Western Philosophy & Psychology

12th Dinner – Descartes, Sarte, or Tolle: Who is right about “I AM”?

Iara

People often advise each other: “Just be yourself”. According to different philosophers, it might not mean what people think it means. It could mean to feed one's ego. We should perhaps advise each other: “Just be no-self”. Here is why.

The Invited Philosopher Iara Menu Dinner Appetizer: Sesame seaweed crunch cabbage salad with a toasted sesame ginger vinaigrette Dinner Main Dish: Scallops in garlic, parsley, mustard sauce with basmati rice Dessert: Chocolate and caramel ice cream* Drinks: Jumilla Translations Red Blend* *Courtesy of Iara The Philosophy René Descartes, famously defined the essence of “being” as "I think, therefore I am" pointing to our thoughts as the source of our identity. Jean-Paul Sartre, as discussed in our 3rd dinner, by contrast with Descartes, defines the “I am” as a consciousness that

is either nothing, such as before birth and after death, because it is free of judgements, or it is a “beingness” that is formed from judgments and thoughts. Eckhart Tolle, a spiritual teacher, expands on Sartre’ statements by asking: What did Sartre mean when he wrote “The consciousness that says 'I am' is not the consciousness that thinks.”? The Summary Tolle asks us to consider that: When you are aware that you are thinking, that awareness is not part of thinking. It is a different dimension of consciousness. And it is…

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Spiritual Philosophy

11th Dinner – Toltec Wisdom: Be Impeccable with Your Word

pao

One of our most important activities in this world is our communication with others. And we get it wrong so often. The Toltecs are an ancient Mexican civilization that studied what is needed to lead a good and happy life based on our interaction with others. Don Manuel Ruiz summarized the Toltec wisdom into 4 agreements of which the first is the most important.

Be Impeccable with Your Word

The Invited Philosopher Pao Menu Dinner: Miso soy glazed cod fish with basmati rice and zucchini Dessert: Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Drinks: 19 Crimes 2019 Red Blend The Philosophy The book “The 4 Agreements” shares some ancient wisdom by the Toltecs, a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture from Mexico (ca. 900–1521 AD). Toltec knowledge is most accurately described as a way of life, distinguished by the ready accessibility of happiness and love. The first Agreement is said to be the most important: “Be impeccable with your word”. Words have great power and we

should use them carefully. Impeccable comes from the Latin pecatus, which means "sin." The im in impeccable means "without," so impeccable means "without sin." The Summary The Toltec believed that life is a dream and that we are always dreaming, even when awake. Using a modern-day analogy, the Toltec concept of a dream is similar to starring in our own movie, following a script we write ourselves. All those around us are starring in their own movie based on their realities and concepts of the world. The script is written with…

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Western Philosophy & Psychology

10th Dinner – Kant’s Transcendental Idealism

Nadine

Throughout the ages philosophers have questioned reality, with realists (Plato, Aristotle) arguing that things exist regardless of human perception, idealists (Barkley, Hagel) arguing that only what can be perceived exists or is real. Kant argues that there are aspects of our reality that we cannot know by reason alone. In our dinner we consider whether that applies to the non-physical reality of human personality and relationships.

The Invited Philosopher Nadine This is the second virtual dinner/lunch. Nadine had dinner in Duesseldorf, Germany, while I had lunch in Miami, Florida, USA. 2 Menus Nadine’s dinner: Chickpeas, portobello mushrooms, paprika in a pumpkin curry coconut milk sauce, with turmeric rice Paty’s lunch: Sofrito of mixed vegetables, grilled portobello mushrooms with wild rice Nadine’s Wine: Rose wine Nadine’s dessert: German Oblaten-Lebkuchen Paty’s dessert: Papaya and dark chocolate *Art: Courtesy of https://www.gallerynadine.com The Philosophy Immanuel Kant’s Transcendental Idealism is well explained in this Youtube video. Kant argued that our minds

process the information received from the world, and out of that a concept of objects arises, that may or may not be what is out there. Those objects are constructed by the mind but because the world is giving us the information, we construct only that which our mind can construct. And if we know the structure of the mind, we can know something about the objects we will see, that is what is called “a priori knowledge”, we know something of the objects before we experience them, before we…

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Spiritual Philosophy

9th Dinner – 5 Yogas: Bhagavad Gita and Beyond

Rob & Lucmar

The Bhagavad Gita introduces through a battlefield theme, the concept of the “Self”, a reality that lives in all of us, that is infinite, changeless, and exists beneath the world of change, the world we see. The purpose of life is to discover this reality experientially through the different paths of Yoga

