It Will Give You Goosebumps - Alan Watts On Existence
True Meaning・2 minutes read
The speaker delves into their philosophical journey stemming from childhood curiosity about existence, leading to a shift towards scientific investigations focused on understanding nature's structures and patterns, emphasizing form and pattern over substance. They discuss the concept of survival value in ethical debates, questioning the need to place hope in the future while highlighting the double bind individuals face when seeking survival and future satisfaction.
Insights
- The speaker's philosophical journey began with a childhood curiosity about existence, leading them to question reality's nature against a backdrop of differentiation.
- The physicist's focus shifted from seeking the substance of the universe to describing it through form and pattern, emphasizing how substance disappears under microscopic observation and highlighting the complexities of survival value in ethical debates.
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Recent questions
Why do people study philosophy?
Curiosity
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Summary
00:00
Philosophical journey to scientific understanding and ethical dilemmas
- The speaker explains that their interest in philosophy stemmed from a childhood feeling of the oddity of existence, leading to a philosophical itch to question the nature of reality against a background of differentiation.
- They delve into the realization that the question of existence's essence is ultimately meaningless, pushing them towards scientific investigations focused on understanding the structures and patterns of nature.
- The physicist's quest for understanding shifts from seeking the substance of the universe to describing it entirely in terms of form and pattern, emphasizing the disappearance of substance under microscopic scrutiny.
- The discussion transitions to the concept of survival value in ethical and moral debates, highlighting the double bind individuals face when striving for survival and the illusion of a future satisfaction, ultimately questioning the necessity of placing hope in the future.
