Major Global Philosophies, the Christian Church, and Science, Part 1 of 2

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Major Global Philosophies,

the Christian Church, and Science

Part 1 of 2

or, "I struggle through my Naivete with AI's help"

I wanted to provide a wider reasoning for Whitehead's process philosophy than has been addressed in the last several articles which were pervasive but could be a bit more on point. So here it is, with a very lengthy introduction to help set the cultural context since the Enlightenment period of pre-modernity here in Part 1 (observations 1-5). I then slip into the main reasonings for this discussion beginning in Part 2 (observation 6 and following), asking the relationship between our present understanding and any possible future explorations to come. - re slater

Observation 1

Hi. List a dozen or so major global philosophies which are extant and accept by which science, the church, societies operate...

ChatGPT

Here’s a list of major global philosophies, extant and influential, that guide science, religion, and societal frameworks:

1. Empiricism

• Definition: Knowledge arises from sensory experience.
• Impact: Forms the foundation of the scientific method and modern research.

2. Rationalism

• Definition: Reason and logic are primary sources of knowledge.
• Impact: Influences mathematics, philosophy, and systematic theology.

3. Naturalism

• Definition: Everything arises from natural causes; denies supernatural intervention.
• Impact: Shapes secular science and atheistic societal structures.

4. Humanism

• Definition: Emphasizes human values, dignity, and agency.
• Impact: Guides modern education, ethics, and liberal societal systems.

5. Pragmatism

• Definition: Truth is determined by practical consequences and utility.
• Impact: Influences applied sciences, legal systems, and political strategies.

6. Existentialism

• Definition: Focuses on individual existence, freedom, and choice.
• Impact: Inspires literature, theology, and psychology.

7. Postmodernism

• Definition: Questions universal truths, focusing on relativism and subjective experience.
• Impact: Shapes critical theory, cultural studies, and arts.

8. Process Philosophy

• Definition: Reality is dynamic and in constant becoming.
• Impact: Foundational to process theology, ecological thought, and relational ethics.

9. Theism

• Definition: Belief in a personal God or gods actively involved in creation.
• Impact: Guides traditional religions, ethics, and cosmologies.

10. Materialism (Physicalism)

• Definition: Reality consists only of matter and physical processes.
• Impact: Core to modern physics and reductive neuroscience.

11. Idealism

• Definition: Reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual.
• Impact: Underpins religious mysticism and metaphysical traditions.

12. Confucianism

• Definition: Philosophy of ethics, family, and social harmony.
• Impact: Shapes East Asian cultures and governance.

13. Marxism

• Definition: Society evolves through class struggle; aims for a classless, stateless society.
• Impact: Informs political ideologies, sociology, and economic systems.

14. Stoicism

• Definition: Focuses on virtue, reason, and accepting fate with tranquility.
• Impact: Guides personal ethics and modern therapeutic practices.

15. Open and Relational Theology

• Definition: God interacts dynamically with creation, emphasizing free will and love.
• Impact: Reformulates traditional theologies to align with science and contemporary ethics.
• RE Slater: I would add that ORT is incomplete if not founded on process theology; hence, "Open and Relational PROCESS Theology".

16. Feminist Philosophy

• Definition: Examines gender roles, equality, and justice.
• Impact: Shapes laws, ethics, and educational systems worldwide.

Each of these philosophies is extant, influential, and accepted in different domains of human activity. Would you like a deeper dive into any specific philosophy or its applications?

Science, philosophy, and caution about what we think we know

Observation 2

Briefly relate how philosophy drives theology and science and vice versa...

ChatGPT

Philosophy, theology, and science share a dynamic, reciprocal relationship:

How Philosophy Drives Theology and Science

• Foundational Frameworks: Philosophy provides the metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical foundations for both theology and science. For instance:

• Theology: Concepts like being (ontology) and causality inform doctrines about God and creation (e.g., Thomistic theology rooted in Aristotelian philosophy).