The Invited Philosophers Rob & Lucmar Menu Indian Dinner to fit the theme of the evening, with a diary-free and gluten free twist: Chicken Vindaloo, Malabari Shrimp Curry, Aloo Gobi, Baingan Bharta Dessert: Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Drinks: Joel Gott 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon The Philosophy Yoga is both a path and a destination, the destination being Samadhi, the union of the ‘limited’ consciousness, our ego, or little self, with the ‘limitless’ universal consciousness, the big Self. The Bhagavad Gita (I recommend this translation by Eknath Easwaran), a classic Hindu spiritual text composed about

200 BCE, explores four paths of yoga:  Raja yoga (yoga of meditation),  Jnana yoga (knowledge or self-study), Bhakti yoga (devotion, recognition of the Divine in everything) and Karma yoga (action, selfless service towards others), towards spiritual liberation and self-realization or “enlightenment”. Hatha Yoga is the yoga we know best, yoga as an exercise, and it can include some of the other yogas, especially Raja Yoga, but it is not mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita. The Summary Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse Hindu scripture with philosophies about the meaning and purpose of life. Although it takes place…

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Western Philosophy & Psychology

8th Dinner – Psychedelics – From Plato to Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes

Marina

Psychedelics used to have a bad rap, but more recently, they are proving to be very valuable in psychotherapy. They are, however, not new to Philosophers: Plato, Nietzsche, Sartre, and now modern philosophers have experimented with them to expand their consciousness. We had many questions during the dinner, prominent among them was: Can psychedelics reveal our life's purpose?

The Invited Philosopher Marina Petralunga Restaurant Menu Marina’s dish: Cacio e Pepe Paty’s dish: Lady Devil Pizza Drinks: House Rosé Wine The Philosophy Dr. Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes from the University of Exeter, as described in his website, is an Anglo-Scandinavian philosopher of mind who specializes in the thought of Whitehead, Nietzsche, and Spinoza, and in fields pertaining to panpsychism and altered states of mind. He likes to be called the psychedelic Nietzsche. In his TED Talk he discusses understanding consciousness through psychedelics. The Summary Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes argues that although psychedelics are studied as

therapeutics in psychoanalysis, they can be of help also to the healthy, and to the philosopher. Psychedelics can provide state of minds that are awe-inspiring, sublime, ethereal but also infernal. One can lose one’s sense of oneself as “one self”. Space is distorted and time fluctuates or disappears and senses get entangled so that “one may smell the color of time”. He argues that in order to understand the mind it requires the investigation of such psychedelically-induced states of mind. Many philosophers through time have used psychedelics, Plato for example,…

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Western Philosophy & Psychology

7th Dinner, 1st Virtual – Carl Jung on Synchronicity

Sofia

Swiss Psychologist Carl Jung defined "Synchronicity" as an event in the outside world that coincides meaningfully with a psychological state of mind. We have all experienced "surprising coincidences" but if we consider their deeper meaning as Jung did, what are they telling us?

The Invited Philosopher Sofia This is the first virtual dinner/lunch I’ve had. Sofia had dinner in Oldenburg, Germany, while I had lunch in Miami, Florida, USA. 2 Menus Sofia’s dinner: German Abendbrot ohne Brot (A colorful plate of cheese, prosciutto, olives, pickles, almonds, walnuts, blueberries, raspberries) Paty’s lunch: Korma fish curry with Basmati rice and a side of lentils Sofia’s Wine: Sangre De Toro, 2018 Paty’s Wine: 2018 Monterustico Bianco, G.D. Vajra* *Courtesy of a friend who brought it to my last party The Philosophy Our topic was Synchronicity, a

concept introduced by Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst.  Synchronicity is defined as a non-casual event in the external world which coincides with things going on in the internal world, such as our thoughts, feelings and dreams. Two good articles on the topic are this Medium article and this philosophical analysis linking Taoism and Jung. Jung's earliest thinking on synchronicity was prompted by a conversation over dinner with Albert Einstein sometime between 1909 and 1913. Einstein was developing his first theory of relativity and this started Jung thinking…

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Greek Philosophy

6th Dinner – Epicurus’ Philosophy of Pleasure & Pain

Rene

Epicurus argued that to achieve happiness, humans need to feel pleasure, which requires that they satisfy their desires, or have no desires. He also categorized desires into "necessary", "non-necessary" and "vain". In the dinner, we discussed if "non-necessary" desires like "reading books" can cause pain, and concluded that all activities, when done excessively, have negative effects or cause pain, except one.

The Invited Philosopher Rene The Menu Appetizer: Tom Kah Kung* Second Appetizer: Green Papaya salad* Main Course: Baja Barramundi with yellow rice and salsa fresca. Drink: « Epicurean » water *Courtesy of Rene The Philosophy The Greek Philosopher Epicurus’s argued for “Everything in Moderation”. But it is not as simple as that.  And our dinner discussion took us into many unexpected directions. Unexpected, because many I had not considered before. That is one big reason why I enjoy the philosophy dinners: To discover points of views my mind would not have considered.

