This post is a continuation of the previous post on the topic suggested by marian.
On Roger Penrose
Please see Wikipedia page on Roger Penrose - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Penrose
The 3 Worlds and 3 Mysteries
UvA Institute for Advanced Study
The 3 Worlds
According to Roger Penrose, the three worlds in his "Three Worlds and Three Mysteries" framework are as follows¹²³:
1. **The Physical World**: This world encompasses objects that exist physically, such as rocks, tables, and humans. It represents the realm of our everyday experiences¹.
2. **The Mental World**: The mental world extends beyond the physical and includes entities that are not physically present. Emotions like anger, which do not manifest themselves in a physical form, are examples of elements found in this world¹.
3. **The Platonic Mathematical World**: The Platonic mathematical world is the most contentious of the three worlds. It refers to mathematical entities that exist outside space and time, being eternal and unchanging. For instance, a perfect square resides in this world¹.
These three worlds raise intriguing questions about how we perceive and understand reality¹. Penrose suggests that they are interconnected, forming a single unified world, but our understanding of this world remains limited³.
Please note that these descriptions are based on Penrose's framework and may require further exploration for a comprehensive understanding.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 28/09/2023
(1) Three worlds, three mysteries | Rationalising The Universe. https://rationalisingtheuniverse.org/2018/03/27/three-worlds-three-mysteries/.
(2) Penrose's Three Mysteries - Peaceful Science. https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/penroses-three-mysteries/8557.
(3) The theory of the three worlds (Penrose) | Hans Rudolf Straub. https://hrstraub.ch/en/the-theory-of-the-three-worlds-penrose/.
The 3 Mysteries
According to Roger Penrose, a renowned physicist and mathematician, there are three mysteries that arise from the interaction of three different worlds: the physical, the mental, and the Platonic mathematical³. The three mysteries are:
- How can the Platonic mathematical world, which consists of abstract and eternal entities, influence the physical world, which is made of concrete and temporal objects? For example, how can the laws of physics be described by precise mathematical equations?
- How can the physical world, which is governed by deterministic and objective laws, give rise to the mental world, which is characterised by subjective and free experiences? For example, how can the brain, which is composed of neurons and molecules, produce consciousness and thoughts?
- How can the mental world, which is dependent on individual perceptions and opinions, access the Platonic mathematical world, which is independent of any human mind? For example, how can humans discover and invent mathematical truths that are universal and unchanging?
Source: Conversation with Bing, 28/09/2023
(1) Penrose's Three Mysteries - Peaceful Science. https://bing.com/search?q=roger+penrose+3+worlds+and+3+mysteries.
(2) Three worlds, three mysteries | Rationalising The Universe. https://rationalisingtheuniverse.org/2018/03/27/three-worlds-three-mysteries/.
(3) The theory of the three worlds (Penrose) | Hans Rudolf Straub. https://hrstraub.ch/en/the-theory-of-the-three-worlds-penrose/.
(4) Penrose's Three Mysteries - Peaceful Science. https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/penroses-three-mysteries/8557.
Some alternative frameworks
Roger Penrose’s “Three Worlds and Three Mysteries” framework is one way to conceptualise reality. However, there are other concepts and theories that attempt to explain reality from different perspectives. Here are a few alternatives:
- Idealism: Idealism is the belief that reality is a mental construct, and everything we perceive is a product of our minds. (For more information, see Wikipedia.)
- Platonic Idealism: The Platonic ideal is the perfect, absolute, and eternal Forms. Everything in the natural world is derived from the Forms but only as an imitation or impression of those Forms. Everything is born from the Realm of the Forms and returns back there after death. (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_forms)
- Materialism is a philosophical view that asserts that all facts are causally dependent upon physical processes or even reducible to them. It suggests that the world consists entirely of material objects. (For more information, see https://www.britannica.com/topic/materialism-philosophy)
- Physicalism is closely related to materialism and has evolved from it with advancements in the physical sciences. It explains observed phenomena using concepts from the physical sciences. The terms "physicalism" and "materialism" are often used interchangeably, but they can be distinguished based on their philosophical implications. (For more information, see: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Dualism most commonly refers to: Mind–body dualism, a philosophical view which holds that mental phenomena are, at least in certain respects, not physical phenomena, or that the mind and the body are distinct and separable from one another. (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind%E2%80%93body_dualism)
- Daodejing ch.25 has some discussions that may be relevant. https://philosophyphorphun.blogspot.com/2023/05/daodejing-chapter-twenty-five.html
