Send a love message

 Exploring Life's Paradoxes

Give

Support with a Subscription

In this deeply reflective episode of 'Love and Philosophy,' philosopher host Andrea Hiott converses with Parker Palmer, the founder of the Center for Courage and Renewal, about the profound truths of life. They discuss the struggles of depression, the essence of living a life of paradox, and the significance of integrating soul with role. Palmer also shares transformative insights on the nature of love, community, and solitude, and reads a poignant poem that captures the essence of enduring life's hardships. Join us for a heartfelt conversation that explores the complexities and mysteries of human existence.

00:00 Understanding the Depths of Depression
02:54 Introduction to Love and Philosophy
08:48 Parker Palmer's Inspirational Journey
13:46 The Concept of Paradox in Life
19:20 The Role of Gratitude and Privilege
22:51 Exploring the Connection to Nature
26:52 The Power of Poetry and Paradox
40:00 Navigating Individuality and Community
41:52 Exploring Community and Solitude
43:24 The Wisdom of Paradox
45:47 The Cure in the Disease
49:28 A Poetic Reflection on Depression
55:45 Embracing Humility and Wholeness
01:08:06 The Role of Love in Healing
01:17:10 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Parker Palmer's Books

Center for Courage and Renewal

Parker on Substack

Support the show

Please rate and review with love.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.

Send a love message

 Give

Support with a Subscription

A poetic conversation at the intersection of literature, science, and technology with Katherine Hayles, a distinguished research professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Hayles discusses her ideas from her books 'How We Became Posthuman' and 'Bacteria to AI,' focusing on the need to rethink cognition and decouple it from consciousness. She describes the concept of non-conscious cognition and emphasizes the importance of understanding the integrated cognitive framework, which includes biological organisms, synthetic intelligences, and their symbiotic relationships with humans. The discussion extends to planetary ecology, the risks and potentials of advancing AI, and the overarching need for humanity’s care for the planet and each other.

00:00 What I really meant by posthumanism
00:27 The Concept of Human Transformation
00:54 Scientific and Ecological Perspectives
01:38 The Role of Machines and Symbiosis
02:31 Understanding Synthetic Intelligence
02:52 Widening the Circle of Care
03:40 Introduction to Catherine Hales by philosopher Andrea Hiott
04:01 Catherine Hales' Academic Background
04:19 Books by Catherine Hales
08:30 The Importance of Fiction in Science
09:55 Consciousness vs. Cognition
17:42 The Integrated Cognitive Framework
18:37 Non-Conscious Cognition
33:01 Meaning Making in Organisms
35:28 Understanding Different Umwelts
38:42 Understanding AI's Conceptual Umwelt
40:13 Embodiment and Ontology in AI
45:51 Symbiosis: From Biology to AI
58:08 The Role of Narrative in Science and Literature
01:10:06 Planetary Cognition and Future Challenges
01:18:48 The Importance of Accurate Information and Education

Support the show

Please rate and review with love.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.

Send a love message

Give

Support with a Subscription

This episode features esteemed philosopher Lucius Outlaw, professor emeritus of Vanderbilt University. In this thought-provoking conversation, Outlaw shares his remarkable journey from growing up in segregated Mississippi to becoming a respected philosophy professor, closely acquainted with influential figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Eric Fromm. The discussion weaves through topics like double consciousness, agape love, the philosophy of Hegel, and the transformational power of language. Outlaw also reflects on how shared experiences, dialogue, and love can create a more inclusive, understanding world. Tune in to explore how philosophical insights can shape and nurture community and personal growth.

00:00 Introduction to Hermeneutic Justice
01:30 Welcome to Love and Philosophy
01:39 Lucius Outlaw's Journey
02:04 Exploring Double Consciousness
03:43 Phenomenology and Du Bois
07:49 Challenges in Recording the Episode
10:38 Lucius Outlaw's Early Life in Mississippi
36:01 Academic Struggles and Determination
37:03 Intellectual Growth and Honors Program
37:16 Gender Dynamics and Respect for Women
38:24 Choosing Fisk and Academic Rigor
40:45 Dartmouth Experience and Scholarship Offer
42:38 Return to Fisk and Black Power Movement
48:33 Student Government and SNCC Chapter
52:14 Graduate School and Intellectual Influences
01:02:01 Hegel, Marcuse, and Dialectical Thinking
01:07:07 The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual
01:12:00 Reclaiming Negative Terms: From Black to Queer
01:14:17 The Struggle of Identity and Language
01:16:29 Navigating Predominantly White Institutions
01:19:33 Rehabilitating Whiteness: A Controversial Notion
01:23:52 The Role of Dialogue in Understanding
01:25:23 The Legacy of Reverend James Morris Lawson, Jr.
01:40:50 The Power of Nonviolence and Love
01:47:30 Final Reflections and Continuing the Legacy

