No View from NoWhere

[00:00:00]Howdy y’all. How’s everybody? Good, good. [00:00:03]I'm recovering from food poisoning [00:00:05]that I gave to myself from yogurt [00:00:09]that I made from my cow. [00:00:11]so entirely my fault.

[00:00:14]yeah, but, you know, [00:00:16]dealing with life with a new cow, [00:00:18]a new calf and everything. [00:00:19]but today's lecture is super important. [00:00:21]All right,

[00:00:22]So I want to start by talking [00:00:23]about your podcast. [00:00:24]We'll take 5 minutes or so in groups. [00:00:27]Yeah. [00:00:27]So let's start with a quick,

[00:00:30]quick review of what we did. [00:00:33]in chapter two, [00:00:33]which was a lot, [00:00:34]which we still haven't finished, [00:00:35]but chapter two I called “Unmooring,”

[00:00:38]which is that more permanent version [00:00:40]of the anchor. [00:00:42]and the main question of chapter [00:00:44]two is “How [00:00:45]do we know what we know?” Right?

[00:00:48]“Know” in quotation marks. [00:00:50]So how do we know what we know? [00:00:51]We started [00:00:52]by looking at the word [00:00:53]epistemology “episteme” [Greek].

[00:00:55]What does our knowledge stand on? [00:00:58]Right? [00:00:59]And philosophers [00:00:59]are always looking for something [00:01:00]real, something unchanging,

[00:01:02]something permanent, [00:01:03]something that you can rely on. [00:01:05]We want to build [00:01:06]a whole system of philosophy [00:01:07]on top of that thing.

[00:01:08]That's never changing, right? [00:01:10]Like a firm foundation. [00:01:11]Building a house. [00:01:12]Problem is, they just haven't found one. [00:01:15]You know? Yeah.

[00:01:16]So then a different way [00:01:17]of going about it. [00:01:18]We talked about Nicholas of Cusa, right? [00:01:20]And we know: [00:01:22]We learn through comparative relation.

[00:01:23]So we know one thing, [00:01:25]we experience something new — [00:01:27]something we've never seen before, [00:01:28]and then we compare it [00:01:29]to things that we've seen before

[00:01:32]and the key word there is “Archetypes.” [00:01:35]Right? [00:01:35]We learn an archetype [00:01:37]and then we experience something new [00:01:40]and then something new. Right?

[00:01:42]And then we're always comparing it [00:01:44]to those original archetypes, which [00:01:48]helps us to understand prejudice. [00:01:50]Right? [00:01:50]So then

[00:01:51]we learn about these [00:01:52]original archetypes [00:01:53]from people in our milieu, [00:01:56]from our families and culture [00:01:58]and society around us.

[00:02:00]Other people learn in other bubbles. [00:02:02]And so [00:02:04]we tend to understand the world [00:02:06]in that light for that reason, [00:02:07]because that's

[00:02:08]what anchors our knowledge. Right? [00:02:10]So to answer: [00:02:11]“What anchors [00:02:12]our knowledge?” [00:02:13]A good answer would be archetypes.

[00:02:16]Then, we talked about the relationship [00:02:18]between this and evolution, right? [00:02:21]Which means unfolding. [00:02:22]And I told that delightful story [00:02:24]about _[name omitted]_ and,

[00:02:28]family reunion and all that kind of stuff [00:02:30]and said that basically [00:02:31]genetic inbreeding is not, [00:02:34]you know, like ideal. [00:02:36]It’s to be avoided, generally.

[00:02:39]Likewise, ideological [00:02:41]inbreeding to be avoided, right? [00:02:43]You need a variety or diversity of ideas [00:02:46]to help to control for [00:02:49]you know, bias or prejudice

[00:02:51]that's built [00:02:51]into our learning [00:02:53]through comparative relation. [00:02:55]then We talked about four epistemologies. [00:02:57]Right?

[00:02:58]So, what are the four epistemologies? [00:03:00]Four “ways of knowing”? [00:03:03]Yeah, intellectual. [00:03:05]This order. [00:03:07]Yeah.

[00:03:07]Intellectual, rational, [00:03:09]sensual, imaginative. [00:03:11]you can go top to bottom or [00:03:12]bottom top, but that same [00:03:15]And then these four

[00:03:17]epistemologies or four “ways of [00:03:21]correspond to four ontologies [00:03:25]or “ways of being,” [00:03:27]So then what are these four ways of [00:03:29]being intellectual is really easy.

[00:03:32]That one is “Ideas,” sometimes [00:03:35]called “Forms.” [00:03:37]usually philosophers call them forms, [00:03:39]but Socrates called them ideas, [00:03:41]so we'll just call them,

[00:03:43]I don't know, I tend to call them both. [00:03:46]Rational knowledge. [00:03:47]How do we define rational knowledge? [00:03:48]Right? Exactly right. [00:03:49]Anything that can be expressed

[00:03:51]in words or numbers [00:03:52]or anything that can be defined, Right? [00:03:55]defined with words or numbers. [00:04:00]If it can be defined [00:04:03]in words or numbers, it's rational.

[00:04:05]If it [00:04:06]can't, then it's [00:04:08]just “non-rational.” Right? [00:04:09]I mean, can you describe [00:04:12]the taste of ice cream?

[00:04:17]Kinda. [00:04:18]But it's not the same as tasting [00:04:20]ice cream, is it? [00:04:21]Like, I mean, describing it or [00:04:25]just it's just not the same.

[00:04:26]Right. [00:04:26]Reading about sex in a book [00:04:28]is different than... [00:04:31]I mean. Right? Yeah. [00:04:33]then. Sensual. Sensual.

[00:04:34]How do we know “sensual knowledge”? [00:04:37]Our senses. Yeah. [00:04:39]So sensual ontology [00:04:42]I mean, it's the universe. [00:04:43]It's like, literally,

[00:04:44]like the physical universe. [00:04:45]Like everything in the universe [00:04:47]all matter and energy fall here, right? [00:04:50]So, like, the material, material [00:04:53]stuff, material universe, Matter.

[00:04:56]And energy, [00:04:57]the simplest thing would [00:04:58]be to say sensual [00:05:01]objects, right? [00:05:02]Objects of sense.

[00:05:03]Anything that you can see, [00:05:05]anything that you can taste, anything [00:05:07]that you can hear [00:05:08]or anything you can feel, [00:05:09]anything you can smell is

[00:05:12]a thing [00:05:13]that you can do all of those things to. [00:05:15]Right? So a sensual object. [00:05:17]so pretty much everything [00:05:20]like the material universe

[00:05:21]is there, imaginative. [00:05:22]So the things that we know [00:05:24]with our imagination, are images. [00:05:28]the two most important words [00:05:30]— one of them I haven't given you,

[00:05:32]images and shadows is [00:05:35]we won't talk about shadows [00:05:37]until we get to chapter eight. [00:05:40]Then we'll talk a lot more [00:05:42]about the distinction

[00:05:43]between images and shadows. [00:05:44]We know [00:05:44]images and shadows [00:05:46]through our imagination. [00:05:49]we experience them

[00:05:50]through our imagination. [00:05:52]but they're really quite different. [00:05:54]All the rest of these [00:05:56]aren't so different, [00:05:57]but these two

[00:05:58]are really two different things. [00:06:00]Anyway, we'll come back to that. [00:06:01]So. Right. [00:06:01]I always put like a line between them. [00:06:04]So we have images on this side.

[00:06:06]We have images and dreams and memories. [00:06:12]and kind of, you know, [00:06:12]I think those are all [00:06:13]a little bit different. [00:06:14]And by images

[00:06:15]we don't just mean visual images, right? [00:06:17]But just anything in your imagination. [00:06:20]So dreams and memories, [00:06:22]anything that's in your imagination, [00:06:23]anything you can see in your head,

[00:06:25]They exist, right? [00:06:26]So, like you, you may, maybe you have [00:06:30]a pet that, that died [00:06:32]when you were young, right? [00:06:34]Maybe you had a dog

[00:06:35]or a cat or something that you had [00:06:37]when you were young in [00:06:38]As a kid, I had a dog named Bean. [00:06:40]that cat or dog. [00:06:41]It's not doesn't exist anymore

[00:06:44]as something that you can see [00:06:46]or pet or cuddle with, Right? [00:06:49]But it still exists as a memory, I miss. [00:06:51]My dad did. [00:06:52]right?

