Conversations with David J. Temple

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Attention as a First Principle and First Value – Part 2

Episode 2

Thursday, October 30, 2025 • Duration 33:07

In the first part of this dialogue, we heard the radical claim that attention is a First Principle and First Value of the universe. Now, we explore the devastating consequences of disowning that truth.

Dr. Marc Gafni and Dr. Zak Stein diagnose our current meta-crisis as a “Planetary Attention Disorder”—a global intimacy disorder where our inability to connect is rooted in the fundamental dysregulation of our attention.

How did we get here? The conversation traces a fascinating history of communication media and where humanity has placed its collective attention—from the pre-premodern, pre-modern, to modern, and in the postmodern era driven by our current technologies.

Note on Source Material and Citation

The material covered in this podcast is drawn from two forthcoming volumes published by the World Philosophy and Religion Press:

Attention: First Principle, First Value, and Human Right
Reconstructing Value & Preserving Human Freedom in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Exit the Silicon Maze, Vol. 1

If you deploy any material from this episode, please cite directly using the following reference:

Temple, David J., Conversations with David J. Temple, World Philosophy and Religion Press, October 2025, Episode: “Attention as a First Principle and First Value — Part 2.”

About the Authorial Voice of David J. Temple

David J. Temple is a pseudonym created for enabling ongoing collaborative authorship between Dr. Marc Gafni, Dr. Zak Stein and Ken Wilber at the Center for World Philosophy and Religion, a leading international think tank whose mission is to address existential risk by articulating a shared universal Story of Value for global intimacy and global coordination. The Center focuses its work on a world philosophy, Cosmo-Erotic Humanism, as the ground for a global vision of value, economics, politics, and spiritual coherence.

Get the book: "First Principles and First Values: Forty-Two Propositions on CosmoErotic Humanism, the Meta-Crisis, and the World to Come" - https://www.amazon.com/First-Principles-Values-Propositions-CosmoErotic-ebook/dp/B0CWYDGFZY

Join the Academy: World Philosophy and Religion Academy - https://www.centerforworldphilosophyandreligion.com/ra

Subscribe to the Center for World Philosophy and Religion newsletter - https://worldphilosophyreligion.substack.com/

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Attention as a First Principle and First Value

Episode 1

Monday, October 6, 2025 • Duration 36:46

We all feel our attention is under constant attack. But what if this digital war for our attention is a battle for something far more fundamental than our productivity? What if attention isn't just something we do, but something the universe is?

In this dialogue, Dr. Marc Gafni and Dr. Zak Stein introduce attention as a fundamental quality of the Cosmos, intrinsically linked to the First Values of Uniqueness, Eros, and Intimacy, noting that the universe itself evolves towards organisms with ever-greater capacities for attention.

They identify how “joint attention” is a uniquely human capacity that gives rise to language, story, and culture, and therefore, they argue that the problem with the modern "attention economy" is that its stealing and hijacking of human attention is a violation not merely of a cognitive faculty, but of a fundamental value that gives rise to an Intimate Universe.

Note on Source Material and Citation

The material covered in this podcast is drawn from two forthcoming volumes published by the World Philosophy and Religion Press:

Reconstructing Value & Preserving Human Freedom in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Exit the Silicon Maze, Vol. 1
Attention: First Principle, First Value, and Human Right

If you deploy any material from this episode, please cite directly using the following reference:

Temple, David J., Conversations with David J. Temple, World Philosophy and Religion Press, October 2025, Episode: “Attention as a First Principle and First Value.”

Get the book: "First Principles and First Values: Forty-Two Propositions on CosmoErotic Humanism, the Meta-Crisis, and the World to Come" - https://www.amazon.com/First-Principles-Values-Propositions-CosmoErotic-ebook/dp/B0CWYDGFZY

Join the Academy: World Philosophy and Religion Academy - https://www.centerforworldphilosophyandreligion.com/ra

Why the &#%! Is Value So Important?

Episode 4

Wednesday, November 12, 2025 • Duration 39:49

So, why the &#%! is value so important, anyway? In a world that increasingly tells us our values are just personal opinions or made-up stories, what's the big deal?

In this dialogue, Dr. Marc Gafni and Dr. Zak Stein deliver a powerful and urgent answer. They argue that value is not a human invention but a fundamental part of Reality itself, directly challenging the popular idea that meaning is just a useful delusion.

They reveal what happens when a society loses its shared sense of value. The result isn't a neutral void, but the rise of what they call "anti-value"—a predatory, nihilistic force that drives existential crises and can be seen in rising suicide rates and the disintegration of social trust.

This conversation makes the urgent case that reclaiming a universal grammar of value is not an abstract philosophical game; it is the essential, foundational step for addressing the meta-crisis.