https://youtube.com/shorts/SioQ7I5N6Sg?si=jJLtNrBEViVu0KlP

Lucius at Vanderbilt University: https://as.vanderbilt.edu/philosophy/bio/lucius-outlawjr/

W.E.B. Du Bois

James Morris Lawson Jr.

Lucius with Angela Davis: https://swarthmorephoenix.com/2024/12/05/angela-davis-in-conversation-with-lucius-outlaw-a-critical-conversation-on-contemporary-crises/

Photo from HBCU Radio Preservation Project: watch https://youtu.be/z5ikVSHL3ZM?si=g9QfRlI9wDhsaSLi

Lucius is the W. Alton Jones Chair, Emeritus Profeessor at Vanderbilt.
His research Areas are: "racial matters in socio-political life, in the United States in particular, and in legacies and practices of European and Euro-American Philosophy; Social and Political Philosophy; Africana Philosophy (African; African American, for example, Martin Delany, W.E.B. Du Bois, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, among others); American Philosophy.SpecializationsAfrican, African American, Continental, History of Philosophy, Social and Political"
Representative Publications
"On Cornel West on W.E.B. Du Bois" Cornel West: a Critical Reader, George Yancy, ed. (Blackwell 2001)."'Multiculturalism,' Citizenship, E

Support the show

Please rate and review with love.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.

Send a love message

 Give

Support with a Subscription

Michael Garfield is a futurist polymath who has worked everywhere from the KU Natural History Museum to the Sante Fe Institute to Mozilla to the Long Now. He’s currently with the AI Capabilities and Alignment Consensus Project. Oh, and he also has twenty years experience as an artist and musician. This conversation is a bit of a song exploder, looking into one of Michael’s songs (the Big Machine) through the kaleidoscope of his other more academic interests.

Summary: A deep, multifaceted conversation with Michael Garfield, known for his contributions to the Complexity podcast at the Santa Fe Institute, Future Fossils, and Humans on the Loop. This discussion with Andrea & Michael traverses various terrains including Michael’s journey from paleontology to music, his insights on complexity science, and the intriguing idea of the 'Fractal Rubik's Cube.' The entire conversation song explodes the themes behind Michael's song 'Big Machine,' tackling how love, mysticism, and science intersect in our complex world. Throughout, Michael shares his nuanced understanding of information, attention, and what it means to explore beyond traditional academic and scientific boundaries.

Check out Michael's latest essay for Aeon

Listen to the song Big Machine

Complexity

Michael's Substack

Love and Philosophy Newsletter

Thinking in Systems

00:00 Introduction to Michael Garfield
01:37 Exploring Michael's Multifaceted Talents
02:48 Unpacking the Song 'Big Machine'
05:19 Michael's Journey and Inspirations
06:06 The Evolution of Michael's Musical Path
10:46 Complexity Science and Personal Growth
23:24 Challenges in Academia and Complexity
54:34 The Role of Psychedelics and Language
58:14 The Importance of Communication and Curation
01:00:18 The Evolution of Social Media and Podcasts
01:02:08 The Importance of Internal Culture in Organizations
01:05:59 Navigating Modern Uncertainty and Strategic Thinking
01:07:21 The Role of Games in Understanding Complexity
01:09:33 The Intersection of AI, Podcasting, and Education
01:10:24 The Concept of Future Fossils and Precognition
01:13:06 The Philosophy of Finite and Infinite Games
01:17:17 The Age of Entanglement and Emergent Engineering
01:24:55 The Practice of Noticing and Consciousness
01:41:39 Love, Synchronicity, and the Future of Work

And here is a short talk Michael gave at DISI last month:

https://michaelgarfield.substack.com/foraging

https://substack.com/home/post/p-159486923

https://youtu.be/PFT2p6l9dW8?si=U1godoyWVDfIRIJx

Support the show

Please rate and review with love.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.