[00:06:52]It's not nonexistent anymore [00:06:54]or it just doesn't exist in this way, [00:06:56]but it still exists in this way, [00:06:58]if you could describe it, [00:07:00]tell its name or describe it right

[00:07:03]then it would exist. This way. [00:07:05]Maybe you could write a [00:07:06]like a biography of your cat [00:07:08]or dog or hamster or whatever, right? [00:07:10]When I was a boy,

[00:07:12]I had a dog named Freddie. [00:07:13]So that would fall. [00:07:14]And so it would still exist. [00:07:16]It would exist as a rational account [00:07:18]or as a story or something like that.

[00:07:19]Or if you, [00:07:20]if you're like an author, [00:07:22]creative writer. Right. [00:07:23]And you create a story, [00:07:25]maybe you create a character,

[00:07:27]My name is imaginary Friends. [00:07:30]right? [00:07:30]That would fall here and here, right? [00:07:34]Maybe to some sense here, [00:07:35]but here and here.

[00:07:37]But not here, right? [00:07:38]Like Harry Potter. [00:07:40]Harry Potter much. [00:07:42]Harry Potter doesn't exist [00:07:45]as a sensual object, right?

[00:07:48]Daniel Radcliffe does. [00:07:50]Daniel Radcliffe. [00:07:51]I am Daniel Radcliffe. [00:07:52]Hello. Right. But not Harry Potter. [00:07:54]And so

[00:07:55]Harry Potter exists [00:07:56]as something that is in our imagination, [00:07:59]because J.K. [00:08:01]Rowling [00:08:02]described Harry Potter and biography

[00:08:04]and all that kind of stuff. [00:08:05]Right. So Harry Potter exists. [00:08:08]Harry Potter if he existed. [00:08:10]don't say Harry Potter [00:08:10]doesn't exist, Right?

[00:08:11]Harry Potter exists as a rational entity [00:08:14]and as an imaginative entity. [00:08:17]Images, dreams, all those kind of things. [00:08:19]not as a thing in the material universe. [00:08:22]Make I understand that perfectly.

[00:08:25]sense? Cool? [00:08:27]Any questions? [00:08:29]Okay, [00:08:30]we'll come back to [00:08:31]this when we get to chapter seven,

[00:08:33]which is on ontology. [00:08:35]That'll be about as much fun [00:08:36]as a lecture on ontological empiricism. [00:08:38]so everything fits together. [00:08:40]Okay,

[00:08:41]now let's move to formal [00:08:43]ontological analysis. [00:08:45]That's what we did the other day, right? [00:08:47]With like, [00:08:47]Martin Luther King it's

[00:08:48]not like a requirement, [00:08:49]but it would be cool [00:08:51]to do a formal ontological analysis [00:08:53]in your podcast, right? [00:08:54]If somebody,

[00:08:55]if you were interested in that [00:08:56]and you guys could, [00:08:57]you know, [00:08:58]somebody, [00:08:58]you don't even have to do it

[00:08:59]all by yourself right you could say, Hey, [00:09:01]I want to do a formal [00:09:02]ontological analysis of freedom [00:09:04]or something like that, right? [00:09:05]And then you could go through

[00:09:07]how does freedom exist as an idea? [00:09:09]How would we define it? [00:09:10]What is freedom look like in the world, [00:09:12]or what does its opposite look like? [00:09:13]Or what can we imagine?

[00:09:14]Freedom, that kind of stuff, right? [00:09:16]That would be a cool thing. [00:09:17]all right. [00:09:18]"Chatur-pad.” [00:09:22]This will help you understand it,

[00:09:23]I'm sure, it's just a flex. [00:09:26]meaning “four” [00:09:28]and pad meaning, “foot” "Chatur". [00:09:31]Pad meaning [00:09:32]four foot

[00:09:33]or the four, [00:09:34]“four quarters,” “four types,” four, [00:09:37]four feet. [00:09:38]the four states of consciousness, [00:09:41]they're states of

[00:09:44]conscious [00:09:47]awareness. [00:09:48]so for states of conscious awareness, [00:09:51]let me start by [00:09:51]just giving them to you enlightenment.

[00:09:55]waking state dream state and deep sleep. [00:10:00]Is a state of total awareness. [00:10:05]you know, get there [00:10:07]eventually, hopefully. [00:10:10]My goal is always to get everybody

[00:10:12]to be enlightened [00:10:13]by the end of the semester. [00:10:15]but certainly not there yet. [00:10:17]Waking state and dream state [00:10:19]and deep sleep. To a deep.

[00:10:20]Deep, deep sleep. [00:10:22]Let's start with deep sleep [00:10:23]because deep sleep is, [00:10:24]I think, the easiest to understand. [00:10:27]deep sleep

[00:10:27]when you're in a state of deep sleep. [00:10:30]What's going on your head? [00:10:32]Literally nothing, Right? [00:10:34]It's kind of what deep sleep is. [00:10:35]There's nothing is going on in your head.

[00:10:37]Because there's nothing [00:10:38]going on in his stupid little head. [00:10:41]you don't even know that [00:10:41]you're “You.” Right? [00:10:43]You don't even know anything, right?

[00:10:45]You know nothing. [00:10:47]You're unaware of anything around you. [00:10:50]If you're not sleeping well, [00:10:51]then maybe you're aware [00:10:52]of things around you. Right?

[00:10:54]But if you're in a state of deep sleep, [00:10:56]then you're unaware [00:10:56]of anything around you. Right? [00:10:58]So this is a state of consciousness [00:11:00]where you're not conscious

[00:11:01]of anything, right? [00:11:03]So not conscious of [00:11:06]Not conscious of any-thing [00:11:11]So we've got pretty [00:11:13]clear distinctions between this one

[00:11:16]and this one. [00:11:17]But these two [00:11:18]we want to keep a little bit murky. [00:11:21]So waking state [00:11:24]when we're in

[00:11:24]a waking state like most of you are now, [00:11:28]then you know, [00:11:29]you've got information [00:11:30]coming in through your senses. [00:11:32]And then,

[00:11:33]these two chapters really run together. [00:11:35]So like, this is, [00:11:36]this is the bridge between the two, [00:11:39]kind of going to do [00:11:39]both at the same time.

[00:11:41]sorry, the, [00:11:42]food poisoning is, like, [00:11:43]really affected my thinking, clouded [00:11:46]my head. [00:11:47]let's think about

[00:11:47]how do we know what we know, right? [00:11:49]Well, [00:11:49]how do we experience [00:11:50]the waking state or the dream state? [00:11:53]when you're awake and alert.

[00:11:55]Right. [00:11:56]Then light comes from the light bulbs. [00:11:59]Right. [00:12:01]we could even go into more detail. Right. [00:12:03]You've got electricity

[00:12:04]coming through copper wires. [00:12:06]They reach the light bulbs, [00:12:07]which are resistor. [00:12:08]Then that slows down [00:12:09]the electrical current,

[00:12:10]which causes a radiation event. [00:12:12]So you've got photons that radiate [00:12:14]from the fluorescent bulbs. [00:12:15]Cool? [00:12:17]Those light waves or photons.

[00:12:21]comes in, it bounces off of [00:12:23]let's just take something at random [00:12:25]about a playing die. Right? [00:12:27]That bounces off of the playing time. [00:12:30]Some of the light is absorbed

[00:12:32]by the thing, right? [00:12:34]Some of the light is [00:12:35]absorbed by the object [00:12:37]and then some of the light [00:12:38]bounces off of the object. Right.

[00:12:40]And is reflected off of the object. [00:12:42]It bounces off of the object [00:12:44]and then goes into _[name]'s_ eyeballs. [00:12:47]Right? [00:12:48]When it goes into your eyeballs (when

[00:12:50]you're awake) it goes into your eyeballs. [00:12:53]and then, [00:12:54]what do you have inside of your eyeballs? [00:12:55]Did I do this on Monday? [00:12:57]what's inside of your eyeballs

[00:13:00]that enables you to see [00:13:02]those? [00:13:04]Yeah. [00:13:06]Rods and cones. [00:13:08]Yeah, and rods and cones.

[00:13:10]And they're of three different types [00:13:14]for most people, right? [00:13:17]Red, green and blue. [00:13:20]I don't have green, but RGB Right. [00:13:23]RGB light.