• Science: Philosophical assumptions like naturalism, empiricism, and logic underpin the scientific method and inquiry.

• Critical Reflection: Philosophy encourages questioning and refining beliefs in theology and science, fostering intellectual rigor and coherence.

• Language and Logic: Philosophy supplies the language and tools (e.g., logic, phenomenology) that theology and science use to express and analyze ideas.

How Theology Drives Philosophy and Science

• Ethical Guidance: Theology provides moral frameworks influencing philosophical ethics and scientific applications (e.g., bioethics in medicine).

• Big Questions: Theological inquiries about existence, purpose, and the divine inspire philosophical exploration and scientific investigation (e.g., cosmology and the origins of the universe).

• Historical Influence: Theological traditions (e.g., Christian scholasticism) have shaped the philosophical and scientific paradigms of entire civilizations.

How Science Drives Philosophy and Theology

• Expanding Knowledge: Scientific discoveries reshape philosophical concepts (e.g., quantum mechanics influencing process philosophy) and theological interpretations (e.g., evolution informing creation theology).

• Empirical Challenges: Science challenges traditional metaphysical and theological assumptions, prompting reformulations (e.g., Big Bang theory reshaping cosmological views).

• Technological Impacts: Advances in science (e.g., AI, neuroscience) spur philosophical debates on consciousness and theological reflections on the soul and agency.

Reciprocity in Action

• Philosophy asks "What is real?" (ontology),
• Theology asks "Who or what created it?" (theos), and
• Science asks "How does it work?" (methodology).

• Together, they each drive a cycle of exploration, interpretation, and application, shaping our understanding of reality and our role within it.

What is Reality?

Observation 3

Using the phrase "What is real?" briefly distinguish metaphysical usage vs ontological usage of this phrase...

ChatGPT

The phrase "What is real?" can have distinct meanings in metaphysics and ontology, depending on the context:

• Metaphysical Usage

• Metaphysics explores the nature of reality as a whole, asking foundational questions about existence beyond specific entities.

• When asking "What is real?" in metaphysics, the focus is on categories of existence, such as the distinction between:

• Material vs. immaterial

• Universal vs. particular

• Appearance vs. essence

• Example: Are abstract concepts like numbers or moral values "real" in the same way physical objects are?

• Ontological Usage

• Ontology focuses more specifically on the nature of being and what it means for something to "exist."

• When asking "What is real?" in ontology, the focus is on the existence and characteristics of particular entities or kinds of beings.

• Example: Does the self exist as an independent entity, or is it a process or relational construct?

• Key Distinction

• Metaphysics: Broad, foundational—What kinds of things could or must exist?

• Ontology: Focused, specific—What does it mean for something to exist and how do specific entities exist?

  

Observation 4

Ok, I'm a slow learner. Let's try this again so it's less nebulous. Please recite the standard definitions of metaphysics and ontology from a philosophical standpoint.

ChatGPT

Here are the standard philosophical definitions of metaphysics and ontology:

Metaphysics

• Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that investigates the fundamental nature of reality. It addresses questions about:

• What exists (e.g., the nature of the universe, being, and existence)?

• What is the ultimate cause or principle underlying reality (e.g., God, substance, process)?

• The nature of concepts such as space, time, causality, possibility, and necessity.

• Key Focus:

• Metaphysics seeks to explore the most general and abstract structures of reality, including questions about what is possible and what is necessary.

• Example: "What is the nature of cause and effect?"

Ontology

• Ontology is a subfield of metaphysics that deals with the study of being and existence, particularly the nature and classification of entities and their relationships. It seeks to answer:

• What does it mean for something to exist?

• What are the basic categories or kinds of being (e.g., substance, process, object, property, relation)?

• How do these entities relate to one another?

• Key Focus:

• Ontology is concerned with the categorization and structure of being, asking questions about the "what" and "how" of existence [within a proposed reality].

