Redefining God, Reason, and Freedom with D.C. Schindler and Ken Lowry

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Published 2023-10-18
In this episode of Voices with Vervaeke, Dr. John Vervaeke, Ken Lowry, and D.C. Schindler challenge conventional perspectives on God, reason, freedom, and community through the lenses of Neoplatonism and Hegelian philosophy. They deconstruct what it means to 'belong,' exploring the concept of 'home' not just as a physical space but as a philosophical construct tied to our intrinsic nature. The dialogue orbits around key principles like spirit, freedom, and the evolution of collective intelligence, or 'Geist.' They discuss Hegel's paradoxical views on Christianity, freedom's misunderstood definition in modern culture, and the transformative power of vows like marriage. Throughout the discussion, the panel navigates the nuanced terrains of reason, rationality, and individual vs. communal freedoms, offering listeners intellectual nourishment and fresh perspectives.

Resources:

D.C. Schindler
Website: www.johnpaulii.edu/academics/faculty/d-c-schindler…

Ken Lowry
YouTube:    / @climbingmt.sophia  
Substack: kenlowry.substack.com/archive
X: twitter.com/KenLowry8

John Vervaeke
Website: johnvervaeke.com/
Patreon: www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VervaekeJohn/
X: twitter.com/vervaeke_john
YouTube: youtube.com/@johnvervaeke

The Vervaeke Foundation: vervaekefoundation.org/

The Meaning Crisis, A live conversation with Dr. John Vervaeke: rsvp.neuehouse.com/themeaningcrisis

Books

Making It Explicit: Reasoning, Representing, and Discursive Commitment - Robert Brandom
Reason in Philosophy: Animating Ideas - Robert Brandom
A Spirit of Trust: A Reading of Hegel’s Phenomenology - Robert Brandom
Incomprehensible Certainty: Metaphysics and Hermeneutics of the Image - Thomas Pfau
Phenomenology of Spirit - G. W. F. Hegel
Nihilism (Carthage Reprint) - Stanley Rosen
The Psychology of Belonging - Kelly-Ann Allen
Supernatural Selection: How Religion Evolved - Matt Rossano
Zombies in Western Culture: A Twenty-First Century Crisis - John Vervaeke, Christopher Mastropietro, and Filip Miscevic
Freedom from Reality: The Diabolical Character of Modern Liberty - D.C. Schindler


Publications

The Enactment of Shared Agency in Teams Exploring Mars Through Rovers - Dan Chiappe, John Vervaeke
The Experience of Presence in the Mars Exploration Rover Mission - Dan Chiappe, John Vervaeke
Distributed Cognition and the Experience of Presence in the Mars Exploration Rover Mission - Dan Chiappe, John Vervaeke

Articles

Did Meditating Make Us Human? - Matt J. Rossano
Genocide, Domicide and the Unnamed - Brian Walsh

Timecodes:

00:00:00 John Vervaeke introduces the episode and his guests, Ken Lowry and D. C. Schindler.
00:02:18 Vervaeke and Dan Chiappe's book project is revealed: exploring the psychology, cognitive science, and philosophy around reason and rationality.
00:04:33 The main topic of the episode is introduced: a daring reconceptualization of God, reason, freedom, and Geist.
00:07:33 D.C. Schindler delves into Hegel's nuanced relationship with Christianity, providing intellectual scaffolding for the dialogue.
00:09:52 Schindler's description of Hegel's concept of spirit underscores the social nature of consciousness.
00:16:17 Vervaeke touches on the critique of Hegel by Stanley Rosen, introducing alternative viewpoints.
00:19:40 Hegel's often-overlooked relationship with nature is put under the spotlight.
00:24:28 Vervaeke introduces 'niche construction' in biology, challenging Darwinian notions and tying back to the concept of 'home'.
00:27:51 The psychological and social implications of 'home' are unpacked by Vervaeke.
00:30:59 Schindler highlights the role of the hearth, tying it back to human development and spirituality.
00:33:15 Vervaeke delves into the hypnotic nature of fire and its evolutionary relevance.
00:37:35 D.C. Schindler posits the necessity of an 'absolute' in community formation, adding another layer to the discussion.
00:40:00 Hegel's master-slave dialectic and its connection to freedom are introduced by Schindler.
00:45:01 Ken Lowry discusses the modern definition of freedom and how it undermines the concept of community and interpersonal relationships.
00:48:00 Vervaeke dissects the flaws in associating freedom with economic choice.
00:53:20 Freedom and forgiveness are seamlessly tied together by Vervaeke.
01:00:47 Schindler’s critique of Aristotle through Plotinus adds depth to the discussion on the concept of 'good'.
01:08:42 The Aristotelian notion of nature is explored by Schindler, touching upon the idea of intrinsic motion.
01:13:29 Schindler gives a poetic touch, with the essence of beauty being the 'surprise from the other'.
01:17:48 Ken Lowry highlights the importance of reflecting on concepts like freedom, rationality, and love.