[00:13:25]And so what happens is [00:13:26]those photons bounce off of whatever [00:13:29]it is. [00:13:30]Let's say, a playing die. [00:13:34]Right?

[00:13:36]So we've got sun, right? [00:13:38]light waves bounce off of this thing [00:13:40]and then they go into your eye, [00:13:42]then they go and they, [00:13:46]I mean it's electricity, right?

[00:13:48]It's photo-electronic electricity [00:13:51]in the form of a light wave. [00:13:53]and those light waves, they [00:13:55]hit those rods and cones, [00:13:56]and then it's electrical, right?

[00:13:59]So it causes them to vibrate, [00:14:01]causes them to get excited. [00:14:03]And so the red, [00:14:05]the red receptors get excited [00:14:07]when there's red light

[00:14:08]and the green get excited [00:14:09]when there's green light. [00:14:10]Right? [00:14:10]It's what they, [00:14:11]what it means to be a RGB receptor.

[00:14:15]And then when they get excited, [00:14:16]what happens next? [00:14:17]Everybody following me so far? [00:14:19]This is like [00:14:21]critically important.

[00:14:23]Change happens right here, actually. [00:14:25]Right there. Right. [00:14:27]What happens after this point? [00:14:29]The light doesn't go into your brain. [00:14:32]What?

[00:14:33]What happens at this point? [00:14:35]Yeah, let's see. [00:14:38]Well, yeah. [00:14:39]What sends signals? What? [00:14:41]Like literally what signal?

[00:14:42]How do the signals get there. [00:14:45]Yes. [00:14:46]So neurotransmitters [00:14:47]which travel along nerve cells. Right. [00:14:50]And so you've got.

[00:14:51]Dendrites and axons [00:14:54]you're sending all this stuff. [00:14:55]Right? Neuro-psych? [00:14:59]correct me if I mess up on anything. [00:15:02]So electrical

[00:15:03]signals travel along those nerve cells [00:15:08]and then go in the case of the eye [00:15:10]they go to your [00:15:13]visual cortex. [00:15:15]What is the visual cortex?

[00:15:17]What is Okay. [00:15:19]What's it? Cortex. [00:15:20]Turning the parts [00:15:22]part of your brain for that fancier. [00:15:23]It's like a region of your brain, right?

[00:15:25]So visual cortex [00:15:27]is the part of your brain [00:15:28]where you have visual, right? [00:15:31]All these [00:15:33]nerve cells, they

[00:15:34]I mean, they go all over your brain. [00:15:36]They kind of centralized [00:15:37]in that visual cortex, [00:15:39]which, if I'm not mistaken, [00:15:41]is at the back of the brain

[00:15:42]link back here. [00:15:43]then what happens? [00:15:45]If you see a playing [00:15:47]light comes here, goes in, excites [00:15:50]those, [which] send electrical signals

[00:15:51]back here. [00:15:53]Then what does your brain do? [00:15:54]What's your visual cortex do? [00:15:56]basically it “Re-Creates” this, right? [00:15:59]It recreates an image

[00:16:03]not in a literal sense, [00:16:05]but your brain constructs [00:16:07]an image of the world [00:16:09]that it “sees” out there, right? [00:16:10]And then so let's try this here.

[00:16:12]Let's some. [00:16:14]All right. [00:16:14]Can we see the cup here? [00:16:15]See the thermos? [00:16:17]I ain't get a good look at the thermos.

[00:16:19]And then [00:16:21]so now the thermos [00:16:22]should be in your visual cortex. [00:16:24]Then see if you can close your eyes [00:16:26]and still see the thermos in your head.

[00:16:29]Kinda? [00:16:32]A little bit? [00:16:35]Right? At least get the idea? [00:16:38]so that thermos. [00:16:39]Right, Or.

[00:16:41]And the thermos [00:16:43]is not such a great example [00:16:44]because you don't know [00:16:45]the thermos that well. [00:16:46]Let's think about

[00:16:47]How about the dinner table [00:16:48]where you grew up? Right? [00:16:50]When you were a kid, [00:16:51]and you would eat dinner [00:16:52]with your family at the dinner table.

[00:16:54]When we was kids at dinner. [00:16:55]Can you picture that in your head? [00:16:56]You know what it looks like? [00:16:57]Picture it really well? Right? [00:17:00]You can picture

[00:17:00]probably with your eyes open or closed. [00:17:02]Right. You can see it. [00:17:03]So that's right. [00:17:05]But you don't see it. [00:17:06]So it's not all of this process

[00:17:08]that's happening. [00:17:09]It's just this part. Right. [00:17:11]So you're seeing it right [00:17:13]in your visual cortex. [00:17:16]Feel me? Right. Everybody clear?

[00:17:18]We don’t need to get too caught up [00:17:20]in this “waking” state or “dream” state. [00:17:22]It's not limited to when you're dreaming. [00:17:24]Dreaming is in this case, the dream state [00:17:27]is that state

[00:17:28]where you're seeing things [00:17:29]in your visual cortex [00:17:31]that do not correspond [00:17:33]at that particular moment [00:17:34]to things outside. Right?

[00:17:36]So when you are just [00:17:37]picturing the dining table [00:17:40]from when you were a kid, [00:17:41]you were doing that, right? [00:17:44]So having a visual image of something

[00:17:46]that's not in front of you, right? [00:17:48]So when you're looking at [00:17:50]this marker right now, then that's waking [00:17:53]state, right? [00:17:54]It's all these things happening

[00:17:56]and then hopefully the thing that you see [00:18:02]corresponds to [00:18:03]the thing that I'm holding right. [00:18:06]Lost? [00:18:07]Confused? Okay.

[00:18:10]I'm going to go over all of this again. [00:18:13]but, so waking state [00:18:16]is when we are conscious [00:18:19]of external objects. [00:18:23]dream state

[00:18:24]is when we are conscious [00:18:25]of internal objects. [00:18:27]But you know, [00:18:30]just to state the obvious, [00:18:32]there are times

[00:18:32]when you might be awake, right? [00:18:35]When you might look awake [00:18:37]to other people, [00:18:38]but your mind is somewhere else, right? [00:18:41]Where you might be daydreaming

[00:18:43]or you might be thinking about, [00:18:45]the rush party [00:18:46]that you've got to do later, Right? [00:18:48]Or you might be thinking about some, [00:18:51]I don't know

[00:18:51]other things that you'd [00:18:52]rather be doing now. Right. [00:18:54]So you're like, here and awake, [00:18:57]but your mind is somewhere else. [00:18:58]It happens, right?

[00:19:00]It’s probably happened during this class, [00:19:01]or sometimes you just sit there [00:19:03]and you're like, [00:19:04]I don't know, couch lock or whatever. [00:19:07]The couch lock is strong on this one.

[00:19:09]Just like, [00:19:10]you know, [00:19:10]like a hard Indica and just like, [00:19:12]nothing's happening, right? [00:19:14]And like, like in the deep sleep state.

[00:19:17]But you're not asleep, right? [00:19:19]Where you're just kind of, like, [00:19:20]unaware of what's going on around you, [00:19:23]even though you are awake, Right? [00:19:26]So all of these states can happen

[00:19:28]while you're awake. [00:19:29]and, yeah, [00:19:31]all them can happen when you're awake. [00:19:32]Cool? [00:19:34]Enlightenment

[00:19:35]we're not going to worry about right now. [00:19:36]Just know that there's another state [00:19:38]of awareness. [00:19:43]Cool? Any questions? [00:19:46]Yeah.

[00:19:47]So daydreaming is considered [00:19:50]“dream state”? Yeah, [00:19:53]yeah, Yep. [00:19:53]Daydream is “dream state.” So “state” [00:19:57]is, you know I mean

[00:19:59]they're they're murky, right? [00:20:00]It's not like a clear state [00:20:01]like I'm in the state [00:20:02]or I'm not in the state. [00:20:03]You can be awake

[00:20:04]and then also be in, [00:20:06]you know, dream “state.” Cool? [00:20:08]All right. [00:20:10]Now, you can probably notice, [00:20:12]I mean, there's a lot of “fours”.

[00:20:14]A lot of “fours” in this whole chapter. [00:20:17]Right? [00:20:18]And these more or less line up [00:20:20]so we can have [00:20:22]the four states of consciousness.

