It's reasonable to care. Exploring philosophical, scientific, technological & poetic spaces beyond either/or bounds. From the heart. Deeply researched. Mostly unscripted.
Hosted by philosopher and cognitive scientist Andrea Hiott. A project with Making Ways. Buy the book Holding Paradox: The Navigational Approach to Mind and Consciousness. And join the Substack.
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In this episode of Love and Philosophy, host Andrea explores the often overlooked but essential realm of maintenance and care, diving into its philosophical, social, and political dimensions. Joined by guests Jérome Denis and David Pontille, accomplished scholars from France, the discussion delves into how maintenance connects with the theories of care, the work of influential figures like Bruno Latour, and the interdisciplinary field of Science and Technology Studies (STS). They unpack the intricate relationship between humans and objects, examining concepts like fragility, multisensory engagement, and the distinction between maintenance and repair. Highlighting the everyday labor involved in maintaining objects and environments—from subway signs to classic cars—the conversation underscores the need to recognize and value the unseen work that sustains our daily lives. The episode draws on rich examples, including the upkeep of the Paris Metro and the care of classic Mustangs, to illustrate the profound impact of maintenance on our understanding of relationships, both material and social.
00:00 Introduction to Maintenance and Care 00:30 Welcome to Love and Philosophy 00:56 Exploring Science and Technology Studies (STS) 01:40 Bruno Latour and Actor-Network Theory 03:45 The Care of Things: Introducing the Guests 04:43 The Paris Metro Signage Study 05:08 The Philosophy of Maintenance 06:09 The Role of Maintenance Workers 07:34 Fragility and the Importance of Care 11:08 Multisensory Engagement in Maintenance 12:56 The Mundane Expertise of Maintenance 42:19 The Drama of Maintenance 42:50 Maintenance vs. Repair: A Philosophical Dive 44:08 The Heroism in Repair 46:59 John Oliver's Take on Infrastructure 49:10 Classic Mustang Maintenance 54:17 The Ambiguities of Maintenance 57:17 Care as Work: A Feminist Perspective 59:28 The Cost of Maintenance 59:58 The Myth of Autonomy in Technology 01:03:25 Personal Reflections on Maintenance 01:20:16 The Role of Love in Maintenance
Neuroscience, Geometric Hyperscanning, and Real Time Relation
Andrea welcomes Nicolás to discuss the cutting-edge neuroscience technique of hyperscanning, which records brain activity from two or more individuals simultaneously during social interactions. They dive into how hyperscanning reveals brain synchronization reflecting shared attention, empathy, and effective communication. The conversation highlights the broader applications, from studying parent-child bonding and social disorders to advancing mental health interventions. The discussion also touches on integrating philosophical insights to better understand social interactions, emphasizing the importance of holding scientific paradoxes and envisioning a more holistic approach to studying human connection.
Watch Nicolás Hinrich's Active Inference Institute recorded talk here
4e philosopher of cognitive science Hanne De Jaegher discusses the profound relationship between loving and knowing as intertwined processes. The first in what we hope to be many conversations about this inspirational work. With Andrea, Hanne explores the idea that thinking and feeling emerge from the same fundamental act of sense-making, which is rooted in our basic, biological existence. De Jaegher shares her personal experiences and how they led to her academic journey studying cognitive science, and then to her work on participatory sense-making. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing both oneness and difference in relationships and the conversation discusses the critical role of noticing and relational awareness. Through various explorations, De Jaegher illustrates how love is an ongoing relational activity that ‘shares a core with knowing’ and that can foster a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.
