G'day, my name is Bruce Robertson and this is Pirate Philosophy, the channel in which I describe the Pattern Paradigm, an original philosophy that is rigorous, logical and accurate; and one that I claim makes better sense of the world than any other philosophy. Welcome.
Today I want to discuss the magic of life and where it can be found.
In any academic discipline such as that of physics, biology or philosophy, it can often seem that as one examines the nuts and bolts of the system, whether it is of physical laws or the mechanisms of life or the logic of thinking, that the magic and excitement of these phenomena can disappear and one is left with a stark, cold and logical system that is bereft of magic and excitement. But it doesn't have to be that way.
And that is because as one learns about how things work in the world, one is not so much learning about the actual real world so much as one is learning about a model of the world, whether that is a model of physics or a model of biology or a philosophical model. There will always be things that are beyond the model.
So for example, the Pattern Paradigm philosophy describes a model for the logical processes of thinking. It is about how one creates for oneself a model of the world that is founded on sense-data and how one makes decisions based upon that model with the ultimate goal of happiness.
And this philosophy itself also constitutes a model. As indeed all philosophies are necessarily models. And incidentally any philosophy that does not admit that it is a model is a lesser philosophy for that omission.
In the previous video PP27 'Why an apple? An exploration of Knowing vs Understanding', I highlighted the importance of understanding the nuts and bolts of how a thing works. I also claimed in that video that if something is not understandable, in that it cannot be broken down into the nuts and bolts of its constituent parts, then that something belongs to a fantasy world or perhaps just a world of words. However, in this video I want to go beyond that and look at some phenomena that are real but appear to be inherently non-understandable. And by this I mean that there are phenomena for which it appears intrinsically impossible to break them down into the nuts and bolts of something that is more fundamental. And if something is inherently non-understandable then I suggest that it be given the label 'magic'. And this is because such phenomena are beyond our comprehension in the way that the word 'magic' means 'beyond our comprehension'.
So what are these non-understandable and magical phenomena that are nevertheless real? There seem to be two distinct categories of this. One to do with matter and the other with consciousness.
The first is the fact that our physical universe exists. Or to put it another way: something exists instead of nothing. And in this instance, nothing means nothing at all, no time, no space, no matter, nothing. And the fact that something exists instead of nothing defies explanation and is beyond understanding. One can only say that it is by magic.
Associated with this, but somewhat distinct from it, is the existence of complex molecules that enable the evolution of life. One could envisage, in terms of the first act of magic, that time and space and matter did exist, but in a universe that was entirely bereft of life because the form of the matter and the forces between the elements of matter did not allow for the formation of complex molecules and the eventual evolution of life. So the fact that such matter and forces and fundamental particles that facilitate the evolution of life do exist in our universe is a second act of magic, for it is beyond explanation.
The second category of magic is that of the phenomenon of consciousness. Consciousness is non-material and yet it exists in our material universe. It is beyond understanding. It is magical.
I should note here that in the video PP12 'A theory of consciousness', I described how the phenomenon of self-awareness could be explained and understood in terms of how a logical brain can create a model of the world from its sense-data, and then subsequently, when that logical brain and its model of the world is sufficiently advanced, it can place itself within its own model of the world and hence achieve self-awareness. But this is only self-awareness and not consciousness, I only speculated that the phenomenon of consciousness could be emergent from that self-awareness in a non-logical or magical way.
For consciousness is undoubtedly magical. It is a phenomenon, a personal experience that is entirely non-material and cannot be understood in material terms or indeed in any terms at all.
Associated with consciousness, but distinct from it, is the personal experience of happiness. I discussed in the video PP11 'The Foundations of Reality and Purpose', how an evolving logical processor requires a goal in order to operate efficiently and make decisions within the world. And for want of a better word I labelled this goal as 'happiness'. It is the goal to which we all aspire. But the actual experience of this phenomenon is beyond the mere consciousness that was previously discussed. It deserves its own act of magic. And incidentally one does not have to actually be happy in order to appreciate the magic of the experience of happiness.
These four acts of magic are beyond understanding. They are beyond physics beyond biology, beyond any academic discipline founded on the real world. Yet of course people can create fictitious fantasies that purport to explain these phenomena, but they are just a bit of fun and do not in any way constitute understanding.
These acts of magic are beyond the logic of philosophy, but nevertheless are within the overall non-logical domain of philosophy. And since this is beyond the logic of the framework of the Pattern Paradigm what follows is more speculative than rigorous.
An appreciation of this magic may be important for human life. It is an acceptance that there are things beyond understanding; things that give life that sense of wonder and sparkle.
Then the question arises where can an appreciation of this magic be found?
Of course people can and will find magic in many different places and experiences. However I would like to put forward my own opinion on the matter and suggest where magic can be found and also where it cannot.
I would first like to give my opinion as to where magic is not to be found and what may be barriers to the appreciation of magic. So barriers to the appreciation of magic would include things like dishonesty, violence and telling lies. Other barriers would include meanness, coercion and envy. Magic cannot be found in drugs nor fantasy worlds.
Instead I suggest that the magic of life can be found on top of mountains and at the bottom of the sea. It can be appreciated in the first hint of dawn in a desert, in the clouds of a tropical storm and perhaps best of all in a star-studded sky on a clear night. It can also be found with friends and family and children. It lies in kindness and honesty and in making others happy. It can be found in laughter, dance and music. Magic can be found in compassion, sharing and generosity.
Of course these are just my personal opinions, if you have other suggestions then please leave them in the comments section below.
While many people can live their lives quite happily without any appreciation of the magic of life, for others it is of paramount importance. The experience of magic can give one an appreciation for the wonders and beauty of life itself.
So in conclusion, the magic of life is to be found in places that are beyond rational logic, beyond the world of words but rather in the pure experience of life itself.
Well, that is all I have for you today. I hope you have enjoyed this video and if you have any comments, please leave them in the section below. And if you would like to continue this journey with me, please subscribe to my channel, give it a thumbs up and perhaps ring the bell. You can also visit my website: ThePatternParadigm.com for transcripts of all these videos. Also If there is a topic that you would like me to cover, then let me know in the comments below and I will do my best to cover it.
Thank you.
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