Idk... Plotinus's metaphysics in the Enneads about the nous, the 1 and the demiurge gives me pause about the existence of God. Kinda makes sense. It's a different approach. Not your traditional ontological, teleological or axiological argument for God. It makes you think about what does the word God even really mean? It gives me something to work with. Because the fact of the matter is. There's billions of galaxies in the observable universe. Each containing millions and billions of stars. Which means probably septillions of planets for life to evolve on. But if the life on these various millons of planets were to evolve and reason independently from their circumstance and surroundings. You could see how something like Plotinus's concept could be reached independently by any given alien species (including us) Without ever having the chance to verify it collectively with another. I mean it's like... Take Jesus for example. Jesus being god. Is Jesus going to visit every single planet in the universe with intelligent life on it? After all, every single one of these planets is god creation. Why would God just happen to give our planet special treatment and not the others? It doesn't make any sense. As a result I think at best god has to be an abstract entity.
Well, if there are other planets with alien life, I don’t see why Jesus wouldn’t visit those planets as well. C.S. Lewis has a great trilogy imagining it. The books are “Out of the Silent Planet,” “Peralandra,” and “That Hideous Strength.” But I’m not sure that there are those planets with aliens. I’ll have to check, but the statistics I’ve seen have shown that given the many precise preconditions for life, even given the number of planets available, it would be very unlikely that aliens would evolve. It’s not my area of expertise, though.
I take back that stuff I said about Plotinus... Got done watching James Lindsay's "Negation of the Real" lecture he gave at the "Mere Simulacra" conference. (A riff on Lewis's Mere Christianity) Watching the second one "The Gnostic Parasite." Wow these lectures slap. REALLY SLAP. Super critical of Hegel and Plato. Oh wow. Absolutely SLAPS. Basically a crash course in the psychology of how cults form. First by using negative philosophy or negative religion to play motte and baily games in order to obfuscate language and obliterate your sense of individuality to only follow the prescriptions of a leader. To illustrate this he begins with (idk this) the gnostic beliefs in a demiurge and nous.... So I'm like oh snap. That's not good. Anyways... I forget his name. But he's an astronomer at Columbia and runs a project called "Cool Worlds" at Columbia. There's lectures on YT by the organizational name. He was recently on Lex Friedman and explained that it's called "Cool Worlds." Because he's literally looking for cool worlds or solar systems. As all the data that our telescopes pick up are hot worlds inhospitable for alien life. ANYWAYS big proponent of the rare earth hypothesis. Super duper interesting to listen to him break down from an astrobiology point of view why we just might be alone.
David Kipping! Yeah that's his name! He just did a video about feeding ChatGPT one his introductory astronomy course exams. And grading ChatGPT like it was his student. 😆 That's a super interesting video as well! I think you would enjoy that one!
Great vid, you should continue this book review series. Maybe even do a bookshelf tour😳
Thanks!!!
Agreed! More book reviews
Good upload Chico!
Thanks buddy!
Idk... Plotinus's metaphysics in the Enneads about the nous, the 1 and the demiurge gives me pause about the existence of God. Kinda makes sense.
It's a different approach. Not your traditional ontological, teleological or axiological argument for God. It makes you think about what does the word God even really mean?
It gives me something to work with. Because the fact of the matter is. There's billions of galaxies in the observable universe. Each containing millions and billions of stars. Which means probably septillions of planets for life to evolve on.
But if the life on these various millons of planets were to evolve and reason independently from their circumstance and surroundings. You could see how something like Plotinus's concept could be reached independently by any given alien species (including us) Without ever having the chance to verify it collectively with another.
I mean it's like... Take Jesus for example. Jesus being god. Is Jesus going to visit every single planet in the universe with intelligent life on it? After all, every single one of these planets is god creation. Why would God just happen to give our planet special treatment and not the others? It doesn't make any sense.
As a result I think at best god has to be an abstract entity.
Well, if there are other planets with alien life, I don’t see why Jesus wouldn’t visit those planets as well. C.S. Lewis has a great trilogy imagining it. The books are “Out of the Silent Planet,” “Peralandra,” and “That Hideous Strength.”
But I’m not sure that there are those planets with aliens. I’ll have to check, but the statistics I’ve seen have shown that given the many precise preconditions for life, even given the number of planets available, it would be very unlikely that aliens would evolve. It’s not my area of expertise, though.
I take back that stuff I said about Plotinus... Got done watching James Lindsay's "Negation of the Real" lecture he gave at the "Mere Simulacra" conference. (A riff on Lewis's Mere Christianity) Watching the second one "The Gnostic Parasite." Wow these lectures slap. REALLY SLAP. Super critical of Hegel and Plato. Oh wow. Absolutely SLAPS. Basically a crash course in the psychology of how cults form. First by using negative philosophy or negative religion to play motte and baily games in order to obfuscate language and obliterate your sense of individuality to only follow the prescriptions of a leader. To illustrate this he begins with (idk this) the gnostic beliefs in a demiurge and nous.... So I'm like oh snap. That's not good.
Anyways... I forget his name. But he's an astronomer at Columbia and runs a project called "Cool Worlds" at Columbia. There's lectures on YT by the organizational name. He was recently on Lex Friedman and explained that it's called "Cool Worlds." Because he's literally looking for cool worlds or solar systems. As all the data that our telescopes pick up are hot worlds inhospitable for alien life. ANYWAYS big proponent of the rare earth hypothesis. Super duper interesting to listen to him break down from an astrobiology point of view why we just might be alone.
David Kipping! Yeah that's his name! He just did a video about feeding ChatGPT one his introductory astronomy course exams. And grading ChatGPT like it was his student. 😆 That's a super interesting video as well! I think you would enjoy that one!
Lol sorry I'll shut up! 😆
Haha no you’re good!