[00:20:25]Enlightenment [00:20:26]definitely lines up up here. [00:20:28]deep sleep, I think is off the chart. [00:20:31]waking and waking [00:20:33]and dream state can involve all of these,

[00:20:36]Right. Well, [00:20:39]dream state would include this, [00:20:41]but definitely include these, right? [00:20:43]You could be asleep and dreaming about [00:20:47]my lecture,

[00:20:48]or about a book [00:20:49]that you read or something like that. [00:20:51]You can dream [00:20:52]about discussions and conversations [00:20:54]which would be rational.

[00:20:56]You can certainly dream images [00:20:58]or memories of those kind of things. [00:21:00]Cool? [00:21:01]All right, [00:21:02]then let's shift

[00:21:04]that's the end of chapter two. [00:21:07]But it's also It's [00:21:09]a lot of chapter three. [00:21:10]Also, marijuana should be legal. [00:21:12]Okay? It's not.

[00:21:13]I didn't even write that It’s [00:21:15]not my writing. [00:21:16]Chapter three, [00:21:18]No View from Nowhere [00:21:20]previously just called phenomenology.

[00:21:23]so Phenomenology [00:21:27]Phenomenology has a very long history [00:21:29]I mean, the practice of phenomenology [00:21:31]has been around for a really long [00:21:32]time, East and West,

[00:21:34]it wasn't always called that. [00:21:36]But what Socrates did [00:21:39]was phenomenology, [00:21:41]even though I don't, [00:21:42]he never used that word.

[00:21:43]as far as I'm aware, [00:21:44]this word is largely, [00:21:46]I mean, it's associated [00:21:47]with a lot [00:21:47]of philosophers in the Western tradition,

[00:21:49]but most notably perhaps with this guy. [00:21:54]This, my book is like in pieces. [00:21:57]but this book [00:22:00]simply called Ideas [00:22:02]a subtitle

[00:22:03]A General Introduction [00:22:04]to Pure Phenomenology by Edmund Husserl. [00:22:08]Husserl was a philosopher in Germany. [00:22:12]He died, like, [00:22:14]like around 1930 something like that, or.

[00:22:17]yeah, I'm not sure exactly when, [00:22:20]but that's, you know, [00:22:21]it gives you a rough time frame. [00:22:22]Wrote that book [00:22:23]right around the turn of the century

[00:22:24]or in 19 right around 1900, I believe. [00:22:27]basically Husserl [00:22:28]was just dissatisfied [00:22:30]with a lot of philosophy. [00:22:31]He thought that

[00:22:32]most philosophy was bullshit. [00:22:33]He thought that philosophers [00:22:35]were terrible [00:22:37]and that philosophy had just gone [00:22:40]in all sorts of directions.

[00:22:41]And [thought philosophers] [00:22:41]were talking about [00:22:42]things that didn't matter in the world, [00:22:43]and talking in ways [00:22:44]that just were not helpful.

[00:22:46]He just did not think very highly [00:22:48]of philosophy or philosophers [00:22:52]and thought that we needed [00:22:53]to be [00:22:53]far more careful with our ways

[00:22:55]of doing philosophy Right. [00:22:57]Take a more scientific approach to how, [00:23:00]you know, studying: “How [00:23:01]do we know what we know?” Right? [00:23:03]He thought that philosophers

[00:23:04]have gotten so disconnected from reality [00:23:06]that what they were doing [00:23:07]just really didn't help anybody. [00:23:10]and so he wanted to bring [00:23:12]philosophy back to core

[00:23:15]roots, thinking about “How [00:23:16]do we know what we know?” [00:23:17]The methods of perception, what happens, [00:23:20]you know, at a very literal level, [00:23:22]all of this,

[00:23:23]all of this, [00:23:24]that I gave [00:23:24]comes straight from Husserl, [00:23:26]including the die actually. [00:23:28]So he uses an example of a playing die.

[00:23:31]This particular playing [00:23:32]die by the way, [00:23:34]it's important for me [00:23:35]that my kids have every advantage. [00:23:37]So they, you know, my kids

[00:23:39]already know all this stuff, [00:23:40]and so my kids learned [00:23:41]phenomenology from me years ago. [00:23:43]My daughter knows [00:23:44]that I use a die in class all the time.

[00:23:46]So she made me this. [00:23:47]My daughter made this, from scratch. [00:23:50]This she maybe six of them. [00:23:51]so there's just a regular playing [00:23:52]die Right?

[00:23:54]But made it [00:23:54]because I use it in class [00:23:56]and because and I use it in class [00:23:57]because Edmund Husserl talks [00:23:59]about playing die

[00:24:00]in this book, “Ideas,” [00:24:02]in order to explain [00:24:03]what is phenomenology, [00:24:04]the most important thing [00:24:06]most important aspect of phenomenology.

[00:24:09]I think, or at least to begin with, is [00:24:13]we have to distinguish [00:24:15]between the phenomenon and (in [00:24:19]German) the “ding an sich,” or “the thing [00:24:21]itself.” Right?

[00:24:22]just if I call it the thing itself, [00:24:24]I mean, [00:24:25]I do call it the thing itself, [00:24:26]but it just sounds like I wasn't trying [00:24:28]very hard

[00:24:29]when I came up [00:24:29]with that phrase or something. [00:24:30]Right. The thing itself. [00:24:32]But that's what Husserl called it. [00:24:34]The thing itself

[00:24:35]or the “ding [00:24:36]an sich”, [00:24:37]what's called the rallying [00:24:38]cry of phenomenologists is “Zu [00:24:40]den sachen selbst!” - “to

[00:24:42]the things themselves.” So, [00:24:43]anyway, so we've got to distinguish [00:24:45]between the thing itself. [00:24:46]So the thing itself [00:24:47]basically is

[00:24:48]whatever thing we're trying to study. [00:24:50]Right? whatever. [00:24:52]Whatever thing we're trying to study. [00:24:53]Right? [00:24:54]It could be

[00:24:55]the brain, it could be psychology, [00:24:57]it could be, [00:24:59]I don't know, [00:25:00]tables, chair, It could be whatever. [00:25:02]I don't know.

[00:25:03]It could be anything, right? [00:25:04]Whatever thing we're trying to study, [00:25:06]let's put that at the center of the [00:25:09]could be a chemical compound [00:25:10]or something, Right?

[00:25:11]So we're going to put that. [00:25:13]That's the thing [00:25:14]that we're trying to study. [00:25:15]Now, we have to distinguish [00:25:16]between the thing itself

[00:25:18]and the phenomenon. [00:25:19]Now, I've already done that for you. [00:25:21]So in this example, [00:25:23]this would be the thing itself, [00:25:26]basically,

[00:25:29]right? [00:25:29]The thing that we're investigating, [00:25:31]like in this case, like this actual [00:25:34]die, right, let's say this actual die, [00:25:37]if we want to study it, then,

[00:25:39]you know, we want to see [00:25:41]how do we know what we know, Right? [00:25:42]How do we [00:25:43]how do we experience this thing itself? [00:25:46]and then the phenomenon.

[00:25:48]Right. [00:25:48]Let me give you a clear [00:25:50]definition of the word phenomenon [00:25:52]that I will expect you to memorize. [00:25:55]Phenomenon is that which

[00:25:59]appears to the conscious mind. [00:26:02]Yeah. Pretty simple definition, right? [00:26:04]That which appears to the conscious mind. [00:26:06]But don't get confused. Right. [00:26:09]There's the die which is there.

[00:26:11]That's the sensual object. [00:26:13]That's the object, [00:26:14]the material thing over here. [00:26:17]Right. Which we experience sensually. [00:26:19]But when we experience sensually,

[00:26:21]all these steps happen, right? [00:26:23]The light bounces off of that thing, [00:26:26]goes into your eyeballs, right? [00:26:29]And then your eyeballs, [00:26:31]through dendrites and electrical signals,

[00:26:34]recreate the phenomenon. [00:26:39]So the phenomenon [00:26:42]is here. [00:26:44]Here. [00:26:46]Right.

