Ethics & living your life to its full

When we scheduled this session on ethics, I expected an important but dry conversation on the technicalities of free will and determinism. 

Instead, the theme was a springboard for an exhilarating discussion; how idealism offers permission to embrace the rich humanity of our experience, the unique gifts we bring and the lessons we are here to learn. All of this, importantly, in the context of a deeply empathetic relationship with others.  

I was especially struck by the concept of computational irreducibility—the idea that even in a deterministic universe, some outcomes are so complex they can’t be predicted. Only lived. In this view, determinism isn’t the enemy of meaning; it is its bedrock. Reality, then, becomes a kind of living experiment, perhaps moving ever closer to some underlying purpose. 

Bernardo also drew on first-hand insight into current developments of Artificial Intelligence. He illustrated why this period of history will be unlike any before, and the ethical opportunities and perils we face. 

Also discussed was:

• The moral catastrophe of our time is needing metaphysics to justify ethics
• Why utilitarianism is a bad philosophy, falling prey to infinite regress
• The permission to live your life fully
• The unique gift you bring and the lesson you are here to learn
• Idealist vs materialist ethics
• Our moral responsibility in the absence of free will 
• Your choices as a journey of self-discovery
• A plea for better treatment of animals

My biggest takeaway? That kindness is the natural outcome of understanding, and the golden rule is not a moral demand, but a guide to our own well-being.

If you listen, I'd love to hear your reflections– on the telegram group or in the comments below. 

So: what unique gifts and insights does your life offer?

With appreciation!

Amir

Speakers

Bernardo Kastrup

Analytic idealism

Bernardo Kastrup is the Executive Director of Essentia Foundation and Founder/CEO at AI systems company Euclyd BV. His work has set off the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy (ontology, philosophy of mind) and another in computer engineering (reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence).

As a scientist, he has worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the ‘Casimir Effect’ of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). He has also been creatively active in the high-tech industry for almost 30 years, having founded parallel processor company Silicon Hive (acquired by Intel in 2011) and worked as a technology strategist for the geopolitically significant company ASML. Most recently, he has founded AI company Euclyd BV.

Formulated in detail in many academic papers and books, his ideas have been featured in Scientific American, the magazine of The Institute of Art and Ideas, the Blog of the American Philosophical Association and Big Think, among others. His most defining book is Analytic Idealism in a Nutshell: A straightforward summary of the 21st-century’s only plausible metaphysics.

Explore Bernardo’s work →