The idea that ontology and epistemology are interdependent is an important one. Our concepts about the nature of reality inform how we think about how we can gain knowledge about the world. The current dominant ontology in science is a materialist model associated with an empiricist epistemology that focuses on the sensory experience of outer reality. However, this ontology is insufficient to explain phenomena such as consciousness and anomalous cognitions, which demand a non-local model of the world in which consciousness is not derived from matter but is co-primary with it.
A complementarity dual aspect model of consciousness and brain, or mind and matter, proposes that consciousness and matter are both fundamental aspects of reality that complement each other. This model would require a different epistemology that includes a deeper exploration of consciousness, such as through contemplative practice, to better understand the world’s deep structure. This type of contemplative science could complement our current experiential mode that is exclusively directed to the outside aspect of our world and help us with issues such as theoretical and other intuitions.
The Transformation of Our Lives to the Digital Advancements
According to many ontology books, the Digital Age has accompanied a new era of technological progressions that have transformed our lives. However, the transition to this new era has been gradual and insidious, making it difficult to comprehend and understand its impact on our lives. In his ontology book, “Digital Stockholm Syndrome in the Post-Ontological Age,” Mark Jarzombek delves into the foundations of reality and how our relationship with technology changes how we view ourselves as humans.
Jarzombek presents a timeline of the gradual adaptation to the Digital Age and how it has become the norm. He highlights the realm of algorithms, which is almost completely invisible to the common person, yet it is hard to avoid its menacing clutch as it is everywhere. With no outside, assessing the traditional relationship between the human and the technological is moving in a labyrinthine.
The author argues in his mind-gripping ontology book that the study of humans calls for a new type of science about algorithmic ontology in which the human is being pushed to its bodily, sensate, moral, physical, psychological, political, social, environmental, sexual, bacteriological, and global limits. In a way, we are now more Human than ever before. Yet what we mean by Human is becoming increasingly elusive since the glue that holds all this together is a finely constructed type of hallucinogenic paranoia that speaks to us at different registers of reality.
Ontology & Epistemology Explaining the Realities of Life
The ontology books and empiricist epistemology have successfully explained and predicted a wide range of phenomena in the natural world, from the behavior of subatomic particles to the movement of galaxies. However, as the original post suggests, some phenomena, such as consciousness and anomalous cognitions, cannot be fully explained within this framework. These phenomena seem to require a more holistic and non-local model of the world, where consciousness is not just a byproduct of matter but a co-primary aspect of the universe.
Such a complementarity dual aspect model of consciousness and matter could lead to a new epistemology, where sense experience, contemplative practice, and introspection become legitimate sources of knowledge. This could lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the world, including aspects not accessible through materialist means alone. This type of contemplative science could help us address some of the pressing matters of our time, such as climate change, social impartiality, and the meaning of life.
Different ontologies can lead to different epistemologies, and different cultures or societies may have their ways of understanding and experiencing the world. For example, indigenous cultures often have a more holistic view of the world, where everything is interconnected and interdependent. This can lead to different ways of knowing and understanding the world that may not fit within a Western scientific framework.
It’s also important to recognize that different ways of knowing and understanding the world may be valid and useful within their cultural context, even if they don’t fit within a Western scientific framework. It’s important to approach other cultures and ways of knowing with respect and an open mind rather than dismissing them as simply “hallucinatory” or “imaginary” based on our ontological assumptions.
Indeed, ontology and epistemology are deeply interconnected and influence each other in a feedback loop. The concepts in ontology books determine what we believe exists in the world, while our epistemology dictates how we learn about it. This, in turn, reinforces or changes our ontology, leading to a constant evolution of our understanding of the world. Different cultures and societies have developed different ontologies and epistemologies, leading to different ways of approaching knowledge and experiencing the world. It’s imperative to be aware of these differences, appreciate human thought, and experience diversity.
Jarzombek proposes an alternative of three laws to describe the nature of this dependency. These laws are thermodynamic since the algorithmic world is a heat-producing-seeking world that produces, captures, and exploits the life pulse of data. The major corporations, governments, and hackers must be seen as data addicts and humans as the object of this addiction. In this sense, the story is not about technology and capitalism but about systems of dependency.
“Digital Stockholm Syndrome in the Post-Ontological Age” is one of the aptest ontology books about Stockholm syndrome. It delves deep into the foundations of reality and explores how our relationship with technology changes how we view ourselves as humans. The book is a must-read for anyone fascinated by understanding the influence of the Digital Age on our existence and the world around us.