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The Noise of Unheard Sounds : Donald D. Hoffman, Chetan Prakash, and Nick Bostrom on the Subjectivity of Being

Björk, Mårten LU (2021) In Philosophy, Theology and the Sciences (PTSc) 8. p.29-52
Abstract
This article examines the emergence of idealism in evolutionary cognitive science by analyzing the conscious realism of the cognitive theorist Donald D. Hoffman and the mathematician Chetan Prakash. Perception is for them not about veridical experience, but rather a mechanism for survival. It helps us survive but does not give us access to reality as such. By relating Hoffman and Prakash's conscious realism to the simulation argument of the philosopher Nick Bostrom, this article shows how Hoffman and Prakash's theories are part of what the anthropologist Roy Wagner has called the holographic worldview. But in contrast to Bostrom's technocratic philosophy, Hoffman and Prakash use evolutionary arguments to contest physicalism. They raise... (More)
This article examines the emergence of idealism in evolutionary cognitive science by analyzing the conscious realism of the cognitive theorist Donald D. Hoffman and the mathematician Chetan Prakash. Perception is for them not about veridical experience, but rather a mechanism for survival. It helps us survive but does not give us access to reality as such. By relating Hoffman and Prakash's conscious realism to the simulation argument of the philosopher Nick Bostrom, this article shows how Hoffman and Prakash's theories are part of what the anthropologist Roy Wagner has called the holographic worldview. But in contrast to Bostrom's technocratic philosophy, Hoffman and Prakash use evolutionary arguments to contest physicalism. They raise metaphysical questions by insisting that time, space, and matter emerge out of a network of conscious agents that even points to the need of a scientific theology. Thus, for Hoffman and Prakash, an evolutionary understanding of perception as a tool for survival rather than a way to grasp truth poses the speculative question whether consciousness and life itself are immaterial and immortal. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Consciousness, Darwinism, Evolution, Mind, The hard problem of consciousness, Philosophy of mind, Theology, Struggle for survival
in
Philosophy, Theology and the Sciences (PTSc)
volume
8
pages
24 pages
publisher
Mohr Siebeck
ISSN
2195-9773
DOI
10.1628/ptsc-2021-0004
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e451823b-325b-494a-aa0d-91e14c2cb77a
date added to LUP
2024-10-04 14:08:53
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:07:45
@article{e451823b-325b-494a-aa0d-91e14c2cb77a,
  abstract     = {{This article examines the emergence of idealism in evolutionary cognitive science by analyzing the conscious realism of the cognitive theorist Donald D. Hoffman and the mathematician Chetan Prakash. Perception is for them not about veridical experience, but rather a mechanism for survival. It helps us survive but does not give us access to reality as such. By relating Hoffman and Prakash's conscious realism to the simulation argument of the philosopher Nick Bostrom, this article shows how Hoffman and Prakash's theories are part of what the anthropologist Roy Wagner has called the holographic worldview. But in contrast to Bostrom's technocratic philosophy, Hoffman and Prakash use evolutionary arguments to contest physicalism. They raise metaphysical questions by insisting that time, space, and matter emerge out of a network of conscious agents that even points to the need of a scientific theology. Thus, for Hoffman and Prakash, an evolutionary understanding of perception as a tool for survival rather than a way to grasp truth poses the speculative question whether consciousness and life itself are immaterial and immortal.}},
  author       = {{Björk, Mårten}},
  issn         = {{2195-9773}},
  keywords     = {{Consciousness; Darwinism; Evolution; Mind; The  hard  problem of consciousness; Philosophy of mind; Theology; Struggle for survival}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{29--52}},
  publisher    = {{Mohr Siebeck}},
  series       = {{Philosophy, Theology and the Sciences (PTSc)}},
  title        = {{The Noise of Unheard Sounds : Donald D. Hoffman, Chetan Prakash, and Nick Bostrom on the Subjectivity of Being}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1628/ptsc-2021-0004}},
  doi          = {{10.1628/ptsc-2021-0004}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}