Bernardo Kastrup
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Bernardo Kastrup | |
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| Born | Bernardo Kastrup June 18, 1974 São Paulo, Brazil |
| Nationality | Brazilian-Dutch |
| Education | Ph.D. in Computer Engineering |
| Occupation(s) | Philosopher, Scientist, Author |
| Known for | Advocacy of Analytic Idealism |
| Website | bernardokastrup.com |
Bernardo Kastrup (born June 18, 1974) is a Brazilian-Dutch philosopher and scientist known for his work in the field of consciousness studies and for advocating a form of analytic idealism. He has written several books and papers arguing against physicalism and proposing that consciousness is the fundamental aspect of reality.
Early life and education
[edit]Kastrup was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and later moved to the Netherlands. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the Eindhoven University of Technology, where his research focused on reconfigurable computing and artificial intelligence.
Career
[edit]Kastrup began his career in academia and high-tech research, contributing to areas such as artificial intelligence and information security. He later transitioned into philosophy, where he has become a prominent voice in the debate over the nature of consciousness.
Philosophical work
[edit]Kastrup is best known for his advocacy of analytic idealism, the philosophical view that reality is fundamentally mental. He argues that the material world is a manifestation of a universal consciousness, and that individual minds are dissociations of this universal mind.
Key ideas
[edit]- Universal Consciousness: Kastrup posits that there is a single, universal consciousness that underlies all of reality. According to him, what we perceive as the physical world is a manifestation of this consciousness.
- Dissociation: He suggests that individual consciousnesses (i.e., human minds) are dissociations within the universal consciousness, similar to multiple personalities within a single mind.
- Mind at Large: Kastrup often references the idea of "Mind at Large," a term borrowed from Aldous Huxley, to describe the collective, underlying consciousness that gives rise to all experiences.
Published works
[edit]Kastrup has authored several books and academic papers on philosophy and consciousness. Some of his notable works include:
- Rationalist Spirituality: An Exploration of the Meaning of Life and Existence Informed by Logic and Science (2011)
- Why Materialism Is Baloney: How True Skeptics Know There is No Death and Fathom Answers to Life, the Universe, and Everything (2014)
- More Than Allegory: On Religious Myth, Truth, and Belief (2016)
- The Idea of the World: A Multi-Disciplinary Argument for the Mental Nature of Reality (2019)[1]
- Decoding Jung's Metaphysics: The Archetypal Semantics of an Experiential Universe (2021)[2]
Reception
[edit]Kastrup's work has garnered attention both within and outside academic circles. Supporters praise his rigorous arguments against materialism and his ability to bridge the gap between science and spirituality. Critics, however, argue that his views on consciousness challenge the prevailing materialistic paradigms without providing sufficient empirical evidence.
Personal life
[edit]Kastrup lives in the Netherlands and continues to write and lecture on philosophy, consciousness, and the nature of reality.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Bazaluk, O. A. (2018-12-18). "THE ONTOLOGY OF EXISTENCE: THE NEXT PARADIGM. A review of the book "THE IDEA OF THE WORLD: A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARGUMENT FOR THE MENTAL NATURE OF REALITY", by Bernardo Kastrup". Anthropological Measurements of Philosophical Research (14): 180–183. doi:10.15802/ampr.v0i14.151745. ISSN 2304-9685.
- ^ Heyning, Eduard C. (2021-10-02). "Decoding Jung's Metaphysics: The Archetypal Semantics of an Experiential Universe. (2021). By Bernardo Kastrup. IFF Books". Psychological Perspectives. 64 (4): 593–595. doi:10.1080/00332925.2021.2044186. ISSN 0033-2925.
External links
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