[00:26:46]So [00:26:49]how many [00:26:51]playing die are there [00:26:55]one? [00:26:56]How many phenomena

[00:26:58]of the playing die are there [00:27:01]in the room? [00:27:02]Twelve. [00:27:06]Word. [00:27:11]Yeah,

[00:27:13]because the phenomenon is where [00:27:14]point to the phenomenon [00:27:17]phenomena is up here. Right. [00:27:18]That's where it is. [00:27:19]So the thing itself

[00:27:21]here, I know this is silly and stupid, [00:27:23]you're in college [00:27:24]and you're grown ups and stuff, [00:27:25]but point to it, right? [00:27:27]There's the thing itself.

[00:27:29]Good. [00:27:30]There's the phenomenon. [00:27:34]Cool. [00:27:35]All right, super clear. [00:27:38]That's super clear. Ish.

[00:27:40]So [when you] get to the exam. [00:27:42]That won't be something [00:27:44]you're confused about. Right? [00:27:45]Perfectly not confusing. [00:27:46]Okay, so

[00:27:49]they're different, right? [00:27:52]they're different. [00:27:53]Howdy y’all. 2023-Brad popping in here [00:27:57]after like 80 hours of video editing. [00:27:59]I decided that

[00:28:00]I wanted to insert this clip from 2021 [00:28:03]that I recorded a couple of years ago [00:28:04]when I was trying to use [00:28:05]a green screen with, [00:28:07]you know, limited success, I'll admit.

[00:28:09]But, I wanted to pop this in here [00:28:10]for a couple of reasons. [00:28:11]One, it's right [00:28:12]about in the middle of this video. [00:28:13]It'd be a good time to take a break.

[00:28:14]there's no commercial [00:28:15]in this particular chapter. [00:28:17]So if you need to take a break, [00:28:18]then now would be a good time [00:28:19]to hit pause before you watch this video

[00:28:21]and then the rest. [00:28:23]There's not a lot of content in here [00:28:24]that's not in the rest of the video, [00:28:26]but it is a real quick, concise [00:28:28]overview of phenomenology

[00:28:29]and the phenomenological method in a way [00:28:31]that I think comes across [00:28:32]quite clearly anyway. [00:28:34]I think it might help some folks [00:28:35]and it's not going to hurt anybody

[00:28:37]to watch the phenomenological method [00:28:39]one more time [00:28:39]because the phenomenological method [00:28:41]is so central to everything [00:28:42]we're doing this class

[00:28:43]and is the number one thing [00:28:44]that I want you to take away [00:28:45]from this course. [00:28:47]So, without further ado, [00:28:48]here's 2021-Brad:

[00:28:51]You know what? [00:28:51]let's get a concrete example of [00:28:53]what the hell we're talking about. [00:28:54]I'm not going to pick [00:28:55]an example at random,

[00:28:56]but instead use an example [00:28:58]that was given by a scholar [00:29:00]who's often [00:29:00]called the father of phenomenology. [00:29:02]His name is Edmund

[00:29:03]Husserl in this book called Ideas. [00:29:05]So Husserl uses this example of a [00:29:08]of a game die. [00:29:09]So let's think about [00:29:10]I usually carry

[00:29:11]this game, die around with me. [00:29:12]This one's kind of a fun one. [00:29:13]This one's a normal game die. Let's say. [00:29:15]We want to understand. [00:29:17]We want to try and see this game die

[00:29:20]as it is [00:29:20]and to understand the distinction [00:29:22]between the die [00:29:23]as it is, as an entity, as a as a thing, [00:29:26]and how that phenomenon

[00:29:28]appears to our consciousness [00:29:30]as an object, [00:29:31]as a object of consciousness. [00:29:34]So how does this external physical thing [00:29:37]appear to our consciousness,

[00:29:38]and how can we distinguish our idea of it [00:29:41]from the thing itself? [00:29:43]of course, we all know what a die is. [00:29:44]Right to die [00:29:45]has six sides

[00:29:46]and flat faces and everything [00:29:49]that's part of the point of using [00:29:50]the die is [00:29:50]because it's a simple, easy example [00:29:53]with which we're already familiar.

[00:29:55]All right, so let's see from one angle. [00:29:57]It's going to look like a flat square [00:29:59]with three dots attached. [00:30:02]But from the opposite angle, Right. [00:30:04]It's going to look like a

[00:30:05]flat square with four dots. [00:30:09]Right? [00:30:09]Because opposing sides [00:30:11]of a regular playing [00:30:12]die always total seven.

[00:30:13]But if you are seeing the number three [00:30:15]and I'm seeing the number four [00:30:16]and I'm asking you [00:30:17]to report [00:30:18]on your scientific observation

[00:30:20]of what you're seeing, [00:30:21]then you're going to say, Well, [00:30:22]I see a square with three dots, [00:30:25]and I'll say, Well, [00:30:26]I see a square with four dots.

[00:30:28]And that person over there will say, [00:30:29]I see a square with two dots, [00:30:31]and the person over there will say, [00:30:32]I see a square with five dots. [00:30:34]And the person

[00:30:35]from a particular angle will say, Well, [00:30:37]I don't actually see a square at all. [00:30:38]It looks like something [00:30:40]that's not quite square. [00:30:43]All right.

[00:30:43]Let's pause [00:30:44]here and zoom in so we can understand [00:30:46]what the hell this dude’s talking about. [00:30:48]So when seen from a 90 degree angle, each [00:30:50]side of the die appears to our conscious

[00:30:52]mind as a square figure [00:30:54]with some number of circles in it, [00:30:57]but from a different angle. [00:30:58]The same die appears [00:30:59]to our conscious mind,

[00:31:00]not as a square, [00:31:02]but as a six sided polygon. [00:31:04]One, two, three, four, five, six. [00:31:07]Obviously this person will see [00:31:08]far more dots than the others.

[00:31:10]However, [00:31:12]while some of the dots appear [00:31:14]almost circular, [00:31:16]most of them are actually stretched [00:31:17]ovals

[00:31:18]ellipses with two foci [00:31:20]instead of a center. [00:31:22]Now to demonstrate, [00:31:23]note that all of the red circles [00:31:25]that I've added here are identical

[00:31:27]copies of one another. [00:31:29]So what? [00:31:30]Well, Husserl point. [00:31:32]So part of his point is [00:31:33]that there are no shortcuts

[00:31:35]to understanding the truth of reality. [00:31:37]A phenomenology must carefully, [00:31:40]clearly and accurately describe [00:31:43]what appears to his, her, [00:31:44]or their conscious mind,

[00:31:47]and must identify [00:31:48]where they are coming from [00:31:50]and must listen to those around them. [00:31:52]Only then can we actually know [00:31:54]the thing itself

[00:31:56]rather than the mental image [00:31:57]of that thing, [00:31:58]which is something created by the mind. [00:32:01]So to summarize, [00:32:03]phenomenology

[00:32:03]requires us to carefully [00:32:05]describe precisely [00:32:06]what our senses reveal to us, [00:32:09]but also describe [00:32:10]where we are coming from.

[00:32:12]This is called our perspectival [00:32:13]starting point. [00:32:14]In order to have a more accurate [00:32:16]understanding of the real world as it is, [00:32:19]then we must listen to the descriptions

[00:32:21]given by other humans, [00:32:23]and we must consider [00:32:24]where those other humans are coming from. [00:32:26]What is his, her, [00:32:28]their perspectival starting point.

[00:32:31]And I see multiple sides. [00:32:32]So by getting [00:32:33]as many different perspectives [00:32:35]as on the thing itself as possible, [00:32:37]then we get a clearer,

[00:32:38]more accurate view of the thing itself. [00:32:41]One of the things that this does [00:32:42]is help us [00:32:43]to distinguish [00:32:43]between the object

[00:32:45]and our subjective experience [00:32:46]of that object [00:32:47]so that we can get a truer, [00:32:48]more accurate sense of the thing itself. [00:32:52]Now, obviously,

[00:32:54]it may be obvious the fact, [00:32:55]perhaps it's obvious [00:32:56]it could lead to some confusions, right? [00:32:58]It could lead to some problems. [00:33:00]If you are describing

[00:33:01]your phenomenological experience [00:33:03]of the die, you say, well, [00:33:04]I see a square with three sides. [00:33:05]And I say, well, [00:33:06]I see a square with four sides.

[00:33:08]We are both clearly correct, right? [00:33:10]Even though our reports of the “ding [00:33:13]an sich” / “the thing [00:33:14]itself” are different. Right. [00:33:16]So then how do we resolve this confusion?

