Is There a Mind Behind the Math Behind the Material World?
What does it mean for something to exist? Today, we’re joined by Doug Axe to talk about idealism and what it means for understanding the world around us. Idealism is the belief that reality exists exclusively of minds and their ideas, rather than a physical, material world. This contrasts with physicalism/materialism which views the physical world as the only true reality. Dr. Axe explains how idealism resolves several problems with physicalism and dualism, such as how physical processes can represent abstract concepts like numbers, and how the immaterial mind can interact with the physical brain. In an idealist view, the physical world is not an independent reality, but rather a mathematical structure upheld by the designer of the universe that provides a coherent environment for created beings like humans to live and interact. It’s an intriguing concept to be sure, and Dr. Axe gets us up to speed in this enlightening conversation.
