#118 Professor Daniel McShea - Exploring the Nature of Consciousness & Field Theory

Professor Daniel McShea discusses his journey from paleobiology to philosophy, focusing on the nature of consciousness, goal-directedness, and the interplay between biology and philosophy. He introduces his theory of goal-directed systems, emphasizing the role of fields in guiding behavior across various organisms, including humans. The discussion explores the implications of this theory for understanding human desires, decision-making, and the influence of culture and language on cognition. McShea also addresses critiques of his ideas and shares insights on the importance of recognizing the continuity of life and the interconnectedness of all beings. He concludes with reflections on the nature of consciousness and the significance of acknowledging our passions in decision-making.

 

Professor Daniel McShea’s interest is hierarchy theory, especially the causal relationship between higher-level wholes and their components (Spencer, Simon, Campbell, Salthe, Wimsatt). In biology, for example, we might want to know how large-scale processes within a multicellular organism act to control the smaller-scale processes within its component cells. Or, in the area of his current research, how do the emotions in mammals (and perhaps other animals) act to initiate and control conscious thought and behavior? It seems clear from the philosophical work of Hume (A Treatise of Human Nature) that the preferencing or valuing that motivates or drives conscious thought and behavior, and in particular conscious decision-making, must arise from the emotions. This is true because the only alternative, reason (in the sense of pure rationality), is value-neutral, and utterly incapable of motivating anything. As Hume put it, "Reason is and ought to be the slave of the passions and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.”

 

 

Chapters

 

00:00 Introduction to Consciousness and Evolution

03:19 The Nature of Goal-Directedness

06:02 Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Consciousness

08:59 Field Theory and Biological Systems

12:02 Human Intentionality and Decision Making

15:14 The Role of Culture and Language in Shaping Consciousness

18:06 Imagination and Collective Consciousness

32:01 Exploring the Mystical and Scientific Boundaries

34:00 Morphic Resonance: A Critical Examination

36:02 The Nature of Imagination and Creativity

38:02 Understanding Consciousness and Goal-Directedness

40:00 The Continuity of Life and Consciousness

43:54 Resistance and the Forces of Nature

46:07 The Role of Wants in Decision Making

48:59 Unplugging from External Influences

51:57 Advice for Critics and Learners

55:58 Final Thoughts on Change and Growth

 

Music for episode

Renick Turley SedonaFilm | Musician . Cinematographer. Editor 

https://www.instagram.com/sedona_film/

https://vimeo.com/renickdp

 

 

 

https://liberalstudies.duke.edu/profile/daniel-w-mcshea/

https://aeon.co/essays/a-new-field-theory-reveals-the-hidden-forces-that-guide-us

https://sites.duke.edu/mcshearesearch/

https://philpeople.org/profiles/dan-mcshea

 

 

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consciousness, goal-directedness, hierarchy theory, interdisciplinary, evolution, philosophy, intentionality, field theory, human cognition, decision making, free will, evolutionary psychology, Plato, Morphic resonance, Morphic fields, Field Theory, Entropy,