00:00 The Nature of Love and Sense Making 01:18 Exploring Cognitive Science and Social Cognition 02:58 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest 03:52 Hanne’s Academic Journey and Dissertation 05:37 The Philosophy of Love and Knowing 09:38 Personal Reflections on Love and Language 11:48 The Interconnection of Loving, Knowing, and Being 22:26 The Role of Noticing in Relationships 25:36 Philosophical Insights on Ontology and Epistemology 30:03 The Dynamics of Relationships and Sense Making 34:42 The Importance of Holding Tension in Understanding 40:53 The Impact of Loving and Knowing on Personal Growth 47:17 Exploring Abstract Patterns and Sensory Experiences 48:25 Understanding Social Cognition and Autism 56:10 Bridging Cognitive Science and Sociology 58:14 Motivations and Challenges in Academic Life01:01:15 The Role of Love in Research and Life01:06:27 Navigating Academic and Personal Challenges01:18:27 Holding Space and Embracing Multiplicity01:24:47 Concluding Thoughts on Love and Understanding
Summer of 2024: Synapses of Life with Shoma Chaudhury
Andrea shares a deeply reflective conversation with renowned journalist Shoma Chaudhury. Originally recorded over a year ago for the Synapse conference, this episode offers an intimate look into Shoma's thought process and career journey. Shoma discusses her approach to holding nuanced, meaningful conversations with a wide variety of people, including some of the most famous figures globally. The episode delves into Shoma's personal experiences of navigating public scrutiny and professional hardships. Through the lens of her experiences, Shoma elaborates on themes of curiosity, compassion, forgiveness, and the complexity of human emotions and interactions. The conversation emphasizes the importance of creating spaces where people with opposing viewpoints can have honest dialogue and the valuable lessons that come from challenging life events. Both Shoma and Andrea explore the role of wonder, love, and respect in developing a more nuanced understanding of the world and ourselves.
00:00 Introduction and Context 01:04 Meet Shoma Chaudry 02:31 The Art of Holding Nuance 03:46 Evolving Perspectives in Journalism 06:44 Navigating Polarized Conversations 09:05 Personal Accountability and Growth 17:02 Respect and Understanding in Conflict 34:39 Spiritual Practices and Personal Resilience 50:48 Exploring Curiosity and Neuroscience 51:48 Influence of Parents and Nature 53:23 The Power of Genuine Curiosity 56:14 The Role of Wonder and Joy 57:49 Navigating a Public Scandal 01:02:21 Lessons from a Media Storm 01:06:41 Finding Peace and Resilience 01:14:42 The Importance of Love and Support 01:17:28 The Healing Power of Conversations 01:19:40 Final Reflections and Gratitude
After Andrea’s introduction, Mirko Prokop talks to Ezequiel Di Paolo about the enactive approach in cognitive science and its roots in Francisco Varela’s work on biological autonomy. They explore the ideas of autonomy and autopoiesis, the deeper meaning of enaction, how biological, sensorimotor and social dimensions of embodiment drive the ongoing, creative process that is human becoming, and what this implies about the meaning of love, authenticity, and the importance of staying true to your questions.
Ezequiel is a Research Professor at Ikerbasque, the Basque Science Foundation and member of the IAS-Research Centre for Life, Mind and Society at the University of the Basque Country as well as the Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics at the University of Sussex. He is known for key developments of the enactive approach and has published numerous articles and books on this and related topics in cognitive science and philosophy. Most recently, together with Evan Thompson he has reedited the new, annotated edition of Francisco Varela’s book Principles of Biological Autonomy, first published in 1979.
