The Hypothesis of Indifference: Breaking the Binary

Thinking out loud about the hypothesis of indifference, a limited God, natural teleology, pan-agentialism, and how value-orientation in the universe is not binary but rather comes on a continuum.
For reference, Paul Draper (1989) characterizes the hypothesis of indifference as follows: “neither the nature nor the condition of sentient beings on earth is the result of benevolent or malevolent actions performed by non-human persons.”
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[@josephtnied]

I've spent a lot of time trying to make sure my worldview can account for the bad in the world, but I've been recently thinking a lot more about how I also want my worldview to account for the good, meaningful things about the world too. I know this isn't exactly the topic at hand, but trying to understand the middleground speaks to me right now.

[@TheGreatAgnostic]

I see value in people familiarizing themselves with thought in say Buddhism or Doaism, excellent examples I think of what you're getting at. There's a good course on Wondrium called Great Minds of the Eastern Intellectual Tradition.

[@dakotadalton85]

EdX also has some courses from Harvard on various religions, including Buddhism.

[@datboiprods]

Great video ❤

[@user-lv9gm3fe6j]

1.) Moral restrictions on God's behavior fall out of the logical restrictions and God's omni-benevolence.
2.) It is a defensible view that logical and metaphysical possibility collapse (I lean in this direction as I find all of the stock examples lacking).
3.) One could also say that a logically impossible (incoherent) "action" is not really an action at all but just nonsense that sounds like it's describing an action. An action must be a real thing that can in principle be done.
C.) @15:45 -- it seems reasonable to me for someone to maintain that omnipotence means God really can do everything.

[@danielduvana]

The universe in the way most people mean it (sans sentient creatures) seems absolutely indifferent to everything and anything. But sure, since we are part of the universe I guess you can’t really say the entire universe is indifferent, but its probably only a matter of time until there are no consciousness left in the universe and then it will be indifferent.

[@megg.3933]

Absolutely off topic, but you have an amazing voice. have a feeling that i would keep listening you talking even if it would be just random words 🙈

[@InternetCrusader-rb7ls]

Logically impossible “things” are not even things at all. Therefore, God can do Anything,

[@josephtnied]

Would you say God can do all that is logically possible (aka "all things")?

[@benbockelman6125]

I think i fall more towards the theist side of the spectrum. Maybe god isn’t good but rather a good story teller. I think Josh Rassmusen has a view like this. The problem with such a view however is god could justify any cruelty in that it would make for a great story. Like George Martin to Theon Greyjoy. I can only hope this god has written me into comedy rather than a tragedy.

[@HonestlyAtheist]

Can we just say "original indifference"? That is, the most ontologically basic and/or chronologically initial state of the universe is/was indifferent or axiologically void of content.
Do we lose anything from the standard view of conservative indifference with this nuance?

[@TheGreatAgnostic]

Or take Stoicism. A very much not traditional theistic view of God (sort of a pantheism) but very much one that emphasizes consciousness, intention, purpose, and reason.

[@racsooj456]

This is just a seeming of mine, but simply aggregating indifferent, non value stuff could even have the capacity to give rise to value. Any worldview, to my mind, has to account for value with some kind of ontological necessity.

[@extremelylargeslug4438]

Didn’t know you were a dad 👨

[@EmersonGreen]

i’m not. got it bc I thought it was funny :)

[@Ansatz66]

Casually conflating theism with a belief in a perfectly loving god. Even though the vast majority of theists happen to believe it, that does not mean it is entailed by theism.

[@EmersonGreen]

I repeatedly and explicitly do not conflate theism with that particular kind of theism. That’s kind of the whole spirit of the video.

[@calvinrollins4957]

@@Ansatz66e then went on to say that obviously that isn't the only theistic option and mentioned a few other kinds of theism.