that actually 2488 01:30:12,229 --> 01:30:11,679 science is not dealing with that 2489 01:30:15,110 --> 01:30:12,239 question 2490 01:30:17,110 --> 01:30:15,120 science is not able to talk about 2491 01:30:20,950 --> 01:30:17,120 whether there is 2492 01:30:22,229 --> 01:30:20,960 um something that has consciousness or 2493 01:30:25,430 --> 01:30:22,239 animacy 2494 01:30:29,910 --> 01:30:25,440 in the world outside of our own 2495 01:30:35,590 --> 01:30:33,110 i don't think that one needs to either 2496 01:30:38,149 --> 01:30:35,600 tell oneself one's wrong when one feels 2497 01:30:40,709 --> 01:30:38,159 a sense of connectedness 2498 01:30:41,590 --> 01:30:40,719 or think that being properly connected 2499 01:30:43,430 --> 01:30:41,600 means 2500 01:30:45,669 --> 01:30:43,440 you're being being swallowed up and you 2501 01:30:47,350 --> 01:30:45,679 don't you know love those waves so much 2502 01:30:48,229 --> 01:30:47,360 that you go into a rough scene and get 2503 01:30:51,750 --> 01:30:48,239 drowned so 2504 01:30:53,669 --> 01:30:51,760 you need to keep keep walking this 2505 01:30:56,390 --> 01:30:53,679 balance and it's all about the balance 2506 01:30:57,990 --> 01:30:56,400 or harmony harmony was the greek word 2507 01:30:59,750 --> 01:30:58,000 and it's a word that we've lost because 2508 01:31:01,189 --> 01:30:59,760 i mean our world has so little harmony 2509 01:31:04,470 --> 01:31:01,199 in it 2510 01:31:06,950 --> 01:31:04,480 things that we call harmony are actually 2511 01:31:07,990 --> 01:31:06,960 dictated fiats that things must be like 2512 01:31:10,390 --> 01:31:08,000 this but no 2513 01:31:11,590 --> 01:31:10,400 true harmony is is a kind of thing that 2514 01:31:13,669 --> 01:31:11,600 has to evolve 2515 01:31:15,430 --> 01:31:13,679 between things being fully themselves 2516 01:31:16,149 --> 01:31:15,440 and not pretending to be something 2517 01:31:19,990 --> 01:31:16,159 they're not 2518 01:31:20,390 --> 01:31:20,000 so yeah i think it i think it is a very 2519 01:31:22,950 --> 01:31:20,400 very 2520 01:31:23,430 --> 01:31:22,960 important element i i wrote also an 2521 01:31:25,189 --> 01:31:23,440 article 2522 01:31:27,669 --> 01:31:25,199 for the journal of consciousness studies 2523 01:31:30,149 --> 01:31:27,679 on the question of the self 2524 01:31:32,550 --> 01:31:30,159 because i think there's a confusion you 2525 01:31:37,270 --> 01:31:35,830 the holy person or the wise person has 2526 01:31:40,229 --> 01:31:37,280 no self 2527 01:31:41,350 --> 01:31:40,239 and i think i know what is meant i think 2528 01:31:44,550 --> 01:31:41,360 i can see very clearly 2529 01:31:48,709 --> 01:31:44,560 what has meant not a narrow egotistic 2530 01:31:53,510 --> 01:31:48,719 selfish um fragmentary atomistic 2531 01:31:56,709 --> 01:31:53,520 self of course but at the same time 2532 01:31:59,750 --> 01:31:56,719 by growing in richness and 2533 01:32:02,870 --> 01:31:59,760 thinking and meditating and 2534 01:32:05,350 --> 01:32:02,880 creating and just being you are 2535 01:32:06,550 --> 01:32:05,360 growing a soul you are growing a person 2536 01:32:09,430 --> 01:32:06,560 you are growing 2537 01:32:11,750 --> 01:32:09,440 fulfilling an individual element of the 2538 01:32:13,430 --> 01:32:11,760 cosmos that will never be there again 2539 01:32:15,189 --> 01:32:13,440 and surely to say that that's all 2540 01:32:17,270 --> 01:32:15,199 valueless and the whole 2541 01:32:18,950 --> 01:32:17,280 business of existence is to try and deny 2542 01:32:19,750 --> 01:32:18,960 that and get as far away from it as 2543 01:32:23,430 --> 01:32:19,760 possible 2544 01:32:26,470 --> 01:32:23,440 seems to me a little bit um negative 2545 01:32:29,189 --> 01:32:26,480 because even the buddha you know 2546 01:32:30,950 --> 01:32:29,199 had to sleep had to eat had to go to the 2547 01:32:33,110 --> 01:32:30,960 lavatory and if somebody 2548 01:32:33,990 --> 01:32:33,120 shot the buddha he didn't go well he 2549 01:32:37,110 --> 01:32:34,000 didn't shoot me 2550 01:32:37,590 --> 01:32:37,120 because he did you know every everybody 2551 01:32:40,709 --> 01:32:37,600 has 2552 01:32:42,390 --> 01:32:40,719 their individual self but there's a very 2553 01:32:44,790 --> 01:32:42,400 big difference between what jung 2554 01:32:47,110 --> 01:32:44,800 called the self which is a sort of 2555 01:32:49,189 --> 01:32:47,120 mature thing that you grow into 2556 01:32:50,550 --> 01:32:49,199 and the ego which is this sort of more 2557 01:32:53,189 --> 01:32:50,560 left hemispheric 2558 01:32:53,990 --> 01:32:53,199 sense of the self as the acquirer the 2559 01:32:56,149 --> 01:32:54,000 manipulator 2560 01:32:57,590 --> 01:32:56,159 the one that wields power and that's 2561 01:33:01,270 --> 01:32:57,600 very important again 2562 01:33:05,110 --> 01:33:01,280 in the spiritual philosophies 2563 01:33:06,950 --> 01:33:05,120 of most cultures the renouncing of power 2564 01:33:08,790 --> 01:33:06,960 because power is very much the left 2565 01:33:10,950 --> 01:33:08,800 hemisphere's major tool 2566 01:33:12,229 --> 01:33:10,960 it exists in order to make us powerful 2567 01:33:14,149 --> 01:33:12,239 to get things to grab 2568 01:33:15,510 --> 01:33:14,159 things to get prey to build things to 2569 01:33:17,270 --> 01:33:15,520 make things 2570 01:33:19,110 --> 01:33:17,280 and thinks that we will become happier 2571 01:33:22,149 --> 01:33:19,120 or better in doing so 2572 01:33:24,390 --> 01:33:22,159 although all the evidence is very clear 2573 01:33:26,870 --> 01:33:24,400 we don't become happier or morally about 2574 01:33:28,870 --> 01:33:26,880 a people by doing it 2575 01:33:30,149 --> 01:33:28,880 what you say just makes me think of 2576 01:33:33,110 --> 01:33:30,159 there's quite a few thoughts i'll 2577 01:33:33,910 --> 01:33:33,120 i'll splay out two of them one is okay 2578 01:33:36,070 --> 01:33:33,920 freud said 2579 01:33:37,510 --> 01:33:36,080 or at least freud surmised that his id 2580 01:33:39,510 --> 01:33:37,520 ego and so on would have some 2581 01:33:41,910 --> 01:33:39,520 morphological equivalent in the brain 2582 01:33:43,189 --> 01:33:41,920 if neuroscience would just progress now 2583 01:33:44,870 --> 01:33:43,199 it sounds like what you're saying is 2584 01:33:46,870 --> 01:33:44,880 to some degree that's true because the 2585 01:33:47,910 --> 01:33:46,880 left hemisphere is associated with the 2586 01:33:52,229 --> 01:33:47,920 ego 2587 01:33:56,149 --> 01:33:54,550 i don't really want to to say yes to 2588 01:33:59,189 --> 01:33:56,159 that or no to it because 2589 01:34:03,110 --> 01:33:59,199 in some senses yes in some senses no it 2590 01:34:05,270 --> 01:34:03,120 it depends too much what you mean by ego 2591 01:34:07,030 --> 01:34:05,280 and some aspects of the superego might 2592 01:34:08,790 --> 01:34:07,040 be better identified with the frontal 2593 01:34:10,629 --> 01:34:08,800 lobes rather than with either right or 2594 01:34:11,990 --> 01:34:10,639 left hemisphere 2595 01:34:13,990 --> 01:34:12,000 and certainly it wouldn't be right to 2596 01:34:16,830 --> 01:34:14,000 say the right hemisphere is the id 2597 01:34:18,310 --> 01:34:16,840 the right hemisphere is the morally 2598 01:34:20,709 --> 01:34:18,320 self-abnegating 2599 01:34:23,590 --> 01:34:20,719 part of us the part that enables us to 2600 01:34:27,430 --> 01:34:23,600 be good friends parents and citizens 2601 01:34:29,430 --> 01:34:27,440 it is the bit that david hecht at 2602 01:34:30,790 --> 01:34:29,440 ucl in london says quite 2603 01:34:33,270 --> 01:34:30,800 straightforwardly 2604 01:34:34,149 --> 01:34:33,280 and i i think i i'd sign up to it 2605 01:34:37,110 --> 01:34:34,159 largely 2606 01:34:39,110 --> 01:34:37,120 that the right hemisphere is moral in 2607 01:34:40,229 --> 01:34:39,120 its attitudes and the land is basically 2608 01:34:42,709 --> 01:34:40,239 immoral it 2609 01:34:43,990 --> 01:34:42,719 it is there for what it can get is the 2610 01:34:48,149 --> 01:34:44,000 left hemisphere 2611 01:34:51,830 --> 01:34:48,159 immoral or amoral immoral 2612 01:34:53,830 --> 01:34:51,840 okay in other words it has a morality 2613 01:34:55,430 --> 01:34:53,840 and it has it has really no sense of 2614 01:34:58,629 --> 01:34:55,440 well let me just 2615 01:35:00,870 --> 01:34:58,639 go back on that in the book 2616 01:35:03,830 --> 01:35:00,880 this new book i argue that the left 2617 01:35:06,790 --> 01:35:03,840 hands can't really understand morality 2618 01:35:07,270 --> 01:35:06,800 it hasn't any really a sense of morality 2619 01:35:11,350 --> 01:35:07,280 so 2620 01:35:13,990 --> 01:35:11,360 it substitutes for morality calculation 2621 01:35:15,990 --> 01:35:14,000 it says if i weigh up the consequences 2622 01:35:16,470 --> 01:35:16,000 of this act and the consequences of that 2623 01:35:18,229 --> 01:35:16,480 act 2624 01:35:21,430 --> 01:35:18,239 i can find out which is the morally 2625 01:35:23,590 --> 01:35:21,440 right act that sounds very good 2626 01:35:25,830 --> 01:35:23,600 but there are many circumstances in life 2627 01:35:27,910 --> 01:35:25,840 in which it would be profoundly immoral 2628 01:35:28,629 --> 01:35:27,920 even to carry out a calculus of that 2629 01:35:31,430 --> 01:35:28,639 kind 2630 01:35:32,470 --> 01:35:31,440 and it's in normal circumstances apart 2631 01:35:35,270 --> 01:35:32,480 from one or two 2632 01:35:37,510 --> 01:35:35,280 philosophers it's mainly people who have 2633 01:35:39,189 --> 01:35:37,520 right hemisphere damage or frontal lobe 2634 01:35:41,750 --> 01:35:39,199 damage 2635 01:35:43,830 --> 01:35:41,760 or are very severely autistic who think 2636 01:35:46,470 --> 01:35:43,840 in that way 2637 01:35:48,390 --> 01:35:46,480 most of us have a sense that morality is 2638 01:35:51,189 --> 01:35:48,400 something more complex than that 2639 01:35:52,470 --> 01:35:51,199 and that we don't do it would be quite 2640 01:35:54,830 --> 01:35:52,480 wrong to make decisions 2641 01:35:56,070 --> 01:35:54,840 based on an entirely dispassionate 2642 01:35:58,870 --> 01:35:56,080 mathematical 2643 01:35:59,750 --> 01:35:58,880 in fact how would you attach the values 2644 01:36:03,109 --> 01:35:59,760 i mean 2645 01:36:06,550 --> 01:36:03,119 would a would the value gained by many 2646 01:36:09,590 --> 01:36:06,560 sadistic um pedophiles 2647 01:36:11,830 --> 01:36:09,600 around the world outweigh 2648 01:36:13,430 --> 01:36:11,840 in the pleasure given to thousands of 2649 01:36:16,229 --> 01:36:13,440 people the suffering of one 2650 01:36:16,629 --> 01:36:16,239 innocent child that is tortured for fun 2651 01:36:18,709 --> 01:36:16,639 well 2652 01:36:20,310 --> 01:36:18,719 if you have to do a sum on that then you 2653 01:36:21,510 --> 01:36:20,320 there's something wrong with your moral 2654 01:36:23,430 --> 01:36:21,520 sense 2655 01:36:26,310 --> 01:36:23,440 and i know that's an extreme case but 2656 01:36:28,149 --> 01:36:26,320 i'm afraid it's a rather important 2657 01:36:29,750 --> 01:36:28,159 indicator of something that is wrong 2658 01:36:33,270 --> 01:36:29,760 with utilitarianism 2659 01:36:34,390 --> 01:36:33,280 on its own utilitarianism has a place 2660 01:36:36,390 --> 01:36:34,400 sometimes 2661 01:36:38,149 --> 01:36:36,400 but again it's this problem the left 2662 01:36:39,910 --> 01:36:38,159 hemisphere thinks that whatever it is it 2663 01:36:40,390 --> 01:36:39,920 does is the only thing and the best 2664 01:36:42,950 --> 01:36:40,400 thing 2665 01:36:45,510 --> 01:36:42,960 whereas it's actually not even core to 2666 01:36:48,709 --> 01:36:45,520 morality utilitarianism 2667 01:36:53,030 --> 01:36:48,719 i believe in a kind of 2668 01:36:56,550 --> 01:36:53,040 um objective moral that i'm so sorry 2669 01:36:57,590 --> 01:36:56,560 do you believe in objective morals 2670 01:36:59,910 --> 01:36:57,600 well it depends what you mean by 2671 01:37:01,350 --> 01:36:59,920 objective i i don't believe it that 2672 01:37:02,870 --> 01:37:01,360 they're just subjective in the sense 2673 01:37:03,669 --> 01:37:02,880 that they're made up by us but i don't 2674 01:37:06,950 --> 01:37:03,679 believe they're 2675 01:37:08,950 --> 01:37:06,960 objective in the sense that 2676 01:37:10,390 --> 01:37:08,960 that a machine would be able to 2677 01:37:12,870 --> 01:37:10,400 calculate it 2678 01:37:13,910 --> 01:37:12,880 i mean when i say objective i mean that 2679 01:37:15,990 --> 01:37:13,920 there's something at the 2680 01:37:17,750 --> 01:37:16,000 structure of reality at the fundamental 2681 01:37:20,470 --> 01:37:17,760 the abutment that has 2682 01:37:21,830 --> 01:37:20,480 morals and that it's not just absolutely 2683 01:37:22,870 --> 01:37:21,840 no no thank you for clarifying no 2684 01:37:25,990 --> 01:37:22,880 definitely 2685 01:37:27,990 --> 01:37:26,000 no i think the cosmos is moral um which 2686 01:37:30,070 --> 01:37:28,000 isn't to say that it's all good 2687 01:37:31,109 --> 01:37:30,080 of course because morality includes the 2688 01:37:33,189 --> 01:37:31,119 whole spectrum 2689 01:37:33,880 --> 01:37:33,199 but i don't think morality is an element 2690 01:37:35,350 --> 01:37:33,890 that we've somehow 2691 01:37:37,590 --> 01:37:35,360 [Music] 2692 01:37:39,270 --> 01:37:37,600 we've come to and it's simply an 2693 01:37:41,590 --> 01:37:39,280 expression of things we like and things 2694 01:37:44,550 --> 01:37:41,600 we don't like i think it is a very 2695 01:37:45,590 --> 01:37:44,560 profound aspect of the business of being 2696 01:37:48,149 --> 01:37:45,600 alive 2697 01:37:49,030 --> 01:37:48,159 as is the appeal of beauty and of 2698 01:37:52,310 --> 01:37:49,040 complexity 2699 01:37:55,350 --> 01:37:52,320 of mathematics of of music 2700 01:37:56,310 --> 01:37:55,360 of landscape all these things embody 2701 01:37:59,350 --> 01:37:56,320 something 2702 01:38:02,870 --> 01:37:59,360 that unless we are 2703 01:38:04,629 --> 01:38:02,880 you know crippled cribbed and confined 2704 01:38:08,070 --> 01:38:04,639 by the left hemispheres 2705 01:38:09,590 --> 01:38:08,080 take on things obviously speak to us 2706 01:38:10,709 --> 01:38:09,600 about something more important than what 2707 01:38:12,950 --> 01:38:10,719 the left hemisphere 2708 01:38:14,070 --> 01:38:12,960 alone can tell us there's nothing wrong 2709 01:38:15,350 --> 01:38:14,080 you know it's not that we 2710 01:38:17,109 --> 01:38:15,360 all be better if we had a left 2711 01:38:18,950 --> 01:38:17,119 hemisphere stroke of course not 2712 01:38:20,870 --> 01:38:18,960 as i often say it's my second favorite 2713 01:38:24,229 --> 01:38:20,880 hemisphere it's terribly important 2714 01:38:25,910 --> 01:38:24,239 but it's you know it got to be under the 2715 01:38:28,310 --> 01:38:25,920 supervision of the right house it's a 2716 01:38:29,750 --> 01:38:28,320 very very good servant it carries out 2717 01:38:31,510 --> 01:38:29,760 very useful tasks 2718 01:38:33,030 --> 01:38:31,520 but it hasn't got the site to see which 2719 01:38:35,430 --> 01:38:33,040 of the useful tasks so 2720 01:38:37,430 --> 01:38:35,440 it must be under the aegis the 2721 01:38:40,709 --> 01:38:37,440 protection the supervision of 2722 01:38:43,109 --> 01:38:40,719 the right hemisphere it's a a bad master 2723 01:38:45,109 --> 01:38:43,119 but a very good servant 2724 01:38:48,070 --> 01:38:45,119 in christianity there's a heavy heavy 2725 01:38:51,109 --> 01:38:48,080 emphasis on both love and truth 2726 01:38:53,030 --> 01:38:51,119 and it's not just 2727 01:38:56,709 --> 01:38:53,040 speak the truth no matter what it's 2728 01:38:58,709 --> 01:38:56,719 speak speak the truth guided by love 2729 01:38:59,990 --> 01:38:58,719 so the truth has to serve love i'm 2730 01:39:01,990 --> 01:39:00,000 wondering is that 2731 01:39:03,830 --> 01:39:02,000 mirrored by the by hemispheric structure 2732 01:39:05,910 --> 01:39:03,840 is that one right brain is 2733 01:39:07,270 --> 01:39:05,920 the love in this sense and then the left 2734 01:39:08,950 --> 01:39:07,280 is the one that's associated with truth 2735 01:39:10,790 --> 01:39:08,960 at least objectively can be associated 2736 01:39:14,790 --> 01:39:10,800 with some form of objective truth or am 2737 01:39:19,669 --> 01:39:17,750 i think you're going you're going an 2738 01:39:24,149 --> 01:39:19,679 awful lot further than i would get 2739 01:39:26,790 --> 01:39:24,159 i i don't think i would say any of that 2740 01:39:28,149 --> 01:39:26,800 um but i think it's perfectly legitimate 2741 01:39:30,229 --> 01:39:28,159 to speculate 2742 01:39:32,870 --> 01:39:30,239 when you're thinking about the richness 2743 01:39:35,830 --> 01:39:32,880 of an idea or an image or a metaphor 2744 01:39:37,189 --> 01:39:35,840 about what it can illuminate so i don't 2745 01:39:39,109 --> 01:39:37,199 think there's anything wrong with 2746 01:39:41,270 --> 01:39:39,119 having an idea and thinking well maybe 2747 01:39:42,629 --> 01:39:41,280 not but i think honestly i'd say maybe 2748 01:39:44,149 --> 01:39:42,639 not to that one 2749 01:39:45,990 --> 01:39:44,159 what do you make of daniel dennett's 2750 01:39:49,830 --> 01:39:46,000 explaining consciousness 2751 01:39:56,390 --> 01:39:53,830 well i i think it's a perfect um 2752 01:39:57,990 --> 01:39:56,400 expression a very intelligent expression 2753 01:40:01,109 --> 01:39:58,000 of a certain 2754 01:40:02,950 --> 01:40:01,119 kind of take on the world a veltan 2755 01:40:05,830 --> 01:40:02,960 chaung which 2756 01:40:07,430 --> 01:40:05,840 is to use the term that you invoked at 2757 01:40:10,870 --> 01:40:07,440 the beginning of our talk 2758 01:40:12,390 --> 01:40:10,880 that is i think rather sadly 2759 01:40:14,390 --> 01:40:12,400 impoverished 2760 01:40:15,910 --> 01:40:14,400 um and it's not a thing that can easily 2761 01:40:17,669 --> 01:40:15,920 be solved by 2762 01:40:20,870 --> 01:40:17,679 argument these are things that you come 2763 01:40:22,790 --> 01:40:20,880 to through experience 2764 01:40:24,709 --> 01:40:22,800 in other words they involve kennen as 2765 01:40:28,229 --> 01:40:24,719 well as vissen 2766 01:40:30,709 --> 01:40:28,239 and they come out of the fruit of many 2767 01:40:33,270 --> 01:40:30,719 kinds of attention to the world 2768 01:40:35,669 --> 01:40:33,280 not just the claim that comes from 2769 01:40:38,229 --> 01:40:35,679 arguing in a seminar room 2770 01:40:40,149 --> 01:40:38,239 and so i not there's anything wrong with 2771 01:40:42,629 --> 01:40:40,159 doing that but again it's a 2772 01:40:43,830 --> 01:40:42,639 supplementary aspect of what philosophy 2773 01:40:45,750 --> 01:40:43,840 is 2774 01:40:47,510 --> 01:40:45,760 philosophy has got a little bit lost i 2775 01:40:50,390 --> 01:40:47,520 think as a sort of technical 2776 01:40:52,470 --> 01:40:50,400 department in the university somewhere 2777 01:40:54,149 --> 01:40:52,480 somewhat like engineering and 2778 01:40:55,270 --> 01:40:54,159 interestingly dan dennett says that if 2779 01:40:57,030 --> 01:40:55,280 he hadn't been a philosopher he'd 2780 01:40:59,189 --> 01:40:57,040 probably been an engineer 2781 01:41:00,390 --> 01:40:59,199 um which which seems to be intuitively 2782 01:41:03,510 --> 01:41:00,400 right 2783 01:41:07,270 --> 01:41:03,520 um but it also 2784 01:41:08,870 --> 01:41:07,280 points to perhaps a certain i don't know 2785 01:41:11,270 --> 01:41:08,880 unwillingness to accept that things 2786 01:41:13,350 --> 01:41:11,280 might be beyond what he knows and more 2787 01:41:15,030 --> 01:41:13,360 complex 2788 01:41:17,350 --> 01:41:15,040 it's interesting that engineers for 2789 01:41:20,149 --> 01:41:17,360 example have a very high 2790 01:41:21,350 --> 01:41:20,159 i did a study on this at the moment the 2791 01:41:22,790 --> 01:41:21,360 hospital which i've 2792 01:41:24,629 --> 01:41:22,800 never actually got around to publishing 2793 01:41:25,990 --> 01:41:24,639 but it was very clear that i didn't 2794 01:41:29,669 --> 01:41:26,000 expect the results 2795 01:41:33,350 --> 01:41:29,679 that people who became mentally ill 2796 01:41:36,070 --> 01:41:33,360 at university 2797 01:41:37,430 --> 01:41:36,080 with a major mental illness those who 2798 01:41:41,030 --> 01:41:37,440 became manic-depressive 2799 01:41:43,910 --> 01:41:41,040 i had an emotional disturbance 2800 01:41:44,790 --> 01:41:43,920 as a primary element in their psychosis 2801 01:41:47,990 --> 01:41:44,800 were not 2802 01:41:49,990 --> 01:41:48,000 principally philosophers or engineers 2803 01:41:51,669 --> 01:41:50,000 but those with schizophrenia were 2804 01:41:52,950 --> 01:41:51,679 massively more likely to have been 2805 01:41:56,950 --> 01:41:52,960 studying engineering 2806 01:42:00,870 --> 01:41:56,960 or philosophy than any other subject and 2807 01:42:04,390 --> 01:42:00,880 it's also come to light that um 2808 01:42:07,350 --> 01:42:04,400 terrorists who are fundamentalists 2809 01:42:10,229 --> 01:42:07,360 have engineers are more represented 2810 01:42:12,629 --> 01:42:10,239 amongst them than amongst other people 2811 01:42:14,149 --> 01:42:12,639 i i you know of course i'm not trying to 2812 01:42:15,910 --> 01:42:14,159 say that 2813 01:42:17,109 --> 01:42:15,920 that that all engineers are like this 2814 01:42:20,550 --> 01:42:17,119 but i'm just pointing to a sort of 2815 01:42:24,229 --> 01:42:22,870 i don't know the predilection for 2816 01:42:26,790 --> 01:42:24,239 engineer-like thinking 2817 01:42:27,270 --> 01:42:26,800 is what is also so it's a pre-election 2818 01:42:33,109 --> 01:42:27,280 for 2819 01:42:35,590 --> 01:42:33,119 of willingness to accept that things 2820 01:42:36,950 --> 01:42:35,600 are not certain and maybe much more 2821 01:42:39,350 --> 01:42:36,960 complex than one 2822 01:42:40,070 --> 01:42:39,360 has given them credit for being let's 2823 01:42:42,229 --> 01:42:40,080 see 2824 01:42:43,109 --> 01:42:42,239 i wanted i'm trying to find this one 2825 01:42:46,310 --> 01:42:43,119 question 2826 01:42:47,189 --> 01:42:46,320 about well okay before i find that 2827 01:42:48,790 --> 01:42:47,199 question 2828 01:42:51,030 --> 01:42:48,800 i'm curious how is it that you were able 2829 01:42:51,430 --> 01:42:51,040 to pin down the insights about the right 2830 01:42:55,510 --> 01:42:51,440 brain 2831 01:42:57,270 --> 01:42:55,520 a book written in language and so on so 2832 01:42:58,950 --> 01:42:57,280 did you engage in meditative exercises 2833 01:43:00,550 --> 01:42:58,960 did you speak to spiritual gurus 2834 01:43:02,070 --> 01:43:00,560 how did you do it or did you just read 2835 01:43:03,350 --> 01:43:02,080 dispassionately the literature and then 2836 01:43:06,950 --> 01:43:03,360 you said okay this is what the right 2837 01:43:10,870 --> 01:43:09,109 well i think it was very like my idea of 2838 01:43:12,629 --> 01:43:10,880 the right brain 2839 01:43:15,830 --> 01:43:12,639 guiding in the left hemisphere doing 2840 01:43:19,910 --> 01:43:15,840 much of the sort of procedural work 2841 01:43:22,310 --> 01:43:19,920 so it's often been pointed out to me 2842 01:43:23,189 --> 01:43:22,320 that without a highly active left 2843 01:43:24,629 --> 01:43:23,199 hemisphere 2844 01:43:28,070 --> 01:43:24,639 i couldn't possibly have written that 2845 01:43:30,229 --> 01:43:28,080 book with its attention to 2846 01:43:32,070 --> 01:43:30,239 expressing extremely difficult things 2847 01:43:33,830 --> 01:43:32,080 that are not intuitively 2848 01:43:35,990 --> 01:43:33,840 the things that most people nowadays in 2849 01:43:38,629 --> 01:43:36,000 the west think in language 2850 01:43:41,590 --> 01:43:38,639 and arguing for them and inducing an 2851 01:43:44,790 --> 01:43:41,600 enormous amount of scientific evidence 2852 01:43:48,070 --> 01:43:44,800 um so i think the left hemisphere 2853 01:43:52,149 --> 01:43:48,080 as i say was a valuable servant to me 2854 01:43:55,669 --> 01:43:52,159 but what i hope is that i was guided by 2855 01:43:58,310 --> 01:43:55,679 a sense of as something that i was 2856 01:44:00,229 --> 01:43:58,320 i was aware of but not fully aware of 2857 01:44:01,430 --> 01:44:00,239 and wanted to explore more and to bring 2858 01:44:06,229 --> 01:44:01,440 into 2859 01:44:07,189 --> 01:44:06,239 the light so that it could be better 2860 01:44:10,310 --> 01:44:07,199 seen 2861 01:44:11,030 --> 01:44:10,320 i think this is the process it's it's 2862 01:44:14,149 --> 01:44:11,040 more like 2863 01:44:14,790 --> 01:44:14,159 seeing a gestalt seeing a form then it 2864 01:44:18,149 --> 01:44:14,800 is 2865 01:44:18,950 --> 01:44:18,159 culminating an argument in which step a 2866 01:44:20,870 --> 01:44:18,960 leads to b 2867 01:44:23,030 --> 01:44:20,880 through to zed and then you switch off 2868 01:44:25,910 --> 01:44:23,040 and say right proved 2869 01:44:27,350 --> 01:44:25,920 that's never going to be a success in 2870 01:44:29,990 --> 01:44:27,360 philosophy in my view 2871 01:44:32,629 --> 01:44:30,000 i say rather controversially because the 2872 01:44:34,149 --> 01:44:32,639 world is not like that 2873 01:44:35,669 --> 01:44:34,159 and plato right at the start thought 2874 01:44:36,390 --> 01:44:35,679 that we shouldn't even write philosophy 2875 01:44:39,830 --> 01:44:36,400 down 2876 01:44:42,629 --> 01:44:39,840 that it could only be done by people 2877 01:44:44,229 --> 01:44:42,639 living people talking to one another for 2878 01:44:44,870 --> 01:44:44,239 a long period getting to know one 2879 01:44:46,830 --> 01:44:44,880 another 2880 01:44:47,990 --> 01:44:46,840 and that then an intuition would come 2881 01:44:51,109 --> 01:44:48,000 about 2882 01:44:52,950 --> 01:44:51,119 like a spark would be kindled now that's 2883 01:44:54,709 --> 01:44:52,960 right at the founding of modern western 2884 01:44:56,870 --> 01:44:54,719 philosophy but we've got a very long way 2885 01:45:00,470 --> 01:44:56,880 from it 2886 01:45:03,590 --> 01:45:00,480 um i i yes i i think the 2887 01:45:04,550 --> 01:45:03,600 the image that i i like is and it's 2888 01:45:05,990 --> 01:45:04,560 occurred to me 2889 01:45:09,430 --> 01:45:06,000 when i was writing my very first book in 2890 01:45:11,510 --> 01:45:09,440 my 20s was what i was trying to say 2891 01:45:13,030 --> 01:45:11,520 was that we have understandings of 2892 01:45:16,070 --> 01:45:13,040 things 2893 01:45:19,270 --> 01:45:16,080 specifically works of literature or 2894 01:45:22,390 --> 01:45:19,280 of music or art or whatever they are not 2895 01:45:24,229 --> 01:45:22,400 by a linear chain of discovery 2896 01:45:25,990 --> 01:45:24,239 but by circling them and seeing them 2897 01:45:29,830 --> 01:45:26,000 from different aspects 2898 01:45:31,910 --> 01:45:29,840 and that it's more like a picture that 2899 01:45:34,310 --> 01:45:31,920 gradually comes into focus or even quite 2900 01:45:36,149 --> 01:45:34,320 suddenly at some point comes into focus 2901 01:45:38,229 --> 01:45:36,159 so at the time you're looking at it it 2902 01:45:41,109 --> 01:45:38,239 doesn't seem coherent 2903 01:45:41,830 --> 01:45:41,119 but then gradually you see bit comes and 2904 01:45:45,030 --> 01:45:41,840 you see i 2905 01:45:46,870 --> 01:45:45,040 see you have an aha moment and things 2906 01:45:48,470 --> 01:45:46,880 begin to fall into place and then other 2907 01:45:50,310 --> 01:45:48,480 things 2908 01:45:52,070 --> 01:45:50,320 refuse to fall into the pictures you've 2909 01:45:54,950 --> 01:45:52,080 got and they help guide 2910 01:45:55,750 --> 01:45:54,960 the next stage so there's a new gesture 2911 01:45:57,590 --> 01:45:55,760 a better one 2912 01:45:59,510 --> 01:45:57,600 replaces and indeed in philosophy what 2913 01:46:01,510 --> 01:45:59,520 we're doing is always just replacing one 2914 01:46:04,390 --> 01:46:01,520 gestalt with another 2915 01:46:05,430 --> 01:46:04,400 what i mean by a gestalt is a form which 2916 01:46:07,430 --> 01:46:05,440 is a whole 2917 01:46:08,709 --> 01:46:07,440 which is more than any of the parts i 2918 01:46:09,669 --> 01:46:08,719 know you know this but i'm just saying 2919 01:46:12,070 --> 01:46:09,679 it in case any 2920 01:46:14,310 --> 01:46:12,080 listener doesn't define the term 2921 01:46:16,229 --> 01:46:14,320 familiar but it's the whole idea that 2922 01:46:17,590 --> 01:46:16,239 there is a whole of something that can't 2923 01:46:19,510 --> 01:46:17,600 be accessed fully 2924 01:46:22,790 --> 01:46:19,520 by simply dividing it up into its parts 2925 01:46:25,990 --> 01:46:22,800 something essential to it is lost 2926 01:46:28,709 --> 01:46:26,000 i have a quote here it's you quoting 2927 01:46:30,070 --> 01:46:28,719 sauce from schizophrenic mind and i'm 2928 01:46:31,430 --> 01:46:30,080 not gonna i'm just gonna paraphrase it 2929 01:46:34,629 --> 01:46:31,440 because it's a quite a 2930 01:46:35,910 --> 01:46:34,639 long paragraph it says that when you 2931 01:46:36,790 --> 01:46:35,920 engage in the world in a passive 2932 01:46:39,109 --> 01:46:36,800 disengaged 2933 01:46:39,990 --> 01:46:39,119 self-conscious stare at the world in an 2934 01:46:42,390 --> 01:46:40,000 objective manner 2935 01:46:43,590 --> 01:46:42,400 it becomes bizarre alien frightening and 2936 01:46:46,390 --> 01:46:43,600 that's akin to 2937 01:46:47,669 --> 01:46:46,400 the schizophrenic mind however yes the 2938 01:46:49,990 --> 01:46:47,679 process of mindfulness 2939 01:46:51,510 --> 01:46:50,000 mindfulness meditation seems shockingly 2940 01:46:53,430 --> 01:46:51,520 similar where you're supposed to stand 2941 01:46:56,390 --> 01:46:53,440 back and you simply observe 2942 01:46:58,870 --> 01:46:56,400 no judgment don't engage it's all just 2943 01:47:01,030 --> 01:46:58,880 being fed to you 2944 01:47:03,109 --> 01:47:01,040 yes but yet on the one hand mindfulness 2945 01:47:04,470 --> 01:47:03,119 meditation is seen as salutary but then 2946 01:47:05,270 --> 01:47:04,480 obviously schizophrenia is not it's 2947 01:47:08,470 --> 01:47:05,280 unadaptive 2948 01:47:10,310 --> 01:47:08,480 so how do you balance those two or solve 2949 01:47:15,669 --> 01:47:10,320 that antinomy 2950 01:47:21,109 --> 01:47:19,189 the hemisphere paradigm 2951 01:47:23,669 --> 01:47:21,119 one is what happens when you allow the 2952 01:47:26,390 --> 01:47:23,679 left hemisphere only to be 2953 01:47:27,510 --> 01:47:26,400 working this is the standing back so 2954 01:47:29,830 --> 01:47:27,520 that your body 2955 01:47:31,750 --> 01:47:29,840 is not involved so that your feeling 2956 01:47:33,910 --> 01:47:31,760 self is not involved 2957 01:47:35,990 --> 01:47:33,920 so that you have deliberately cut off 2958 01:47:37,990 --> 01:47:36,000 all the contacts from something 2959 01:47:39,189 --> 01:47:38,000 and then see it as something utterly 2960 01:47:42,629 --> 01:47:39,199 alien 2961 01:47:45,830 --> 01:47:42,639 whereas the mindfulness 2962 01:47:46,709 --> 01:47:45,840 is and in interestingly and perhaps not 2963 01:47:49,910 --> 01:47:46,719 essentially but 2964 01:47:51,350 --> 01:47:49,920 interestingly the science of mindfulness 2965 01:47:54,420 --> 01:47:51,360 shows that it does 2966 01:47:55,590 --> 01:47:54,430 rely more heavily on right hemisphere um 2967 01:47:59,030 --> 01:47:55,600 [Music] 2968 01:48:01,270 --> 01:47:59,040 activations than left and indeed on 2969 01:48:02,470 --> 01:48:01,280 changes practitioners in the structure 2970 01:48:03,830 --> 01:48:02,480 of the right hemisphere 2971 01:48:05,990 --> 01:48:03,840 but i don't think that's the important 2972 01:48:09,030 --> 01:48:06,000 point i think what is going on 2973 01:48:09,990 --> 01:48:09,040 in mindfulness is that you are adopting 2974 01:48:15,030 --> 01:48:10,000 the 2975 01:48:16,629 --> 01:48:15,040 although you might think it is similar 2976 01:48:20,229 --> 01:48:16,639 it is the exact opposite 2977 01:48:22,950 --> 01:48:20,239 because where as the one is as it were 2978 01:48:24,310 --> 01:48:22,960 isolated and detached the other is 2979 01:48:27,430 --> 01:48:24,320 standing back 2980 01:48:29,750 --> 01:48:27,440 enough to allow the self not to crowd 2981 01:48:33,350 --> 01:48:29,760 everything out 2982 01:48:35,189 --> 01:48:33,360 where the one is actually thinking about 2983 01:48:37,109 --> 01:48:35,199 things all the time the other is saying 2984 01:48:40,149 --> 01:48:37,119 no i'm not going to think at all 2985 01:48:43,590 --> 01:48:40,159 i'm just going to be there with it 2986 01:48:46,790 --> 01:48:43,600 now in the first case in the sort of 2987 01:48:47,990 --> 01:48:46,800 frightening alienating way which 2988 01:48:51,350 --> 01:48:48,000 interestingly 2989 01:48:52,070 --> 01:48:51,360 uh schreiber describes the 19th century 2990 01:48:54,149 --> 01:48:52,080 judge who 2991 01:48:55,669 --> 01:48:54,159 became schizophrenic in his middle years 2992 01:48:59,590 --> 01:48:55,679 and wrote a wonderful 2993 01:49:01,510 --> 01:48:59,600 journal of his mental illness um 2994 01:49:03,910 --> 01:49:01,520 schreiber describes exactly this that 2995 01:49:06,550 --> 01:49:03,920 the world becomes alien as soon as you 2996 01:49:08,310 --> 01:49:06,560 start reflecting on it so much that you 2997 01:49:11,109 --> 01:49:08,320 you drop all the connection with it 2998 01:49:12,070 --> 01:49:11,119 now in mindfulness you are not absent 2999 01:49:14,070 --> 01:49:12,080 from the world 3000 01:49:15,270 --> 01:49:14,080 it's about being fully present in the 3001 01:49:17,109 --> 01:49:15,280 world the 3002 01:49:18,790 --> 01:49:17,119 the idea is that in normal life you're 3003 01:49:20,310 --> 01:49:18,800 not fully present you're not actually 3004 01:49:22,470 --> 01:49:20,320 there with the world at all because your 3005 01:49:25,510 --> 01:49:22,480 thoughts your ideas your judgments 3006 01:49:27,030 --> 01:49:25,520 yourself is crowding it all out so in 3007 01:49:31,030 --> 01:49:27,040 fact they're quite opposite 3008 01:49:34,870 --> 01:49:32,629 i sometimes talk about something called 3009 01:49:37,669 --> 01:49:34,880 necessary distance 3010 01:49:39,109 --> 01:49:37,679 and what i mean by that is exactly that 3011 01:49:41,109 --> 01:49:39,119 kind of distance 3012 01:49:42,390 --> 01:49:41,119 that enables you to see something 3013 01:49:45,669 --> 01:49:42,400 properly as a whole 3014 01:49:47,750 --> 01:49:45,679 not to swamp it but it doesn't mean 3015 01:49:49,669 --> 01:49:47,760 being so far detached from it that you 3016 01:49:50,070 --> 01:49:49,679 can't see it or understand it or relate 3017 01:49:52,470 --> 01:49:50,080 to it 3018 01:49:53,109 --> 01:49:52,480 that would be the opposite of necessary 3019 01:49:56,790 --> 01:49:53,119 distance 3020 01:49:59,030 --> 01:49:56,800 is such a thing as 3021 01:50:00,229 --> 01:49:59,040 toxic fusion in which you can be so 3022 01:50:02,470 --> 01:50:00,239 close to something you can't 3023 01:50:03,350 --> 01:50:02,480 see it make it out or accept its being 3024 01:50:04,950 --> 01:50:03,360 at all 3025 01:50:07,510 --> 01:50:04,960 why is it that you associate it in a 3026 01:50:09,430 --> 01:50:07,520 metaphor the rising up and floating with 3027 01:50:10,390 --> 01:50:09,440 the left hemisphere and then being on 3028 01:50:12,629 --> 01:50:10,400 the ground 3029 01:50:14,070 --> 01:50:12,639 with the right hemisphere because to me 3030 01:50:15,510 --> 01:50:14,080 i would think that the left one is the 3031 01:50:16,149 --> 01:50:15,520 one that's on the ground manipulating 3032 01:50:17,510 --> 01:50:16,159 and the left 3033 01:50:20,310 --> 01:50:17,520 sorry and the right hemisphere is the 3034 01:50:24,070 --> 01:50:20,320 one that can see the whole picture 3035 01:50:26,790 --> 01:50:24,080 yes well you're very 3036 01:50:27,270 --> 01:50:26,800 i think entirely rightly put your finger 3037 01:50:32,310 --> 01:50:27,280 on 3038 01:50:34,950 --> 01:50:32,320 breaks down in these circumstances and 3039 01:50:37,030 --> 01:50:34,960 you have to use a whole variety of them 3040 01:50:39,030 --> 01:50:37,040 what i was really thinking of was that 3041 01:50:40,070 --> 01:50:39,040 it it was like the difference between 3042 01:50:43,109 --> 01:50:40,080 someone who is actually 3043 01:50:43,990 --> 01:50:43,119 living a life on the ground and somebody 3044 01:50:46,390 --> 01:50:44,000 who is 3045 01:50:47,270 --> 01:50:46,400 doing a sort of aerial photograph of it 3046 01:50:50,229 --> 01:50:47,280 in order to map 3047 01:50:52,229 --> 01:50:50,239 it that as where all that is there on 3048 01:50:54,229 --> 01:50:52,239 the ground is present to the person 3049 01:50:55,510 --> 01:50:54,239 who's experiencing it headlong in the 3050 01:50:59,589 --> 01:50:55,520 business of life 3051 01:51:03,270 --> 01:50:59,599 who actually sees the garden sees their 3052 01:51:06,070 --> 01:51:03,280 children you know hears the wind and 3053 01:51:08,390 --> 01:51:06,080 sees the stars and the mind that is 3054 01:51:11,430 --> 01:51:08,400 already dissecting analyzing and 3055 01:51:13,270 --> 01:51:11,440 remote so you're quite right that the 3056 01:51:15,030 --> 01:51:13,280 left hemisphere this is another way of 3057 01:51:15,669 --> 01:51:15,040 putting the finger on what i was trying 3058 01:51:17,270 --> 01:51:15,679 to say 3059 01:51:19,510 --> 01:51:17,280 is there's a kind of distancing which 3060 01:51:21,109 --> 01:51:19,520 can be removed but there's a kind of 3061 01:51:21,990 --> 01:51:21,119 distancing which enables you to see the 3062 01:51:24,950 --> 01:51:22,000 whole picture 3063 01:51:26,229 --> 01:51:24,960 just as the kind of being fixed on the 3064 01:51:29,510 --> 01:51:26,239 here and now 3065 01:51:30,870 --> 01:51:29,520 which is generous and wise and allows 3066 01:51:33,109 --> 01:51:30,880 you to understand it 3067 01:51:34,149 --> 01:51:33,119 and are being fixed on the here and now 3068 01:51:37,430 --> 01:51:34,159 which is just about 3069 01:51:38,709 --> 01:51:37,440 acquisition and accumulation of power 3070 01:51:41,990 --> 01:51:38,719 and influence 3071 01:51:43,510 --> 01:51:42,000 so they each contribute to both as you 3072 01:51:45,750 --> 01:51:43,520 would expect 3073 01:51:47,430 --> 01:51:45,760 each has a version of closeness each has 3074 01:51:50,629 --> 01:51:47,440 a version of distance 3075 01:51:52,310 --> 01:51:50,639 as i keep saying every concept you care 3076 01:51:54,229 --> 01:51:52,320 to name 3077 01:51:56,070 --> 01:51:54,239 has a left hemisphere take and a right 3078 01:51:58,550 --> 01:51:56,080 hemisphere take so it's