All Comments (21)
  • @UpCycleClub
    Thank you, dear John, for introducing all of us to the excellent work of D. C. Schindler.
  • @WhiteStoneName
    Yes! I have loved DC Schindler and Ken's work on Climbing Mt. Sophia. Thanks.
  • @WhiteStoneName
    21:34 Hegel’s definition of freedom: “being at home with oneself in the other”
  • @Joeonline26
    100k subscribers, John! I remember 3 years ago coming across your work and thinking, 'how on earth does this guy only have 20k subscribers?'🤣
  • @PaulVanderKlay
    This looks excellent. Lots of topics that are timely. I really have a tough time understanding Hegel.
  • @mills8102
    I never heard the relationship between freedom and forgiveness stated before. That's a huge insight. Thank you for the wonderful conversation.
  • I love this conversation... I feel like it inadvertently revealed the reason and rational for the cursing of the serpent in the Garden of Eden and the fall of man. The serpent is cursed to be what it already is, as if to say that being cursed by God is to be cutoff from self-transcendence and locked into self-determination. Man falls for something akin to subverting his attention to what is beneath him and conflating that perception with reality (God). Again, issues of self-determination and an inability to submit ones will to something both greater than yourself and foundational to you. Schindler's analogy of a plant seeking freedom from it's soil is a perfect analogy. Thanks guys!
  • @Mystery_G
    Another unfolding of beauty, love, and gratitude.
  • @missh1774
    There is an old wives passage of traditions where every few centuries another story must be hung on the old weavers tree. She teaches every detail of each fold, and together there is a symbiosis recalling, pausing, patterning between the object, the weaver, and the novice. For each pocket and it's closing movement into the next pocket is woven from one continuous yarn as representations of home. Young and old feather for growth and direction, two seeds for sustenance and soil, two twigs from hard and soft woods for apprehension and fire. These were the stories shared as part of a very long line of those who had been summoned to her before and those that will come after. Every detail right down to the bell and its stone and its place on the tree will be carried by the breeze for as long as the wind still passes by it. I have no idea why these video's always send me off in a daydream. Thanks JV, DS, KL 💛.
  • @Jacob011
    Started reading Plato's Critique of Impure Reason, worked my way to chapter 4, but I have to say, as soon as I read the introduction "Misology and Academia" I knew this book is one of a kind. Really one of those that you'll back on as having changed your life in a significant way.
  • @BrotherJohannes
    A conversation truly blessed and truly a blessing to listen in on it! While providing a great primer of sorts on Hegel, I also appreciated the earnest and respectful give-and-take that helped flesh out the subject matter and insights, giving justice to them, i.e., drawing out their meaning so as to recover a greater sense of reality, namely, by incorporating the metaphysical with the physical/biological. Thank you all.
  • @scottjrowan
    Brilliant to see you back together gents! Thank you 🙏
  • @WhiteStoneName
    40:25 Hegel’s “spirit” emerges with forgiveness. Paging Jason “Almond Tree”. ❤
  • @lifearttimes
    Great conversation D.C, Ken & John❤️Göbekli Tepe is/was the hearth, heart & Harmony for WE, I , YOU ,Gäia, Cosmos & The Divine. There are many places like that in the world. It is a high vibrational architecture. There are many around the world. Not just buildings but those who reside within it. In person or in spirit, Then and now. Too many things to say but some other time. Atlantis and many other l ancient civilizations was built with the hearth/ fire at the centre. A shrine of sorts. Shine On!✨
  • @Adam-ex7ct
    This is amazing thank you for all you do John 🙏🏼