00:00 Intro by Andrea
05:02 Varela’s Principles of Biological Autonomy: From First Encounter to New Edition
11:25 Autopoiesis and Autonomy
19:20 Enaction: Bringing Forth a World
26:38 The Co-Construction of Organism and Environment
33:46 Dimensions of Embodiment
38:35 Enactive Becoming
43:57 The Primordial Tension of Participatory Sense-Making
#66 Harmonizing the Dao with analytic philosopher Eric Schwitzgebel
This show is about harmonizing the Dao and embracing the world's weirdness at once. Our guest is Eric Schwitzgebel, an analytic philosopher and professor at the University of California Riverside. As they unfold the Dao and the world’s weirdness, Andrea and Eric explore everything from robot consciousness, the love darts of snails, triads, axiology, and the philosophy of opening. Eric shares his journey into classical Chinese philosophy, how we understands harmonizing with the Dao, some of his writings about consciousness, and the importance of appreciating the world's inherent weirdness. This conversation offers a delightful blend of profound ideas and joyous reflections, encouraging us to see weird as a way into new perspectives and perhaps even into love. Hosted by philosopher Andrea Hiott
00:00 Introduction to Love and Philosophy 00:20 Meet Eric Schwitzgebel: Philosopher and Author 01:37 Exploring the Concept of Harmonizing the Dao 01:52 Journey into Classical Chinese Philosophy 03:59 The Tension Between Analytic and Chinese Philosophy 06:22 Understanding the Dao and Harmony 11:16 The Weird and Wonderful World of Zhuangzi 17:40 The Value of Diversity and Conflict 33:14 The Consciousness of Garden Snails 41:57 Exploring Relationality and Consciousness 43:50 The Consciousness of Plants and Robots 46:52 Philosophical Perspectives on Consciousness 55:38 The Philosophy of Opening vs. Closing 01:10:06 Ethics and Moral Behavior of Ethicists 01:17:43 Love, Marriage, and Harmonizing with the Dao 01:22:16 Final Thoughts and Farewell
Julian Kiverstein is a senior professor at Amsterdam Medical. He's co-authored various papers about the importance of play as it relates to predictive processing, active learning, intimacy and embodied cognition.
Andrea Hiott is a philosopher at Universität Heidelberg.
Sometimes we get stuck in attractor states. Play is a form of disruption that may be able to help us get unstuck. Play seems to be far from algorithmic.
This conversation explores how playfulness is crucial for meaning and flourishing, and how building safe spaces for play (such as museums and parks) are crucial for healthy societies.
Active inference and predictive processing are discussed as tools that might help us better model and understand this ‘sweet spot’ towards finding ways to create spaces where we can explore uncertainty and risk without danger.
Drawing from his extensive work in phenomenology, embodied cognition, and predictive processing, Julian offers fresh perspectives on how play connects to mental health and wellbeing. Some key ideas from this episode:
• Play requires safety yet involves taking risks—a paradoxical relationship that enables personal growth • Adults often lose the curious openness of childhood as we become fixated on seriousness and habitual patterns • Love shares qualities with play as both involve transcendence beyond the self and openness to fresh experiences • Active inference and predictive processing provide frameworks for understanding both mental illness and flourishing • Breaking out of "attractor states" or fixed patterns requires disruption that playful activities can provide • Creating safe spaces for play becomes essential for development, creativity, and meaning-making
Sabina Leonelli (hosted live here by Fotis Tsiroukis) is a philosopher of science and technology renowned for pioneering work in the philosophy of data & open science. As a professor at the Technical University ofMunich (TUM), she directs the Ethical Data Initiative and leads the PHIL_OS project, which develops empirically grounded frameworks for open science in under-resourced research environments. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges high theory with participatory, on-the-ground research—exemplified by her ethnographic collaborations with biologists and data scientists.
In this episode, host Fotis engages in a deep and wide-ranging conversation with Sabina Leonelli. They explore the intersections between philosophy, science, and society, discussing topics like complementary science, the role of qualitative and quantitative methods in research, the challenges of interdisciplinary work, and the ethical implications of AI and data-driven technologies. Sabina urges us to not fear inconvenience—embracing complexity and discomfort in intellectual and social pursuits. The conversation touches on the necessity of love, vulnerability & collective agency in navigating the modern world, offering profound insights into how we can rethink knowledge production, technology, and politics.
Andrea in conversation with fellow cognitive scientist Mark Michael James, highlighting his journey from understanding patterns of being to shaping habits and realigning health. Mark shares his experiences from Ireland, his academic pursuits, and his present work at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. This episode delves into synchronicity, embodied cognition, and the philosophies and practices of the arising 'school of way' of practice and philosophy which includes 'wayshaping' and 'waymaking' and pertains to a paper Mark has recently written with Mushfiqa Jamaluddin, Tom Froese, Aisha Belhadi, Anna Panagiotou, and Dave Snowden. It all ties back to practical applications in health, navigating complexity, and striving for a dynamic balance in life. Mark's personal stories and reflections make this a must-watch for anyone interested in cognitive science, philosophy, and the art of living well.
