A short intro: Quantopia – In Search of a Holistic Philosophy
In recent years, the search for fundamental truth and underlying principles have led more and more thinkers and practitioners to look at blending theories from other disciplines, seeking truth in the void between the boundaries of rigid separated disciplines. Instead of accepting borders between the natural and human sciences, the openness to searching for unifying approaches has increased and represents the way forward. More and more physicists, for instance, have become open to theories that link transcendental meditation and old Indian practices with modern (quantum) physics. In the science of consciousness, philosophy and spiritual and ‘natural’ experiences meet science to look for new pathways. But this phenomenon is also found in the ‘opposite’ direction, where believers in eastern philosophical concepts find inspiration for further exploration through advances in modern physics and/or quantum theory. Whether such theories are to be categorized as voodoo science, or whether they represent some kind of unifying fundamental theory, I am not the one to take sides. What is clear is that various disciplines are seeking new questions and answers underneath, or should I say within, the world of subatomic particles made of neutrinos and quarks, gluons and stuff where the ‘laws of the physical world’ become funky and turn into a nothingness. This underlying structure of our perceived reality and our metaphysical foundation is conceived of as a void or a oneness of unification, where potentially one scientific theory of everything can be found.
At this point, no one can really answer reliably and seriously how the world is tied together. But at least during the past decade, as these topics have caught the public interest, there seems to be a positive spirit and sense of progress of finding something that debugs some current world-views or unites ‘it’ all. There are theories of fields (of energy) or beliefs about a fundamental consciousness where everything is tied together. Other approaches believe there are attributes or variables not discovered—but that are hidden and for us to find. There are still many questions, and interesting views have been shared around the world. From a philosophical and external standpoint, it seems as if we are moving in a direction towards freeing ourselves from absolutes. When physicists search for a unifying theory of everything that describes the relationship between Einstein’s theory of general relativity and the modern physical quantum theory, then it is just that: the search for one fundamental component, one simplified theory or something ‘mystical’ and/or hidden that unifies what we have discovered. And because we are still very much in the dark, we should be open to anyone who makes a thoughtful and serious approach to add something to the journey. Supporting this search for wisdom demands a holistic philosophy.
When I started this journey of pairing philosophy and business more than a decade ago, it was all about building bridges and trying to rethink philosophical concepts in light of the 21st Century. It was about questions that come to mind and about following my curiosity for the wonders of life. In retrospect, it has been about practical applied philosophy, and I really very much identify with what theoretical physicist Richard Feynman once stated; “If I can not build it I can not understand it.” Translated to philosophy, this means that it is important to not just take a theoretical and academic approach, but also to bring philosophy to life. Philosophy is something we do, something that can be applied to the practical purpose of improving our lives; to feel the essence in order to reach a higher understanding. It is also the path to acting based on reason.
I have huge respect for the path of academia and philosophers who have dug deep into the many genius minds that have pondered existential and large questions. These thoughts serve as inspiration and provide a theoretical framework for coping with every aspect of life itself once technology enters fundamental parts of being a Mensch. Today, the rapid progress of technology is pushing the boundaries of trying to understand what we are and how we function. It is therefore the responsibility of philosophy to try to keep up with the progress in science and technology. One aspect that has become fundamental for life as a human-being and how we experience and relate to the world we perceive is the field of phenomenology: the philosophical study primarily related to the structures of (human) consciousness and the phenomena related to the experiences of consciousness. When following the progress being made in the science of consciousness, one can’t help to wonder if consciousness in fact may be an ‘underlying’ fundamental component of this ‘soup of funky surprises’ that gives rise to our phenomena and our Erkenntnis, i.e. The very essence of having an experience of being something.
On Quantopia.org, I riff on thoughts about consciousness and perspectives on the fundamental structures of the world; how things emerge and are tied together. I present thoughts on exponential technologies and my views on quantum theory in relation to the digital world. I draw practical parallels and present thoughts and ideas on projects that I am personally involved in. I also provide reflections on ‘organized human life’, ranging from capitalism and our economy (as presented in my work on the quantum economy), to our educational systems (and the fundamental concept of learning how to learn), as well as providing occasional commentary about the current developments in the field of politics. By no means is this intended to be a complete metaphysical journey, nor is it an attempt to provide a definitive or complete overview of such topics. More specifically, this is a page that provides some background to my sources of inspiration and presents personal reflections and some initial thoughts that can help spark a journey towards seeing and feeling the interconnectedness and interdependence that we have with the world we live in. I strongly believe that interest and curiosity in these fields are relevant to everyone, and that they play an essential role in our personally lived lives, or society, economy and the world in general. The views presented here are my own; your thoughts and critical remarks are more than welcome!