Is Free Will an Illusion? Navigating Kantian Thought with Dr. Vervaeke & Matt Segall

In this third encounter between Dr. John Vervaeke and Matt Segall on Voices with Vervaeke, the conversation challenges conventional philosophical paradigms as it navigates complex terrain, from Kantian thresholds to Whitehead's modern implications. Vervaeke and Segall share a dynamic interplay, illuminating obscure ideas and rendering them pertinent to today's world. By examining the labyrinth of causality, freedom, and feeling, they invite the audience to reconsider what it means to understand ourselves and the universe we inhabit. Philosophical jargon is expertly unpacked, all the while maintaining a palpable sense of urgency as they dissect philosophical texts' relevance to everyday life. With multiple nods to their previous conversations, they lay the groundwork for a future rendezvous, promising more exploration into the evolving landscape of contemporary thought.

Matthew David Segall, Ph.D., is a multifaceted thinker straddling the realms of philosophy, science, and consciousness studies. He serves as an Associate Professor in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Not just confined to academia, Segall also chairs the Science Advisory Committee for the Cobb Institute. His work pioneers process-relational thought across various disciplines, from the natural and social sciences to the exploration of consciousness. A transdisciplinary researcher, writer, teacher, and philosopher, Segall synthesizes complex ideas into accessible insights that invite deeper inquiry.

Resources:

Matt Segall: Website | Patreon | Facebook | X | YouTube

John Vervaeke: Website | Patreon | Facebook | X | YouTube

The Vervaeke Foundation

John Vervaeke — YouTube:

Whitehead and religion in the making w/ Matt Segall

Emergence-emanation, Whitehead, Kastrup: a dialectic ontology w/ Matt Segall

Books

Crossing the Threshold: Etheric Imagination in the Post-Kantian Process Philosophy of Schelling and Whitehead - Matthew David Segall

Critique of Pure Reason - Immanuel Kant

Critique of Practical Reason - Immanuel Kant

The Critique of Judgement - Immanuel Kant

The Concept of Nature - Alfred North Whitehead

Opus Postumum - Immanuel Kant, Eckart Förster (Editor)

Miscellaneous

Mundus Imaginalis or the Imaginary and the Imaginal - Henry Corbin

People

Alicia Juarrero

Alfred North Whitehead

Martin Heidegger

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Immanuel Kant

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling

Johann Gottlieb Fichte

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Eckart Förster

David Hume

Maurice Merleau-Ponty

Evan Thompson

Francisco Varela

Michael Marder

Sabine Hossenfelder

Rudolf Steiner

Robert B. Brandom

Timecodes

00:00:00 — The episode kicks off with Dr. John Vervaeke giving an introduction and presenting his guest, Matt Segall, an expert in Whitehead's theories on existential issues.

00:01:37 — Discussions around Immanuel Kant and the nature of reality come into focus as Matt Segall elaborates on his book, a revised and expanded version of his dissertation.

00:05:15 — Segall introduces the compelling concept of "etheric imagination" and its multifaceted connotations.

00:09:26 — Accessibility of philosophical texts to the general public is emphasized by Matt Segall.

00:13:30 — Agreement on Kant's idea of freedom comes from Segall, who underscores the importance of agency over mere consumer choice.

00:16:40 — Matt Segall discusses the intricacies of providential world order and imminent purpose in organisms.

00:20:00 — Segall speaks about Kant's controversial usage of categories of understanding beyond their intended realm.

00:30:20 — The enigmatic root of imagination as a vital human experience is further explored by Segall.

00:33:40 — Clarifying Matt Segall's point, Dr. Vervaeke argues that imagination should have a deeper role in cognition, not a diminished one.

00:37:00 — Polarity over strict opposites is the topic of discussion between Vervaeke and Segall.

00:38:33 — Cultural tensions between Romanticism and Enlightenment are dissected.

00:43:31 — Segall introduces Whitehead's view of space-time as an inherited pattern.

00:47:46 — Vervaeke and Segall challenge the traditional philosophical view that feelings are private.

00:54:08 — Dr. Vervaeke discusses the complexities of string theory and the importance of a follow-up discussion.