The 1960s-80s countercultures dissolved the boundaries between self and society, ethical and political—setting us up for decades of culture war. You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattarnold Original music by Kevin MacLeod. This podcast is under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial International 4.0 License....
Mar 27, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 64
The 1960s-80s countercultures abandoned rationality because they believed it negated all meaning. They were wrong. Original music by Kevin MacLeod. This podcast is under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial International 4.0 License.
Mar 20, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 63
How—and why!—countercultures sought to reform psychologies and polities: to counteract alienation, anxiety, and anomie. Original music by Kevin MacLeod. This podcast is under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial International 4.0 License.
Mar 13, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 62
The hippie counterculture was structurally and functionally similar to the Moral Majority Christian Right counterculture a decade later. https://meaningness.com/monism-dualism-countercultures Original music by Kevin MacLeod. This podcast is under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial International 4.0 License.
Mar 06, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Taking a break from narrating "Meaningness And Time" to give you a standalone essay by the author, David Chapman, which I call the Bridge essay. It will be helpful in our next few episodes, in which "Meaningness And Time" describes the counter-cultures' renegotiation of the relationship between self and society. The Bridge essay provides the urgency behind this entire audiobook podcast, and the reason I titled the podcast "Fluidity". When I first read it in 2020, that was the moment I decided I ...
Feb 28, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 60
The hippies and the Moral Majority both tried to rescue systematic eternalism—and failed. We live amongst their wreckage. https://meaningness.com/countercultures Countercultures defined as new, alternative, universalist, eternalist, anti-rational systems: there were two in the late 20th century. https://meaningness.com/counterculture-definition If you want to support this podcast, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattarnold Original music by Kevin MacLeod. This podcast i...
Feb 20, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Modernity was built on certainty in science and mathematics. That was revealed as delusional during the early 20th century. An hour-long episode! For many of my acquaintance, this is an important entry point into Chapman's work, tying together Meaningness And Time with his other book In The Cells Of The Eggplant . It's also the most recent page he's written. https://meaningness.com/collapse-of-rational-certainty If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/matt...
Feb 13, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 58
How and why modernity failed. All systems of meaning—religious, political, artistic, psychological—began to fall apart. Nihilism seemed the only alternative. https://meaningness.com/systems-crisis-breakdown If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattarnold Original music by Kevin MacLeod. This podcast is under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial International 4.0 License....
Feb 08, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Ideological time-distortion strategies are highly effective in propaganda. The Victorian age and the twentieth century gave us many new things that were supposedly ancient. These include: - British royal coronation ceremonies. - kilts and almost the entire Scottish national identity. - almost all of the history of Buddhism. - and don't get us started on Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is a fun episode. https://meaningness.com/invented-traditions-and-timeworn-futures You can support the podcast ...
Jan 30, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Systems of society, culture, and the self were the foundation of the modern world. Their glories have passed. https://meaningness.com/systematic-mode You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattarnold Original music by Kevin MacLeod. This podcast is under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial International 4.0 License....
Jan 24, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 55
This chart is an overview of Meaningness and Time: the past, present, and future of culture, society, and our selves. https://meaningness.com/modes-chart Also - "In praise of choicelessness." The choiceless mode of understanding meaning has no “becauses.” Explanations are unnecessary because you are unaware of any alternatives. https://meaningness.com/choiceless-mode You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks...
Jan 16, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Beginning the next book by David Chapman: "Meaningness And Time". Past modes of relating to meaning and meaninglessness have broken down. How do we move to the fluid mode of social organization? The problems of meaningness we face now are dramatically different from those of the past. We also sense new opportunities, and have new resources. https://meaningness.com/meaningness-and-time How meaning fell apart: Over the past century, systems of meaning gradually disintegrated, and a series of new m...
Jan 09, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 53
At the start of every episode, I've said "Words with an entry in the glossary have an echo." Well, it's time for the glossary! https://meaningness.com/whole-glossary Terminology choices: "Complete." "Emptiness and form, nebulosity and pattern." "Non-dual." https://meaningness.com/terminology/complete https://meaningness.com/terminology/emptiness-form-nebulosity-pattern https://meaningness.com/terminology/non-dual Next week, the podcast will begin a hiatus for the holidays, returning in January 2...
Dec 26, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 52
When you discover you are owned by an ideology, you can escape. Better, you can find a larger space. https://meaningness.com/vaster-than-ideology You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattarnold Original music by Kevin MacLeod. This podcast is under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial International 4.0 License....
Dec 21, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Intuitions of “cosmic meaning” root in hunger for personal significance, and in encounters with vastness. https://meaningness.com/no-cosmic-meaning You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattarnold Original music by Kevin MacLeod. This podcast is under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial International 4.0 License....
Dec 12, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 50
No ultimate meaning: “Ultimate” means “at the end of a scale.” What is the scale of meaning? Should you want to be at the end of it? https://meaningness.com/no-ultimate-meaning No eternal meaning: Meanings come and go; they are not eternally stable— and that is fine. https://meaningness.com/no-eternal-meaning You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https:/...
