Could idealism transform society?
A re-evaluation of our institutions and the moral assumptions that underlie public life with Bernardo Kastrup, 24th of June.
As you know, idealism can be personally transformative. But what if it could also impact our culture, society, and politics?
If we are dissociated aspects of one consciousness, then harming others is, in a real sense, harming oneself. Ethical concern, empathy, and even political responsibility take on a different hue:
- Might a culture informed by idealism be less prone to nihilism and more attuned to meaning?
- Would justice systems evolve to emphasize rehabilitation over punishment?
- Could governance better reflect collective well-being?
- What environmental policy reflects nature as an image of our shared inner life?
- How might science accommodate meditation, artistic insight, and mystical experience, if these become legitimate modes of knowing?
As Bernardo puts it, “Idealism doesn't make the world magical—it makes it coherent.”
Could idealism offer a path toward a more enlightened society, while navigating the pitfalls that have accompanied similar utopian ambitions?
24th of June
6pm-8pm UK time / 7-9pm CET / 1-3pm EST
Your additional questions and comments are welcome, which will help shape the conversation and could be selected for discussion.
I look forward to seeing you there!
With appreciation,
Amir
P.S. A big thanks Olas, Peter T, Johan Graffman, Corrado, Larry Warshaw and Gustavo for suggesting this week's theme, and these initial questions below:
How might our political and social institutions change if Analytic Idealism were to go mainstream? (Peter T)
What are the Cultural ramifications of Analytical Idealism's ontological revelation on a massive scale? (Johan)
Idealism in the educational system? (Gustavo)
A question to Bernardo and all educators in the group. How can we embed idealism in the educational system?
It seems like current education aims at connecting to individual cognition, but not the view of a 'wider' mind.
What might an educational system look like if Idealistic principles were embedded in it?
Could idealism soften the fear of death, and could this impact humanity? (Larry Warshaw)
Given that idealism accommodates many phenomena now considered 'anomalous' (psi, NDE, SE, OBE, UAP, NHI etc.), what are the implications for our deep underlying fear of death of the physical body? Might the softening of this fear then change society/humanity?