Send a love message

Give

A first person exploration of the philosophy of bioregionalism, inspired by the complexity science of Donnella Meadow, with Felix de Rosen, a landscape architect and gardener. 

Felix shares his fascinating journey from studying political science at Harvard to his passion for the natural world and Bioregionalism. Andrea and Felix explore the philosophy of organizing human societies around naturally defined areas, discussing complex systems and the importance of finding community. This conversation is an exploration of the intersections of ecology, culture, and personal growth through Felix's experiences and insights on creating sustainable and meaningful connections with the land and each other.

00:00 Introduction to Bioregionalism

00:43 Félix de Rosen's Background and Journey

01:30 Complex Systems and Community

02:53 Felix's Personal Reflections

05:21 The Importance of Place and People

21:34 Discovering Landscape Architecture

26:37 Understanding Bio Regionalism

30:11 Exploring Systems Thinking and Worldview

31:38 The Intersection of Gardens and Worldviews

36:06 Frustrations and Realizations in Landscape Architecture

39:45 The Importance of Systems Thinking

42:54 Bio Regionalism and Community Building

48:01 Bridging Political Divides through Bio Regionalism

52:25 International Bio Regional Projects

54:37 The Role of Love and Connection to Earth

01:00:30 Agency Deficit Disorder and Hope for the Future

01:01:28 Conclusion and Ways to Connect

Links:

A Garden’s Purpose

The BioFi Project

Polycultura: Planetary Design and Communication

A talk from Felix at the Harvard commencement

Support the show

Please rate and review with love.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.

Send a love message

Give

Support with a Subscription

4e philosopher of cognitive science Hanne De Jaegher discusses the profound relationship between loving and knowing as intertwined processes. The first in what we hope to be many conversations about this inspirational work. With Andrea, Hanne explores the idea that thinking and feeling emerge from the same fundamental act of sense-making, which is rooted in our basic, biological existence. De Jaegher shares her personal experiences and how they led to her academic journey studying cognitive science, and then to her work on participatory sense-making. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing both oneness and difference in relationships and the conversation discusses the critical role of noticing and relational awareness. Through various explorations, De Jaegher illustrates how love is an ongoing relational activity that ‘shares a core with knowing’ and that can foster a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.

00:00 The Nature of Love and Sense Making
01:18 Exploring Cognitive Science and Social Cognition
02:58 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
03:52 Hanne’s Academic Journey and Dissertation
05:37 The Philosophy of Love and Knowing
09:38 Personal Reflections on Love and Language
11:48 The Interconnection of Loving, Knowing, and Being
22:26 The Role of Noticing in Relationships
25:36 Philosophical Insights on Ontology and Epistemology
30:03 The Dynamics of Relationships and Sense Making
34:42 The Importance of Holding Tension in Understanding
40:53 The Impact of Loving and Knowing on Personal Growth
47:17 Exploring Abstract Patterns and Sensory Experiences
48:25 Understanding Social Cognition and Autism
56:10 Bridging Cognitive Science and Sociology
58:14 Motivations and Challenges in Academic Life
01:01:15 The Role of Love in Research and Life
01:06:27 Navigating Academic and Personal Challenges
01:18:27 Holding Space and Embracing Multiplicity
01:24:47 Concluding Thoughts on Love and Understanding

Francisco Varela

Loving and Knowing: reflections for an engaged epistemology

Paradoxical Practices (2025) with Elena Cuffari and Rika Preiser

Participatory Sense-Making with Ezequiel Di Paolo

Sense Making (Maturana & Varela)

Living Ways of Sense Making by Evan Thompson

Andy Clark

Hanne’s website and publication list

Support the show

Support the show

Please rate and review with love.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.

