The Rebirth of God: Pathology and Promise | Jamie Wheal | EP 485

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• Theological and biological presuppositions are aligning. (6s)
• Science may be catching up to philosophy and theology, or humans may be creating narratives to explain primal dictates. (19s)
• These narratives are not seen as convenient fabrications but potentially accurate. (29s)

Intro (37s)

• The speaker discusses his new book and the concept of a "Zeitgeist," suggesting that every historical moment has a defining spirit that influences multiple individuals. (1m12s)
• The speaker highlights a "meaning crisis" attributed to the decline of traditional belief systems, leading to feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, and nihilism. (1m30s)
• The speaker explores the mythological concept of new beginnings emerging from periods of darkness, suggesting the potential for a transformative shift in culture and belief. (2m2s)

The death of God: secularized (2m37s)

• There are two possibilities regarding human perception, thoughts, and goal-directed striving: either they move towards a higher order transcendental unity, or they do not. (3m8s)
• If the hypothesis of a unifying principle is rejected, it leads to the problems of nihilism or a disunified plurality, where conflicting drives create psychological and social conflict. (3m47s)
• With the rejection of traditional unifying principles, new forms of unity, such as power, may emerge to replace them, potentially leading to undesirable outcomes. (4m47s)

Nietzsche was wrong about this, the reiterating cataclysm (9m5s)

• Nietzsche believed the rise of replacement ideologies and the death of God was a novel occurrence in human history. (9m29s)
• Mircea Eliade, a historian of religions, has documented the repetitive collapse of unifying orders throughout history. (9m37s)
• The Enuma Elish, a Mesopotamian creation myth, illustrates the dangers of disrespecting the principle upon which a society is founded. (10m42s)

Camille Paglia’s take on Eric Neumann (11m56s)

• Camille Paglia believes that if academics, specifically literary critics, had focused on the works of Eric Neumann, Mircea Eliade, and Carl Jung instead of Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault, the intellectual history of the past 50 years would be significantly different. (12m37s)
• This difference in focus, according to Paglia, would have prevented the current culture war. (13m5s)
• Paglia argues that the work of Joseph Campbell, which has had a unifying cultural impact, stands in contrast to postmodernism's assertion that there is no overarching narrative or "meta-narrative." (13m24s)

Combatting the continual rise of the Pharisees, higher-order unity (13m52s)

• The Pharisees used religion to gain status and power. (15m5s)
• Postmodernists believe that power is the only game and the fundamental principle that should unite everything. (17m37s)
• Some Americans believe that a return to definitive values, such as the Ten Commandments, is important. (18m47s)

Kurt Anderson, religious schisms, and reformation (19m13s)

• Kurt Anderson, a public intellectual and historian, suggests that the Scopes Monkey Trial acted as a catalyst for a schism within Christianity in America. (19m37s)
• This schism, rooted in the aftermath of the Civil War, led to a divergence between mainline Protestant faiths and the burgeoning Evangelical and Pentecostal movements. (19m44s)
• This divide is evident in contemporary America, where a significant portion of the population holds strong beliefs in concepts like demonic possession, highlighting the enduring influence of faith in the nation. (20m25s)

“The Selfish Gene,” sexual reproduction, and the idea of randomness (23m46s)

• Dawkins argues that reproduction can be simplified to sex, and sex can be simplified to the tendency of genetic material to replicate itself. (24m8s)
• Dawkins's theory, as presented in his book "The Selfish Gene," suggests that genes have an inherent "desire" to replicate, although he might not use that specific term. (24m50s)
• Darwin's theory of sexual selection highlights that mate selection is not random, as evidenced by butterflies' ability to detect minute physical asymmetries in potential mates and the influence of perceived heroism on human mate preferences. (26m31s)

Insuring the proper aim against corruption, the four promises of the covenant (28m37s)

• The speaker suggests that men are inherently drawn to aggression, particularly when demoralized, and that this tendency is being exploited by certain groups. (31m30s)
• The speaker argues that the hero archetype encompasses both a warrior element and a strong inclination towards self-sacrifice, generosity, and altruism. (31m43s)
• The speaker uses the biblical story of Abraham to illustrate the concept of embracing adventure and the potential rewards it offers, including personal blessings, recognition, lasting legacy, and collective well-being. (34m58s)

The dopamine system and hero mythology (36m57s)

• The dopaminergic system, a reward system, drives novelty-seeking behavior and devalues current experiences in favor of potential future rewards. (37m18s)
• Based in the hypothalamus, a primitive part of the brain, the dopaminergic system governs fundamental motivations like hunger, thirst, and exploration. (37m40s)
• Hero mythology embodies this dopaminergic exploratory system, reflecting the pursuit of exploration and expansion rather than satiation or consumption. (38m15s)

The Biblical teachings on co-creation and stewardship: “It’s not a just-so story” (38m37s)

• The hero myth, as depicted in the passion story, suggests that embracing life's horrors is transformative, mirroring the suffering and subsequent confrontation with malevolence in the story of Christ. (39m45s)
• This narrative aligns with a developmental and biological perspective, implying that adapting to life necessitates confronting its negative aspects, including human proclivity for evil, and that the degree of redemption correlates with the courage displayed in that confrontation. (40m51s)
• The Genesis narrative, characterizing humans as made in God's image, suggests a shared creative capacity, mirroring God's creation from chaotic possibility and aligning with human consciousness, which constantly explores and plays with possibilities. (43m27s)