not 3079 01:52:00,629 --> 01:51:58,560 as i say that they do different things 3080 01:52:02,470 --> 01:52:00,639 they do the same things but they do them 3081 01:52:05,510 --> 01:52:02,480 always from a coherently 3082 01:52:07,030 --> 01:52:05,520 different perspective i see coherently 3083 01:52:08,070 --> 01:52:07,040 different 3084 01:52:10,550 --> 01:52:08,080 because i can imagine that they don't 3085 01:52:13,669 --> 01:52:10,560 completely differ 3086 01:52:16,390 --> 01:52:13,679 yes what i'm trying to suggest is 3087 01:52:18,709 --> 01:52:16,400 within themselves coherent i see what i 3088 01:52:21,430 --> 01:52:18,719 mean like a self-consistent 3089 01:52:22,149 --> 01:52:21,440 yes yeah self-consistency so that for 3090 01:52:24,390 --> 01:52:22,159 example 3091 01:52:25,830 --> 01:52:24,400 you might say so how does the left 3092 01:52:27,350 --> 01:52:25,840 hemisphere view language how does the 3093 01:52:29,910 --> 01:52:27,360 right hemisphere blue language 3094 01:52:31,270 --> 01:52:29,920 how does the left hemisphere view 3095 01:52:32,229 --> 01:52:31,280 distance how does the right hemisphere 3096 01:52:33,430 --> 01:52:32,239 distance okay 3097 01:52:35,430 --> 01:52:33,440 they don't sound like they've got very 3098 01:52:39,669 --> 01:52:35,440 much in common but when you come 3099 01:52:43,430 --> 01:52:42,149 looks at everything there are very 3100 01:52:44,709 --> 01:52:43,440 common threads that are consistent 3101 01:52:46,550 --> 01:52:44,719 through how the right hemisphere deals 3102 01:52:48,149 --> 01:52:46,560 with every aspect of existence 3103 01:52:49,990 --> 01:52:48,159 and very common threads that 3104 01:52:50,470 --> 01:52:50,000 characterize the way the left hemisphere 3105 01:52:53,430 --> 01:52:50,480 does 3106 01:52:54,390 --> 01:52:53,440 so they're not coherent together so much 3107 01:52:57,589 --> 01:52:54,400 as coherent 3108 01:53:00,550 --> 01:52:57,599 within themselves but the art of life 3109 01:53:02,629 --> 01:53:00,560 is bringing these two things to bear in 3110 01:53:05,510 --> 01:53:02,639 such a way that the richness that 3111 01:53:07,270 --> 01:53:05,520 they can only really come from them both 3112 01:53:09,350 --> 01:53:07,280 is not swamped by the left hemisphere 3113 01:53:11,030 --> 01:53:09,360 trying to take over the whole show 3114 01:53:12,390 --> 01:53:11,040 it doesn't happen the other way around 3115 01:53:12,950 --> 01:53:12,400 because the right hand people often say 3116 01:53:15,030 --> 01:53:12,960 well you 3117 01:53:16,709 --> 01:53:15,040 you've put your finger on you know what 3118 01:53:18,149 --> 01:53:16,719 a left hemisphere world looks like 3119 01:53:20,229 --> 01:53:18,159 because at the end of the book in the 3120 01:53:21,830 --> 01:53:20,239 last chapter i sort of describe a world 3121 01:53:24,229 --> 01:53:21,840 in which the left hemisphere 3122 01:53:25,030 --> 01:53:24,239 based on what the reader knows about it 3123 01:53:27,669 --> 01:53:25,040 would 3124 01:53:28,070 --> 01:53:27,679 make of a world and in reading it you i 3125 01:53:30,950 --> 01:53:28,080 think 3126 01:53:32,790 --> 01:53:30,960 most people see a very clear portrait of 3127 01:53:34,310 --> 01:53:32,800 what is happening to us now 3128 01:53:35,910 --> 01:53:34,320 so people say but what would a right 3129 01:53:37,589 --> 01:53:35,920 hemisphere world look like 3130 01:53:39,270 --> 01:53:37,599 the answer is well it would be a very 3131 01:53:40,390 --> 01:53:39,280 balanced one and there's never been a 3132 01:53:43,350 --> 01:53:40,400 civilization that 3133 01:53:45,109 --> 01:53:43,360 didn't have its left hemisphere aspects 3134 01:53:46,470 --> 01:53:45,119 because the right hemisphere sees more 3135 01:53:47,910 --> 01:53:46,480 it therefore knows that it needs the 3136 01:53:50,470 --> 01:53:47,920 left hemisphere 3137 01:53:52,070 --> 01:53:50,480 it after all if it's if it's the master 3138 01:53:54,229 --> 01:53:52,080 it appointed the embassy because it 3139 01:53:56,950 --> 01:53:54,239 realized it needed the emissary 3140 01:53:58,390 --> 01:53:56,960 the emissary coming into existence and 3141 01:54:01,830 --> 01:53:58,400 being crowned as this 3142 01:54:03,430 --> 01:54:01,840 you know a very wise minister 3143 01:54:05,430 --> 01:54:03,440 thinks it knows everything when it 3144 01:54:07,669 --> 01:54:05,440 doesn't and that's the problem 3145 01:54:09,430 --> 01:54:07,679 it's people who think they've got it all 3146 01:54:12,310 --> 01:54:09,440 in the bag 3147 01:54:13,510 --> 01:54:12,320 now is our consciousness i think sorry 3148 01:54:16,470 --> 01:54:13,520 sorry i was wondering is our 3149 01:54:19,589 --> 01:54:18,229 residing in the left brain or residing 3150 01:54:21,030 --> 01:54:19,599 in the right hemisphere or is it in the 3151 01:54:22,310 --> 01:54:21,040 interplay between both or is it being 3152 01:54:24,470 --> 01:54:22,320 fed from both 3153 01:54:26,149 --> 01:54:24,480 because as i hear you say the left 3154 01:54:27,589 --> 01:54:26,159 thinks it's in charge it reminds me of 3155 01:54:29,589 --> 01:54:27,599 our consciousness that thinks 3156 01:54:31,270 --> 01:54:29,599 we're the ones that are in control and 3157 01:54:32,229 --> 01:54:31,280 then it has and then we have to be 3158 01:54:33,589 --> 01:54:32,239 confronted with 3159 01:54:35,510 --> 01:54:33,599 a myriad of psychological studies to 3160 01:54:36,629 --> 01:54:35,520 show no you're a monkey on a elephant's 3161 01:54:38,310 --> 01:54:36,639 back and you think that you're 3162 01:54:40,790 --> 01:54:38,320 controlling it but this elephant's gonna 3163 01:54:42,149 --> 01:54:40,800 go wherever it wants so are we 3164 01:54:43,990 --> 01:54:42,159 when i'm speaking with you right now or 3165 01:54:44,550 --> 01:54:44,000 when one is speaking with you are we 3166 01:54:46,229 --> 01:54:44,560 either 3167 01:54:48,229 --> 01:54:46,239 engaging in one of those modes are we 3168 01:54:51,750 --> 01:54:48,239 primarily on the left are we 3169 01:54:52,790 --> 01:54:51,760 both somehow being fed from each 3170 01:54:54,390 --> 01:54:52,800 when you start talking about the 3171 01:54:55,910 --> 01:54:54,400 relationship between consciousness and 3172 01:54:59,430 --> 01:54:55,920 the brain then you know you really 3173 01:55:01,270 --> 01:54:59,440 are in very very rarefied areas and i 3174 01:55:03,030 --> 01:55:01,280 don't shy from talking about it in the 3175 01:55:05,430 --> 01:55:03,040 book a chapter which is 3176 01:55:06,390 --> 01:55:05,440 the length of a short book on its own on 3177 01:55:15,510 --> 01:55:06,400 it 3178 01:55:21,589 --> 01:55:18,870 in my experience the elephant 3179 01:55:22,709 --> 01:55:21,599 is all that we are not currently aware 3180 01:55:24,629 --> 01:55:22,719 of 3181 01:55:26,149 --> 01:55:24,639 and the monkey is just that foolish 3182 01:55:29,109 --> 01:55:26,159 little bit that is doing 3183 01:55:29,510 --> 01:55:29,119 the thinking and talking consciously now 3184 01:55:32,470 --> 01:55:29,520 so 3185 01:55:33,510 --> 01:55:32,480 earlier i said most of everything we are 3186 01:55:37,750 --> 01:55:33,520 doing 3187 01:55:38,870 --> 01:55:37,760 fact if we try to do it consciously we 3188 01:55:40,790 --> 01:55:38,880 do it very badly 3189 01:55:42,790 --> 01:55:40,800 it's one of the interesting things is 3190 01:55:43,510 --> 01:55:42,800 that the better you get as a chess 3191 01:55:46,070 --> 01:55:43,520 player 3192 01:55:46,550 --> 01:55:46,080 the less you think consciously about it 3193 01:55:49,109 --> 01:55:46,560 right 3194 01:55:49,830 --> 01:55:49,119 so the same is true of a surgeon or a 3195 01:55:51,270 --> 01:55:49,840 pilot 3196 01:55:52,790 --> 01:55:51,280 they have to think a lot to begin with 3197 01:55:53,669 --> 01:55:52,800 but as they get better they think less 3198 01:55:56,790 --> 01:55:53,679 and less 3199 01:55:58,229 --> 01:55:56,800 so the the role of that monkey is 3200 01:56:00,470 --> 01:55:58,239 rightly considered not 3201 01:56:02,629 --> 01:56:00,480 important compared with the elephant 3202 01:56:04,709 --> 01:56:02,639 which is wise and has memory 3203 01:56:05,750 --> 01:56:04,719 so that's the way i'd look at that i 3204 01:56:07,510 --> 01:56:05,760 don't see those 3205 01:56:10,070 --> 01:56:07,520 images as therefore telling us that 3206 01:56:12,870 --> 01:56:10,080 we're just the puppets or play things 3207 01:56:14,629 --> 01:56:12,880 of something else i mean that's a very 3208 01:56:15,669 --> 01:56:14,639 very skewed left hemisphere way of 3209 01:56:17,510 --> 01:56:15,679 thinking about it 3210 01:56:20,070 --> 01:56:17,520 of course it's only interested in power 3211 01:56:22,149 --> 01:56:20,080 and control but actually what it is it's 3212 01:56:25,589 --> 01:56:22,159 saying no 3213 01:56:28,709 --> 01:56:25,599 what you are is rooted very deeply in 3214 01:56:30,149 --> 01:56:28,719 the whole of your experience including 3215 01:56:31,830 --> 01:56:30,159 the bits that you're now conscious of 3216 01:56:32,470 --> 01:56:31,840 but including many that you work on 3217 01:56:34,950 --> 01:56:32,480 yourself for 3218 01:56:37,350 --> 01:56:34,960 another mint and now and things that you 3219 01:56:41,030 --> 01:56:37,360 perhaps never conscious of so anyway 3220 01:56:42,629 --> 01:56:41,040 um and complicatedly consciousness has 3221 01:56:45,030 --> 01:56:42,639 two meanings one is 3222 01:56:45,990 --> 01:56:45,040 as against the things you're not aware 3223 01:56:49,189 --> 01:56:46,000 of like 3224 01:56:50,790 --> 01:56:49,199 oh um at that moment i i wasn't 3225 01:56:53,189 --> 01:56:50,800 conscious of the fact that it's 3226 01:56:54,390 --> 01:56:53,199 you know my friend's birthday or 3227 01:56:56,870 --> 01:56:54,400 something like that 3228 01:56:58,870 --> 01:56:56,880 but it also is used in the sense of what 3229 01:57:02,310 --> 01:56:58,880 you lose when you go into a coma or die 3230 01:57:05,910 --> 01:57:03,990 what i'm really saying is there is a 3231 01:57:09,189 --> 01:57:05,920 kind of consciousness that we 3232 01:57:11,910 --> 01:57:09,199 find all too obvious and over value 3233 01:57:13,189 --> 01:57:11,920 which is the one that does the chatting 3234 01:57:16,390 --> 01:57:13,199 and talking and thinking 3235 01:57:18,149 --> 01:57:16,400 right now but what i mean by our 3236 01:57:19,830 --> 01:57:18,159 conscious awareness of the world is a 3237 01:57:21,830 --> 01:57:19,840 deep thing that is going on in both 3238 01:57:24,629 --> 01:57:21,840 hemispheres all the time 3239 01:57:25,990 --> 01:57:24,639 when we narrow down to the conscious 3240 01:57:28,550 --> 01:57:26,000 mind we're talking about that 3241 01:57:30,629 --> 01:57:28,560 focus of the left hemisphere an image i 3242 01:57:32,550 --> 01:57:30,639 sometimes use again if it's helpful 3243 01:57:34,550 --> 01:57:32,560 is that we sometimes think of the 3244 01:57:36,310 --> 01:57:34,560 unconscious as underneath the conscious 3245 01:57:38,390 --> 01:57:36,320 as like a sort of 3246 01:57:39,830 --> 01:57:38,400 a deep tank that you would come to if 3247 01:57:41,189 --> 01:57:39,840 you went through the floor of your 3248 01:57:45,270 --> 01:57:41,199 conscious 3249 01:57:49,109 --> 01:57:45,280 would think of it as 3250 01:57:50,950 --> 01:57:49,119 a stage that is basically in darkness 3251 01:57:52,950 --> 01:57:50,960 except where the floodlight the 3252 01:57:55,510 --> 01:57:52,960 spotlight happens to go 3253 01:57:57,510 --> 01:57:55,520 and when that moves to a certain place 3254 01:57:59,350 --> 01:57:57,520 something suddenly shows up 3255 01:58:01,030 --> 01:57:59,360 but when it moves away that something 3256 01:58:02,229 --> 01:58:01,040 doesn't go away it's just that at the 3257 01:58:03,510 --> 01:58:02,239 moment you're not looking at it you're 3258 01:58:08,229 --> 01:58:03,520 looking at something else 3259 01:58:11,589 --> 01:58:08,239 so we are a field of consciousness 3260 01:58:12,870 --> 01:58:11,599 in fact liechtenberg says and shelling 3261 01:58:16,550 --> 01:58:12,880 says 3262 01:58:17,589 --> 01:58:16,560 it thinks in me so as it were there is a 3263 01:58:19,910 --> 01:58:17,599 field of me 3264 01:58:21,189 --> 01:58:19,920 which is the minus of me and all that 3265 01:58:23,189 --> 01:58:21,199 goes into that 3266 01:58:24,629 --> 01:58:23,199 and it's not something alien from me it 3267 01:58:26,629 --> 01:58:24,639 is who i am 3268 01:58:27,990 --> 01:58:26,639 and it's out of that that my thinking 3269 01:58:30,550 --> 01:58:28,000 comes the 3270 01:58:31,910 --> 01:58:30,560 cartesian idea that there must be a 3271 01:58:35,589 --> 01:58:31,920 little chatty ego 3272 01:58:39,430 --> 01:58:35,599 for there to be an eye helps us 3273 01:58:41,990 --> 01:58:39,440 forget or miss the two depths of our 3274 01:58:43,830 --> 01:58:42,000 being so anyway 3275 01:58:45,910 --> 01:58:43,840 when you when you do split brain 3276 01:58:48,149 --> 01:58:45,920 experiments um 3277 01:58:49,910 --> 01:58:48,159 you can interrogate each hemisphere as a 3278 01:58:51,109 --> 01:58:49,920 time and each one is conscious 3279 01:58:53,270 --> 01:58:51,119 it's just that the right hemisphere 3280 01:58:55,669 --> 01:58:53,280 can't in that moment though 3281 01:58:56,310 --> 01:58:55,679 those things sorry sorry sorry to 3282 01:58:57,750 --> 01:58:56,320 interrupt 3283 01:58:59,669 --> 01:58:57,760 because i'm super curious about this 3284 01:59:02,709 --> 01:58:59,679 okay so you have a good one 3285 01:59:04,390 --> 01:59:02,719 sodomy and then you ask the question 3286 01:59:05,589 --> 01:59:04,400 and then you confabulate an answer 3287 01:59:07,430 --> 01:59:05,599 because you don't know what or at least 3288 01:59:08,950 --> 01:59:07,440 the part of the agreement okay 3289 01:59:10,550 --> 01:59:08,960 but that's the part of you that is 3290 01:59:12,390 --> 01:59:10,560 conscious and it seems like the 3291 01:59:13,990 --> 01:59:12,400 consciousness is still in the left and 3292 01:59:17,109 --> 01:59:14,000 the right is in control but it's 3293 01:59:18,629 --> 01:59:17,119 unconsciously in control doing a process 3294 01:59:21,270 --> 01:59:18,639 so is that another way of thinking about 3295 01:59:24,550 --> 01:59:21,280 it or can you attribute consciousness to 3296 01:59:25,510 --> 01:59:24,560 the right hemisphere well i think 3297 01:59:27,750 --> 01:59:25,520 consciousness is 3298 01:59:28,870 --> 01:59:27,760 um it's not a thing it is of course a 3299 01:59:31,109 --> 01:59:28,880 process 3300 01:59:33,030 --> 01:59:31,119 and indeed the brain itself is not a 3301 01:59:36,070 --> 01:59:33,040 thing but a process 3302 01:59:36,629 --> 01:59:36,080 i mean every cell of your body is a 3303 01:59:40,550 --> 01:59:36,639 process 3304 01:59:42,950 --> 01:59:40,560 thing it looks like a thing because in 3305 01:59:45,030 --> 01:59:42,960 photograph it will do a diagram of it 3306 01:59:47,270 --> 01:59:45,040 but actually that thing that looks like 3307 01:59:47,990 --> 01:59:47,280 a cell membrane is actually very fluid 3308 01:59:49,589 --> 01:59:48,000 and it's 3309 01:59:51,430 --> 01:59:49,599 changing its position and its 3310 01:59:54,790 --> 01:59:51,440 composition all the time 3311 01:59:57,189 --> 01:59:54,800 so even a single cell is actually 3312 01:59:59,189 --> 01:59:57,199 a sea of things that are changing and 3313 02:00:01,030 --> 01:59:59,199 moving and interconnect 3314 02:00:02,790 --> 02:00:01,040 now the brain is like that on a 3315 02:00:04,310 --> 02:00:02,800 infinitely larger scale 3316 02:00:05,589 --> 02:00:04,320 i have a feeling that your new book this 3317 02:00:06,870 --> 02:00:05,599 is pretty much what it's talking about 3318 02:00:10,790 --> 02:00:06,880 is that there are no things 3319 02:00:14,950 --> 02:00:12,950 even yes it's not that i think there's 3320 02:00:16,070 --> 02:00:14,960 anything wrong with conceiving of things 3321 02:00:18,149 --> 02:00:16,080 as things i mean 3322 02:00:20,470 --> 02:00:18,159 for example this laptop on my lap is 3323 02:00:22,310 --> 02:00:20,480 perfectly properly described as a thing 3324 02:00:24,070 --> 02:00:22,320 in a certain way it's just a way in 3325 02:00:25,589 --> 02:00:24,080 which we encounter the world for certain 3326 02:00:26,870 --> 02:00:25,599 purposes a very good one 3327 02:00:28,470 --> 02:00:26,880 it's just that on the whole it's a 3328 02:00:30,629 --> 02:00:28,480 mistake to think that the world is 3329 02:00:33,830 --> 02:00:30,639 structured out of things anyway 3330 02:00:36,310 --> 02:00:33,840 um when it comes to 3331 02:00:37,669 --> 02:00:36,320 the consciousness and the brain i mean i 3332 02:00:41,189 --> 02:00:37,679 think of consciousness 3333 02:00:45,030 --> 02:00:41,199 as being sequestered for a while 3334 02:00:46,550 --> 02:00:45,040 in a kind of area um 3335 02:00:49,030 --> 02:00:46,560 and i sometimes think of this as like 3336 02:00:52,149 --> 02:00:49,040 the out pouching of a membrane i mean if 3337 02:00:55,270 --> 02:00:52,159 people remember looking down slides or 3338 02:00:58,709 --> 02:00:55,280 done microscopes or seeing slides of 3339 02:01:00,310 --> 02:00:58,719 um organic membranes of living tissue 3340 02:01:02,629 --> 02:01:00,320 they will often see that they have sort 3341 02:01:04,629 --> 02:01:02,639 of out pouchings called villi 3342 02:01:07,030 --> 02:01:04,639 or or that an amoeba has something 3343 02:01:08,629 --> 02:01:07,040 called a pseudopod that it can extend 3344 02:01:10,229 --> 02:01:08,639 and if you're in the middle of one of 3345 02:01:12,550 --> 02:01:10,239 those those 3346 02:01:14,310 --> 02:01:12,560 long things you can think you're 3347 02:01:15,910 --> 02:01:14,320 completely surrounded on all sides but 3348 02:01:17,189 --> 02:01:15,920 at the foot of it you're connected to 3349 02:01:19,270 --> 02:01:17,199 the mane 3350 02:01:21,990 --> 02:01:19,280 and i think that our consciousness is 3351 02:01:23,830 --> 02:01:22,000 quite rightly seems to us 3352 02:01:25,270 --> 02:01:23,840 um and it would be no good it had been 3353 02:01:26,870 --> 02:01:25,280 flooded with everything else going on in 3354 02:01:28,390 --> 02:01:26,880 the universal nothing original would 3355 02:01:29,350 --> 02:01:28,400 ever happen nothing would be creative 3356 02:01:31,430 --> 02:01:29,360 and i keep saying 3357 02:01:32,709 --> 02:01:31,440 the only way i can explain the cosmos is 3358 02:01:35,669 --> 02:01:32,719 through a deep 3359 02:01:36,790 --> 02:01:35,679 creative urge that's the most i can say 3360 02:01:39,189 --> 02:01:36,800 of it 3361 02:01:39,830 --> 02:01:39,199 and one that probably is connected to to 3362 02:01:43,910 --> 02:01:39,840 love 3363 02:01:46,470 --> 02:01:43,920 which is relationship anyway um 3364 02:01:48,790 --> 02:01:46,480 what i'm saying is that our 3365 02:01:49,990 --> 02:01:48,800 consciousness my consciousness whatever 3366 02:01:53,109 --> 02:01:50,000 it is my brain 3367 02:01:54,149 --> 02:01:53,119 is experiencing as consciousness is for 3368 02:01:56,229 --> 02:01:54,159 the moment 3369 02:01:57,910 --> 02:01:56,239 absolutely connected with my brain you 3370 02:01:59,270 --> 02:01:57,920 know if i get an injury in the brain to 3371 