[00:33:19]Well, phenomenology says [00:33:21]we shouldn't prima facie [00:33:22]assume that you're [00:33:23]right or that you're wrong [00:33:24]or that I'm right or that I'm wrong.

[00:33:26]But nevertheless, [00:33:27]we need to try and identify [00:33:29]our perspectival starting point. [00:33:31]Right. [00:33:32]If I understand that

[00:33:33]you are coming from over there [00:33:34]and you understand that [00:33:35]I'm coming from over here [00:33:36]and this thing is in the middle, [00:33:38]then clearly

[00:33:38]we are seeing different sides [00:33:40]of the same thing, right? [00:33:42]And then we can start to piece together [00:33:44]our subjective reports [00:33:46]of our phenomenological experience

[00:33:49]of the particular phenomenon, [00:33:51]the thing itself, whatever [00:33:52]it is, at the center of the circle. [00:33:54]And then we can say, all right, [00:33:55]well, it's something that has

[00:33:57]three dots on one side, [00:33:59]four dots on one side, [00:34:00]two dots on another side, [00:34:01]and clearly seems to have more [00:34:03]than just the side that I'm seeing,

[00:34:05]but perhaps, oh, I don't know, six sides [00:34:14]now, [00:34:15]the same move [00:34:16]philosophically that helps us [00:34:17]to overcome that perceived

[00:34:20]or potential problem [00:34:21]of differing reports [00:34:23]of a thing itself [00:34:24]also is the benefit of phenomenology. [00:34:27]If we each describe what we see

[00:34:29]but also identify our perspectival [00:34:31]starting points, [00:34:33]then we start to get [00:34:34]a much more complete picture [00:34:36]of the thing itself, right?

[00:34:38]Seeing this thing from all sides. [00:34:40]Now, obviously in this course [00:34:42]we aren't studying playing [00:34:43]die, right, [00:34:44]as fun as that might be,

[00:34:45]but instead [00:34:46]we're going to study religion. [00:34:47]So we're going to put ideas and concepts [00:34:50]and more abstract, [00:34:51]difficult things

[00:34:52]that we can't necessarily see. [00:34:54]But it's important to note [00:34:55]that this phenomenological method [00:34:56]can really be used to study [00:34:58]just about anything, so: I’ve defined

[00:35:02]phenomenon and “ding an sich.” [00:35:04]Any questions about those? Right? [00:35:06]That's the clear definition of that. [00:35:07]“The thing [00:35:07]itself” is just “whatever thing

[00:35:09]we're studying.” Right? [00:35:10]phenomenology of perception, cognition. [00:35:12]That's what I did. [00:35:13]I did in out [00:35:14]order, but that's what I did.

[00:35:17]phenomenological method. [00:35:19]let's do this again, [00:35:20]let's go through this again [00:35:21]before I get to the [00:35:22]phenomenological method,

[00:35:23]because I also need to get you [00:35:25]to understand this conscious perceiver. [00:35:27]You probably already got it, [00:35:28]but okay, let's see. [00:35:30]So there's this thing that happens to me

[00:35:32]all the time. [00:35:33]I, I, [00:35:34]I'm a philosopher, [00:35:36]and I'm pretty scatterbrained, and. [00:35:38]And I mean, you probably notice

[00:35:39]that, like, today, if not before. [00:35:42]and so my house, you know, [00:35:44]I'm pretty scatterbrained [00:35:46]and you can imagine, right? [00:35:48]So I am always running behind,

[00:35:51]always losing my keys and everything. [00:35:52]Right? [00:35:53]So I try to do this [00:35:54]where I walk in the door [00:35:56]to my house and walk in the kitchen door,

[00:35:59]put them put the keys on the counter [00:36:02]by the back door. Right. [00:36:04]Try. [00:36:05]There's actually like a huge pile of [00:36:07]shit right there right now

[00:36:08]so I barely can even put them there. [00:36:10]But that's where I try to put them. [00:36:11]Right. [00:36:12]So then that way, [00:36:13]when I'm running late for class

[00:36:15]or I'm running late for whatever, [00:36:18]then you know, [00:36:20]when I'm in a hurry, [00:36:21]I know where my keys are. Right? [00:36:22]They should be right there

[00:36:23]by the back door. [00:36:24]So I go get my keys and go. [00:36:27]Half the time I forget to put them there. [00:36:29]But, you know, [00:36:32]so if I'm

[00:36:33]running in a hurry or whatever, [00:36:34]I go there and. [00:36:36]And I look [00:36:37]and I don't see my keys, right? [00:36:40]So then I get frustrated,

[00:36:41]start cursing at myself and everything. [00:36:43]I run into the bedroom, [00:36:45]look through all my pants pockets, [00:36:47]Where are my keys? [00:36:49]can't find my keys,

[00:36:50]go to the laundry room [00:36:51]and start looking through the dryer [00:36:53]Keys! Where’s my keys?! [00:36:54]Where are my keys? [00:36:55]and everything, you know,

[00:36:56]Where are my keys? [00:36:57]How could they Where could they go? [00:36:58]I They, they were right here. [00:36:59]Right? mean, they're not there. [00:37:02]I get frustrated

[00:37:03]and decide that I'm just going [00:37:04]to, like, [00:37:04]walk to Fitchburg State or whatever, [00:37:06]you know, because I can't find my keys [00:37:08]and I can't leave them my keys.

[00:37:09]And I go, [00:37:09]in a moment of desperation, [00:37:11]and look back on the counter by the door, [00:37:15]which is where they're supposed to be. [00:37:17]And I look and guess what

[00:37:20]they're like right there, [00:37:21]right, right there. [00:37:22]They've been there the whole time. [00:37:23]Has this ever happened to you? Yeah. [00:37:25]This ever happened to you? Yeah.

[00:37:27]So, [Is there] anybody [00:37:29]this hasn't happened to? [00:37:31]How can that happen? [00:37:33]Something wrong with your eyes? [00:37:37]So let's think about

[00:37:38]what's happening, right? [00:37:39]So you've got the [00:37:41]you've got the keys, right? [00:37:43]So instead of playing die in this case [00:37:45]we've got the keys

[00:37:48]which are there. [00:37:49]Right? They’re there. [00:37:51]I'll put them back. [00:37:52]The keys [00:37:52](I'm probably going to forget them)

[00:37:54]but the keys which are there right [00:37:56]Did my “eyes see” the keys? [00:38:00]I mean they're like plain sight. [00:38:01]They weren’t under anything. [00:38:03]They're like right on the table.

[00:38:04]There's no way [00:38:05]I could have looked there [00:38:06]and not seen them with my eyes. [00:38:09]Right. [00:38:09]Lights are on.

[00:38:10]of course, [00:38:11]if there's no light, [00:38:12]then you can't see them. [00:38:13]But if the lights are on, [00:38:14]then the light bounces

[00:38:15]off of the thing goes into your eyes. [00:38:17]So and as long as your eyes are working. [00:38:19]Was it a problem in my eyes? [00:38:21]Is it a problem with your [00:38:22]eyes when you don't see them? No.

[00:38:24]So, what is the problem? Where is the problem happening? [00:38:28]So, Say more. [00:38:29]Yeah. Yeah. [00:38:31]So my eyes are seeing them, but [00:38:34]there's like another, there's like an “I”

[00:38:37]that “I” am not seeing them. Right. [00:38:38]So there's the, my eyes. [00:38:40]So we've got to distinguish [00:38:41]between my eyes [00:38:42]which are seeing them and the “I”

[00:38:44]because I'm distracted [00:38:45]or I'm not focused or [00:38:47]stressed or whatever. Right? [00:38:49]So I'm just not seeing there's [00:38:50]something wrong with that process.

[00:38:52]Right. Like you said. [00:38:53]So the process behind this, [00:38:56]something is going on. [00:38:57]The problem is not here. [00:38:59]The problem is here.

[00:39:01]Right? Cool? now. [00:39:04]Nailed it. [00:39:05]So then hopefully this helps us [00:39:07]to recognize the distinction [00:39:10]between “the thing

[00:39:12]itself” — in this case, the keys. [00:39:16]Right. [00:39:16]And then the phenomenon, which is, [00:39:19]you know, the mental image. [00:39:21]Mental image is what I want.

[00:39:22]And then this “I.” Right? [00:39:24]So I am not seeing the keys. [00:39:30]Right. [00:39:31]So there's kind of two [00:39:32]“SEEINGS” that's going on, right?

