Are There Things Not Material? | Episode 811 | Closer To Truth

Is the natural, physical world all-there-is? Or is there something more-a supernatural, nonphysical existence? I was trained in science, so I should be a naturalist. I'm not so sure. Featuring interviews with Colin McGinn, J.P. Moreland, Ananda Guruge, Marvin Minsky, and David Chalmers.

Season 8, Episode 11 - #CloserToTruth

Closer To Truth host Robert Lawrence Kuhn takes viewers on an intriguing global journey into cutting-edge labs, magnificent libraries, hidden gardens, and revered sanctuaries in order to discover state-of-the-art ideas and make them real and relevant.

Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

#Ontology #Philosophy

[MatthewCleere]

When Robert says, "I wonder about these things ALL the time." I KNOW he is telling the truth, because I wonder about these things ALL the time too. I used to think everyone must think like this. Now, I'm just glad people like Robert are out there, even if I have met only 1 or 2, personally, in my entire lifetime.

[horizonbrave]

This channel is the greatest nonphysical gift ever..

[plnckton]

It's amazing this kind of content exists, and that it's available so easily.

[emarioc]

This series is like a warm shower for the mind.

[cbthomas]

At 72, I have had 2 profound experiences in my life. The first was a glimpse into my future that happened at 40 that lasted a micro second, was in black and white, was was exactly like the movie The Ring, when he looked into the well and saw a black and white image. This happened to me but 20 years before the movie was made. The second was a feeling of how death feels. The answer I was given was a peace devoid of any emotion both positive or negative. The elimination of any emotion was a load lifted from my psyche or consciousness. Devoid of any emotion, like a straight white line on the scope that they show in movies. I was everywhere and nowhere at the same time with no hurt, memory, or self awareness, I just existed in an other worldly state. I look forward to it.

[tomashull]

I have to say this is one of the best CTT episodes...I actually could agreee with Colin McGinn, J.P. Moreland on most of what they said, which is unusual for me...Congrats Robert!

[courtlaw]

Ah good old Closer to Truth. I wish I knew people showcased in these videos in real life. When I talk about all these topics I mostly end up talking to myself.

[b.g.]

This is back when David Chalmers looked like was auditioning to be a member of Iron Maiden.

[demergent_deist]

Regarding McGinn's remarks:

"As we will see later, fields have energy. They therefore are a form of matter; they can be regarded as the fifth state of matter (solid, liquid, gas, and plasma are the other four states of matter)." (Marc Lange - An Introduction to the Philosophy of Physics)

[PatrickLHolley]

You know, Robert Kuhn is a great human being. These videos have filled my world with joy. My three categories are Spirit, Love and Matter as reflected in our language structure of Subject (spirit), verb or predicate (love) and object (matter). Just a hunch.

[nannumahbub]

Minski is always amazing...thanks Robert.

[wayneasiam]

Just as the list of elements slowly built up, maybe so too with the list containing metaphysics

[jpilegaaard]

Now we are getting somewhere mr. Kuhn ....great episode

[AlmostEthical]

Robert, you ask many great questions. You might try putting this one to Christof Koch (who I imagine you know). He and Colin McGinn had a heated debate about this in a panel discussion, where Koch said there were two domains - the physical and the mental - and McGinn claimed him of being a dualist, to which Koch said he didn't care :)

I'm inclined to agree with Christof. We cannot deny the existence of mentality; our conscious existence is said to be the one thing of which we can be certain. Yet the physical reality of stars and planets is also indisputable, at least without significant sophistry and, arguably, over-complication.

The question, then, is whether any other domains exist. Weirdly, I tend to agree with Plato that forms are fundamental. Forms are shapes and dynamics that either peter out after a while or keep on repeating and complexifying over time. The universe, galaxies, stars and planets each go through their own particular life cycles. Ditto organisms.

In some cases we may truly say "we will never see the like of them again" and in other cases, their likes will keep on re-appearing, often in a more complex form. Generally we can be sure of seeing at least aspects of "the like of them" in the future, just not all of them within the same body.

[compellingpoint]

Killer thumbnail! Thanks for opening minds.

[kwekmooikhim]

Science is always about something .. mind is full of things 😊

[gene]

As a 75 yo, and struggling to maintain my waining intelligence, I believe through the struggles of an extremely difficult life; is that there is more dimensions than physics presents allows humanity to realize. I say this because, I have been brought back to life, when I was six years old. Throughout my life visualizations of a “simulation of realities” were communicated.

[dexblue]

Robert is great .. I love his searching probing nature ...

[scruffypupper]

He asks excellent questions to which there cannot be a one size fits all answer, even though that's what he seeking.

[vsalt]

Big ups for the microtonal piano music in the score!