• Example: "Do numbers exist independently, or are they mere human constructs?"

Distinction

• Metaphysics: Broad, asking foundational questions about the ultimate nature and structure of all reality.

• Ontology: Specific, focused on what it means for something to exist and how various entities are classified and interrelated.

Both are interconnected, with ontology often serving as the starting point for broader metaphysical inquiry.

What is Philosophy of Cosmology?

Metaphysical Cosmology Explained । Edutain।

Part of my exploration here with AI is related to Brian Green's latest podcast (below) held several days earlier as I continue to explore how to connect supernatural theism to the natural sciences. By utilizing Alfred North Whitehead "Philosophy of Organism" process theologians are developing an articulate contemporary Natural Theology for the Christian faith and the church at large.

At present, the best cosmological-metaphysical tool a process metaphysician has in their toolbox is Whitehead's process philosophy... which is also not presently part of quantum science's current discussion - but should be. Which is also why I have been pursuing this subject on my  own excathedra for so many years as a noticeable void in the general field of discussions related to the Philosophy of Science. - re slater

Quantum Quandaries: When Philosophy Drives Physics

World Science Festival

The experimental successes of quantum mechanics are astounding, yet the theory still has towering mysteries regarding the essence of quantum reality. Philosopher David Albert joins Brian Greene to explore the past, present and potential future of these enduring quantum enigmas.

This program is part of the Big Ideas series, supported by the John Templeton Foundation.

Observation 5

You mentioned "subfields"... What are other metaphysical subfields besides ontology? Please be brief.

ChatGPT

Metaphysics is a broad branch of philosophy with several key subfields beyond ontology. These include:

1. Cosmology

• Focus: The study of the origins, structure, and fundamental nature of the universe.

• Questions:

• What is the nature of space and time?

• How did the universe come into being (if it had a beginning)?

• Is the universe finite or infinite?

2. Philosophical Theology

• Focus: The metaphysical study of God or ultimate reality.

• Questions:

• Does God exist, and if so, what is God’s nature?

• What is the relationship between God and the universe?

• Can divine action coexist with natural laws?

3. Modality (Philosophy of Possibility and Necessity)

• Focus: The study of possible worlds, necessity, and contingency.

• Questions:

• What does it mean for something to be necessary or contingent?

• Are there alternate possible realities?

• How do possibilities relate to actual reality?

4. Causation and Causal Theory

• Focus: The nature and structure of cause-and-effect relationships.

• Questions:

• What does it mean for one event to cause another?

• Are causes and effects real or merely constructs?

• Is causation fundamental to reality?

5. Identity and Change

• Focus: The study of how entities persist or change over time while remaining the same entity.

• Questions:

• What does it mean for something to remain "the same" through change?

• How do objects retain identity despite transformation?

• Are entities reducible to their parts or processes?

6. Free Will and Determinism

• Focus: The study of human agency, freedom, and the determinism of events.

• Questions:

• Do humans have free will, or is everything causally determined?

• How does freedom relate to physical or divine laws?

• Can free will and determinism coexist (compatibilism)?

7. Meta-Ontology

• Focus: The study of the methods, assumptions, and limits of ontology.

• Questions:

• What does it mean to say something "exists"?

• Are some ontological categories more fundamental than others?

• How do we determine what counts as "real"?

8. Philosophy of Time

• Focus: The metaphysical study of time and temporal reality.

• Questions:

• What is the nature of time?

• Is time an objective feature of the universe or a human construct?

• Do the past, present, and future all exist (eternalism), or only the present (presentism)?

9. Philosophy of Space

• Focus: The metaphysical study of the nature of space and spatial relations.

• Questions:

• Is space a substance, a relation, or an illusion?

• How do objects occupy space?

• What is the relationship between space and time?

These subfields interconnect and often overlap, making metaphysics a highly integrated field of inquiry into the nature of reality and existence. Would you like to explore one of these subfields further?