Send a love message

 Give

Support with a Subscription

 Andrea shares a deeply reflective conversation with renowned journalist Shoma Chaudhury. Originally recorded over a year ago for the Synapse conference, this episode offers an intimate look into Shoma's thought process and career journey. Shoma discusses her approach to holding nuanced, meaningful conversations with a wide variety of people, including some of the most famous figures globally. The episode delves into Shoma's personal experiences of navigating public scrutiny and professional hardships. Through the lens of her experiences, Shoma elaborates on themes of curiosity, compassion, forgiveness, and the complexity of human emotions and interactions. The conversation emphasizes the importance of creating spaces where people with opposing viewpoints can have honest dialogue and the valuable lessons that come from challenging life events. Both Shoma and Andrea explore the role of wonder, love, and respect in developing a more nuanced understanding of the world and ourselves.

00:00 Introduction and Context
01:04 Meet Shoma Chaudry
02:31 The Art of Holding Nuance
03:46 Evolving Perspectives in Journalism
06:44 Navigating Polarized Conversations
09:05 Personal Accountability and Growth
17:02 Respect and Understanding in Conflict
34:39 Spiritual Practices and Personal Resilience
50:48 Exploring Curiosity and Neuroscience
51:48 Influence of Parents and Nature
53:23 The Power of Genuine Curiosity
56:14 The Role of Wonder and Joy
57:49 Navigating a Public Scandal
01:02:21 Lessons from a Media Storm
01:06:41 Finding Peace and Resilience
01:14:42 The Importance of Love and Support
01:17:28 The Healing Power of Conversations
01:19:40 Final Reflections and Gratitude

Synapse Deck: https://tinyurl.com/5eaf2sdb

And a short video: https://tinyurl.com/3rcstp93

Watch the Video

Support the show

Please rate and review with love.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.

Send a love message

After Andrea’s introduction, Mirko Prokop talks to Ezequiel Di Paolo about the enactive approach in cognitive science and its roots in Francisco Varela’s work on biological autonomy. They explore the ideas of autonomy and autopoiesis, the deeper meaning of enaction, how biological, sensorimotor and social dimensions of embodiment drive the ongoing, creative process that is human becoming, and what this implies about the meaning of love, authenticity, and the importance of staying true to your questions.

Give

Support with a paid subscription

Ezequiel is a Research Professor at Ikerbasque, the Basque Science Foundation and member of the IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind and Society at the University of the Basque Country as well as the Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics at the University of Sussex. He is known for key developments of the enactive approach and has published numerous articles and books on this and related topics in cognitive science and philosophy. Most recently, together with Evan Thompson he has reedited the new, annotated edition of Francisco Varela’s book Principles of Biological Autonomy, first published in 1979.

00:00 Intro by Andrea

05:02 Varela’s Principles of Biological Autonomy: From First Encounter to New Edition

11:25 Autopoiesis and Autonomy

19:20 Enaction: Bringing Forth a World

26:38 The Co-Construction of Organism and Environment

33:46 Dimensions of Embodiment

38:35 Enactive Becoming

43:57 The Primordial Tension of Participatory Sense-Making

52:32 What’s Love Got to Do With It?

1:00:36 Authentic Becoming

1:04:40 Staying True to Your Questions

Links to mentioned work by Varela & Co:

Principles of Biological Autonomy (Varela, F., E. Di Paolo and E. Thompson (eds.), 1979/2025, MIT Press)

The Embodied Mind (Thompson, E. Varela, F., and Rosch, E. 1991/2018, MIT Press)

Organism: A Meshwork of Selfless Selves (Varela, F., 1991)

Patterns of Life: Intertwining Identity and Cognition (Varela, F., 1997)

Life after Kant: Natural Purposes and the autopoietic foundations of biological individuality (Weber, A. and Varela, F., 2002)

Autopoiesis, Adaptivity, Teleology, Agency (Di Paolo, E., 2005)

Participatory sense-making: An enactive approach to social cognition (De Jaegher, H., and Di Paolo, E., 2007)

Sensorimotor Life (Di Paolo, E., Buhrmann, T., Barandiaran, X., 2017, OUP)

Linguistic Bodies (Di Paolo, E., De Jaegher, H., and Cuffari, E., 2018, MIT Press)

Enactive Becoming (Di Paolo, E., 2021)

Support the show

Please rate and review with love.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.