00:00 Introduction to Unexpected Contributions 00:35 Exploring the Concept of 'Craic' 00:56 Welcome to Love and Philosophy 01:02 Introducing Mark Michael James and His Work 02:23 Discussion on Synchronicity and Relevance Realization 06:47 Mark's Journey to Okinawa 12:39 Navigating Personal and Social Patterns 51:23 Health Challenges and Personal Stories 55:06 Sensory Irregularities and Scripts 56:21 Breaching Experiments and Sociological Insights 57:13 Cultural Patterns and the Irish Concept of 'The Crack' 01:03:26 Health, Habits, and Personal Transformation 01:08:05 Philosophical Reflections and Practical Applications 01:19:49 Wayshaping Framework and Multiscale Health 01:27:57 Personal Reflections and Future Directions
TRAILER: Bringing care into public discourse alongside critical thinking.
Hello, everyone. In today's world, we're often pushed into choosing sides and thinking in absolutes. But what if there was another way? Or rather, what if there were many other ways? Welcome to to Love and Philosophy. This is a cumulative philosophy project where we practice kaleidoscopic thinking, moving beyond either/or scenarios to embrace the complexity of existence.
Andrea Hiott, together with other hosts and contributors, gathers philosophers, scientists, and people from all walks of life to explore the intricate connections between love, knowledge, and the patterns that shape our world. Every conversation is deeply researched and spoken from the heart, yet mostly unscripted. This approach allows us to engage in real dialogue, where ideas surprise us, and where it's okay to be messy. As long as we're moving towards what truly matters. Bringing care into public discourse alongside critical thinking.
We delve into the many layers, dimensions, and possibilities of cognition and consciousness. What is the purpose of the body? What does it mean to be sensual? What are the implications of all this life, space, and time around us? We're not only observing these aspects but also taking part in their creation.
Invitation for Contribution or send relevant work or ideas to write to admin@loveandphilosophy.com
If any of these ideas resonate with you—thinking beyond dichotomy, planetary and constellatory thinking, or kaleidoscopic cognition—we want to hear from you! Do you have a conversation or idea from your life or work that you'd love to share? We're on a collective journey, exploring the world through the eyes of various beings around us, human and otherwise.
If you know of any poems that relate to these themes, please send them our way. We warmly welcome poetry as a means of expression and connection.
Let's embrace the complexity and share our kaleidoscopic turnings.
00:00 Welcome to Love and Philosophy 01:03 Introduction to Hyperscanning 01:37 Mechanics and Applications of Hyperscanning 03:16 Neural Synchrony and Its Implications 04:36 Exploring Jung's Synchronicity 07:52 Active Inference and Social Synchrony 13:50 Practical Considerations and Future Directions 38:47 Introduction to Prisma and Hyper Scanning 39:28 Extending Prisma Methodology 40:55 Philosophy and Neuroscience Integration 41:51 Participatory Sense Making and Hyper Scanning 43:01 Holding Paradoxes in Research 46:51 Geometric Thinking in Hyper Scanning 52:26 Temporal Aiming and Synchrony 59:30 Neuroprotective Rituals and Mental Health 01:07:23 Balancing Science and Art in Research 01:16:04 Concluding Thoughts on Hyper Scanning and Care
00:00 The Role of Play in Well-being 01:50 Introduction to Love and Philosophy 02:45 Exploring Active Inference and Predictive Processing 05:24 The Importance of Play in Development 09:58 Julian's Journey into Mind Studies 12:11 Understanding Mental Illness through Predictive Processing 21:57 The Concept of Play and Its Cognitive Benefits 30:27 Intrinsic Motivation and the Value of Play 44:12 Play as a Disruptive Force in Mental Health 45:09 Understanding Mental Illness and Uncertainty 46:13 The Role of Play in Mental Health 47:38 Creating Safe Spaces for Emotional Regulation 49:05 Exploration vs. Exploitation in Learning 52:03 The Importance of Play in Adulthood 53:35 Art, Literature, and Emotional Engagement 56:55 The Need for Play in Academia 01:20:50 Balancing Exploration and Familiarity 01:23:37 Final Thoughts on Play and Well-being
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