Continue to Part 2 of this discussion....

Tim Eastman Unties the Gordian Knot: Complete Seminar (Sessions 1-9)

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In Untying the Gordian Knot: Process, Reality, and Context, Timothy E. Eastman proposes a new creative synthesis, the Logoi framework—which is radically inclusive and incorporates both actuality and potentiality—to show how the fundamental notions of process, logic, and relations, woven with triads of input-output-context and quantum logical distinctions, can resolve a baker’s dozen of age-old philosophic problems.

Further, Eastman leverages a century of advances in quantum physics and the Relational Realism interpretation pioneered by Michael Epperson and Elias Zafiris and augmented by the independent research of Ruth Kastner and Hans Primas to resolve long-standing issues in understanding quantum physics.

Adding to this, Eastman makes use of advances in information and complex systems, semiotics, and process philosophy to show how multiple levels of context, combined with relations—including potential relations—both local and local-global, can provide a grounding for causation, emergence, and physical law.

Finally, the Logoi framework goes beyond standard ways of knowing—that of context independence (science) and context focus (arts, humanities)—to demonstrate the inevitable role of ultimate context (meaning, spiritual dimension) as part of a transformative ecological vision, which is urgently needed in these times of human and environmental crises.

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Tim Eastman Unties the Gordian Knot: 

Complete Seminar (Sessions 1-9)

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Below is an embedded playlist featuring all 9 of the Eastman Seminars that I facilitated for the Science Advisory Committee of the Cobb Institute from June 2021 through February 2022. Tim Eastman, a plasma physicist and philosopher, is the author of Untying the Gordian Knot: Process, Reality, and Context (2020). These seminars invited other scholars prominently cited in Eastman’s book for dialogue with the author and the interested public. I’ve recently reviewed Eastman’s book HERE. Those interested in the implications of a rigorous process philosophical interpretation of quantum physics for science, the humanities, and spirituality will benefit from Eastman’s book and reviewing these seminars.

Tim Eastman Unties the Gordian Knot - Session 1

Cobb Institute  |  1:59:34

Session 1 “Quest” features:

Mikhail Epstein and Judith Jones.

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Tim Eastman Unties the Gordian Knot - Session 2

Cobb Institute  |  2:01:54

Session 2 “Relations–Logoi” features:

Randall Auxier, Michael Epperson, and Elias Zafiris.

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Tim Eastman Unties the Gordian Knot - Session 3

Cobb Institute  |  2:10:06

Session 3 “Gordian Knot to Logoi Framework” features:

Ruth Kastner and Epperson.

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Tim Eastman Unties the Gordian Knot - Session 4

Cobb Institute  |  1:59:42

Session 4 “Causation, Emergence, and Complex Systems” features:

 Alex Gomez-Marin, George Lucas, and Anderson Weekes.

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Tim Eastman Unties the Gordian Knot - Session 5

Cobb Institute  |  2:00:51

Session 5 “Information and Semiotics” features:

Epstein and George Strawn.

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Tim Eastman Unties the Gordian Knot - Session 6

Cobb Institute  |  2:00:36

Session 6 “Complex Whole” features:

Auxier, Gary Herstein, and Brian Swimme.

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Tim Eastman Unties the Gordian Knot - Session 7

Cobb Institute  |  2:05:27

Session 7 “Peirce’s Triads and Whitehead’s Process:

Fundamental Triads and Schemas” features:

Edward Kelly and Farzad Mahootian.

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Tim Eastman Unties the Gordian Knot - Session 8

Cobb Institute  |  2:03:08

Session 8 “Contextuality:

From Experience to Meaning” features:

Thandeka, Dan Dombrowski, and Kelly.

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Tim Eastman Unties the Gordian Knot - Session 9

Cobb Institute  |  2:04:40

Session 9 is a wrap-up and features:

Epperson and myself offering concluding remarks.