02:02:01,669 --> 02:01:59,280 affect the consciousness 3372 02:02:03,189 --> 02:02:01,679 and in in to go back to james's thing 3373 02:02:04,470 --> 02:02:03,199 about the vocal cords if he has an 3374 02:02:08,310 --> 02:02:04,480 injury to the vocal cords 3375 02:02:10,390 --> 02:02:08,320 his voice will disappear and so on so 3376 02:02:12,790 --> 02:02:10,400 but he he he and his thoughts and his 3377 02:02:15,510 --> 02:02:12,800 everything that were expressed through 3378 02:02:17,350 --> 02:02:15,520 that will carry on i i know it's not an 3379 02:02:20,310 --> 02:02:17,360 exact analogy another image i 3380 02:02:23,510 --> 02:02:20,320 i use sometimes is is of the the 3381 02:02:25,830 --> 02:02:23,520 consciousness in the brain 3382 02:02:27,510 --> 02:02:25,840 being able to divide and go around an 3383 02:02:29,669 --> 02:02:27,520 island so that 3384 02:02:31,270 --> 02:02:29,679 at a certain point in the flow of a 3385 02:02:33,109 --> 02:02:31,280 stream there may be two 3386 02:02:35,270 --> 02:02:33,119 seemingly quite distinct streams that 3387 02:02:37,270 --> 02:02:35,280 don't know much about one another 3388 02:02:39,109 --> 02:02:37,280 at that moment if you took a but it 3389 02:02:40,629 --> 02:02:39,119 moved 100 yards down the river you'd see 3390 02:02:42,070 --> 02:02:40,639 that they came together as they'd been 3391 02:02:43,750 --> 02:02:42,080 together before 3392 02:02:45,109 --> 02:02:43,760 and they weren't there for entirely 3393 02:02:45,990 --> 02:02:45,119 separate streams although it would be 3394 02:02:47,589 --> 02:02:46,000 perfectly reasonable 3395 02:02:49,430 --> 02:02:47,599 to talk of them as separate streams at 3396 02:02:52,310 --> 02:02:49,440 the time 3397 02:02:53,990 --> 02:02:52,320 but ultimately they are connected and of 3398 02:02:54,709 --> 02:02:54,000 course the image of the stream which is 3399 02:03:02,709 --> 02:02:54,719 the 3400 02:03:04,870 --> 02:03:02,719 all time favorite philosopher heraclitus 3401 02:03:06,470 --> 02:03:04,880 said was at the heart of you know all 3402 02:03:08,709 --> 02:03:06,480 everything flows 3403 02:03:10,149 --> 02:03:08,719 um it is a brilliant perception because 3404 02:03:12,550 --> 02:03:10,159 the stream both 3405 02:03:13,189 --> 02:03:12,560 remains as a stream that passes my house 3406 02:03:14,870 --> 02:03:13,199 and it 3407 02:03:16,870 --> 02:03:14,880 will be there tomorrow morning with luck 3408 02:03:18,790 --> 02:03:16,880 as it is now but 3409 02:03:20,550 --> 02:03:18,800 it's also true that it's changing all 3410 02:03:21,510 --> 02:03:20,560 the time and even changing its 3411 02:03:24,229 --> 02:03:21,520 boundaries 3412 02:03:25,510 --> 02:03:24,239 a little and what goes on in it and so 3413 02:03:27,189 --> 02:03:25,520 forth 3414 02:03:28,709 --> 02:03:27,199 i recall you talking about heraclitus 3415 02:03:31,109 --> 02:03:28,719 and saying that it is 3416 02:03:31,990 --> 02:03:31,119 both that the stream is the same and 3417 02:03:33,350 --> 02:03:32,000 that it's you know 3418 02:03:35,030 --> 02:03:33,360 that you don't step in the same river 3419 02:03:37,510 --> 02:03:35,040 twice it's more like exactly 3420 02:03:38,229 --> 02:03:37,520 you're it's more like those are two 3421 02:03:41,270 --> 02:03:38,239 different modes of 3422 02:03:43,350 --> 02:03:41,280 being with the river or the stream okay 3423 02:03:45,270 --> 02:03:43,360 now see that's different then the 3424 02:03:46,629 --> 02:03:45,280 standard analytical answer would be 3425 02:03:48,550 --> 02:03:46,639 the wittgenstein which is while you're 3426 02:03:50,229 --> 02:03:48,560 playing different language games 3427 02:03:51,589 --> 02:03:50,239 and so it depends on what you mean by so 3428 02:03:53,109 --> 02:03:51,599 and so but you're saying you've changed 3429 02:03:54,790 --> 02:03:53,119 it from the analytical to saying no no 3430 02:03:58,229 --> 02:03:54,800 it depends on how you be 3431 02:04:01,189 --> 02:03:58,239 okay yes mind outlining that briefly or 3432 02:04:05,910 --> 02:04:01,199 as lengthy as you like for the audience 3433 02:04:10,629 --> 02:04:07,510 in a way it's another way of saying 3434 02:04:12,870 --> 02:04:10,639 something i said before which is that 3435 02:04:16,629 --> 02:04:12,880 it's not 3436 02:04:20,310 --> 02:04:16,639 either or or both end 3437 02:04:22,870 --> 02:04:20,320 it's both either or and both and 3438 02:04:25,109 --> 02:04:22,880 so it is both true that the stream is 3439 02:04:29,350 --> 02:04:25,119 the same stream 3440 02:04:31,669 --> 02:04:29,360 and that it is a different stream 3441 02:04:34,149 --> 02:04:31,679 uh each of these has a sort of truth and 3442 02:04:35,510 --> 02:04:34,159 in a either orchestral mind you can go 3443 02:04:37,030 --> 02:04:35,520 well come on which is it 3444 02:04:39,109 --> 02:04:37,040 but in another way you can say it's 3445 02:04:42,470 --> 02:04:39,119 perfectly coherent that it is 3446 02:04:44,470 --> 02:04:42,480 both not actually because 3447 02:04:47,109 --> 02:04:44,480 in some part as i've just suggested with 3448 02:04:50,390 --> 02:04:47,119 an image of an island 3449 02:04:53,589 --> 02:04:50,400 but all the time it is 3450 02:04:56,950 --> 02:04:53,599 one and the other and 3451 02:05:00,069 --> 02:04:56,960 there are many things uh in in life 3452 02:05:02,310 --> 02:05:00,079 uh and in the wider 3453 02:05:03,830 --> 02:05:02,320 structure of things it seems to me that 3454 02:05:06,709 --> 02:05:03,840 have this dual 3455 02:05:08,629 --> 02:05:06,719 not dual quality exactly but this 3456 02:05:10,550 --> 02:05:08,639 unwillingness to 3457 02:05:11,830 --> 02:05:10,560 to finally split it into it's got to be 3458 02:05:13,910 --> 02:05:11,840 this way or that 3459 02:05:15,669 --> 02:05:13,920 in fact the further you go towards deep 3460 02:05:18,950 --> 02:05:15,679 things the more you find that 3461 02:05:20,629 --> 02:05:18,960 opposites um come together and i know 3462 02:05:23,109 --> 02:05:20,639 i'm hardly the first person to have said 3463 02:05:25,350 --> 02:05:23,119 that but it still needs to be said 3464 02:05:26,790 --> 02:05:25,360 isn't that still very much needs to be 3465 02:05:28,550 --> 02:05:26,800 said sorry 3466 02:05:30,470 --> 02:05:28,560 is that why you said at one point that 3467 02:05:31,910 --> 02:05:30,480 the logical mind while it reinforces 3468 02:05:33,669 --> 02:05:31,920 itself reinforcing 3469 02:05:36,790 --> 02:05:33,679 at its extreme you would get to the 3470 02:05:42,790 --> 02:05:39,430 well i think it to the extreme it ought 3471 02:05:44,709 --> 02:05:42,800 to be able to encounter its own bounds 3472 02:05:46,709 --> 02:05:44,719 so for example in a way girdle 3473 02:05:47,990 --> 02:05:46,719 demonstrated that a certain kind of 3474 02:05:50,790 --> 02:05:48,000 entirely logical 3475 02:05:52,229 --> 02:05:50,800 thinking eventually demonstrates its own 3476 02:05:55,589 --> 02:05:52,239 limitations 3477 02:05:56,229 --> 02:05:55,599 and pascal said that reason is feeble 3478 02:05:58,709 --> 02:05:56,239 indeed 3479 02:06:00,870 --> 02:05:58,719 if it cannot see its own limitations and 3480 02:06:02,790 --> 02:06:00,880 don't forget that pascal was a great 3481 02:06:07,030 --> 02:06:02,800 mathematician and logician 3482 02:06:10,229 --> 02:06:07,040 so um i mean as well as being 3483 02:06:12,870 --> 02:06:10,239 a great spiritual thinker so if you take 3484 02:06:16,149 --> 02:06:12,880 the left hemisphere thing far enough 3485 02:06:16,950 --> 02:06:16,159 it will encounter its own self coming 3486 02:06:18,950 --> 02:06:16,960 the other way 3487 02:06:20,629 --> 02:06:18,960 and we sometimes see this happening in 3488 02:06:21,750 --> 02:06:20,639 the world that if you take a certain 3489 02:06:24,870 --> 02:06:21,760 point of view 3490 02:06:27,589 --> 02:06:24,880 far enough um if you take um 3491 02:06:28,310 --> 02:06:27,599 an intolerant attitude that's dogmatic 3492 02:06:34,550 --> 02:06:28,320 and 3493 02:06:35,750 --> 02:06:34,560 a similar one on the left you can hardly 3494 02:06:37,669 --> 02:06:35,760 tell the difference it's in the 3495 02:06:38,709 --> 02:06:37,679 mentality it's in an approach to the 3496 02:06:41,350 --> 02:06:38,719 world 3497 02:06:42,870 --> 02:06:41,360 um and you know by going further and 3498 02:06:45,910 --> 02:06:42,880 further away to the 3499 02:06:47,990 --> 02:06:45,920 right or the left you don't avoid 3500 02:06:50,629 --> 02:06:48,000 the fate that you're trying to avoid the 3501 02:06:52,870 --> 02:06:50,639 nemesis will come to you if you insist 3502 02:06:54,069 --> 02:06:52,880 on having a black and white either or 3503 02:06:57,910 --> 02:06:54,079 way of thinking 3504 02:06:59,830 --> 02:06:57,920 so we must for our own sakes get back to 3505 02:07:02,790 --> 02:06:59,840 seeing that it's a both and 3506 02:07:04,950 --> 02:07:02,800 world in which you may have truth on 3507 02:07:06,790 --> 02:07:04,960 your side and i may have truth on my 3508 02:07:07,830 --> 02:07:06,800 side and we ought to respect one another 3509 02:07:11,270 --> 02:07:07,840 and talk about it 3510 02:07:15,270 --> 02:07:11,280 in a grown-up way not um 3511 02:07:15,589 --> 02:07:15,280 vilifying hating and silencing people 3512 02:07:17,430 --> 02:07:15,599 but 3513 02:07:18,950 --> 02:07:17,440 listening to people who say things 3514 02:07:21,430 --> 02:07:18,960 different from ourselves 3515 02:07:23,270 --> 02:07:21,440 that's so fundamental it's how our 3516 02:07:25,990 --> 02:07:23,280 civilization got to 3517 02:07:27,270 --> 02:07:26,000 have a culture and now we're throwing it 3518 02:07:29,910 --> 02:07:27,280 away 3519 02:07:30,629 --> 02:07:29,920 anyway sorry it does distress me very 3520 02:07:33,750 --> 02:07:30,639 much 3521 02:07:35,109 --> 02:07:33,760 this this sudden rise in in the not 3522 02:07:36,390 --> 02:07:35,119 being shades of meaning 3523 02:07:38,149 --> 02:07:36,400 i think it's to do with the way we're 3524 02:07:40,229 --> 02:07:38,159 educated i don't think we're taught any 3525 02:07:41,990 --> 02:07:40,239 longer to think 3526 02:07:43,350 --> 02:07:42,000 there's a phrase in greek in classical 3527 02:07:46,870 --> 02:07:43,360 greek 3528 02:07:49,990 --> 02:07:46,880 men and then many 3529 02:07:53,189 --> 02:07:50,000 of the great philosophers of greek 3530 02:07:56,310 --> 02:07:53,199 they would say men on the one hand this 3531 02:07:57,830 --> 02:07:56,320 there on the other hand that and in a 3532 02:07:59,669 --> 02:07:57,840 way that was part of the way i was 3533 02:08:01,830 --> 02:07:59,679 taught to think that you should see 3534 02:08:04,550 --> 02:08:01,840 yes as good in that but there's there's 3535 02:08:08,229 --> 02:08:04,560 also something else to be said that's 3536 02:08:11,350 --> 02:08:08,239 you know you need to be aware of and 3537 02:08:12,069 --> 02:08:11,360 i i i've in the last year or two come 3538 02:08:14,229 --> 02:08:12,079 across 3539 02:08:15,910 --> 02:08:14,239 a couple of zen sayings that i like very 3540 02:08:17,830 --> 02:08:15,920 much and i think i might write a book 3541 02:08:21,990 --> 02:08:17,840 with one or other title and one is 3542 02:08:23,910 --> 02:08:22,000 yes but and the other is not always so 3543 02:08:25,750 --> 02:08:23,920 and that really brings on back into the 3544 02:08:27,030 --> 02:08:25,760 world of the right hemisphere because 3545 02:08:29,910 --> 02:08:27,040 the right hemisphere 3546 02:08:30,390 --> 02:08:29,920 thinks yes but it's the one that always 3547 02:08:34,310 --> 02:08:30,400 says 3548 02:08:37,030 --> 02:08:34,320 uh yes but hang on it inhibits headlong 3549 02:08:39,030 --> 02:08:37,040 action it's actually more intelligent 3550 02:08:40,709 --> 02:08:39,040 and it literally is a more 3551 02:08:41,830 --> 02:08:40,719 intelligent hemisphere in the sense that 3552 02:08:43,109 --> 02:08:41,840 if you have damage to the left 3553 02:08:44,149 --> 02:08:43,119 hemisphere damage to the right 3554 02:08:48,470 --> 02:08:44,159 hemisphere 3555 02:08:50,310 --> 02:08:48,480 will drop your iq more than damage 3556 02:08:51,750 --> 02:08:50,320 oh that's extremely interesting i know 3557 02:08:54,069 --> 02:08:51,760 that you can function in the world more 3558 02:08:56,229 --> 02:08:54,079 adaptively if you have a left lesion 3559 02:08:58,229 --> 02:08:56,239 not the right lesion you can certainly 3560 02:08:59,910 --> 02:08:58,239 function more because your emotional 3561 02:09:01,589 --> 02:08:59,920 intelligence is not impaired and your 3562 02:09:02,149 --> 02:09:01,599 understanding of human beings is not in 3563 02:09:05,109 --> 02:09:02,159 bed 3564 02:09:06,149 --> 02:09:05,119 but your good old-fashioned cognitive 3565 02:09:09,189 --> 02:09:06,159 intelligence i 3566 02:09:10,550 --> 02:09:09,199 whatever it is iq measures is also more 3567 02:09:13,990 --> 02:09:10,560 highly dependent on 3568 02:09:17,589 --> 02:09:14,000 the right hemisphere than the left um 3569 02:09:21,270 --> 02:09:17,599 anyway there's a study by barbie at al 3570 02:09:23,910 --> 02:09:21,280 in 2013 where they looked at um 3571 02:09:25,990 --> 02:09:23,920 150 people who'd had strokes and had a 3572 02:09:28,390 --> 02:09:26,000 pre-morbid iq measurement 3573 02:09:29,510 --> 02:09:28,400 and looked at their post-morbid iq 3574 02:09:32,069 --> 02:09:29,520 measurement 3575 02:09:33,430 --> 02:09:32,079 and the and then they put the maps over 3576 02:09:35,589 --> 02:09:33,440 the top of one another 3577 02:09:37,589 --> 02:09:35,599 and where were the really key areas for 3578 02:09:39,430 --> 02:09:37,599 dropping your intelligence hardly any 3579 02:09:40,790 --> 02:09:39,440 was in the left hemisphere interesting 3580 02:09:42,470 --> 02:09:40,800 almost all of them are in the right 3581 02:09:45,990 --> 02:09:42,480 hemisphere which is not of course 3582 02:09:47,350 --> 02:09:46,000 again part of that bad old caricature 3583 02:09:48,629 --> 02:09:47,360 difference between the left and right 3584 02:09:50,470 --> 02:09:48,639 hemispheres well you know the right 3585 02:09:52,790 --> 02:09:50,480 hemisphere is all very well dear but 3586 02:09:55,990 --> 02:09:52,800 it's a bit you know kind of 3587 02:09:58,629 --> 02:09:56,000 not very reliable and silent but 3588 02:10:00,229 --> 02:09:58,639 yes but actually it's both more reliable 3589 02:10:02,310 --> 02:10:00,239 in the sense of more 3590 02:10:03,910 --> 02:10:02,320 likely to make the good decision and 3591 02:10:05,430 --> 02:10:03,920 more intelligent but anyway there we go 3592 02:10:07,510 --> 02:10:05,440 but let's say about inhibition because 3593 02:10:09,109 --> 02:10:07,520 you you you said to me earlier on and 3594 02:10:13,030 --> 02:10:09,119 then i actually i really must 3595 02:10:15,189 --> 02:10:13,040 stop i'm enjoying it so no no bless you 3596 02:10:16,310 --> 02:10:15,199 no i could i could talk to you all day i 3597 02:10:19,669 --> 02:10:16,320 wish we had time 3598 02:10:22,550 --> 02:10:19,679 um but i said early on 3599 02:10:24,470 --> 02:10:22,560 something about inhibition well here's a 3600 02:10:27,270 --> 02:10:24,480 fascinating thing 3601 02:10:28,390 --> 02:10:27,280 first of all the corpus callosum which 3602 02:10:29,750 --> 02:10:28,400 started up that's the 3603 02:10:31,510 --> 02:10:29,760 band of fibers that connects the two 3604 02:10:33,910 --> 02:10:31,520 hemispheres at the base of the brain 3605 02:10:35,510 --> 02:10:33,920 started out largely facilitatory in 3606 02:10:37,589 --> 02:10:35,520 other words it was largely 3607 02:10:39,830 --> 02:10:37,599 um conveying information from one to the 3608 02:10:41,830 --> 02:10:39,840 other hemispheres but it has now 3609 02:10:43,350 --> 02:10:41,840 come to the point where much of its 3610 02:10:46,470 --> 02:10:43,360 actual outcome 3611 02:10:47,510 --> 02:10:46,480 is inhibitory so much of what it is 3612 02:10:49,350 --> 02:10:47,520 doing is saying 3613 02:10:52,069 --> 02:10:49,360 you keep out of this you'll confuse the 3614 02:10:55,750 --> 02:10:52,079 picture i need to deal with this 3615 02:10:58,629 --> 02:10:55,760 and when the 3616 02:11:00,229 --> 02:10:58,639 mammalian brain evolved from you know 3617 02:11:02,709 --> 02:11:00,239 the mouse or whatever the shrew 3618 02:11:04,550 --> 02:11:02,719 up to ourselves if we can think of it as 3619 02:11:07,510 --> 02:11:04,560 a road upwards 3620 02:11:08,550 --> 02:11:07,520 um it involves more and more inhibitory 3621 02:11:13,189 --> 02:11:08,560 neurons 3622 02:11:15,510 --> 02:11:13,199 than other 3623 02:11:17,350 --> 02:11:15,520 non-primates and humans have more 3624 02:11:19,350 --> 02:11:17,360 inhibitory neurons than any other 3625 02:11:22,830 --> 02:11:19,360 primate 3626 02:11:26,470 --> 02:11:22,840 and the really important 3627 02:11:30,069 --> 02:11:26,480 neurons for uh 3628 02:11:33,030 --> 02:11:30,079 the effectiveness of carving experience 3629 02:11:33,589 --> 02:11:33,040 coming back to the idea that that as 3630 02:11:36,790 --> 02:11:33,599 we're like 3631 02:11:38,790 --> 02:11:36,800 carving as a statue in this in the stone 3632 02:11:41,510 --> 02:11:38,800 something only comes into being by the 3633 02:11:44,470 --> 02:11:41,520 the turning away of something else so 3634 02:11:45,830 --> 02:11:44,480 the inhibition of the this is discarding 3635 02:11:48,709 --> 02:11:45,840 something that might have been 3636 02:11:49,510 --> 02:11:48,719 brings the thing into me i'm getting 3637 02:11:51,510 --> 02:11:49,520 stopped 3638 02:11:52,550 --> 02:11:51,520 yeah sorry because you could you could 3639 02:11:54,709 --> 02:11:52,560 actually keep 3640 02:11:56,629 --> 02:11:54,719 i mean i could keep talking to very ages 3641 02:11:57,750 --> 02:11:56,639 it's lovely quick comment on that i was 3642 02:11:59,430 --> 02:11:57,760 always wondering if there's a more 3643 02:12:01,270 --> 02:11:59,440 precise marker of intelligence or 3644 02:12:02,550 --> 02:12:01,280 sophistication than the encephalization 3645 02:12:04,470 --> 02:12:02,560 quotient or the brain 3646 02:12:06,470 --> 02:12:04,480 to body mass ratio and i was wondering 3647 02:12:09,589 --> 02:12:06,480 if you can use the inhibitory neurons in 3648 02:12:13,109 --> 02:12:12,229 i i think any of the any of the known 3649 02:12:16,310 --> 02:12:13,119 markers 3650 02:12:18,470 --> 02:12:16,320 uh has a little to be said for it and 3651 02:12:19,990 --> 02:12:18,480 quite a lot to be said again right and 3652 02:12:21,270 --> 02:12:20,000 one of the things again you know think 3653 02:12:23,669 --> 02:12:21,280 about the crow 3654 02:12:26,310 --> 02:12:23,679 able to solve all kinds of problems a 3655 02:12:27,510 --> 02:12:26,320 brain the size of a pee 3656 02:12:29,669 --> 02:12:27,520 though birds do have a higher 3657 02:12:31,990 --> 02:12:29,679 encephalization quotient than us 3658 02:12:33,510 --> 02:12:32,000 well there's a higher encephalization 3659 02:12:36,709 --> 02:12:33,520 quotient that is correct 3660 02:12:38,950 --> 02:12:36,719 but nonetheless the actual 3661 02:12:40,470 --> 02:12:38,960 number of possible connections is very 3662 02:12:42,629 --> 02:12:40,480 much smaller which is probably why 3663 02:12:46,069 --> 