[00:39:34]Because when we use the word “seeing,” [00:39:36]this is kind of stuff that drove, [00:39:37]Husserl crazy. [00:39:38]So like people use words [00:39:39]in all these different ways

[00:39:41]and they're like [00:39:42]really inconsistent, right? [00:39:43]So when you say, “I [00:39:44]see.” What do you mean? [00:39:46]Do you see with your eyes or do you see

[00:39:48]with your perceiver, with your “I”? [00:39:52]Not E-Y-E but “I” Right? [00:39:55]So you can see things with your eyes. [00:40:00]the eyes see the keys [00:40:03]and the keys,

[00:40:04]if everything's working [00:40:04]right, produces [00:40:05]this mental image of the keys [00:40:08]in your brain, [00:40:10]which is the “phenomenon.”

[00:40:11]The mental image versus the sensible [00:40:15]objects. [00:40:19]It's almost like this stuff lines up [00:40:21]with what we were studying [00:40:22]in the last chapter, isn’t? right?

[00:40:24]So like the sensible object, [00:40:25]the material thing. Right? [00:40:27]Which is sensed [00:40:29]through our sense organs, [00:40:30]which then creates this

[00:40:34]image which is in our heads. [00:40:36]Right? [00:40:37]Which then we either see or don't see. [00:40:40]Right. [00:40:40]If we're stressed then maybe,

[00:40:42]maybe I see this or maybe I don't. [00:40:45]Right. Maybe. [00:40:47]In fact, [00:40:47]could it be [00:40:49]psychology psychologists out there?

[00:40:51]Could it be that I don't see them [00:40:55]for the very reason [00:40:56]that I'm stressed out? [00:40:57]Because they might not be there? Right. [00:41:00]So I have this like expectation

[00:41:03]that they're not going to be there. [00:41:05]And then so I look, [00:41:06]my expectation is confirmed, [00:41:08]even though they are there? [00:41:12]Confirmation bias.

[00:41:16]Is that sound psychology? [00:41:19]I think so. [00:41:20]So then when I you know, look again later [00:41:23]Then some reason I see them [00:41:24]Want another example?

[00:41:26]Let’s do another example [00:41:26]Everybody understand that [00:41:28]It's another stock, classic example. [00:41:31]So let's see, I'm at my farm, right? [00:41:34]And it's late at night, dark night.

[00:41:38]And [00:41:39]I got [00:41:39]to go out to the barn [00:41:40]to feed the animals. [00:41:42]I would never go out

[00:41:42]to the barn barefoot. [00:41:43]But for the sake of this example, let's [00:41:45]pretend I'm barefoot. Right? [00:41:47]Or you. YOU're outside. [00:41:49]You're outside in the dark,

[00:41:52]You're barefoot, [00:41:54]you're walking through the grass, [00:41:56]and all of a sudden you see a snake [00:41:58]curled up right beside your foot. [00:42:01]how would you react _[student name]_?

[00:42:03]Scream? Yeah. [00:42:04]How else? [00:42:06]Kick it? Yeah. [00:42:09]And then do what? but. [00:42:10]I don't know. Yeah. Figure it out. Yeah.

[00:42:12]All right, [00:42:13]So kick it or scream what you say. [00:42:17]Run right. [00:42:18]So that's literally [00:42:20]fight or flight, right?

[00:42:23]So that's literally [00:42:24]when you have this reaction, [00:42:25]you see something you enter, right? [00:42:28]Is it [00:42:28]some sympathetic nervous system

[00:42:30]that kicks into action? [00:42:32]I always get sympathetic and [00:42:33]parasympathetic confused. [00:42:36]but, one of them is you fight or flight, [00:42:39]reflex, which sends you into a state

[00:42:41]of hypervigilance, [00:42:42]which we talked about before [00:42:44]when we were talking [00:42:44]about different states of consciousness [00:42:47]and so when you're in

[00:42:48]that fight or flight, [00:42:49]then you either kick it [00:42:50]or you run or you kick it [00:42:51]and then run, right? [00:42:53]Or something like that.

[00:42:54]Let's say you run. [00:42:56]but you've got to go back, some reason [00:42:59]to get a flashlight [00:43:00]and you go [00:43:00]and you're looking for the snake

[00:43:02]and you shine it on where the snake was [00:43:03]and you realized [00:43:05]it was just a rope or a garden hose. [00:43:08]Right? [00:43:09]So it wasn't actually a snake at all.

[00:43:11]Right. [00:43:12]that makes sense. [00:43:14]What happened to the snake? [00:43:22]It was never there, but. [00:43:25]It was

[00:43:26]never THERE, but did it exist? [00:43:29]in the. [00:43:31]So it existed in your mind? [00:43:32]It existed as a mental image. [00:43:35]And that mental image was

[00:43:37]not only existed, [00:43:39]but it was very real, right? [00:43:41]So real [00:43:42]that it caused a reaction [00:43:43]that caused this fight

[00:43:45]or flight reaction. Right. [00:43:46]Cause they biochemical reaction. [00:43:48]So it was a cause, right? [00:43:51]which caused. [00:43:53]Yeah, I was going to talk about

[00:43:54]cause and effect in the pramAna [00:43:56]section, but, [00:43:56]Which caused this I to become scared [00:44:00]and to enter into that [00:44:02]right fight or flight mode or whatever.

[00:44:05]But the cause of that thing [00:44:07]was something [else]. [00:44:07]Where did the snake come from? [00:44:09]So the snake [00:44:10]— Can we agree that the snake existed?

[00:44:13]but the snake existed not as a material [00:44:16]or sensible object, [00:44:18]but instead as an image. Right? [00:44:20]As an image in our head, [00:44:21]A mental image, A mental object.

[00:44:24]Where did that [00:44:24]mental object come from? [00:44:28]Yeah. [00:44:29]cool. Yeah. [00:44:31]So then you're going to bring

[00:44:32]in comparative relation to. Right? [00:44:33]So like, [00:44:34]you've seen thing [00:44:35]and you've seen it, [00:44:36]you've seen something like this before.

[00:44:38]It looks like a snake. [00:44:39]So you're like, [00:44:40]All right, [00:44:40]I've experienced a snake before. [00:44:42]This looks like a snake.

[00:44:43]It's a snake. It's not the same thing. [00:44:45]It is the same thing. [00:44:46]Right? Good. What we can say even. [00:44:48]Nice. Does Yeah. [00:44:49]Awesome. now,

[00:44:52]logically, we have to say that [00:44:54]there's two causes [00:44:55]-- there are different kinds of causes. [00:44:57]We'll get to this later in the semester, [00:44:59]but different kinds causes.

[00:45:00]We've got sort of the material cause [00:45:03]and the efficient cause. [00:45:07]Other kinds of causes too. [00:45:09]in this case, [00:45:10]you didn't totally imagine the snake rate

[00:45:13]there was actually something there. [00:45:15]Well, it was actually their rope [00:45:17]or the hose or whatever, right? [00:45:19]There was actually something there. [00:45:21]And then so you

[00:45:22]see the rope [00:45:23]and then your mind creates the snake. [00:45:27]Right? [00:45:28]But this, [00:45:28]the snake isn't totally made up.

[00:45:31]Right. [00:45:31]So the “efficient cause” is [00:45:34]the “I.” Right? [00:45:35]The “I” creates the snake, but the eyes [00:45:40](other spelling) right eyes

[00:45:46]see the rope, [00:45:49]Right? [00:45:49]we could say, [00:45:50]as long as there's [00:45:51]nothing wrong

[00:45:51]with your eyes in this case, [00:45:53]what's the problem? [00:45:54]The problem isn't with your eyes. [00:45:56]The problem is with the light. Right. [00:45:58]So there's not enough light.

[00:45:59]If you have more light, [00:46:00]then you see the rope clearly. [00:46:02]But because it's dark [00:46:04]and you can't see [00:46:05]really well in the dark,

[00:46:06]you see something. [00:46:07]What you see is the rope [00:46:09]and then your brain says, “Oh, [00:46:10]I think it's a snake!! [00:46:11]Run away?” Or “Kick it.” Or both.

[00:46:14]Right. [00:46:15]or if you have a shovel in your hand [00:46:16]and you, like, hit it, [00:46:17]and then you're like, Damn, [00:46:18]I just run my hose or rope or whatever.

