Exploring Platonic Morphospace w/Michael Levin & DC Schindler
An interdisciplinary discussion between biologist Michael Levin and metaphysician D.C. Schindler about Levin’s “Platonic Morphospace” research programme, which treats morphogenesis, physiology, and behaviour as pattern navigation by goal-directed cellular collectives. Levin's research is transforming biology and raises many questions for philosophy and science, undermining the mechanistic view of reality and aligning much more with a classical neo-platonic framework.
Mike's website: https://thoughtforms.life/
DC's books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/D.-C....
Chapters:
00:00 Introductions and Setup
00:29 Levin’s Big Questions
01:14 Patterns and Morphospace
03:21 Beyond Evolutionary Explanations
03:51 Synthetic Agents Xenobots
05:04 Minimal Computational Models
06:09 Actionable Research Program
08:02 Schindler’s Neoplatonic Lens
14:36 Machines Organicism Debate
19:19 Cognition as Continuum
22:03 Nonphysical Causation Example
25:15 Math Truths as Causal
28:35 Expanding Platonic Space
30:48 Forms Beyond Matter
31:29 Life Versus Death Question
33:03 Dog Corpse Thought Experiment
35:21 Operational Categories Spectrum
37:40 Death As Shrinking Agency
40:26 Hybrids Xenobots Blur Lines
41:46 Embryo Alignment And Goals
44:28 Soul As Organization Pattern
48:19 Transformation Models And Math
53:52 Phase Transitions Emergence Debate
58:07 Wrap Up Future Work
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