Alan Watts & "Philosophical Thinking."

Summary

The speaker reflects on his childhood fascination with a shop labeled 'Philosophical Instruments,' which led him to explore the nature of thinking and understanding. He explains that thinking involves manipulating symbols like words and numbers, but this process is linear and limited. The speaker contrasts this with the vastness of sensory input and the deeper, ineffable aspects of human experience. He concludes by suggesting that the true self is connected to the universe, beyond the confines of individual identity and conscious thought.

Takeaways

• 🕰️ Philosophy and science were historically intertwined, with science originally known as natural philosophy.
• 🔍 The shop's 'philosophical instruments' referred to scientific tools like chronometers and scales, showing the connection between philosophy and scientific inquiry.
• 🤔 Philosophy begins with wonder and is humanity's way of making sense of the world through intellectual exploration.
• 💡 Thinking is the manipulation of symbols such as words, numbers, and shapes, used to represent real-world events.
• 🔄 Thinking is linear, involving one thought after another, which can be slow for understanding complex realities.
• 👁️ Sensory input is processed by the mind in a non-linear way, responding to the total experience rather than isolated elements.
• 🧠 The self is more than just the conscious ego; it includes processes like opening and closing one's hand, which we do without consciously knowing how.
• 🌍 The true self, according to Hindu philosophy, is connected to the universe, transcending individual identity.
• 🔄 Understanding the world purely through thought is limited, like trying to drink the ocean with a small cup.
• 💬 There is a distinction between knowing how to perform an action and being able to explain it through words or symbols.

Q & A

What did the narrator discover as a young boy near the British Museum?

The narrator discovered a shop with a sign that read 'philosophical instruments,' which piqued his curiosity about the connection between philosophy and scientific instruments.

What were the items displayed in the shop window that the narrator found intriguing?

The items displayed included chronometers, slide rules, scales, and other scientific instruments that were once referred to as 'philosophical instruments.'

How does the narrator define 'thinking' in the context of the script?

The narrator defines 'thinking' as the manipulation of symbols, which can be words, numbers, or other signs, to represent events in the real world, distinct from feeling, remoting, or sensing.

Why does the narrator argue that thinking is a slow process for understanding the world?

The narrator argues that thinking is slow because it is a linear process where one thought follows another, which is too slow to keep up with the sensory input we receive and our ability to respond to it.

What does the narrator suggest about the nature of our sensory input and its relation to conscious awareness?

The narrator suggests that our sensory input is much more than we consciously process, and we respond to the total sensory input with aspects of our minds that we may not be consciously aware of.

What does the narrator imply about the limitations of self-identification when someone says 'I am John Doe'?

The narrator implies that self-identification as 'John Doe' is limited and does not encompass the full complexity of who a person is, including aspects that are not consciously understood or articulated.

How does the narrator challenge the idea that one knows how to perform a physical action like opening and closing one's hand?

The narrator challenges this idea by pointing out that while one can perform the action, they may not be able to explain how they do it in a systematic way, suggesting a gap between doing and understanding.

What does the narrator suggest about the process of translating physical actions into a system of symbols?

The narrator suggests that translating physical actions into a system of symbols is a complex and potentially endless process, as it would require breaking down the action into its smallest components and representing each with symbols.

Why does the narrator compare trying to understand the world purely by thinking to drinking the Pacific Ocean from a pint beer mug?

The comparison illustrates the futility of trying to comprehend the vastness of the world through the limited process of sequential thinking, much like one cannot drink an entire ocean with a small mug.

What philosophical concept does the narrator introduce when discussing the 'self' in relation to the universe?

The narrator introduces the concept of the 'Self' with a capital 'S', suggesting a deeper, universal consciousness or existence that is not separate from everything else happening in the universe, as per Hindu philosophy.

What does the narrator imply about the relationship between an individual and the universe according to Hindu philosophy?

The narrator implies that according to Hindu philosophy, the true essence of an individual, the 'Self', is interconnected with the universe, suggesting a non-separate existence.