My introduction to Epicurus was this French podcast. For Rene, I found 3 web sites with good summaries of the philosophy: Reading Epicurus: Pleasure & Pain, What is Epicurism?, The Philosophy of Epicurus. After the dinner I also enjoyed reading the 3 ingredients for happiness. The Summary Epicurus identified happiness with the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. He claimed there are two ways to attain pleasure: (1) Meeting one’s desires (2) Having no desires (state of tranquility or ataraxia). He characterized three types of desires of which…

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Western Philosophy & Psychology

5th Dinner – Bostrom’s Simulation Theory

Dawn

Philosopher Bostrom argues that we live in a simulated virtual reality generated by a previous civilization. Computer Scientist Rizwan Virk argues that we live in an immersive video game. When we set aside the doubts and questions of the "If" and the "How" for which Bostrom and Virk have excellent arguments, the next question is: how do we make the best out of this virtual reality called life?

The Invited Philosopher Dawn The Menu Main Course: Grilled Salmon with Caribbean salsa, basmati rice, and oven-baked asparagus. Dessert: Lime curd tart with lychee mango* Drink: Riesling Wine from Lucio's Wine Shop* *Courtesy of Dawn The Philosophy As technology advances with inventions that sounded like sci-fi only 20 years ago, such as self-driving cars, space travel for tourism, neuron computer interfaces, ultra-realistic immersive video games and simulations, and more powerful GPU computers and soon quantum computers, you will see Oxford’s Philosopher Bostrom’s Theory of our life as a simulated reality

discussed more frequently in the media. Soon the conversation will switch from “If” and “How” to “What” and “Why”. But Dawn and I, we are already there. See Bostrom’s short summary here, and read Computer Scientist Rizwan Virk’s compelling take on Bostrom’s theory. You may watch the movie The Matrix but a more obscure but equally relevant movie is ExistenZ. The Summary Bostrom considers the possibility that there will be a posthuman future in which humans have acquired the capacity to create virtual worlds that feel like the one we…

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Philosophical Literature

4th Dinner – Siddhartha

Ianca

For those of us who look for the meaning of life and wonder how enlightenment can be achieved, the book "Siddhartha" offers an opportunity to reflect on the options we have: The trial and error path of Siddhartha, or the teacher-student wisdom seeking path of Govinda, or the solitary, nature-connected experience of the Ferryman. What is your path? Is there another?

The Invited Philosopher Ianca The Menu Indian Dinner to fit the theme of the evening: Vegetable Samosas, Garlic Cilantro Naan, Lamb Korma, Chicken Vindaloo. Dessert: Key Lime Pie* Drink: 2002 Bollinger La Grande Année Brut Champagne* *Courtesy of Ianca The Philosophy Siddhartha is a novel by Herman Hesse written in a beautiful verse-like style and is what I call “Philosophical Literature”. While philosophers may not see it as philosophy, it contains some of the deepest insights into human existence, especially with regards to reflecting on what is required for a

human to reach that level of equanimity, of inner wisdom, and mental tranquility that frees him or her from the sufferings and attachments to the happenings of life. The Summary Siddhartha is the fictional story of a young man, the respected son of a Brahmin, who is dissatisfied with his life and leaves his comfortable home and family behind, with his trusted and loyal friend Govinda, to find the real meaning of life. Both embark on a spiritual journey of self-discovery during the time of the Gautam Buddha, called “Gautama”…

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French Philosogy, Western Philosophy & Psychology

3rd Dinner – Sartre’s Being and Nothingness

Gilles & Pedro

Sartre's Being and Nothingness contrasts hell and freedom by looking at human's essence and existence. Humans' need "to be something" causes hell on earth. The objectification of humans comes through the judgement of others or their own judgements of themselves, through roles and identities. Freedom, he argues, is to be nothing, to just exist.

The Invited Philosophers Gilles & Pedro The Menu First Course: Mediterranean salmon with dill and Za’atar sauce, couscous and oven-baked green beans Second Course: Cheese plate with multi-grain sourdough bread and crackers Dessert: Gilles Signature Almond Cake* Drinks: French Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Wine* *Courtesy of Gilles & Pedro The Philosophy Sartre’s Being and Nothingness is not an easy read but it is fascinating. The French edition of the book has 822 pages in small font. Gilles and Pedro did their homework when they came to dinner and taught me, through

our conversation, a lot of the nuances of L'Être et le Néant. Gilles, who is French, recounted how in France, philosophy is a required high school course. He accomplished a great feat by finding a French podcast, which summarizes the book with refreshing clarity and at times humor, and as the icing on the cake, we also hear Sartre himself speak. The Summary Our world is made of objects that are something based on their function or beingness. Most humans are objects too. The function of a phone, desk, car,…

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