The implicit moral order cannot be replaced by the presumptions of human beings (44m39s)

• Human beings should abide by the implicit moral order and not attempt to replace it. (45m34s)
• There is an implicit moral order that should be followed and not replaced by the presumptions of human beings. (46m5s)
• The implicit moral order can be conceptualized as an infinite game. (47m20s)

The science of reiterative play disproves moral relativism (47m27s)

• Humans are naturally drawn to engaging in challenging games that offer the potential for growth and skill development, even if it means sacrificing guaranteed victories. (50m17s)
• This inherent inclination towards fairness and challenging play, as observed in children and even animals, suggests an innate moral compass that prioritizes growth and reciprocity over pure dominance. (52m2s)
• This concept extends to various social interactions, such as conversations and collaborative endeavors, where the focus shifts from individual gain to collective understanding and shared progress. (53m55s)

The true pathology of the culture wars, bad actors weaponize high virtues (58m11s)

• People who hold different views from our own have the most to offer in honest and open discussions. (58m30s)
• The most dangerous aspect of the culture war is that the worst actors can weaponize the highest virtues. (1h4m37s)
• Individuals with dark triad traits often exploit victimhood, using guilt to manipulate those with high conscientiousness and empathy to manipulate those with high agreeableness. (1h5m9s)

1 in 13 have Dark Tetrad traits, civility and anonymity (1h7m3s)

• One in 14 people exhibit traits of the Dark Tetrad personality types. (1h7m11s)
• Anonymity on social media platforms enables narcissistic and psychopathic individuals to operate freely and engage in disruptive behavior. (1h9m3s)
• People generally exhibit more civilized behavior when interacting face-to-face due to social cues and the desire for reciprocity. (1h10m6s)

Andrew Tate, the fallacy in leading with power (1h14m16s)

• People who manipulate others for personal gain are playing an "infinite game" with themselves, which often leads to negative consequences for them in the long run. (1h14m35s)
• Psychopaths, for example, often repeat their mistakes and end up facing consequences such as imprisonment. (1h14m50s)
• While some argue that a significant portion of Fortune 500 CEOs exhibit psychopathic traits, this claim is disputed, and it is suggested that long-term success in business requires reciprocal interactions and ethical behavior. (1h15m26s)

Merit-based societies benefit everyone, not just those with merit (1h16m20s)

• Meritocracy aims to benefit everyone in society, not just those deemed meritorious. (1h17m51s)
• The goal of selecting the most competent individuals, for example at Harvard, is to leverage their abilities for the benefit of society as a whole. (1h17m51s)
• Rewarding high achievers incentivizes behavior that benefits the majority, as a small percentage of individuals in any endeavor are responsible for a disproportionate amount of productivity. (1h18m27s)

Addressing economic disparity through economic freedom and the Judeo-Christian ethic (1h18m40s)

• The CEO to average worker pay ratio has increased tenfold since the 1970s, from 30 to 1 to over 300 to 1. (1h19m36s)
• Addressing economic disparity through left-wing economic approaches, even in their less extreme forms, or through large-scale philanthropy, has proven ineffective. (1h22m2s)
• A free market system can only function successfully within the framework of a strong ethical system, such as that provided by Judeo-Christian values. (1h25m28s)

What makes a society wealthy — and how that is emulated in Christ (1h25m58s)

• Wealth in a society is primarily driven by the principle of "iterable reciprocity," which refers to a system of mutual exchange and benefit. (1h27m12s)
• The story of Jesus instructing fishermen to become "fishers of men" illustrates a shift from providing material sustenance to fostering ethical relationships, which ultimately benefits a larger number of people. (1h26m59s)
• The parable of the pearl of great price suggests that there are pursuits in life that hold such immense value that all other possessions pale in comparison, prompting individuals to relinquish everything else in their pursuit. (1h27m41s)

Jordan Peterson’s hopes for Elon Musk, the story of Job (1h28m24s)

• Elon Musk is interested in infinite exploration, believing the cosmos is intelligible and that its pursuit is noble and beneficial to society. (1h29m28s)
• The story of Job explores the idea that even in the face of immense suffering, one should not lose faith in themselves or the inherent goodness of creation. (1h30m29s)
• Pleasure and pain are not reliable indicators of the goodness of existence, as there are catastrophic pleasures and beneficial pains, and pursuing immediate pleasure often requires sacrificing long-term gains. (1h31m53s)

Strange new spiritualities that take the place of religion (1h34m22s)

• Some are turning towards more traditional forms of religion, including Eastern Orthodoxy and pre-Vatican Latin Mass. (1h35m41s)
• This trend is exemplified by individuals, including some labeled as "alt-right," joining traditional churches, such as an Armenian Orthodox Church in Houston. (1h36m8s)
• Public figures like Ayan Hirsi Ali, Niall Ferguson, and Russell Brand have undergone notable conversions, indicating a broader shift towards religion. (1h36m56s)