Note on Source Material and Citation

The material covered in this podcast is drawn from a forthcoming volume published by the World Philosophy and Religion Press:

Reconstructing Value & Preserving Human Freedom in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Exit the Silicon Maze, Vol. 1

If you deploy any material from this episode, please cite directly using the following reference:

Temple, David J., Conversations with David J. Temple, World Philosophy and Religion Press, November 2025, Episode: “Why the &#%! Is Value So Important?”

About the Authorial Voice of David J. Temple

David J. Temple is a pseudonym created for enabling ongoing collaborative authorship between Dr. Marc Gafni, Dr. Zak Stein and Ken Wilber at the Center for World Philosophy and Religion, a leading international think tank whose mission is to address existential risk by articulating a shared universal Story of Value for global intimacy and global coordination. The Center focuses its work on a world philosophy, Cosmo-Erotic Humanism, as the ground for a global vision of value, economics, politics, and spiritual coherence.

The Nature of Desire

Episode 3

Wednesday, November 5, 2025 • Duration 41:44

What if every right you possess—from free speech to privacy—is actually based on a form of desire? And what if our new socio-technological conditions necessitate the protection of new rights, such as the “right to attention?”

In this dialogue, Dr. Marc Gafni and Dr. Zak Stein explore the fundamental nature of desire, unveiling it not as something merely psychological, but as an ontological principle that underpins rights, needs and values.

They establish a central thesis of CosmoErotic Humanism: that clarified desire equals value, and that a clarified first principle or value is a right.

The conversation highlights the inseparable link between rights and responsibilities, bringing profound implications for creating a society that honors human dignity rather than one that manufactures and exploits desire.

Note on Source Material and Citation

The material covered in this podcast is drawn from two forthcoming volumes published by the World Philosophy and Religion Press:

Reconstructing Value & Preserving Human Freedom in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Exit the Silicon Maze, Vol. 1
Attention: First Principle, First Value, and Human Right

If you deploy any material from this episode, please cite directly using the following reference:

Temple, David J., Conversations with David J. Temple, World Philosophy and Religion Press, November 2025, Episode: “The Nature of Desire.”

About the Authorial Voice of David J. Temple

David J. Temple is a pseudonym created for enabling ongoing collaborative authorship between Dr. Marc Gafni, Dr. Zak Stein and Ken Wilber at the Center for World Philosophy and Religion, a leading international think tank whose mission is to address existential risk by articulating a shared universal Story of Value for global intimacy and global coordination. The Center focuses its work on a world philosophy, Cosmo-Erotic Humanism, as the ground for a global vision of value, economics, politics, and spiritual coherence.

Value Cracked Open

Episode 8

Saturday, February 14, 2026 • Duration 30:24

About this episode:

What if the story of the Garden of Eden is not just an ancient myth, but a powerful “script of desire” that is still running our lives today?

In this dialogue, Dr. Marc Gafni and Dr. Zak Stein explore this radical idea, revealing how reality itself is a script of desire, and how your personal interpretation of the Eden story can expose your own unconscious programming.

To help you understand your own script, they first take us on a journey through the four major ways humanity has viewed desire—as negative, neutral, positive, or sacred—before introducing a new script, which recognizes Reality itself as “ErosDesire.”

This conversation is a call to action to crack open our own programming, discover which historical script we are unconsciously running, and clarify our unique desire in the love story of the universe.

Note on Source Material and Citation:

Parts of the material covered in this podcast are drawn from the following volumes published by the World Philosophy and Religion Press:

Gafni, Marc. Codes of Desire: On the Nature of Reality: The Answer to Who, Where, and What. 2025.
Gafni, Marc. Value Is a Feeling and Artificial Intelligence Doesn’t Feel: Responding to the Existential Risk of A.I. with a New Story of Value: Not the Death of Humanity but the Death of Our Humanity. 2025.
Kincaid, Kristina, and Marc Gafni. Forthcoming. The Complete Phenomenology of Eros.

If you deploy any material from this episode, please cite directly using the following reference:

Temple, David J., Conversations with David J. Temple, World Philosophy and Religion Press, February 2026, Episode: “Value Cracked Open”

About the Authorial Voice of David J. Temple:

Scripts of Desire

Episode 7

Saturday, January 31, 2026 • Duration 25:08

About this episode:

What if the universe isn't just a collection of matter, but a story being written? But not just any story, a story that’s fundamentally driven by the evolution of desire itself?

In this dialogue, Dr. Marc Gafni and Dr. Zak Stein explore how scripts of desire are a fundamental structure of reality. They reveal how these scripts are visible everywhere—from the devotion in sacred texts like the Song of Songs to the very laws of chemistry and biological evolution.

They argue that every entity in the cosmos, from an atom to a human being, is following an innate script of desire, seeking deeper contact and greater wholeness. The dialogue concludes with reflections on attachment theory and identity formation, emphasizing how important it is to clarify one's own unique script.

Note on Source Material and Citation:

Parts of the material covered in this podcast is drawn from Marc Gafni’s Codes of Desire: On the Nature of Reality: The Answer to Who, Where, and What and David J. Temple’s First Principles and First Values: Forty-Two Propositions on CosmoErotic Humanism, the Meta-Crisis, and the World to Come.