02:12:42,639 they're not 3664 02:12:47,589 --> 02:12:46,079 building um building things that are 3665 02:12:51,350 --> 02:12:47,599 destroying the world 3666 02:12:53,510 --> 02:12:51,360 okay this one comes from sam ford 3667 02:12:55,189 --> 02:12:53,520 nice one i'm a big fan of ian 3668 02:12:55,990 --> 02:12:55,199 mcgillicrist i think he's perhaps one of 3669 02:12:58,149 --> 02:12:56,000 the most important 3670 02:13:00,069 --> 02:12:58,159 thinkers of recent times he cites jung a 3671 02:13:01,510 --> 02:13:00,079 few times in the master in his emissary 3672 02:13:03,270 --> 02:13:01,520 and mentioned ewing in his first talk 3673 02:13:05,030 --> 02:13:03,280 with peterson i've always wondered 3674 02:13:06,790 --> 02:13:05,040 how well he thinks jung's ideas about 3675 02:13:09,990 --> 02:13:06,800 the different aspects of the psyche 3676 02:13:11,990 --> 02:13:10,000 map on to his own he gives a little 3677 02:13:13,270 --> 02:13:12,000 pulse amble it seems to me that maybe 3678 02:13:15,189 --> 02:13:13,280 the persona ego 3679 02:13:16,310 --> 02:13:15,199 and the left hemisphere may match up to 3680 02:13:18,390 --> 02:13:16,320 some degree 3681 02:13:20,310 --> 02:13:18,400 and that the unknown greater personality 3682 02:13:22,709 --> 02:13:20,320 of self matches up to the 3683 02:13:24,629 --> 02:13:22,719 union of the left and the right 3684 02:13:26,790 --> 02:13:24,639 hemispheres maybe 3685 02:13:28,069 --> 02:13:26,800 either way i would like to know his 3686 02:13:31,510 --> 02:13:28,079 ideas on how 3687 02:13:33,910 --> 02:13:31,520 jung matches up with his well 3688 02:13:34,629 --> 02:13:33,920 that's a a very nice question and a good 3689 02:13:37,669 --> 02:13:34,639 one 3690 02:13:38,709 --> 02:13:37,679 um i have to say right away that i've 3691 02:13:42,149 --> 02:13:38,719 not really 3692 02:13:46,950 --> 02:13:42,159 made any systematic study of jung 3693 02:13:49,189 --> 02:13:46,960 i read um modern man in search of a soul 3694 02:13:51,750 --> 02:13:49,199 when i was a teenager and it struck me 3695 02:13:55,189 --> 02:13:51,760 as a very important and powerful book 3696 02:13:57,589 --> 02:13:55,199 and since then i have i've read bits and 3697 02:13:59,669 --> 02:13:57,599 pieces here and there so i don't really 3698 02:14:00,790 --> 02:13:59,679 i wouldn't say i'm a paid up jungian or 3699 02:14:03,910 --> 02:14:00,800 anything like that 3700 02:14:04,950 --> 02:14:03,920 although i do find that uh jungians like 3701 02:14:07,669 --> 02:14:04,960 buddhists 3702 02:14:08,149 --> 02:14:07,679 and i'm also not a buddhist although i 3703 02:14:10,069 --> 02:14:08,159 have 3704 02:14:11,589 --> 02:14:10,079 great sympathy with both jungians and 3705 02:14:14,629 --> 02:14:11,599 buddhists and 3706 02:14:15,510 --> 02:14:14,639 they seem to come to my my talks and 3707 02:14:18,310 --> 02:14:15,520 write to me 3708 02:14:20,550 --> 02:14:18,320 so obviously in their probably better 3709 02:14:22,629 --> 02:14:20,560 informed minds 3710 02:14:25,589 --> 02:14:22,639 whatever it is i'm saying has resonances 3711 02:14:28,709 --> 02:14:25,599 and i'm always interested in those 3712 02:14:29,910 --> 02:14:28,719 i think the the key thing about jung for 3713 02:14:31,830 --> 02:14:29,920 me 3714 02:14:33,030 --> 02:14:31,840 i can't really talk definitively about 3715 02:14:35,669 --> 02:14:33,040 things like the 3716 02:14:37,510 --> 02:14:35,679 you know the ego and the animus and the 3717 02:14:40,790 --> 02:14:37,520 anima and all these things but 3718 02:14:43,830 --> 02:14:40,800 but i can say that his general 3719 02:14:46,629 --> 02:14:43,840 world picture is very sympathetic 3720 02:14:48,149 --> 02:14:46,639 from my point of view and one of the 3721 02:14:50,950 --> 02:14:48,159 most important points 3722 02:14:52,830 --> 02:14:50,960 which is something that he shared with 3723 02:14:57,189 --> 02:14:52,840 goethe 3724 02:14:59,270 --> 02:14:57,199 um was this sense that opposites 3725 02:15:01,669 --> 02:14:59,280 uh come together and that's something 3726 02:15:03,750 --> 02:15:01,679 that i do strongly believe as i 3727 02:15:04,870 --> 02:15:03,760 i've said earlier when we were talking 3728 02:15:08,069 --> 02:15:04,880 about that 3729 02:15:09,109 --> 02:15:08,079 um so yeah but i'm afraid i'm not really 3730 02:15:11,350 --> 02:15:09,119 in a position to 3731 02:15:12,470 --> 02:15:11,360 it's slightly like the freudian question 3732 02:15:14,629 --> 02:15:12,480 you asked about 3733 02:15:16,870 --> 02:15:14,639 you know can we line up the id and the 3734 02:15:21,430 --> 02:15:16,880 eager and the super ego with 3735 02:15:23,189 --> 02:15:21,440 i think to an extent you can but 3736 02:15:25,109 --> 02:15:23,199 and i'm sure that you know it's possible 3737 02:15:28,709 --> 02:15:25,119 to make good analogies 3738 02:15:30,629 --> 02:15:28,719 um between jung's uh 3739 02:15:31,990 --> 02:15:30,639 work which i don't you know as i say i 3740 02:15:35,109 --> 02:15:32,000 don't know the detail 3741 02:15:36,069 --> 02:15:35,119 of um i've always thought of him as a 3742 02:15:39,510 --> 02:15:36,079 very 3743 02:15:41,030 --> 02:15:39,520 um sympathetic soul basically um 3744 02:15:44,069 --> 02:15:41,040 so i'm afraid i'm going to have to 3745 02:15:46,390 --> 02:15:44,079 disappoint sam there 3746 02:15:48,229 --> 02:15:46,400 but the thing that interests me though 3747 02:15:50,069 --> 02:15:48,239 is you know that although 3748 02:15:51,750 --> 02:15:50,079 you see looking back over history there 3749 02:15:54,709 --> 02:15:51,760 are so many people 3750 02:15:56,550 --> 02:15:54,719 who uh long before even freud and jung 3751 02:15:59,270 --> 02:15:56,560 and who knew even less about 3752 02:16:00,709 --> 02:15:59,280 the structure of the brain than they did 3753 02:16:03,990 --> 02:16:00,719 have posited 3754 02:16:06,069 --> 02:16:04,000 something very like what i'm think i've 3755 02:16:08,870 --> 02:16:06,079 discovered and i'm promulgating 3756 02:16:10,229 --> 02:16:08,880 from the basis of modern neuroscience 3757 02:16:12,390 --> 02:16:10,239 it's very exciting 3758 02:16:15,510 --> 02:16:12,400 that in a way these these great 3759 02:16:18,550 --> 02:16:15,520 archetypes these images from 3760 02:16:20,390 --> 02:16:18,560 wise minds in the past they they had 3761 02:16:23,109 --> 02:16:20,400 intuitive understanding 3762 02:16:25,430 --> 02:16:23,119 of something that can now be more 3763 02:16:26,870 --> 02:16:25,440 objectively demonstrated 3764 02:16:29,189 --> 02:16:26,880 you mentioned once in your book about 3765 02:16:30,790 --> 02:16:29,199 the greeks that they had 3766 02:16:32,309 --> 02:16:30,800 some intimation about the left and the 3767 02:16:35,190 --> 02:16:32,319 right hemisphere 3768 02:16:36,469 --> 02:16:35,200 either one is for i think perception of 3769 02:16:39,750 --> 02:16:36,479 the other one was for 3770 02:16:40,790 --> 02:16:39,760 understanding that's right yes and and 3771 02:16:43,910 --> 02:16:40,800 it's fascinating 3772 02:16:45,270 --> 02:16:43,920 um that so long ago people were 3773 02:16:49,030 --> 02:16:45,280 speculating on the 3774 02:16:49,750 --> 02:16:49,040 the the um the uses of the two parts of 3775 02:16:51,349 --> 02:16:49,760 the brain 3776 02:16:53,270 --> 02:16:51,359 i mean what one has to remember is that 3777 02:16:54,950 --> 02:16:53,280 in in galen who was you know 3778 02:16:56,469 --> 02:16:54,960 one of the first great physicians he 3779 02:16:57,509 --> 02:16:56,479 thought that the brain was actually a 3780 02:16:59,509 --> 02:16:57,519 kind of um 3781 02:17:00,549 --> 02:16:59,519 air conditioning system he thought that 3782 02:17:06,389 --> 02:17:00,559 it 3783 02:17:07,589 --> 02:17:06,399 so clearly they were very long way off 3784 02:17:11,429 --> 02:17:07,599 modern science but 3785 02:17:14,469 --> 02:17:11,439 i i do cite and footnote the sources for 3786 02:17:16,709 --> 02:17:14,479 i think the third century a.d 3787 02:17:17,669 --> 02:17:16,719 suggestions that the right hemisphere's 3788 02:17:19,910 --> 02:17:17,679 perception 3789 02:17:21,030 --> 02:17:19,920 and the left for understanding now 3790 02:17:22,309 --> 02:17:21,040 unfortunately 3791 02:17:24,389 --> 02:17:22,319 it's actually true that the right 3792 02:17:25,750 --> 02:17:24,399 hemisphere is better at both perceiving 3793 02:17:27,589 --> 02:17:25,760 and understanding 3794 02:17:29,349 --> 02:17:27,599 but one sort of knows what was being got 3795 02:17:31,110 --> 02:17:29,359 at the right hemisphere is definitely 3796 02:17:33,110 --> 02:17:31,120 better at perception 3797 02:17:34,469 --> 02:17:33,120 and at the sort of taking of things as 3798 02:17:37,589 --> 02:17:34,479 reality rather than 3799 02:17:39,589 --> 02:17:37,599 um having an idea about them in the way 3800 02:17:41,669 --> 02:17:39,599 that the left hemisphere has so 3801 02:17:43,910 --> 02:17:41,679 you know it is that is also remarkable 3802 02:17:45,669 --> 02:17:43,920 thank you for reminding me yeah 3803 02:17:48,070 --> 02:17:45,679 well thank you for pointing it out i 3804 02:17:50,230 --> 02:17:48,080 make extensive notes 3805 02:17:51,750 --> 02:17:50,240 okay that's another reason why i was 3806 02:17:53,429 --> 02:17:51,760 telling you before that this podcast is 3807 02:17:55,750 --> 02:17:53,439 killing me in many ways 3808 02:17:56,549 --> 02:17:55,760 in one way in a salutary manner 3809 02:17:58,389 --> 02:17:56,559 hopefully 3810 02:18:00,709 --> 02:17:58,399 in in one way it's destabilizing in 3811 02:18:02,389 --> 02:18:00,719 another it takes so much preparation and 3812 02:18:05,270 --> 02:18:02,399 hopefully the preparation shows 3813 02:18:06,389 --> 02:18:05,280 in the questions and um sometimes i read 3814 02:18:08,469 --> 02:18:06,399 the comments and 3815 02:18:09,589 --> 02:18:08,479 often they indicate that they do but i 3816 02:18:11,990 --> 02:18:09,599 always wonder how much am i 3817 02:18:15,190 --> 02:18:12,000 overextending myself 3818 02:18:18,549 --> 02:18:15,200 no no well look i mean let me say 3819 02:18:20,790 --> 02:18:18,559 quite genuinely that you do 3820 02:18:22,549 --> 02:18:20,800 your your questions are some of the best 3821 02:18:25,429 --> 02:18:22,559 um 3822 02:18:26,309 --> 02:18:25,439 they target very important areas and no 3823 02:18:27,990 --> 02:18:26,319 i think you're 3824 02:18:29,830 --> 02:18:28,000 you know from that point of view you're 3825 02:18:30,790 --> 02:18:29,840 one of the best interviewers that i've 3826 02:18:33,750 --> 02:18:30,800 i've come across 3827 02:18:34,950 --> 02:18:33,760 so thank you okay well thank you thank 3828 02:18:36,709 --> 02:18:34,960 you man 3829 02:18:38,469 --> 02:18:36,719 it makes me bless i'm brown you can't 3830 02:18:41,910 --> 02:18:38,479 tell but 3831 02:18:43,750 --> 02:18:41,920 but i am blushing okay joanne dong 3832 02:18:45,669 --> 02:18:43,760 says can you ask megilicrist about the 3833 02:18:47,669 --> 02:18:45,679 substitution effect from psychology 3834 02:18:48,870 --> 02:18:47,679 and its impact on the imbalance between 3835 02:18:51,110 --> 02:18:48,880 the right and the left 3836 02:18:52,709 --> 02:18:51,120 hemispheres over the course of western 3837 02:18:55,190 --> 02:18:52,719 civilization 3838 02:18:55,830 --> 02:18:55,200 daniel kenneman states in thinking fast 3839 02:18:57,750 --> 02:18:55,840 and slow 3840 02:18:59,589 --> 02:18:57,760 when faced with a difficult question we 3841 02:19:01,830 --> 02:18:59,599 often answer an easier one instead 3842 02:19:04,950 --> 02:19:01,840 without noticing the substitution thank 3843 02:19:04,960 --> 02:19:09,509 well yes uh 3844 02:19:13,830 --> 02:19:12,150 well first of all let me say about uh 3845 02:19:16,549 --> 02:19:13,840 daniel kahneman and 3846 02:19:18,469 --> 02:19:16,559 and the hemisphere hypothesis uh it 3847 02:19:20,709 --> 02:19:18,479 would be wrong to suppose that when he 3848 02:19:23,669 --> 02:19:20,719 talks about thinking 3849 02:19:25,190 --> 02:19:23,679 fast and slow he's talking about the two 3850 02:19:29,190 --> 02:19:25,200 hemispheres 3851 02:19:31,429 --> 02:19:29,200 um in a conversation that we had 3852 02:19:32,230 --> 02:19:31,439 he confirmed my impression that he's 3853 02:19:35,030 --> 02:19:32,240 talking about 3854 02:19:35,509 --> 02:19:35,040 more top brain versus bottom brain than 3855 02:19:39,589 --> 02:19:35,519 the 3856 02:19:42,309 --> 02:19:39,599 of both hemispheres 3857 02:19:44,790 --> 02:19:42,319 taking more time being more thorough and 3858 02:19:47,669 --> 02:19:44,800 the posterior cortex of both hemispheres 3859 02:19:49,510 --> 02:19:47,679 being more likely to be 3860 02:19:52,630 --> 02:19:49,520 jumping to conclusions or going for the 3861 02:19:54,710 --> 02:19:52,640 familiar however having said that 3862 02:19:56,309 --> 02:19:54,720 your questioner does touch on something 3863 02:19:59,510 --> 02:19:56,319 very interesting 3864 02:20:03,030 --> 02:19:59,520 because research shows that 3865 02:20:04,150 --> 02:20:03,040 um the the left hemisphere jumps to 3866 02:20:07,590 --> 02:20:04,160 conclusions 3867 02:20:09,349 --> 02:20:07,600 and tends to see what it wants to see 3868 02:20:12,070 --> 02:20:09,359 in what is being presented or what is 3869 02:20:14,950 --> 02:20:12,080 being asked it will actually ignore 3870 02:20:16,950 --> 02:20:14,960 or just not hear or just not see things 3871 02:20:19,830 --> 02:20:16,960 that invoke something that it's not 3872 02:20:23,670 --> 02:20:19,840 interested in or not aware of 3873 02:20:26,630 --> 02:20:23,680 so in that sense uh our tendency to 3874 02:20:28,630 --> 02:20:26,640 give a fast answer to something we can 3875 02:20:29,990 --> 02:20:28,640 answer rather than a slower more 3876 02:20:33,030 --> 02:20:30,000 thoughtful answer 3877 02:20:36,150 --> 02:20:33,040 to something that would be 3878 02:20:37,030 --> 02:20:36,160 required deeper reflection that is a 3879 02:20:38,870 --> 02:20:37,040 left right 3880 02:20:42,230 --> 02:20:38,880 distinction so the left hemisphere being 3881 02:20:43,830 --> 02:20:42,240 the more superficial and quick and dirty 3882 02:20:45,429 --> 02:20:43,840 hemisphere on this and the right 3883 02:20:48,790 --> 02:20:45,439 hemisphere having 3884 02:20:51,429 --> 02:20:48,800 um more of a capacity to see 3885 02:20:53,510 --> 02:20:51,439 several sides to something to think more 3886 02:20:54,870 --> 02:20:53,520 carefully about it and to inhibit the 3887 02:20:57,750 --> 02:20:54,880 immediate response of the left 3888 02:21:02,469 --> 02:21:00,950 okay siren dudley hopefully i'm 3889 02:21:03,190 --> 02:21:02,479 pronouncing that correctly says by 3890 02:21:04,630 --> 02:21:03,200 positing an 3891 02:21:07,030 --> 02:21:04,640 absolute division between the brain 3892 02:21:09,670 --> 02:21:07,040 hemispheres aren't we already thereby 3893 02:21:11,030 --> 02:21:09,680 engaged in holy left brain thinking in 3894 02:21:13,110 --> 02:21:11,040 other words isn't the notion of 3895 02:21:14,790 --> 02:21:13,120 different sides quote unquote 3896 02:21:18,230 --> 02:21:14,800 confined to only one side of the brain 3897 02:21:21,830 --> 02:21:20,710 yes i i mean sorry the answer to that 3898 02:21:25,670 --> 02:21:21,840 question is no 3899 02:21:26,070 --> 02:21:25,680 um i i have talked about this quite a 3900 02:21:28,469 --> 02:21:26,080 bit 3901 02:21:29,270 --> 02:21:28,479 i've certainly addressed it in the in 3902 02:21:35,270 --> 02:21:29,280 the 3903 02:21:36,630 --> 02:21:35,280 new edition that came out a year or so 3904 02:21:39,030 --> 02:21:36,640 ago but 3905 02:21:40,469 --> 02:21:39,040 i do also address it in in the matter 3906 02:21:44,790 --> 02:21:40,479 with things 3907 02:21:46,870 --> 02:21:44,800 um there's a sort of sense that you know 3908 02:21:48,389 --> 02:21:46,880 you're dichotomizing aren't you people 3909 02:21:51,590 --> 02:21:48,399 sort of say that 3910 02:21:52,230 --> 02:21:51,600 but um i remember your exact line about 3911 02:21:54,230 --> 02:21:52,240 this 3912 02:21:56,630 --> 02:21:54,240 because sorry to interrupt for the 3913 02:21:58,230 --> 02:21:56,640 people listening the preface alone of 3914 02:22:01,270 --> 02:21:58,240 the master and its emissary 3915 02:22:02,389 --> 02:22:01,280 is already one of my favorite books of 3916 02:22:04,790 --> 02:22:02,399 the past 3917 02:22:06,469 --> 02:22:04,800 few years the preface alone i remember 3918 02:22:07,590 --> 02:22:06,479 listening to the preface i had to listen 3919 02:22:10,070 --> 02:22:07,600 to it because i 3920 02:22:11,190 --> 02:22:10,080 i was driving and so on so the preface 3921 02:22:15,030 --> 02:22:11,200 alone 3922 02:22:16,790 --> 02:22:15,040 had me pausing so often and thinking and 3923 02:22:18,309 --> 02:22:16,800 i'm just wondering how the heck is ian 3924 02:22:24,630 --> 02:22:18,319 coming up with this 3925 02:22:28,469 --> 02:22:26,309 i would point out that there is the 3926 02:22:32,150 --> 02:22:28,479 preface i'm talking about is for the 3927 02:22:35,270 --> 02:22:32,160 the new version right 2019 onwards 3928 02:22:36,309 --> 02:22:35,280 it has a green cover so if your version 3929 02:22:38,469 --> 02:22:36,319 doesn't have the green 3930 02:22:40,230 --> 02:22:38,479 cover then that doesn't have the preface 3931 02:22:42,070 --> 02:22:40,240 but it's very nice that you say that 3932 02:22:43,270 --> 02:22:42,080 because actually somebody sent me a very 3933 02:22:44,710 --> 02:22:43,280 nice email 3934 02:22:47,349 --> 02:22:44,720 saying man i've just read your 3935 02:22:49,510 --> 02:22:47,359 preference and you know 3936 02:22:51,670 --> 02:22:49,520 it's worth buying the book just for that 3937 02:22:54,469 --> 02:22:51,680 so it's almost exactly what you said 3938 02:22:56,309 --> 02:22:54,479 yeah so but i try i try to i try to 3939 02:22:59,590 --> 02:22:56,319 encapsulate you know some of the 3940 02:23:02,150 --> 02:22:59,600 the questions and answers there 3941 02:23:04,389 --> 02:23:02,160 but you know in life there are things 3942 02:23:06,550 --> 02:23:04,399 that are false dichotomies and there are 3943 02:23:08,790 --> 02:23:06,560 some that are genuine dichotomies even 3944 02:23:11,830 --> 02:23:08,800 if there is a degree of overlap 3945 02:23:12,630 --> 02:23:11,840 so for example you know um bad drivers 3946 02:23:14,870 --> 02:23:12,640 versus 3947 02:23:17,110 --> 02:23:14,880 good drivers that's a false dichotomy i 3948 02:23:19,349 --> 02:23:17,120 mean it's a matter of degree and it's 3949 02:23:21,750 --> 02:23:19,359 all on the spectrum 3950 02:23:22,870 --> 02:23:21,760 and then you could take um some other 3951 02:23:26,950 --> 02:23:22,880 things like 3952 02:23:27,270 --> 02:23:26,960 um being a tree or being an animal you 3953 02:23:30,230 --> 02:23:27,280 know 3954 02:23:32,630 --> 02:23:30,240 um there is a kind of pond life that's 3955 02:23:35,030 --> 02:23:32,640 very hard to say whether it's actually a 3956 02:23:36,630 --> 02:23:35,040 a plant or an animal but nonetheless on 3957 02:23:38,230 --> 02:23:36,640 the whole we can tell the difference 3958 02:23:41,590 --> 02:23:38,240 between an elephant 3959 02:23:43,750 --> 02:23:41,600 and a tree and and this is the 3960 