Philosophy Portal

The most advanced pre-modern civilizations (historical societies) were built on metaphysical presuppositions that we call “religious”.  Modern secular society questioned these presuppositions on scientific (and often evolutionary) grounds.  The main difference between the religious and scientific presupposition is the belief that a higher power regulates moral behaviour, and that such re...

In this conversation I host Alexander Bard and Alexander Elung to discuss the philosophy of "transcendental emergentism" and its relation to the future of philosophy, science and community.  Transcendental emergentism is a notion that attempts to escape both simplistic reductions to scientific materialism, and also overly-naive holistic interpretations of supernatural ideality.  This is...

In this trialogue we attempt to introduce the notion of "Noopolitik" or "politics of the noosphere".  In the 20th century, the birth of our global world was mediated by two mega powers and their economic methods (i.e. United States and capitalism (first world); Soviet Union and communism (second world)).  The rest of the world was merely a battleground for these two major powers (third w...

In this discussion we are going to be diving into the notion of freedom after the introduction of Hegelian philosophy.  We will be probing into the consequence of Hegel's philosophy for contradiction, motion, identity, and religion.  This discourse will be based on and inspired by McGowan's own philosophical text "Emancipation After Hegel" which seeks to revive the relevance of Hegel's p...

In the second trialogue on the Historical Emergence of Traditional Archetypes we shift attention from the historical conditions for the emergence of archetypes, and move more towards attempting to understand the source of the virtual potential that could shape other identities in new historical conditions. From this focus on virtual potential we theorize the possibility for future identities that...

The "map is not the territory" is a common mantra in the deconstructive post-modern age.  However, without maps, we lose all our capacity to orient and organize our social lives.  For example, the traditional world had clear maps of man, woman and their possible relations, which allowed for the development of civilization.  However, these maps were increasingly seen as oppressive an...

The idea of evolution transformed science (Darwin); the idea of pathos transformed psychology (Freud).  Discussing "pathological evolution" is necessary today because our global society is changing faster than ever, and this change is going to involve a deep confrontation with our self: what do we really want?  What do we see in the "pathos" of modern global society?  Can we analyze...

In this episode (originally streamed in the 21-Day Meditation Challenge Facebook group ), we set the foundation covering the concept of psychedelics in history and present day. There is a new emerging bio-science that uses psychedelics in sub-perceptible doses to improve basic cognitive functioning. Here we outline how we want to do our part to become mature and responsible participants in this ne...

This conversation is attempting to build on our notion of an "Enlightenment Gap" emergent in the scientific universe between matter/mind (i.e. mind/body problem), science/society (i.e. social construction).  Here we attempt to dive deeper into the foundations of modern philosophy as it relates to psychology and psychoanalysis.

In the second trialogue on sexual difference we focus on its nature as that which precedes the emergence of the different sexes (“a difference which precedes a difference”). In this affirmation pre-identity different we attempt to understand its consequence for the way we construct and relate in historical reality (specifically the flaw in the ideology of “two becomes one”).   Sex, Masculinit...

This conversation is introducing the idea of the "Enlightenment Gap" as a problem emergent to the scientific universe.  Here we define the problem as the still unresolved relation between matter and mind, and between science and society.  In short, when we enter the scientific universe the nature of mental phenomena, and the nature of social knowledge, are brought into antagonism with th...