Is your existence improbable? Or inevitable? Exploring universalism with Arnold Zuboff

Is your existence improbable? Or inevitable? Exploring universalism with Arnold Zuboff

Many view the fact that they are here, experiencing the world, as something insanely improbable... but what if it were instead entirely inevitable? The philosopher Arnold Zuboff walks us through a mind-bending argument, which he calls universalism (aka open individualism), where the improbability of your existence vanishes. It doesn’t matter which sperm met which egg, or how your ancestors got together, or how anything at all in the past unfolded, because wherever there is first-person experience, there is the same “I." Zuboff’s new book "Finding Myself: Beyond the False Boundaries of Personal Identity" features a foreword by Thomas Nagel (author of “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?”), who says that many will view the claim as “incredible, even outrageous” — but says it is too well argued to be ignored and an "important contribution." We discuss why Zuboff sees universalism as resolving many of the core quandaries of consciousness that are puzzled over, and why he's entirely certain it's the right view. Other topics include: how universalism ties into views of a multiverse and the anthropic principle; how it ties into ideas of religion and a higher power, and more. If you’ve ever lain awake at night wrestling with the sheer weirdness of being alive at all, you’ll want to listen to this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Avsnitt(207)

The surprising power of nostalgia — and how it can be used on you

The surprising power of nostalgia — and how it can be used on you

What does nostalgia do to our minds — and our wallets? In this talk with Jannine Lasaleta, we talk about her research into the surprising psychological and emotional effects of nostalgia. Why do peopl...

31 Aug 20251h 1min

My life-changing experience with meditation

My life-changing experience with meditation

In the summer of 2024, I went on a five-day solo retreat in the mountains of New Mexico. It was the first time I’d ever really committed to meditation, and to my surprise it turned out to be a deeply ...

19 Aug 202537min

Are you a psychopath? Debunking myths and looking for nuance in "dark" traits

Are you a psychopath? Debunking myths and looking for nuance in "dark" traits

What does the word “psychopath” really mean—and how often are we getting it wrong? Can someone have some psychopathic traits and still be empathetic? How often are we embracing simplistic ideas of wha...

9 Aug 20251h 8min

Penalty kick mind games: Reading and using body language in sports

Penalty kick mind games: Reading and using body language in sports

I talk with sports psychology and behavior researcher Philip Furley about how athletes' body language communicates far more than we realize — and how it can affect teammates, opponents, judges, and ev...

2 Aug 20251h 4min

Madness explained: How trauma and stress can break the mind

Madness explained: How trauma and stress can break the mind

I talk to psychologist Richard Bentall about psychosis, schizophrenia, and the psychological roots of mental illness. Bentall is the author of the well known book "Madness Explained." We explore how s...

26 Juli 202559min

Our memory and sense of self are full of illusions | with Anne Wilson

Our memory and sense of self are full of illusions | with Anne Wilson

Psychologist Anne Wilson studies how we construct our identities over time—how we remember the past, imagine the future, and tell ourselves stories that shape who we believe we are. In this episode, w...

19 Juli 202552min

Are you a narcissist? The psychology and spectrum of narcissism

Are you a narcissist? The psychology and spectrum of narcissism

What if we’ve been thinking about narcissism all wrong — and some forms of it are not only normal, but healthy? Why do we so often confuse genuine confidence or ambition with something pathological? C...

12 Juli 20251h 8min

The "deep whys" behind autistic behaviors | with Barry Prizant

The "deep whys" behind autistic behaviors | with Barry Prizant

I talk to Barry Prizant, author of the popular book "Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism," about the often misunderstood world of autism. We explore the idea that many so-called “autistic...

27 Juni 20251h 10min

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