02:23:44,710 --> 02:23:43,760 this is a perfectly good dichotomy if 3961 02:23:47,030 --> 02:23:44,720 you like 3962 02:23:48,469 --> 02:23:47,040 so what i would say about this the 3963 02:23:51,190 --> 02:23:48,479 divide between the brain 3964 02:23:51,910 --> 02:23:51,200 is that i always start off very early in 3965 02:23:54,150 --> 02:23:51,920 any book 3966 02:23:55,990 --> 02:23:54,160 i'm talking about it and say yeah there 3967 02:23:58,870 --> 02:23:56,000 is a certain degree of overlap 3968 02:24:00,309 --> 02:23:58,880 that's necessary and important but 3969 02:24:01,990 --> 02:24:00,319 nonetheless um 3970 02:24:04,150 --> 02:24:02,000 don't reject the fact that there are 3971 02:24:05,830 --> 02:24:04,160 very startling differences 3972 02:24:07,429 --> 02:24:05,840 just because you have to have you happen 3973 02:24:09,990 --> 02:24:07,439 to think that 3974 02:24:11,990 --> 02:24:10,000 dichotomies are impossible it's you know 3975 02:24:13,510 --> 02:24:12,000 dichotomies can be simple but it can 3976 02:24:17,349 --> 02:24:13,520 also be simplistic 3977 02:24:20,550 --> 02:24:17,359 to reject a dichotomy if there is one 3978 02:24:22,389 --> 02:24:20,560 and in this case there is one and let me 3979 02:24:23,990 --> 02:24:22,399 just repeat because people don't find 3980 02:24:27,270 --> 02:24:24,000 this easy to take in 3981 02:24:30,389 --> 02:24:27,280 there is overlap there is overlap 3982 02:24:34,070 --> 02:24:30,399 and an example i give is um 3983 02:24:37,429 --> 02:24:34,080 between the culture and climate 3984 02:24:42,230 --> 02:24:37,439 of iceland and indonesia okay 3985 02:24:46,230 --> 02:24:42,240 so iceland's a very cold country 3986 02:24:49,030 --> 02:24:46,240 and its landscape its vegetation 3987 02:24:50,070 --> 02:24:49,040 even the the the kind of temperament of 3988 02:24:52,630 --> 02:24:50,080 the people 3989 02:24:53,510 --> 02:24:52,640 is bound to have been molded by its its 3990 02:25:01,429 --> 02:24:53,520 climate 3991 02:25:03,590 --> 02:25:01,439 and again the vegetation and the history 3992 02:25:04,550 --> 02:25:03,600 and the culture and even probably the 3993 02:25:07,670 --> 02:25:04,560 temperament 3994 02:25:10,710 --> 02:25:07,680 is different but it is still true 3995 02:25:11,670 --> 02:25:10,720 that the hottest year ever recorded the 3996 02:25:15,110 --> 02:25:11,680 annual average 3997 02:25:17,590 --> 02:25:15,120 temperature in iceland was higher 3998 02:25:18,150 --> 02:25:17,600 than the lowest average temperature for 3999 02:25:20,469 --> 02:25:18,160 the year 4000 02:25:22,150 --> 02:25:20,479 ever recorded in indonesia so it's 4001 02:25:22,790 --> 02:25:22,160 perfectly possible for there to be 4002 02:25:25,510 --> 02:25:22,800 overlap 4003 02:25:27,030 --> 02:25:25,520 in things that are radically different 4004 02:25:32,950 --> 02:25:27,040 so 4005 02:25:36,870 --> 02:25:32,960 me on that one 4006 02:25:38,790 --> 02:25:36,880 all right actually that line 4007 02:25:40,230 --> 02:25:38,800 it's burned into my memory the line is 4008 02:25:41,910 --> 02:25:40,240 people don't like dichotomies because 4009 02:25:43,270 --> 02:25:41,920 they say dichotomies are simplistic but 4010 02:25:45,349 --> 02:25:43,280 it's also simplistic to dismiss 4011 02:25:47,110 --> 02:25:45,359 something just because it's a dichotomy 4012 02:25:48,630 --> 02:25:47,120 now that one i'm gonna take i will 4013 02:25:49,349 --> 02:25:48,640 credit you don't worry but i'm doing 4014 02:25:51,030 --> 02:25:49,359 interviews 4015 02:25:52,469 --> 02:25:51,040 i'm being interviewed because i'm 4016 02:25:54,710 --> 02:25:52,479 putting out a film soon 4017 02:25:55,590 --> 02:25:54,720 on the extreme left what makes the 4018 02:25:58,790 --> 02:25:55,600 extreme left 4019 02:26:00,230 --> 02:25:58,800 extreme on the political spectrum right 4020 02:26:02,230 --> 02:26:00,240 not because i'm a right winger 4021 02:26:03,670 --> 02:26:02,240 in fact i'm apolitical but because it's 4022 02:26:05,429 --> 02:26:03,680 it's difficult to analyze what's 4023 02:26:06,230 --> 02:26:05,439 extremism on the left extremism on the 4024 02:26:09,590 --> 02:26:06,240 right is just 4025 02:26:11,830 --> 02:26:09,600 it's it's blatant anyway i 4026 02:26:13,349 --> 02:26:11,840 well i think main stream on the left is 4027 02:26:15,910 --> 02:26:13,359 is also blatant but 4028 02:26:16,790 --> 02:26:15,920 and they as i said earlier on when we 4029 02:26:19,429 --> 02:26:16,800 were talking 4030 02:26:21,110 --> 02:26:19,439 they have an enormous amount in common 4031 02:26:22,710 --> 02:26:21,120 right exactly exactly so that's why i 4032 02:26:24,710 --> 02:26:22,720 was like okay that's the horse 4033 02:26:26,070 --> 02:26:24,720 shoe theory i believe in a nutshell and 4034 02:26:27,590 --> 02:26:26,080 that's interesting because the further 4035 02:26:29,349 --> 02:26:27,600 you run away from a point the closer you 4036 02:26:31,910 --> 02:26:29,359 get to it after a certain location 4037 02:26:34,070 --> 02:26:31,920 so it's like a circle right in some 4038 02:26:35,670 --> 02:26:34,080 cases that is absolutely true yeah 4039 02:26:37,110 --> 02:26:35,680 maybe you want to quickly comment this 4040 02:26:38,230 --> 02:26:37,120 is something i was thinking about as i 4041 02:26:40,309 --> 02:26:38,240 was reading your book 4042 02:26:42,309 --> 02:26:40,319 is is there a way of mapping the 4043 02:26:43,990 --> 02:26:42,319 hemisphere differences the left right 4044 02:26:45,349 --> 02:26:44,000 onto our left right spectrum maybe it's 4045 02:26:46,550 --> 02:26:45,359 inverted like the right brain is the 4046 02:26:48,070 --> 02:26:46,560 left and the 4047 02:26:50,070 --> 02:26:48,080 and the reason i was thinking about this 4048 02:26:53,510 --> 02:26:50,080 is because while the french revolution 4049 02:26:55,030 --> 02:26:53,520 is posed as a left phenomenon and they 4050 02:26:57,110 --> 02:26:55,040 espoused rationality and so on but 4051 02:27:00,389 --> 02:26:57,120 that's a left brain but then 4052 02:27:02,070 --> 02:27:00,399 on the other hand they loved russoian 4053 02:27:03,910 --> 02:27:02,080 thinking which seems to me to be more 4054 02:27:06,070 --> 02:27:03,920 romantic which is right-brained 4055 02:27:07,910 --> 02:27:06,080 so there's many contradictions i see and 4056 02:27:09,429 --> 02:27:07,920 i couldn't map them on directly and i 4057 02:27:11,670 --> 02:27:09,439 was wondering if you had any experience 4058 02:27:14,070 --> 02:27:11,680 or thought about this well 4059 02:27:15,670 --> 02:27:14,080 well to come back to the previous 4060 02:27:17,270 --> 02:27:15,680 question this is a case where it would 4061 02:27:21,190 --> 02:27:17,280 be simplistic 4062 02:27:22,150 --> 02:27:21,200 so any culture is a mixture of many 4063 02:27:24,550 --> 02:27:22,160 things 4064 02:27:26,550 --> 02:27:24,560 and what i say about this is easily to 4065 02:27:28,870 --> 02:27:26,560 identify 4066 02:27:30,389 --> 02:27:28,880 right hemisphere style thinkers on the 4067 02:27:32,550 --> 02:27:30,399 right and on the left 4068 02:27:34,469 --> 02:27:32,560 and left hemisphere style thinkers on 4069 02:27:36,070 --> 02:27:34,479 the right and on the left 4070 02:27:39,429 --> 02:27:36,080 so that you get thinkers that are 4071 02:27:43,190 --> 02:27:39,439 dogmatic uncharitable 4072 02:27:43,990 --> 02:27:43,200 angry mr right knows what's good for 4073 02:27:46,710 --> 02:27:44,000 people 4074 02:27:48,309 --> 02:27:46,720 you know that is your left hemisphere 4075 02:27:50,469 --> 02:27:48,319 type and there's plenty of them on the 4076 02:27:53,349 --> 02:27:50,479 left just as there are on the right 4077 02:27:54,950 --> 02:27:53,359 and there are thoughtful flexible 4078 02:27:57,270 --> 02:27:54,960 compassionate people 4079 02:27:58,309 --> 02:27:57,280 who don't treat people as belonging to 4080 02:28:00,630 --> 02:27:58,319 boxes or 4081 02:28:01,670 --> 02:28:00,640 categories or ticking something but are 4082 02:28:04,389 --> 02:28:01,680 actually 4083 02:28:06,230 --> 02:28:04,399 complicated human individuals with many 4084 02:28:08,550 --> 02:28:06,240 many facets to their 4085 02:28:09,270 --> 02:28:08,560 their experience to their personality 4086 02:28:13,670 --> 02:28:09,280 now that 4087 02:28:17,910 --> 02:28:16,070 it's quite coherent i think to say that 4088 02:28:21,830 --> 02:28:17,920 no it doesn't map onto 4089 02:28:26,070 --> 02:28:23,270 in fact in some ways you know the 4090 02:28:27,429 --> 02:28:26,080 interesting thing is if anything the 4091 02:28:29,270 --> 02:28:27,439 left hemisphere 4092 02:28:30,950 --> 02:28:29,280 is much more theoretical and the right 4093 02:28:32,230 --> 02:28:30,960 hemisphere is much more interested in 4094 02:28:34,870 --> 02:28:32,240 experience 4095 02:28:37,030 --> 02:28:34,880 and one way of thinking about the divide 4096 02:28:40,469 --> 02:28:37,040 between the political spectrum is that 4097 02:28:44,389 --> 02:28:40,479 the left end of it tends to prioritize 4098 02:28:45,349 --> 02:28:44,399 theories over the experience of history 4099 02:28:48,150 --> 02:28:45,359 of culture 4100 02:28:49,110 --> 02:28:48,160 whereas the right wing or the writer 4101 02:28:52,870 --> 02:28:49,120 wing of 4102 02:28:54,710 --> 02:28:52,880 of thinking tends to be very interested 4103 02:28:57,750 --> 02:28:54,720 in history and culture 4104 02:28:59,830 --> 02:28:57,760 and context and embodiment not in a 4105 02:29:00,389 --> 02:28:59,840 theory that on paper looks like it's 4106 02:29:03,590 --> 02:29:00,399 going to make 4107 02:29:06,070 --> 02:29:03,600 everybody happy so i think 4108 02:29:07,670 --> 02:29:06,080 there is an argument that if you had to 4109 02:29:10,230 --> 02:29:07,680 put it either way 4110 02:29:10,870 --> 02:29:10,240 i would associate the right spectrum 4111 02:29:12,469 --> 02:29:10,880 with 4112 02:29:14,550 --> 02:29:12,479 the right hemisphere and the left 4113 02:29:17,990 --> 02:29:14,560 spectrum particularly the extreme left 4114 02:29:19,910 --> 02:29:18,000 with the left hemisphere interesting but 4115 02:29:22,469 --> 02:29:19,920 but as i say i don't think that you can 4116 02:29:24,710 --> 02:29:22,479 make a a clean mapping no 4117 02:29:27,030 --> 02:29:24,720 right nietzsche to me was paradoxical 4118 02:29:28,710 --> 02:29:27,040 because he 4119 02:29:30,230 --> 02:29:28,720 repudiated rationalities and then that 4120 02:29:32,790 --> 02:29:30,240 to me puts him on the right 4121 02:29:34,309 --> 02:29:32,800 hemisphere as well as loved the passions 4122 02:29:36,230 --> 02:29:34,319 but then at the same time 4123 02:29:37,590 --> 02:29:36,240 had the will to power as his primal 4124 02:29:37,910 --> 02:29:37,600 motive at least toward the end of his 4125 02:29:40,950 --> 02:29:37,920 life 4126 02:29:42,469 --> 02:29:40,960 so then that's the left okay daigo pinto 4127 02:29:44,550 --> 02:29:42,479 can i just say something yes sure 4128 02:29:47,190 --> 02:29:44,560 quickly about that yeah 4129 02:29:49,110 --> 02:29:47,200 um i do want to get away from the idea 4130 02:29:51,510 --> 02:29:49,120 that somehow reason is 4131 02:29:53,110 --> 02:29:51,520 associated with the left hemisphere and 4132 02:29:54,790 --> 02:29:53,120 emotion with the right 4133 02:29:56,870 --> 02:29:54,800 reason is associated with both 4134 02:29:59,110 --> 02:29:56,880 hemispheres and so is emotion 4135 02:30:01,270 --> 02:29:59,120 they are both capable of being emotional 4136 02:30:03,830 --> 02:30:01,280 the left is actually more intemperate 4137 02:30:05,990 --> 02:30:03,840 less inhibited when it gets emotional 4138 02:30:06,950 --> 02:30:06,000 and the right hemisphere pl is plays a 4139 02:30:09,510 --> 02:30:06,960 very important 4140 02:30:11,510 --> 02:30:09,520 part in reason which is the coming 4141 02:30:13,750 --> 02:30:11,520 together of thoughtful 4142 02:30:15,750 --> 02:30:13,760 reflection on experience and even in 4143 02:30:17,510 --> 02:30:15,760 some kinds of logic it is actually 4144 02:30:18,070 --> 02:30:17,520 superior to the left so it's a very 4145 02:30:20,469 --> 02:30:18,080 complex 4146 02:30:21,750 --> 02:30:20,479 picture this is a good point for you to 4147 02:30:23,110 --> 02:30:21,760 delineate the difference between 4148 02:30:25,110 --> 02:30:23,120 rationality and reason 4149 02:30:26,630 --> 02:30:25,120 because i just use the word rationality 4150 02:30:27,190 --> 02:30:26,640 and i often conflate it with reason as 4151 02:30:28,870 --> 02:30:27,200 well 4152 02:30:32,710 --> 02:30:28,880 but in your book you do give i think you 4153 02:30:35,910 --> 02:30:32,720 cite the newest for reason 4154 02:30:38,389 --> 02:30:35,920 well i it struck me 4155 02:30:38,950 --> 02:30:38,399 that in most languages rather as we 4156 02:30:41,830 --> 02:30:38,960 don't 4157 02:30:43,590 --> 02:30:41,840 differentiate between this and canon we 4158 02:30:46,950 --> 02:30:43,600 just have one word to know 4159 02:30:48,150 --> 02:30:46,960 we also don't like many other languages 4160 02:30:52,070 --> 02:30:48,160 have a different term 4161 02:30:56,389 --> 02:30:52,080 for a sort of isolated abstracted 4162 02:30:58,550 --> 02:30:56,399 form formulation of rational processes 4163 02:31:00,870 --> 02:30:58,560 in the sense that a computer could be 4164 02:31:03,670 --> 02:31:00,880 programmed to carry them out 4165 02:31:04,950 --> 02:31:03,680 and reason which is often in conflict 4166 02:31:07,670 --> 02:31:04,960 with that 4167 02:31:08,389 --> 02:31:07,680 being reasonable means taking into 4168 02:31:14,469 --> 02:31:08,399 account 4169 02:31:16,070 --> 02:31:14,479 what one knows wisely from experience 4170 02:31:17,910 --> 02:31:16,080 and from living 4171 02:31:22,389 --> 02:31:17,920 and in german there's a distinction 4172 02:31:28,070 --> 02:31:25,510 rather abstract theoretical reason and 4173 02:31:30,630 --> 02:31:28,080 fenunzt which is a kind of quality that 4174 02:31:33,110 --> 02:31:30,640 you get from being wise and living which 4175 02:31:35,190 --> 02:31:33,120 means you're able to reason but do so as 4176 02:31:37,110 --> 02:31:35,200 a wise judge in a court would do 4177 02:31:39,510 --> 02:31:37,120 i mean a judge in a court shouldn't 4178 02:31:41,590 --> 02:31:39,520 really be just applying rules in a 4179 02:31:44,150 --> 02:31:41,600 computer-like way but should be thinking 4180 02:31:45,190 --> 02:31:44,160 contextually and that is what we used to 4181 02:31:47,190 --> 02:31:45,200 mean 4182 02:31:49,750 --> 02:31:47,200 by reason and that's what we used to 4183 02:31:51,670 --> 02:31:49,760 think was the flower of education that 4184 02:31:53,190 --> 02:31:51,680 the reason for educating people 4185 02:31:55,110 --> 02:31:53,200 was they could think in this very 4186 02:31:57,910 --> 02:31:55,120 balanced flexible way 4187 02:32:00,150 --> 02:31:57,920 taking many sides of things into account 4188 02:32:01,830 --> 02:32:00,160 but in our world today where everything 4189 02:32:02,630 --> 02:32:01,840 is very much skewed towards the left 4190 02:32:04,389 --> 02:32:02,640 hemisphere 4191 02:32:05,790 --> 02:32:04,399 we tend to think of reason as like a 4192 02:32:08,710 --> 02:32:05,800 kind of rote 4193 02:32:09,349 --> 02:32:08,720 rationality and i think that's a huge 4194 02:32:12,790 --> 02:32:09,359 loss 4195 02:32:13,990 --> 02:32:12,800 so yeah you mentioned the judge and that 4196 02:32:15,830 --> 02:32:14,000 reminds me i had a 4197 02:32:17,910 --> 02:32:15,840 speculative question or speculative 4198 02:32:19,830 --> 02:32:17,920 thought about jesus who had an emphasis 4199 02:32:20,710 --> 02:32:19,840 on the spirit of the text versus the 4200 02:32:22,309 --> 02:32:20,720 text 4201 02:32:24,389 --> 02:32:22,319 and one is in keeping with god and the 4202 02:32:25,910 --> 02:32:24,399 other is pharisaical it's a literal 4203 02:32:27,750 --> 02:32:25,920 interpretation 4204 02:32:29,590 --> 02:32:27,760 and jesus said you keep with god you 4205 02:32:30,309 --> 02:32:29,600 take the spirit and that to me was more 4206 02:32:31,670 --> 02:32:30,319 right-brained 4207 02:32:33,349 --> 02:32:31,680 and then i wondered does that mean 4208 02:32:36,710 --> 02:32:33,359 there's a theological argument for the 4209 02:32:40,550 --> 02:32:36,720 primacy of the right hemisphere 4210 02:32:43,670 --> 02:32:40,560 well there is actually and i make it um 4211 02:32:44,150 --> 02:32:43,680 in the matter with things but it's it's 4212 02:32:46,950 --> 02:32:44,160 a long 4213 02:32:48,790 --> 02:32:46,960 argument and it's a it needs to reflect 4214 02:32:52,309 --> 02:32:48,800 on many many many things 4215 02:32:54,150 --> 02:32:52,319 but i can't wait to read that book man 4216 02:32:56,309 --> 02:32:54,160 but what i would just say is there's an 4217 02:32:59,349 --> 02:32:56,319 interesting you know how 4218 02:33:00,550 --> 02:32:59,359 um my vision is that the left hemisphere 4219 02:33:02,630 --> 02:33:00,560 is either or 4220 02:33:03,750 --> 02:33:02,640 but the right hemisphere is sort of both 4221 02:33:05,510 --> 02:33:03,760 and 4222 02:33:07,110 --> 02:33:05,520 well the left hemisphere tends to be 4223 02:33:09,750 --> 02:33:07,120 very given to the letter 4224 02:33:11,830 --> 02:33:09,760 of the law as you hinted but the right 4225 02:33:13,670 --> 02:33:11,840 hemisphere is able to see that sometimes 4226 02:33:16,309 --> 02:33:13,680 the letter of the law 4227 02:33:17,990 --> 02:33:16,319 needs to be respected as well as the 4228 02:33:19,990 --> 02:33:18,000 kind of spirit of the law 4229 02:33:22,309 --> 02:33:20,000 because the spirit of the law is 4230 02:33:25,349 --> 02:33:22,319 generally what one wants to find not 4231 02:33:28,710 --> 02:33:25,359 the letter of it but if a person 4232 02:33:31,510 --> 02:33:28,720 has relied on the letter of the law 4233 02:33:33,670 --> 02:33:31,520 because that's what it says then they 4234 02:33:36,150 --> 02:33:33,680 ought to be given some protection 4235 02:33:37,190 --> 02:33:36,160 under law because they did abide by what 4236 02:33:39,990 --> 02:33:37,200 the letter of the law 4237 02:33:40,550 --> 02:33:40,000 said they might find themselves still 4238 02:33:42,790 --> 02:33:40,560 open 4239 02:33:44,309 --> 02:33:42,800 to the criticism that they didn't 4240 02:33:46,710 --> 02:33:44,319 understand the spirit of it 4241 02:33:48,469 --> 02:33:46,720 but i think that a wise judge would take 4242 02:33:50,389 --> 02:33:48,479 both into account and it's not 4243 02:33:52,550 --> 02:33:50,399 necessarily one way or the other that 4244 02:33:54,870 --> 02:33:52,560 they would i think they'd depend 4245 02:33:56,790 --> 02:33:54,880 their judgment would depend on the 4246 02:33:57,270 --> 02:33:56,800 circumstances and the person and the 4247 02:34:01,030 --> 02:33:57,280 case 4248 02:34:04,150 --> 02:34:03,030 i know i want to get to daigo's question 4249 02:34:06,550 --> 02:34:04,160 but you just said 4250 02:34:07,190 --> 02:34:06,560 i i please i have to interject with one 4251 02:34:08,950 --> 02:34:07,200 thought 4252 02:34:10,389 --> 02:34:08,960 pascal in your book you mentioned that 4253 02:34:12,790 --> 02:34:10,399 he had 4254 02:34:14,550 --> 02:34:12,800 a quotation