Send a love message

 This show is about harmonizing the Dao and embracing the world's weirdness at once. Our guest is Eric Schwitzgebel, an analytic philosopher and professor at the University of California Riverside. As they unfold the Dao and the world’s weirdness, Andrea and Eric explore everything from robot consciousness, the love darts of snails, triads, axiology, and the philosophy of opening. Eric shares his journey into classical Chinese philosophy, how we understands harmonizing with the Dao, some of his writings about consciousness, and the importance of appreciating the world's inherent weirdness. This conversation offers a delightful blend of profound ideas and joyous reflections, encouraging us to see weird as a way into new perspectives and perhaps even into love. Hosted by philosopher Andrea Hiott

Give

00:00 Introduction to Love and Philosophy
00:20 Meet Eric Schwitzgebel: Philosopher and Author
01:37 Exploring the Concept of Harmonizing the Dao
01:52 Journey into Classical Chinese Philosophy
03:59 The Tension Between Analytic and Chinese Philosophy
06:22 Understanding the Dao and Harmony
11:16 The Weird and Wonderful World of Zhuangzi
17:40 The Value of Diversity and Conflict
33:14 The Consciousness of Garden Snails
41:57 Exploring Relationality and Consciousness
43:50 The Consciousness of Plants and Robots
46:52 Philosophical Perspectives on Consciousness
55:38 The Philosophy of Opening vs. Closing
01:10:06 Ethics and Moral Behavior of Ethicists
01:17:43 Love, Marriage, and Harmonizing with the Dao
01:22:16 Final Thoughts and Farewell

The Book we discuss:

The Weirdness of the World

Writings we discuss:

Harmonizing the Dao

Imagining Yourself in Another’s Shoes versus Extending Your Concern: Empirical & Ethical Differences

A Robot Lover's Sociological Argument for Robot Consciousness

Borderline Consciousness

Support the show

Please rate and review with love.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.

Send a love message

 Julian Kiverstein is a senior professor at Amsterdam Medical. He's co-authored various papers about the importance of play as it relates to predictive processing, active learning, intimacy and embodied cognition.

Andrea Hiott is a philosopher at Universität Heidelberg.

Sometimes we get stuck in attractor states. Play is a form of disruption that may be able to help us get unstuck. Play seems to be far from algorithmic.

This conversation explores how playfulness is crucial for meaning and flourishing, and how building safe spaces for play (such as museums and parks) are crucial for healthy societies.

Active inference and predictive processing are discussed as tools that might help us better model and understand this ‘sweet spot’ towards finding ways to create spaces where we can explore uncertainty and risk without danger.

Drawing from his extensive work in phenomenology, embodied cognition, and predictive processing, Julian offers fresh perspectives on how play connects to mental health and wellbeing. Some key ideas from this episode:

• Play requires safety yet involves taking risks—a paradoxical relationship that enables personal growth
• Adults often lose the curious openness of childhood as we become fixated on seriousness and habitual patterns
• Love shares qualities with play as both involve transcendence beyond the self and openness to fresh experiences
• Active inference and predictive processing provide frameworks for understanding both mental illness and flourishing
• Breaking out of "attractor states" or fixed patterns requires disruption that playful activities can provide
• Creating safe spaces for play becomes essential for development, creativity, and meaning-making

Give

00:00 The Role of Play in Well-being
01:50 Introduction to Love and Philosophy
02:45 Exploring Active Inference and Predictive Processing
05:24 The Importance of Play in Development
09:58 Julian's Journey into Mind Studies
12:11 Understanding Mental Illness through Predictive Processing
21:57 The Concept of Play and Its Cognitive Benefits
30:27 Intrinsic Motivation and the Value of Play
44:12 Play as a Disruptive Force in Mental Health
45:09 Understanding Mental Illness and Uncertainty
46:13 The Role of Play in Mental Health
47:38 Creating Safe Spaces for Emotional Regulation
49:05 Exploration vs. Exploitation in Learning
52:03 The Importance of Play in Adulthood
53:35 Art, Literature, and Emotional Engagement
56:55 The Need for Play in Academia
01:20:50 Balancing Exploration and Familiarity
01:23:37 Final Thoughts on Play and Well-being

Play in Predictive Minds

Intimate Places: Playgrounds for self-exploration

Playfulness and the meaningful life with Mark Miller

More of Julian's papers

Stuart Brown and the Institute of Play

JK and Darius Active Inference Institute

Har

Support the show

Please rate and review with love.
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.