Dec 05, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 49
No absolute meaning: Are you adult enough to accept that the world offers no absolute guarantees? https://meaningness.com/no-absolute-meaning No transcendent meaning: If meaning lives only in Neverland, we can’t make much use of it. Fortunately, it’s here, now. https://meaningness.com/no-transcendent-meaning You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://...
Nov 28, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Lite nihilism, on the way to completion: Lite nihilism includes a valuable, accurate analysis of the failure of eternalism. https://meaningness.com/lite-nihilism Not really meaningful: “Nothing REALLY means anything” sounds plausible when you feel nihilistic. What does “really” mean, though? https://meaningness.com/no-real-meaning No extra-special fancy meanings: Nihilism rightly denies objective, ultimate, transcendent, absolute, cosmic, and eternal meanings. What is left? https://meaningness.c...
Nov 21, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 47
The many justifications for nihilism rely on a handful of mistaken patterns of reasoning. https://meaningness.com/nihilist-fallacies Links mentioned in this episode: Scott Alexander’s blog post “Proving too much”. "Finding Meaning In An Imperfect World" by Iddo Landau You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattarnold Original ...
Nov 14, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 46
This episode narrates the new pages “'Nihilism is OK' is not OK" and "The uncanny absence of nihil –ism". “Nihilism is inevitable, but not a problem.” This is mistaken: it makes you miserable and ineffective, and erodes social and cultural capacity. https://meaningness.com/nihilism-considered-harmful Nihilism, like botulism, is not an ideology or conceptual system. It is a stance: an emotionally-charged way of being. https://meaningness.com/nihilism-is-not-an-ism Links mentioned in this episode:...
Nov 07, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 45
A world of total license: the catastrophe some fear if nihilistic views become widespread. https://meaningness.com/nihilist-apocalypse You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattarnold Original music by Kevin MacLeod. This podcast is under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial International 4.0 License....
Oct 31, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Nihilism has a taboo allure of forbidden power—because everyone knows eternalism is wrong. https://meaningness.com/nihilism-black-magic Recognizing meaninglessness requires unusual intelligence, courage, and toughness. Nihilist elitism renders you stupid, cowardly, and helpless, though. https://meaningness.com/nihilist-cynicism-elitism You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider ...
Oct 24, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Nihilism promises you don’t have to care, because nothing means anything. But you do care—and you can’t escape that. https://meaningness.com/nihilism-promise The end-state of nihilism is not suicide, but catatonia. https://meaningness.com/accomplishing-nihilism You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattarnold Original music b...
Oct 17, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 42
This mid-week bonus episode is another interview with David Chapman, in which we discuss nihilism, both as a book section, and nihilism itself. Since the time that I started recording, he has since written six more episodes worth of chapters in the Nihilism section of Meaningness. I could move on and record "Meaningness And Time", but instead I'll loop back and read his newly-written chapters out of order. You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: http...
Oct 14, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Materialism says that only mundane purposes like money, sex, and power count. It wrongly rejects higher purposes—but those too are not ultimate. https://meaningness.com/materialism Common critiques of materialism, from religion, political idealism, personal idealism, and nihilism. https://meaningness.com/materialism-rejection Mingling mission and materialism attempts to gain both self-indulgent and self-justifying goals—but loses both enjoyment and empathetic joy. https://meaningness.com/mingled...
Oct 10, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 40
The delusion that you can find your true, unique personal life-purpose causes only suffering and failure. https://meaningness.com/mission-defects-obstacles Just discover your unique talent, follow your passion, and success is guaranteed—this is terrible advice! https://meaningness.com/do-with-my-life You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buym...
Oct 03, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Dividing purposes into higher and mundane, mission pursues higher ends and rejects pragmatism; materialism seeks only selfish goals. Both are mistakes. https://meaningness.com/purpose It is attractive to think that we each have a unique, transcendent, ultimate purpose in life. Unfortunately, this belief is both false and harmful. https://meaningness.com/mission You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If yo...
Sep 28, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Abandoning selflessness and egoism equally, we can play with the ambiguous self/other boundary; supple, skillful selfing for successful, satisfying interaction. https://meaningness.com/self You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/m/fluidityaudiobooks If you like the show, consider buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattarnold Original music by Kevin MacLeod. This podcast is under a Creative Commons Attribution No...
Sep 20, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Stances concerning connection and separateness: monism, dualism, and participation. https://meaningness.com/monism-dualism-and-participation Monism and dualism are opposites. But because each is obviously wrong, each turns into the other when cornered. Sneaky! https://meaningness.com/monism-dualism-recursion Errors of monism and dualism: denying and fixating object boundaries and connections. https://meaningness.com/boundaries-objects-connections You can support the podcast and get episodes a we...
Sep 13, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Going beyond resolutions of specific problems: consistently maintaining an accurate stance toward meaningness. https://meaningness.com/stabilize-complete-stance Since this episode ties together what we have learned so far, it references previous episodes. They are: Obstacles To The Complete Stance Stances Are Unstable Exiting eternalism Finding the complete stance Textures of completion Meaningness as a liberating practice You can support the podcast and get episodes a week early, by supporting ...
Sep 06, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 35