about the whole point of 4255 02:34:15,590 --> 02:34:14,560 reason i believe it was reason not 4256 02:34:17,990 --> 02:34:15,600 rationality but 4257 02:34:19,270 --> 02:34:18,000 let's imagine it's reason that the whole 4258 02:34:20,469 --> 02:34:19,280 point of reason is to realize that 4259 02:34:22,150 --> 02:34:20,479 there's an infinitude of 4260 02:34:23,510 --> 02:34:22,160 more important aspects to life than 4261 02:34:26,389 --> 02:34:23,520 reason 4262 02:34:28,389 --> 02:34:26,399 and then i was wondering well what does 4263 02:34:31,830 --> 02:34:28,399 one say to the 4264 02:34:33,750 --> 02:34:31,840 retort that when giving and 4265 02:34:35,030 --> 02:34:33,760 when giving a reason to not use reason 4266 02:34:37,190 --> 02:34:35,040 you're still appealing to 4267 02:34:40,389 --> 02:34:37,200 reason so it's somewhat self-defeating 4268 02:34:44,630 --> 02:34:42,630 um i didn't quite catch the meaning of 4269 02:34:46,150 --> 02:34:44,640 your last okay 4270 02:34:47,510 --> 02:34:46,160 let's say you're giving let's say you're 4271 02:34:48,710 --> 02:34:47,520 explaining to someone here's why you 4272 02:34:51,429 --> 02:34:48,720 shouldn't use reason 4273 02:34:52,630 --> 02:34:51,439 alone or if it's rationality alone but 4274 02:34:55,830 --> 02:34:52,640 either way you're giving me 4275 02:34:58,870 --> 02:34:55,840 an argument and giving a reason to well 4276 02:35:00,870 --> 02:34:58,880 there are different levels of reason and 4277 02:35:02,550 --> 02:35:00,880 there's a kind of meta level of reason 4278 02:35:05,030 --> 02:35:02,560 and i think the meta level 4279 02:35:06,389 --> 02:35:05,040 the overarching view that takes in both 4280 02:35:09,190 --> 02:35:06,399 is usually the one i 4281 02:35:10,870 --> 02:35:09,200 would say is best associated more likely 4282 02:35:14,070 --> 02:35:10,880 to be associated with the 4283 02:35:15,830 --> 02:35:14,080 working of the right hemisphere and so 4284 02:35:17,110 --> 02:35:15,840 as i say the right hemisphere is no 4285 02:35:21,190 --> 02:35:17,120 stranger to reason 4286 02:35:22,950 --> 02:35:21,200 absolutely not um and 4287 02:35:24,469 --> 02:35:22,960 it would be a big mistake to say that it 4288 02:35:26,309 --> 02:35:24,479 in any way rejected it 4289 02:35:28,389 --> 02:35:26,319 but it's more likely to see the limits 4290 02:35:30,710 --> 02:35:28,399 of it because it's 4291 02:35:32,230 --> 02:35:30,720 it's able to stand outside of its own 4292 02:35:33,429 --> 02:35:32,240 viewpoint and see there are things that 4293 02:35:34,870 --> 02:35:33,439 it doesn't know which the left 4294 02:35:37,349 --> 02:35:34,880 hemisphere is very 4295 02:35:39,349 --> 02:35:37,359 bad at doing so it thinks i've got this 4296 02:35:40,710 --> 02:35:39,359 schema which will solve all my problems 4297 02:35:42,790 --> 02:35:40,720 i run them through 4298 02:35:45,270 --> 02:35:42,800 this mental computer and the solution 4299 02:35:46,870 --> 02:35:45,280 comes out which is the right answer 4300 02:35:48,550 --> 02:35:46,880 and the right chemists can say no there 4301 02:35:49,910 --> 02:35:48,560 could be many right answers 4302 02:35:52,309 --> 02:35:49,920 they're not you know they're not 4303 02:35:54,070 --> 02:35:52,319 necessarily compatible with one another 4304 02:35:55,910 --> 02:35:54,080 but they might apply in different 4305 02:35:57,349 --> 02:35:55,920 circumstances at different times with 4306 02:36:00,950 --> 02:35:57,359 different people 4307 02:36:02,710 --> 02:36:00,960 so to see a more nuanced and 4308 02:36:04,870 --> 02:36:02,720 more complex picture i think the right 4309 02:36:06,469 --> 02:36:04,880 hemisphere is the one that would be 4310 02:36:08,150 --> 02:36:06,479 using elements of reason 4311 02:36:10,550 --> 02:36:08,160 and there's nothing wrong with reason in 4312 02:36:12,710 --> 02:36:10,560 itself to show the limits of reason this 4313 02:36:14,469 --> 02:36:12,720 is really what pascal was saying 4314 02:36:16,150 --> 02:36:14,479 and you've just demonstrated that that 4315 02:36:17,990 --> 02:36:16,160 is that is okay 4316 02:36:19,990 --> 02:36:18,000 he made a distinction between what he 4317 02:36:23,349 --> 02:36:20,000 called geometry 4318 02:36:25,990 --> 02:36:23,359 geometers and espirifa 4319 02:36:26,630 --> 02:36:26,000 fine spirits and he says the fine 4320 02:36:29,830 --> 02:36:26,640 spirits 4321 02:36:33,429 --> 02:36:29,840 by the word fine he means subtle so 4322 02:36:35,429 --> 02:36:33,439 the subtle spirit is different from the 4323 02:36:37,429 --> 02:36:35,439 slightly bull in the china shop black 4324 02:36:40,790 --> 02:36:37,439 and white hard and fast 4325 02:36:43,590 --> 02:36:40,800 inflexible geometric spirit in which 4326 02:36:44,150 --> 02:36:43,600 he's saying you know you you you turn 4327 02:36:46,150 --> 02:36:44,160 away 4328 02:36:48,630 --> 02:36:46,160 you do a diagram and you've you've got 4329 02:36:52,070 --> 02:36:48,640 the answer whereas the 4330 02:36:54,389 --> 02:36:52,080 the esp he says can see 4331 02:36:56,469 --> 02:36:54,399 things understand things that can hardly 4332 02:36:57,190 --> 02:36:56,479 be put into words but are very very 4333 02:36:59,030 --> 02:36:57,200 important 4334 02:37:00,469 --> 02:36:59,040 now coming from a mathematician that is 4335 02:37:01,270 --> 02:37:00,479 a very imp and a very great 4336 02:37:04,870 --> 02:37:01,280 mathematician 4337 02:37:06,870 --> 02:37:04,880 that's a very important thing to hear 4338 02:37:08,469 --> 02:37:06,880 is this related to at one point in the 4339 02:37:11,030 --> 02:37:08,479 book you referenced that we need to 4340 02:37:12,630 --> 02:37:11,040 transcend utility and i always wondered 4341 02:37:13,990 --> 02:37:12,640 well tongue-in-cheek what's the use of 4342 02:37:16,710 --> 02:37:14,000 that 4343 02:37:18,389 --> 02:37:16,720 but also how does one transcend you is 4344 02:37:19,990 --> 02:37:18,399 this related to or is it not related to 4345 02:37:20,790 --> 02:37:20,000 it or is it all related because at some 4346 02:37:23,429 --> 02:37:20,800 point 4347 02:37:24,790 --> 02:37:23,439 everything's related no no it is it is 4348 02:37:28,230 --> 02:37:24,800 uh related 4349 02:37:29,830 --> 02:37:28,240 kurt but in the 4350 02:37:31,830 --> 02:37:29,840 i don't know whether you've got to a 4351 02:37:34,309 --> 02:37:31,840 chapter where i talk about shayla's 4352 02:37:38,070 --> 02:37:34,319 pyramid of values 4353 02:37:40,790 --> 02:37:38,080 shayla was a contemporary of 4354 02:37:42,070 --> 02:37:40,800 heidegger's but died much younger whom 4355 02:37:43,910 --> 02:37:42,080 heidegger called the greatest 4356 02:37:47,510 --> 02:37:43,920 philosopher in europe of his age 4357 02:37:48,630 --> 02:37:47,520 and he he focused on values more than 4358 02:37:50,790 --> 02:37:48,640 heidegger 4359 02:37:52,150 --> 02:37:50,800 and he had a hierarchy of values which 4360 02:37:53,750 --> 02:37:52,160 at the bottom is 4361 02:37:55,830 --> 02:37:53,760 things that are merely useful or 4362 02:37:56,389 --> 02:37:55,840 pleasurable the sort of things that 4363 02:37:59,110 --> 02:37:56,399 actually 4364 02:38:01,110 --> 02:37:59,120 any animal would would go for and then 4365 02:38:01,910 --> 02:38:01,120 there are the higher values that 4366 02:38:04,550 --> 02:38:01,920 transcend 4367 02:38:07,110 --> 02:38:04,560 those of pure utility and i think those 4368 02:38:10,309 --> 02:38:07,120 are the very important values that 4369 02:38:13,270 --> 02:38:10,319 render us moral beings and 4370 02:38:14,230 --> 02:38:13,280 give our lives meaning and that just to 4371 02:38:17,349 --> 02:38:14,240 be following 4372 02:38:19,510 --> 02:38:17,359 utility and pleasure is self-defeating 4373 02:38:20,710 --> 02:38:19,520 in fact by doing it very much more than 4374 02:38:23,190 --> 02:38:20,720 any previous 4375 02:38:25,349 --> 02:38:23,200 civilization has ever done we are 4376 02:38:27,110 --> 02:38:25,359 endangering our very existence as a 4377 02:38:28,870 --> 02:38:27,120 civilization 4378 02:38:30,710 --> 02:38:28,880 we're just grabbing things as they're 4379 02:38:32,469 --> 02:38:30,720 useful taking 4380 02:38:33,750 --> 02:38:32,479 courses of action because they're easy 4381 02:38:36,550 --> 02:38:33,760 and pleasurable 4382 02:38:37,270 --> 02:38:36,560 whereas when a civilization is a at its 4383 02:38:40,150 --> 02:38:37,280 height 4384 02:38:41,030 --> 02:38:40,160 it inculcates a spirit of self-denial to 4385 02:38:44,150 --> 02:38:41,040 a point 4386 02:38:45,190 --> 02:38:44,160 of you know a certain degree of bravery 4387 02:38:49,510 --> 02:38:45,200 of courage 4388 02:38:53,510 --> 02:38:49,520 of humility of 4389 02:38:54,710 --> 02:38:53,520 you know moral consideration of the 4390 02:38:56,469 --> 02:38:54,720 value of others 4391 02:38:59,190 --> 02:38:56,479 and that this is not the way that we now 4392 02:39:02,710 --> 02:39:00,790 i'm assuming then when you use the term 4393 02:39:05,030 --> 02:39:02,720 utility you mean in a short term 4394 02:39:05,830 --> 02:39:05,040 or short-sighted or self-centered manner 4395 02:39:08,550 --> 02:39:05,840 because 4396 02:39:10,550 --> 02:39:08,560 yes we could always say that we could 4397 02:39:11,190 --> 02:39:10,560 always reposition utility to be utility 4398 02:39:13,110 --> 02:39:11,200 for god 4399 02:39:14,550 --> 02:39:13,120 so that if we're acting in accordance 4400 02:39:14,790 --> 02:39:14,560 with our morals then that's useful for 4401 02:39:20,710 --> 02:39:14,800 the 4402 02:39:23,990 --> 02:39:20,720 terribly debased way of thinking about 4403 02:39:25,910 --> 02:39:24,000 um one's attitude to god it's rather 4404 02:39:27,670 --> 02:39:25,920 like the old argument that if you 4405 02:39:28,469 --> 02:39:27,680 believe that you will go to heaven if 4406 02:39:30,230 --> 02:39:28,479 you're good 4407 02:39:31,750 --> 02:39:30,240 then you're just really basically 4408 02:39:35,590 --> 02:39:31,760 pursuing a good 4409 02:39:38,710 --> 02:39:35,600 for yourself but that is really to 4410 02:39:39,910 --> 02:39:38,720 completely stand on its head i'm not 4411 02:39:42,469 --> 02:39:39,920 saying there aren't people who can be 4412 02:39:45,270 --> 02:39:42,479 motivated wrongly in this way i'm sure 4413 02:39:47,030 --> 02:39:45,280 there are and were but i'm really saying 4414 02:39:49,429 --> 02:39:47,040 that a true understanding 4415 02:39:50,389 --> 02:39:49,439 of morality excludes the idea that 4416 02:39:52,070 --> 02:39:50,399 you're moral 4417 02:39:54,790 --> 02:39:52,080 simply in order to get a benefit for 4418 02:39:56,150 --> 02:39:54,800 yourself i mean that's not morality that 4419 02:39:58,309 --> 02:39:56,160 is a kind of 4420 02:40:00,230 --> 02:39:58,319 yes a kind of selfishness and and it's 4421 02:40:00,950 --> 02:40:00,240 what we mean by hypocrisy you know where 4422 02:40:03,830 --> 02:40:00,960 people 4423 02:40:04,230 --> 02:40:03,840 say things and do things in order to 4424 02:40:06,740 --> 02:40:04,240 look 4425 02:40:08,630 --> 02:40:06,750 good and you know um 4426 02:40:10,469 --> 02:40:08,640 [Music] 4427 02:40:12,790 --> 02:40:10,479 sound like they're something that 4428 02:40:15,990 --> 02:40:12,800 they're not 4429 02:40:17,429 --> 02:40:16,000 okay daigo daigo pinto says his book the 4430 02:40:18,710 --> 02:40:17,439 master in his emissary is one of my 4431 02:40:20,150 --> 02:40:18,720 favorite books about the brain if you 4432 02:40:21,750 --> 02:40:20,160 could sneak in one of these questions 4433 02:40:23,990 --> 02:40:21,760 i'd be appreciated 4434 02:40:25,990 --> 02:40:24,000 he has five sorry he has four i'm going 4435 02:40:26,870 --> 02:40:26,000 to briefly outline them and then you can 4436 02:40:29,670 --> 02:40:26,880 answer one 4437 02:40:30,950 --> 02:40:29,680 or two if you like okay okay so he says 4438 02:40:32,630 --> 02:40:30,960 a section on the book that deals with 4439 02:40:34,070 --> 02:40:32,640 evolution of the solid self 4440 02:40:35,670 --> 02:40:34,080 though he uses in brackets that i'm 4441 02:40:37,269 --> 02:40:35,680 using these words 4442 02:40:38,389 --> 02:40:37,279 on my own here i'm not he didn't use 4443 02:40:40,309 --> 02:40:38,399 these words but there would be a 4444 02:40:42,309 --> 02:40:40,319 non-unified voice or several in an 4445 02:40:44,550 --> 02:40:42,319 individual which could be interpreted 4446 02:40:46,070 --> 02:40:44,560 as an outside other being and then you 4447 02:40:47,750 --> 02:40:46,080 make reference to moses and the ancient 4448 02:40:49,429 --> 02:40:47,760 greeks or 4449 02:40:51,110 --> 02:40:49,439 and so on as hearing god's voice as an 4450 02:40:52,790 --> 02:40:51,120 example he said 4451 02:40:54,230 --> 02:40:52,800 could he elaborate on this and point out 4452 02:40:56,389 --> 02:40:54,240 other sources on the topic 4453 02:40:57,750 --> 02:40:56,399 that's number one okay so save that 4454 02:40:59,750 --> 02:40:57,760 maybe you want to respond to that 4455 02:41:01,190 --> 02:40:59,760 he'll number two he mentions that 4456 02:41:02,150 --> 02:41:01,200 language and the music have a common 4457 02:41:03,429 --> 02:41:02,160 ancestry 4458 02:41:04,550 --> 02:41:03,439 and then give some evidence for the 4459 02:41:05,990 --> 02:41:04,560 claim and i'd like to hear if he's 4460 02:41:08,230 --> 02:41:06,000 learned anything new since the 4461 02:41:11,030 --> 02:41:08,240 publication of this book 4462 02:41:11,750 --> 02:41:11,040 there's that okay so that's the other 4463 02:41:13,830 --> 02:41:11,760 voices 4464 02:41:15,590 --> 02:41:13,840 language and music then what are his 4465 02:41:15,990 --> 02:41:15,600 thoughts if any on chomsky versus like 4466 02:41:18,630 --> 02:41:16,000 off 4467 02:41:20,150 --> 02:41:18,640 ideas about language that's number three 4468 02:41:21,910 --> 02:41:20,160 and then number four 4469 02:41:25,030 --> 02:41:21,920 what does he think about objective truth 4470 02:41:28,309 --> 02:41:27,349 pretty much does that wow okay okay so 4471 02:41:29,910 --> 02:41:28,319 again to briefly 4472 02:41:31,590 --> 02:41:29,920 briefly outline the god and the other 4473 02:41:32,870 --> 02:41:31,600 voices that are internal but yes 4474 02:41:34,389 --> 02:41:32,880 perceived as such 4475 02:41:37,590 --> 02:41:34,399 number two is language and music and 4476 02:41:40,070 --> 02:41:37,600 then chomsky and then objective truth 4477 02:41:41,750 --> 02:41:40,080 well i think the first two i have 4478 02:41:44,309 --> 02:41:41,760 covered either in what i've said or in 4479 02:41:46,710 --> 02:41:44,319 the book actually to some extent 4480 02:41:47,590 --> 02:41:46,720 but the last two are both very big 4481 02:41:52,630 --> 02:41:47,600 questions 4482 02:41:58,230 --> 02:41:56,830 i very much think like lakehoff and 4483 02:42:02,950 --> 02:41:58,240 johnson 4484 02:42:07,590 --> 02:42:02,960 about language and i find 4485 02:42:09,990 --> 02:42:07,600 chomsky's views i may simply not have 4486 02:42:11,750 --> 02:42:10,000 given them the credit that's due to them 4487 02:42:14,070 --> 02:42:11,760 of course 4488 02:42:15,750 --> 02:42:14,080 but i i find them less attractive 4489 02:42:18,630 --> 02:42:15,760 because they seem more 4490 02:42:19,030 --> 02:42:18,640 um schematic more programmatic more like 4491 02:42:22,790 --> 02:42:19,040 the 4492 02:42:25,670 --> 02:42:22,800 hardware that does 4493 02:42:26,790 --> 02:42:25,680 certain things whereas i'm a great 4494 02:42:29,030 --> 02:42:26,800 believer in 4495 02:42:31,030 --> 02:42:29,040 what one might call the power of 4496 02:42:32,150 --> 02:42:31,040 imitation in humans and i spend quite a 4497 02:42:34,550 --> 02:42:32,160 lot of time on 4498 02:42:35,510 --> 02:42:34,560 the fact that humans are particularly 4499 02:42:39,349 --> 02:42:35,520 good 4500 02:42:42,070 --> 02:42:39,359 at imitating um 4501 02:42:43,269 --> 02:42:42,080 not not just um copying but actually 4502 02:42:46,550 --> 02:42:43,279 imitating 4503 02:42:47,349 --> 02:42:46,560 and getting into the skin of another 4504 02:42:49,830 --> 02:42:47,359 creature 4505 02:42:50,710 --> 02:42:49,840 or another person and feeling something 4506 02:42:53,269 --> 02:42:50,720 about 4507 02:42:54,469 --> 02:42:53,279 how they are and why they are doing and 4508 02:42:57,190 --> 02:42:54,479 saying what they're doing 4509 02:42:58,309 --> 02:42:57,200 so i think language grows in this way as 4510 02:43:02,150 --> 02:42:58,319 i i've said 4511 02:43:05,030 --> 02:43:02,160 from a sort of a basic 4512 02:43:06,230 --> 02:43:05,040 sense that is embodied profoundly 4513 02:43:09,990 --> 02:43:06,240 embodied in 4514 02:43:10,790 --> 02:43:10,000 in movement in the voice in in music in 4515 02:43:14,389 --> 02:43:10,800 the voice 4516 02:43:17,830 --> 02:43:14,399 and the the business of breath 4517 02:43:18,790 --> 02:43:17,840 and that it is not really an abstract 4518 02:43:21,910 --> 02:43:18,800 code 4519 02:43:23,590 --> 02:43:21,920 uh it can become that 4520 02:43:25,830 --> 02:43:23,600 but it actually i don't know that 4521 02:43:27,670 --> 02:43:25,840 chomsky gives enough credit 4522 02:43:29,510 --> 02:43:27,680 to the way in which language is 4523 02:43:33,269 --> 02:43:29,520 constantly 4524 02:43:35,429 --> 02:43:33,279 um metaphorizing embodied experience and 4525 02:43:38,870 --> 02:43:35,439 takeoff and johnson very much do 4526 02:43:42,150 --> 02:43:38,880 show how every everything we say 4527 02:43:43,990 --> 02:43:42,160 has a reference that is understandable 4528 02:43:45,590 --> 02:43:44,000 in terms of the body and we can't get 4529 02:43:49,349 --> 02:43:45,600 deeper than that in a way 4530 02:43:52,070 --> 02:43:49,359 than our embodied experience um 4531 02:43:54,389 --> 02:43:52,080 it's where as wittgenstein said i hit 4532 02:43:56,150 --> 02:43:54,399 bedrock and my spade is turned you know 4533 02:43:59,830 --> 02:43:56,160 one can't dig down any further but it's 4534 02:44:01,590 --> 02:43:59,840 from there that that language comes 4535 02:44:03,269 --> 02:44:01,600 and i'd i've got time just to say a 4536 02:44:07,110 --> 02:44:03,279 little bit about the objective thing do 4537 02:44:11,590 --> 02:44:09,750 annoyingly i'm going to yeah i'm going 4538 02:44:14,150 --> 02:44:11,600 to say yes and no 4539 02:44:16,150 --> 02:44:14,160 um and i think we do yes we do to a 4540 02:44:19,910 --> 02:44:16,160 degree have access to it 4541 02:44:21,670 --> 02:44:19,920 um i i think very importantly that like 4542 02:44:24,070 --> 02:44:21,680 many other things 4543 02:44:25,670 --> 02:44:24,080 it's a journey as it were not an arrival 4544 02:44:26,710 --> 02:44:25,680 i mean it's not something we get and 4545 02:44:29,750 --> 02:44:26,720 then we have it 4546 02:44:33,030 --> 02:44:29,760 it's a cast of mind or disposition 4547 02:44:37,590 --> 02:44:33,040 for exploring life in the world 4548 02:44:40,309 --> 02:44:37,600 which enables one to have more solid 4549 02:44:41,349 --> 02:44:40,319 grounds for believing what one believes 4550 02:44:47,110 --> 02:44:41,359 so 4551 02:44:48,389 --> 02:44:47,120 which is a you know a devastatingly 4552 02:44:51,429 --> 02:44:48,399 destructive idea 4553 02:44:53,030 --> 02:44:51,439 and