[00:46:20]cool? Make sense? [00:46:22][Are you] able to distinguish [00:46:23]between these three? [00:46:25]There's going to be a fourth one [00:46:27]later on, but, these three are good.

[00:46:30]now in all of the examples [00:46:31]that I've used so far, [00:46:33]all of these have been [00:46:35]sensible material things, right? [00:46:38]and so if you're studying something

[00:46:40]sensible material, [00:46:42]then you're going to use [00:46:43]the phenomenological method, [00:46:45]but scientists [00:46:46]don't usually call it

[00:46:47]the phenomenological method, [00:46:48]they usually just call it [00:46:49]the scientific method, right? [00:46:51]scientific method [00:46:53]is the phenomenological

[00:46:54]method, but applied to [00:46:58]usually the physical things, right? [00:47:01]Psychology, maybe a little bit different. [00:47:03]Neuro-psych is NOT different. [00:47:05]Neuro-psych is studying the brain, right?

[00:47:07]The material thing [00:47:08]and that kind of stuff. [00:47:10]if you're studying chemistry, [00:47:12]then you're using all this process [00:47:14]to study chemicals, right?

[00:47:16]And etc.. [00:47:18]scientific [00:47:18]method is a [00:47:20]form of the phenomenological method, [00:47:22]We could get in debates

[00:47:23]all sorts of debates [00:47:24]which came first or whatever, but [00:47:27]we don't need to worry about that. [00:47:28]But the phenomenological method [00:47:30]is basically the same thing.

[00:47:33]The only difference [00:47:34]if it's a difference at all, [00:47:36]is that [00:47:36]we don't have [00:47:37]to have a physical material thing

[00:47:40]here, right? [00:47:41]The thing itself could be something else. [00:47:43]It could be something like [00:47:48]I mean, it could be something [00:47:50]like justice,

[00:47:52]right? [00:47:53]So if we take justice [00:47:55]and we want to say what is justice [00:47:57]and have the have justice [00:47:59]be the thing itself, Right?

[00:48:01]So then how do we study justice? [00:48:03]Then we're putting justice [00:48:04]at the center of the circle. [00:48:06]I haven't done phenomenological method [00:48:07]Let me just run through it real fast.

[00:48:09]because it basically [00:48:10]is the method of your podcast. [00:48:12]Yeah, we'll end on this. [00:48:14]Phenomenological method has a few steps. [00:48:17]Okay. Here. Phenomenological method.

[00:48:19]step zero, [00:48:22]draw a circle. [00:48:23]we'll talk more about that later. [00:48:25]Step one. [00:48:26]vaguely identify the thing itself.

[00:48:29]So what is this thing? [00:48:33]Right? [00:48:33]The thing itself. [00:48:34]“X.” Whatever [00:48:35]we’re [studying] - let's kind of like,

[00:48:36]vaguely identify it. Vaguely. [00:48:39]We'll come back to that later. [00:48:41]Well, I'm [00:48:41]going to come back to all this later, [00:48:43]but vaguely, because, you know, if you

[00:48:46]if you clearly define the thing itself, [00:48:48]then there's no reason to be studying it. [00:48:51]Right. [00:48:51]You are studying [00:48:53]something that you don't know

[00:48:54]or you want to know. [00:48:55]How do I know [00:48:55]what I know about this thing? [00:48:57]So you're going to start by saying, [00:48:59]All right, “What

[00:48:59]do we mean by Justice?” [00:49:01]or something like that. [00:49:02]Well, just start with the word “JUSTICE” [00:49:04]or whatever it is. [00:49:05]Put that at the center of the circle,

[00:49:08]start with the word right, [00:49:09]And then that's step one. [00:49:11]So vaguely identify the thing itself. [00:49:13]Step two has two parts: [00:49:15](A) describe the phenomenon and (B)

[00:49:19]Identify your perspectival [00:49:21]starting point. So [00:49:24]describe the phenomenon. [00:49:25]Where is the phenomenon [00:49:26]The phenomenon’s here.

[00:49:29]Right? [00:49:30]So X is not here, X is over there. [00:49:34]Right? [00:49:34]So put this thing itself in the center, [00:49:38]but then the phenomenon is right up here,

[00:49:44]Right? [00:49:45]So you're looking at it. [00:49:47]“Oooo, what is that?” [00:49:51]I’m sooo good at drawing — [00:49:52]I should be an artist.

[00:49:54]you're looking at this thing, right? [00:49:56]And the phenomenon is up here. [00:49:57]So you're going to describe [00:49:59]how this thing appears [00:50:01]in your conscious mind.

[00:50:03]Not the thing itself, [00:50:05]because you don't know [00:50:06]You're this thing [00:50:07]or you've had experience [00:50:08]with these things or comparative relation

[00:50:10]or that kind of stuff, right? Over right. [00:50:12]But then you're going to describe [00:50:13]what's in your head, right? [00:50:15]And so [00:50:16]this is literally what

[00:50:17]I want you to do in your podcast. [00:50:18]I don't expect you to [00:50:19]nail it on the first one. [00:50:22]I'm just like super fast [00:50:24]explaining it now,

[00:50:25]so don't stress about that. [00:50:26]So you describe [00:50:28]whatever thing it is [00:50:30]that you're seeing, right? [00:50:31]And you've got to identify

[00:50:33]your perspectival starting point. [00:50:35]So basically: “Where [00:50:35]are you coming from?” Right? [00:50:37]If _[name]_ is looking at the die, [00:50:39]where's my is looking at the die and says

[00:50:43]“I see a square [00:50:45]with six dots on it.” Right. [00:50:47]And then looks at the die and says, “I [00:50:50]see a square with one dot on it.” [00:50:53]Who's right?

[00:50:54]Both. [00:50:57]Right. [00:50:58]But then how do you make sense of that? [00:50:59]Because they're both [00:51:00]looking at the same thing.

[00:51:01]They're both calling it the same thing, [00:51:03]but _[name]_’s account of the phenomenon [00:51:06]is totally different [00:51:07]than _[name]_'s account [00:51:09]of the phenomenon. Right.

[00:51:10]Or _[name]_ would say, [00:51:11]“I see a square with [00:51:13]three dots on it” and [00:51:14]I would say “I see a square with four” [00:51:19]because opposite sides total seven.

[00:51:21]Right. [00:51:21]so you have to describe the phenomenon, [00:51:23]but you also have to describe [00:51:24]where you're coming from — [00:51:25]But hopefully you also understand this

[00:51:27]not ONLY in the case of the die, [00:51:30]but ALSO in [00:51:31]terms of comparative relation. [00:51:34]So you have these archetypes. [00:51:35]So like what is your experience

[00:51:37]with Justice or whatever? [00:51:39]And _[name]_'s experience with Justice [00:51:41]is going to be different [00:51:42]than _[name]_'s experience. [00:51:43]So justice is going to be different

[00:51:44]than _[name]_'s experience with justice [00:51:46]is going to be different [00:51:46]than _[name]_'s or mine [00:51:48]or anybody else's. [00:51:50]Right?

[00:51:52]So we've got to identify [00:51:53]where we're coming from, [00:51:54]what our experiences [00:51:56]with that thing is, right? [00:51:58]So those are two parts of step two

[00:52:01]and then step three. [00:52:05]Step three also has two parts. [00:52:07]Step three. [00:52:08]Step three is just listen [00:52:11]super important.

[00:52:11]Listen: (A) Listen [00:52:14]to experts, people who know what they're [00:52:16]talking about and (B) to neighbors, [00:52:20]Step three. Listen. [00:52:21]Listen to the experts. People like me.

[00:52:22]People know what they're talking about [00:52:23]and neighbors, people around you. Right. [00:52:26]So you can get the better sense [00:52:28]of the thing itself through that. [00:52:31]Understanding our differing perspectival

[00:52:33]starting points. [00:52:34]That's it. [00:52:34]That's the whole phenomenological method. [00:52:35]There's nothing more. [00:52:37]We'll come back to it.

[00:52:38]I look forward to [00:52:39]hearing your first podcast. [00:52:40]Have fun with it. Chill, relax. [00:52:42]You know, it's all good. [00:52:44]Just pick anything that we've covered?

[00:52:47]Anything up till now? Anything. [00:52:49]Pick anything in your notes. [00:52:51]Talk specifically about it.