If you deploy any material from this episode, please cite directly using the following reference:

Temple, David J., Conversations with David J. Temple, World Philosophy and Religion Press, January 2026, Episode: “Scripts of Desire”

About the Authorial Voice of David J. Temple:

David J. Temple is a pseudonym created for enabling ongoing collaborative authorship between Dr. Marc Gafni, Dr. Zak Stein and Ken Wilber at the Center for World Philosophy and Religion, a leading international think tank whose mission is to address existential risk by articulating a shared universal Story of Value for global intimacy and global coordination. The Center focuses its work on a world philosophy, Cosmo-Erotic Humanism, as the ground for a global vision of value, economics, politics, and spiritual coherence.

Get the book: "First Principles and First Values: Forty-Two Propositions on CosmoErotic Humanism, the Meta-Crisis, and the World to Come" -

On Eros, Value and ErosValue

Episode 6

Friday, January 16, 2026 • Duration 32:15

About this episode:

Is the universe a random, meaningless accident? Or is there a deeper plot and hidden scripts guiding everything from the Big Bang to our own lives?

In this dialogue, doctor Marc Gafni and doctor Zak Stein explore the deep interconnection between Eros, Value, and desire. They introduce the concepts of ErosValue and scripts of desire, exploring several different definitions of Value.

They propose that the Field of Value is not a social construct but an involutionary given, shaping the Cosmos from its inception.

They also propose that story is an intrinsic structure of reality, shaped by desire and value. Stories provide coherence and meaning, forming the foundation for human rights and ethical living.

Note on Source Material and Citation:

Parts of the material covered in this podcast is drawn from David J. Temple’s First Principles and First Values: Forty-Two Propositions on CosmoErotic Humanism, the Meta-Crisis, and the World to Come, as well as the following forthcoming volumes published by the World Philosophy and Religion Press:

Reconstructing Value & Preserving Human Freedom in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Exit the Silicon Maze, Vol. 1
Stories of Inherent Cosmic Value Are Real: Love Stories Model Stories of Real Value: Personal, Global, Galactic, and Cosmic Love Stories, Toward a New World Philosophy and Religion as a Context for Our Diversity, Vol. 1-3

If you deploy any material from this episode, please cite directly using the following reference:

Temple, David J.,Conversations with David J. Temple, World Philosophy and Religion Press, January 2026, Episode: “On Eros, Value and ErosValue”

About the Authorial Voice of David J. Temple:

David J. Temple is a pseudonym created for enabling ongoing collaborative authorship between Dr. Marc Gafni, Dr. Zak Stein and Ken Wilber at the Center for World Philosophy and Religion, a leading international think tank whose mission is to address existential risk by articulating a shared universal Story of Value for global intimacy and global coordination. The Center focuses its work on a world philosophy, Cosmo-Erotic Humanism, as the ground for a global vision of value, economics, politics, and spiritual coherence.

What the &#%! Is Value?

Episode 5

Tuesday, December 16, 2025 • Duration 38:03

About this episode:

We have established that our values are not just social constructs or personal preferences. They reflect a deeper sense of value itself, which is foundational to reality.

But what is this value we’re talking about?

In this dialogue, Dr. Marc Gafni and Dr. Zak Stein offer a startlingly simple and profound answer: Value is clarified desire.

They state that the universe isn’t a random collection of matter, but it contains “plotlines of desire”, an ongoing story of the Cosmos yearning for deeper intimacy and greater wholeness, which disclose value and make it as ontologically real as mathematics.

Then conversation then turns to a critical question: if value is so fundamental, why is it so often distorted?

By the end, you will have a powerful new understanding of what value truly is and why reclaiming clarified desire is the most essential task for navigating the modern world.

Note on Source Material and Citation:

Parts of the material covered in this podcast is drawn from a forthcoming volume published by the World Philosophy and Religion Press:

Reconstructing Value & Preserving Human Freedom in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Exit the Silicon Maze, Vol. 1

If you deploy any material from this episode, please cite directly using the following reference:

Temple, David J., Conversations with David J. Temple, World Philosophy and Religion Press, December 2025, Episode: “What the &#%! Is Value?”

About the Authorial Voice of David J. Temple:

David J. Temple is a pseudonym created for enabling ongoing collaborative authorship between Dr. Marc Gafni, Dr. Zak Stein and Ken Wilber at the Center for World Philosophy and Religion, a leading international think tank whose mission is to address existential risk by articulating a shared universal Story of Value for global intimacy and global coordination. The Center focuses its work on a world philosophy, Cosmo-Erotic Humanism, as the ground for a global vision of value, economics, politics, and spiritual coherence.

Conversations with David J. Temple – Details, episodes & analysis

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Conversations with David J. Temple – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other5

Amazon3

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other5

Amazon3