a very silly one that anything that 4554 02:44:54,790 --> 02:44:53,040 anybody says 4555 02:44:58,830 --> 02:44:54,800 is equally true because there's no 4556 02:45:03,110 --> 02:45:01,030 um yeah it's almost 4557 02:45:05,190 --> 02:45:03,120 beneath rebuttal but it's so obviously 4558 02:45:08,070 --> 02:45:05,200 wrong you know if i believe that 4559 02:45:10,550 --> 02:45:08,080 as as socal says that you that i can 4560 02:45:13,510 --> 02:45:10,560 walk out of the 22nd window of my 4561 02:45:14,150 --> 02:45:13,520 apartment sec 22nd floor window of my 4562 02:45:17,190 --> 02:45:14,160 apartment 4563 02:45:18,389 --> 02:45:17,200 and survive on landing i'm wrong um or 4564 02:45:22,070 --> 02:45:18,399 very likely to be so 4565 02:45:25,590 --> 02:45:22,080 um on the other hand 4566 02:45:30,150 --> 02:45:25,600 it's not at all true that there's a 4567 02:45:33,429 --> 02:45:30,160 a single truth that is the truth because 4568 02:45:35,510 --> 02:45:33,439 all truths are contextual 4569 02:45:37,429 --> 02:45:35,520 and that doesn't mean that every context 4570 02:45:39,910 --> 02:45:37,439 renders it completely different 4571 02:45:41,750 --> 02:45:39,920 there are trends and for me the 4572 02:45:43,510 --> 02:45:41,760 important thing is to see that the path 4573 02:45:46,550 --> 02:45:43,520 to truth is not a line 4574 02:45:48,309 --> 02:45:46,560 but a matter of circling or spiraling so 4575 02:45:49,750 --> 02:45:48,319 the important thing is not to say 4576 02:45:51,349 --> 02:45:49,760 i've taken this step now the next 4577 02:45:53,190 --> 02:45:51,359 logical step is this and at the end of 4578 02:45:54,550 --> 02:45:53,200 the road there will be truth 4579 02:45:56,550 --> 02:45:54,560 you might even say well i know i'll 4580 02:45:58,150 --> 02:45:56,560 never get there that's true but you know 4581 02:45:58,950 --> 02:45:58,160 at least i can see exactly where i'm 4582 02:46:00,790 --> 02:45:58,960 going 4583 02:46:03,670 --> 02:46:00,800 but i'm not sure that truth is of this 4584 02:46:05,670 --> 02:46:03,680 kind i think truth is of the kind 4585 02:46:08,710 --> 02:46:05,680 where you you look at something from as 4586 02:46:10,710 --> 02:46:08,720 many different viewpoints as you can 4587 02:46:12,710 --> 02:46:10,720 and when you hear somebody say something 4588 02:46:13,190 --> 02:46:12,720 else about it you don't just rule it out 4589 02:46:15,429 --> 02:46:13,200 and 4590 02:46:16,630 --> 02:46:15,439 you know dismiss it you think now let me 4591 02:46:19,110 --> 02:46:16,640 search for what's 4592 02:46:21,110 --> 02:46:19,120 the truth in that because there are 4593 02:46:23,110 --> 02:46:21,120 aspects of truth in it 4594 02:46:24,309 --> 02:46:23,120 and i sometimes quote done on this the 4595 02:46:27,110 --> 02:46:24,319 poet john dunn 4596 02:46:28,950 --> 02:46:27,120 17th century english poet one of our 4597 02:46:32,070 --> 02:46:28,960 great poets who who says 4598 02:46:34,389 --> 02:46:32,080 words the effect that truth is 4599 02:46:35,910 --> 02:46:34,399 like a castle that stands on a steep and 4600 02:46:38,469 --> 02:46:35,920 cragged hill 4601 02:46:39,590 --> 02:46:38,479 and who wants to arrive at it doesn't go 4602 02:46:41,990 --> 02:46:39,600 straight up 4603 02:46:44,230 --> 02:46:42,000 but has to circle round the hill to get 4604 02:46:46,710 --> 02:46:44,240 there and that image is a very useful 4605 02:46:49,110 --> 02:46:46,720 one to bear in mind in fact i return to 4606 02:46:50,710 --> 02:46:49,120 the image of the spiral path 4607 02:46:52,070 --> 02:46:50,720 in which it's not exactly a circle which 4608 02:46:52,950 --> 02:46:52,080 means that you just end up where you 4609 02:46:54,870 --> 02:46:52,960 were when you 4610 02:46:57,429 --> 02:46:54,880 when you when you when you get round the 4611 02:47:00,389 --> 02:46:57,439 circle but actually a spiral 4612 02:47:02,150 --> 02:47:00,399 whereby you were you you've come to 4613 02:47:03,670 --> 02:47:02,160 somewhere like where you were before but 4614 02:47:05,750 --> 02:47:03,680 the view is now different 4615 02:47:07,349 --> 02:47:05,760 a little bit like dias eliot's famous 4616 02:47:08,070 --> 02:47:07,359 thing about arriving where we started 4617 02:47:10,630 --> 02:47:08,080 from but 4618 02:47:13,269 --> 02:47:10,640 knowing it for the first time and and so 4619 02:47:15,990 --> 02:47:13,279 i think life is a series of these things 4620 02:47:17,830 --> 02:47:16,000 and the path of objective truth is to 4621 02:47:20,790 --> 02:47:17,840 commit yourself to this 4622 02:47:22,550 --> 02:47:20,800 process of spiraling around and learning 4623 02:47:24,630 --> 02:47:22,560 as much as you can about it and knowing 4624 02:47:26,790 --> 02:47:24,640 you'll never get the absolute truth 4625 02:47:28,710 --> 02:47:26,800 but you can get much much closer to 4626 02:47:32,710 --> 02:47:28,720 truth and that matters very much 4627 02:47:34,070 --> 02:47:32,720 so truth matters and it is not the case 4628 02:47:34,950 --> 02:47:34,080 that you know well i just see it 4629 02:47:37,349 --> 02:47:34,960 differently so 4630 02:47:38,469 --> 02:47:37,359 my truth's as good as yours your truth 4631 02:47:40,150 --> 02:47:38,479 may be as good as mine 4632 02:47:42,550 --> 02:47:40,160 it may be better than mine but it may 4633 02:47:44,950 --> 02:47:42,560 equally by the same token be worse 4634 02:47:46,150 --> 02:47:44,960 so you know there is meaning to this 4635 02:47:48,790 --> 02:47:46,160 idea 4636 02:47:49,349 --> 02:47:48,800 a very important meaning to it and i do 4637 02:47:50,950 --> 02:47:49,359 find 4638 02:47:52,550 --> 02:47:50,960 earphones very funny i don't know 4639 02:47:53,910 --> 02:47:52,560 something about my ears but they always 4640 02:47:57,269 --> 02:47:53,920 keep flopping out 4641 02:48:00,550 --> 02:47:57,279 um anyway there we are um 4642 02:48:04,309 --> 02:48:00,560 that's that thank you that's the sir 4643 02:48:06,150 --> 02:48:04,319 i appreciate it you should read 4644 02:48:08,870 --> 02:48:06,160 just as we go you should read this book 4645 02:48:10,710 --> 02:48:08,880 by douglas hofstetter your 4646 02:48:12,150 --> 02:48:10,720 your chapter on imitation reminded me of 4647 02:48:14,309 --> 02:48:12,160 it it's called surfaces and essences 4648 02:48:17,269 --> 02:48:14,319 it's about analogy 4649 02:48:17,990 --> 02:48:17,279 okay uh is that in the mind's eye or is 4650 02:48:21,110 --> 02:48:18,000 what is that 4651 02:48:23,110 --> 02:48:21,120 no no no it's it's all own book it's a 4652 02:48:24,950 --> 02:48:23,120 huge book just about how analogy is the 4653 02:48:28,150 --> 02:48:24,960 core of cognition 4654 02:48:29,590 --> 02:48:28,160 even the fact that when we imitate 4655 02:48:32,070 --> 02:48:29,600 he i don't believe he uses the word 4656 02:48:33,030 --> 02:48:32,080 memes but susan blackwell even points 4657 02:48:35,110 --> 02:48:33,040 this out that 4658 02:48:37,190 --> 02:48:35,120 blackmoore points it out that to imitate 4659 02:48:39,429 --> 02:48:37,200 is extremely complex 4660 02:48:40,550 --> 02:48:39,439 to copy is right but to imitate is 4661 02:48:43,510 --> 02:48:40,560 complex 4662 02:48:45,190 --> 02:48:43,520 you have to take the essence of it yes 4663 02:48:48,389 --> 02:48:45,200 no that's exactly right 4664 02:48:50,150 --> 02:48:48,399 and what's also nice about it is that 4665 02:48:51,750 --> 02:48:50,160 again the right hemisphere is better at 4666 02:48:52,950 --> 02:48:51,760 this business of getting into the skin 4667 02:48:55,349 --> 02:48:52,960 of somebody else and 4668 02:48:57,349 --> 02:48:55,359 understanding the complexity of it but 4669 02:48:59,510 --> 02:48:57,359 it is also 4670 02:49:01,190 --> 02:48:59,520 the one that thinks that understanding 4671 02:49:04,070 --> 02:49:01,200 is analogy 4672 02:49:06,070 --> 02:49:04,080 so that these when i talked about 4673 02:49:09,830 --> 02:49:06,080 mathematicians and scientists 4674 02:49:12,389 --> 02:49:09,840 having a sense of a form and 4675 02:49:14,790 --> 02:49:12,399 and then finding that through a 4676 02:49:18,150 --> 02:49:14,800 revelation or intuitional 4677 02:49:18,870 --> 02:49:18,160 insight they saw the solution to a 4678 02:49:22,070 --> 02:49:18,880 problem 4679 02:49:24,070 --> 02:49:22,080 that was by analogy not by going 4680 02:49:25,990 --> 02:49:24,080 well i'm nine tenths of the way there 4681 02:49:28,389 --> 02:49:26,000 down this path and if i just do a few 4682 02:49:30,389 --> 02:49:28,399 more pages of work i have reached it 4683 02:49:32,309 --> 02:49:30,399 nothing is an understanding in that way 4684 02:49:33,750 --> 02:49:32,319 we don't just gradually work our way 4685 02:49:36,790 --> 02:49:33,760 along a line 4686 02:49:39,750 --> 02:49:36,800 we we have to see and feel 4687 02:49:41,190 --> 02:49:39,760 analogies and this is how einstein 4688 02:49:43,190 --> 02:49:41,200 described his own 4689 02:49:44,950 --> 02:49:43,200 discoveries that he would play a piece 4690 02:49:46,230 --> 02:49:44,960 of music and he would ponder about it 4691 02:49:47,110 --> 02:49:46,240 then he'd get up from the piano and go 4692 02:49:49,429 --> 02:49:47,120 i've got it 4693 02:49:51,670 --> 02:49:49,439 and or at least his daughter i think 4694 02:49:53,910 --> 02:49:51,680 describes him in this way 4695 02:49:55,510 --> 02:49:53,920 so and he always said you know that i 4696 02:49:58,070 --> 02:49:55,520 don't think in words i think 4697 02:49:58,870 --> 02:49:58,080 in musical forms and muscular movements 4698 02:50:02,150 --> 02:49:58,880 well 4699 02:50:03,349 --> 02:50:02,160 how remarkable is that so anyway we 4700 02:50:06,389 --> 02:50:03,359 we've we've talked 4701 02:50:08,950 --> 02:50:06,399 an awful lot um 4702 02:50:10,710 --> 02:50:08,960 and have a drink get some rest well for 4703 02:50:13,830 --> 02:50:10,720 you i don't know what time it is 4704 02:50:15,429 --> 02:50:13,840 i got the chomsky itself it's a little 4705 02:50:17,269 --> 02:50:15,439 early for a drink for me but i'll get 4706 02:50:19,110 --> 02:50:17,279 onto it in due course and drink your 4707 02:50:20,870 --> 02:50:19,120 your very great health and i look 4708 02:50:22,389 --> 02:50:20,880 forward to talking again 4709 02:50:24,070 --> 02:50:22,399 perhaps in the year when you've had a 4710 02:50:25,429 --> 02:50:24,080 chance to take a look at the matter with 4711 02:50:27,910 --> 02:50:25,439 things yeah 4712 02:50:29,030 --> 02:50:27,920 thank you so much i keep wanting to call 4713 02:50:30,469 --> 02:50:29,040 you professor i was surprised that you 4714 02:50:34,150 --> 02:50:30,479 weren't a professor because 4715 02:50:37,030 --> 02:50:34,160 the the corpus of your of 4716 02:50:39,030 --> 02:50:37,040 of mastering its emissary is it's a huge 4717 02:50:42,950 --> 02:50:39,040 intellectual achievement 4718 02:50:46,309 --> 02:50:42,960 well i i'm a maverick and um 4719 02:50:50,389 --> 02:50:46,319 uh jung and freud were um doctors 4720 02:50:51,910 --> 02:50:50,399 uh i'm a doctor i like that real 4721 02:50:54,389 --> 02:50:51,920 my wife liked the advice that you said 4722 02:50:54,950 --> 02:50:54,399 about me taking some time off and having 4723 02:50:57,110 --> 02:50:54,960 a break 4724 02:50:58,309 --> 02:50:57,120 so we're likely going to do that after 4725 02:51:01,510 --> 02:50:58,319 the chomsky interview 4726 02:51:03,190 --> 02:51:01,520 okay have a great day very good i want 4727 02:51:04,309 --> 02:51:03,200 the audience to look up okay first of 4728 02:51:05,990 --> 02:51:04,319 all where can they find out more about 4729 02:51:10,030 --> 02:51:06,000 you 4730 02:51:12,309 --> 02:51:10,040 uh the best places to go is um 4731 02:51:13,190 --> 02:51:12,319 channelmcgilchrist.com uh which you can 4732 02:51:16,469 --> 02:51:13,200 just put in a 4733 02:51:21,429 --> 02:51:16,479 as an url or you can google my name it 4734 02:51:24,550 --> 02:51:23,990 the main book of my thinking is the one 4735 02:51:27,190 --> 02:51:24,560 that you 4736 02:51:28,870 --> 02:51:27,200 referred to but in the next few months 4737 02:51:31,190 --> 02:51:28,880 i'm publishing 4738 02:51:32,150 --> 02:51:31,200 a very large book which is my attempt to 4739 02:51:34,870 --> 02:51:32,160 explain why 4740 02:51:36,389 --> 02:51:34,880 the whole way we think about ourselves 4741 02:51:39,670 --> 02:51:36,399 nature 4742 02:51:41,510 --> 02:51:39,680 the cosmos and reality is mistaken and 4743 02:51:43,670 --> 02:51:41,520 it's based heavily on the hemisphere 4744 02:51:45,910 --> 02:51:43,680 hypothesis 4745 02:51:47,910 --> 02:51:45,920 and i think it shows a way in which we 4746 02:51:51,349 --> 02:51:47,920 could go forward in the world 4747 02:51:55,110 --> 02:51:51,359 and flourish and survive rather than 4748 02:51:57,429 --> 02:51:55,120 come to um a disastrous end 4749 02:51:58,630 --> 02:51:57,439 so there we are i'd love to talk to you 4750 02:52:00,469 --> 02:51:58,640 again one day but uh 4751 02:52:02,150 --> 02:52:00,479 right now i'm gonna go and have a drink 4752 02:52:03,990 --> 02:52:02,160 okay go ahead go have a drink 4753 02:52:06,070 --> 02:52:04,000 at some point i did want to ask you 4754 02:52:07,590 --> 02:52:06,080 about cognitive behavioral therapy for 4755 02:52:08,790 --> 02:52:07,600 what i was going through but what i am 4756 02:52:10,070 --> 02:52:08,800 going through like i want to know should 4757 02:52:11,990 --> 02:52:10,080 i just be out of nature more 4758 02:52:14,630 --> 02:52:12,000 should i listen to more music i 4759 02:52:16,550 --> 02:52:14,640 definitely gonna stop or try my best to 4760 02:52:20,150 --> 02:52:16,560 stop being so self-conscious 4761 02:52:21,990 --> 02:52:20,160 and and let's say left brain i think 4762 02:52:24,389 --> 02:52:22,000 i think being able to be mindful being 4763 02:52:26,309 --> 02:52:24,399 out in nature listening to music 4764 02:52:28,230 --> 02:52:26,319 slowing down and doing precisely what 4765 02:52:29,750 --> 02:52:28,240 your left hand is telling you mustn't do 4766 02:52:31,830 --> 02:52:29,760 which is waste time 4767 02:52:33,750 --> 02:52:31,840 would be a terribly good idea i mean i 4768 02:52:35,510 --> 02:52:33,760 think that's such a destructive idea 4769 02:52:36,790 --> 02:52:35,520 that time is a resource it's typical 4770 02:52:39,429 --> 02:52:36,800 left hemisphere 4771 02:52:40,630 --> 02:52:39,439 idea that time is money as jeremy 4772 02:52:44,150 --> 02:52:40,640 bentham a man with 4773 02:52:45,830 --> 02:52:44,160 no right hemisphere detectable um to the 4774 02:52:50,710 --> 02:52:45,840 human eye 4775 02:52:53,110 --> 02:52:50,720 sad and it's this idea that we husband 4776 02:52:54,950 --> 02:52:53,120 time as material and the more we do that 4777 02:52:56,870 --> 02:52:54,960 the less time we have the more hurried 4778 02:52:58,469 --> 02:52:56,880 we are the less we inhabit the world at 4779 02:53:01,110 --> 02:52:58,479 all and then we die 4780 02:53:02,150 --> 02:53:01,120 so i think it's a very good idea to slow 4781 02:53:05,830 --> 02:53:02,160 down 4782 02:53:06,790 --> 02:53:05,840 and to learn to listen and not to be too 4783 02:53:08,790 --> 02:53:06,800 active 4784 02:53:10,070 --> 02:53:08,800 i mean i don't always take my own advice 4785 02:53:11,670 --> 02:53:10,080 i have to say yeah 4786 02:53:13,750 --> 02:53:11,680 well you're i don't know how you were 4787 02:53:15,190 --> 02:53:13,760 able to do that i 4788 02:53:17,190 --> 02:53:15,200 i have no idea how you were able to come 4789 02:53:17,750 --> 02:53:17,200 up with that book it you know 14 years 4790 02:53:20,389 --> 02:53:17,760 sounds like 4791 02:53:21,990 --> 02:53:20,399 quite a long time but as i have done my 4792 02:53:23,590 --> 02:53:22,000 own research 4793 02:53:25,190 --> 02:53:23,600 i feel like in 14 years i would have 4794 02:53:27,590 --> 02:53:25,200 come up with 20 4795 02:53:29,750 --> 02:53:27,600 of what you came up with so that's a 4796 02:53:31,830 --> 02:53:29,760 tour de force man 4797 02:53:32,950 --> 02:53:31,840 well i sometimes think the mice came in 4798 02:53:36,150 --> 02:53:32,960 the night and 4799 02:53:38,790 --> 02:53:36,160 wrote it for me yeah 4800 02:53:39,349 --> 02:53:38,800 okay thank you so much thank you please 4801 02:53:41,990 --> 02:53:39,359 get some 4802 02:53:42,469 --> 02:53:42,000 rest have a drink i i feel like in many 4803 02:53:44,230 --> 02:53:42,479 ways 4804 02:53:46,630 --> 02:53:44,240 this podcast is killing me because i 4805 02:53:47,349 --> 02:53:46,640 planned so i have so many pages here i 4806 02:53:50,070 --> 02:53:47,359 go 4807 02:53:51,190 --> 02:53:50,080 through such lengths to for each guest 4808 02:53:53,750 --> 02:53:51,200 but we can 4809 02:53:54,790 --> 02:53:53,760 hey we can do this again if you don't 4810 02:53:57,269 --> 02:53:54,800 mind i would 4811 02:53:57,990 --> 02:53:57,279 i would love to i don't want to i you're 4812 02:54:00,309 --> 02:53:58,000 too kind 4813 02:54:02,230 --> 02:54:00,319 i truly work yeah no no look what about 4814 02:54:05,030 --> 02:54:02,240 we do it again in say a year's time my 4815 02:54:06,389 --> 02:54:05,040 book will have come out you can yes yeah 4816 02:54:08,469 --> 02:54:06,399 we'll have another go that would be 4817 02:54:10,150 --> 02:54:08,479 great yeah great great okay where are 4818 02:54:11,990 --> 02:54:10,160 you by the way are you in l.a or what 4819 02:54:15,190 --> 02:54:12,000 i'm in toronto 4820 02:54:17,590 --> 02:54:15,200 toronto ah yes that's right 4821 02:54:18,950 --> 02:54:17,600 because yes because you said i i 4822 02:54:20,710 --> 02:54:18,960 attended the 4823 02:54:24,230 --> 02:54:20,720 the first showing of the film which and 4824 02:54:29,349 --> 02:54:26,950 somebody had some sound engineer got a 4825 02:54:31,030 --> 02:54:29,359 very red face afterwards with it 4826 02:54:32,389 --> 02:54:31,040 yeah yeah that's right we could barely 4827 02:54:34,469 --> 02:54:32,399 hear you and i think 4828 02:54:35,940 --> 02:54:34,479 peterson had to talk to you over her 4829 02:54:37,830 --> 02:54:35,950 phone 4830 02:54:40,150 --> 02:54:37,840 [Laughter] 4831 02:54:42,550 --> 02:54:40,160 all right then love you too being your 4832 02:54:43,590 --> 02:54:42,560 guest thank you very much 4833 02:54:45,429 --> 02:54:43,600 again it was a pleasure it was a 4834 02:54:46,710 --> 02:54:45,439 pleasure thank you i honestly mean it 4835 02:54:47,269 --> 02:54:46,720 like your book is life changing at least 4836 02:54:49,990 --> 02:54:47,279 for me 4837 02:54:50,710 --> 02:54:50,000 and i think slowly it's going to dawn on 4838 02:54:52,150 --> 02:54:50,720 me or 4839 02:54:54,710 --> 02:54:52,160 the realizations that you've just 4840 02:54:56,389 --> 02:54:54,720 incepted or implanted thank you 4841 02:54:58,070 --> 02:54:56,399 thank you very much hopefully it's not 4842 02:55:01,110 --> 02:54:58,080 too destabilizing for me well 4843 02:55:01,349 --> 02:55:01,120 oh the very best have a great one thank 4844 02:55:03,510 --> 02:55:01,359 you 4845 02:55:05,190 --> 02:55:03,520 okay i'll try and be more embodied i'll 4846 02:55:06,710 --> 02:55:05,200 try my best because i don't i definitely 4847 02:55:08,790 --> 02:55:06,720 don't want to hear voices