I meet with Paul Galey -- teacher, former school minister, and creator of Mercersburg Academy’s Nature and Meaning course -- during the summertime, the best time to talk philosophy.

Episode in a 🌰:
We focus on a magical concept: imagination. Is imagining uniquely human? We explore how it fuels both Einstein’s physics and Buddhist philosophy, and where it touches Descartes and dolphins. We wonder: can animals imagine realms beyond survival, and what happens if a human loses their ability to imagine?

In season 2, I highlight one-to-one chats with teachers, professors, and mentors. The primary question for this entire season will remain the same: What makes a human, human?

TIMESTAMPS

00:00:00 — “I imagine, therefore I am"

• 00:01:01 — Biology vs. spirit: what defines a human

  00:03:40 — Imagination as the bridge between science and spirituality

  00:05:06 — Quantum physics, multiverse, and the math of imagination

  00:10:00 — The dark side of imagination

  00:11:25 — Losing imagination: brain injury & essence

  00:15:35 — When does the capacity for imagination begin?

• 00:20:23 — Materialism vs. dualism

• 00:24:28 — Mental illness, surviving vs. thriving

• 
  

  🥜🥜 Hypothetical Nuts of the Day

  1. If imagination is what makes us human, what happens when someone loses it?

  2. Are humans the only species that can go against their own evolutionary drive to survive?

     
     

  Hope you enjoyed the ep!