Atheistic Platonism : A Manifesto

Description

Atheistic Platonism is an alternative to both theism and nihilistic atheism. It shows how any jobs allegedly done by God are better done by impersonal Platonic objects. Without Platonic objects, atheism degenerates into an illogical nihilism. Atheistic Platonism instead provides reality with foundations that are eternal, necessary, rational, beautiful, and utterly mindless. It argues for a plenitude of mathematical objects, and an infinite plurality of possible universes. It provides mindless rational grounds for objective values, and for objective moral laws for the persons who evolve in universes. It defines a meaningful way of life, which facilitates self-improvement. Atheistic Platonists argue for computational theories of life after death. Atheistic Platonism includes a rich system of spiritual symbols. It values transformational practices and ecstatic experiences. Where atheisms based on materialism fail, atheisms based on Platonism succeed. Contents Abbreviations1 List of Figures 1: Renewing Atheism 1 A Cave Filled with Shadows 2 A New Approach to Platonism 3 Twilight Atheism 4 Abstract Objects and Possible Universes 5 Cosmological Explanations 6 Objective Moral Laws and Values 7 The Meaning and Purpose of Life 8 Souls and Life After Death 9 Atheistic Religion and Spirituality 10 Beyond Twilight Atheism References 2: Starting at the Bottom 1 Starting with Nothing 2 Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing 3 How the One Gives Existence to the Beings 4 Altars of Stone Shining in the Sun 5 How the One Avoids Contradicting Itself 6 How the One Maximizes Positive Existence References 3: The One Emanates the Forms 1 A Relation Grows from the One 2 The One Emanates an Empty Object 3 The Self-Amplifying Power of the One 4 The One Emanates All Finitely Complex Objects 5 The One Emanates All Infinitely Complex Objects 6 The One Emanates an Unsurpassable Structure of Beings 7 An Ontological Argument for Nature References 4: The Cosmic Forms 1 The Physical Forms of Universes 2 Building Geometrical Structures 3 Adding Causality: A Cosmic Computer 4 Adding Physical Things: The Game of Life 5 The Form of Our Universe 6 All Possible Universes Have Forms 7 The Library of Cosmic Forms 8 The Treasury of Bright Cosmic Forms 9 Lineages of Ever Better Cosmic Forms References 5: The World Tree 1 From Abstract to Concrete 2 How the One Animates Forms 3 How Animated Forms Manifest Images 4 The Animation of the Treasury 5 The Treasury Manifests Concrete Relations 6 The Emergence of the Great World Tree 7 The Selective Power of the Good References 6: The Emergence of Value 1 The Directionality Argument 2 The Laws of Logic 3 Value Is Distance from the One 4 Intrinsic Value Is Complexity 5 The First Universes 6 Simple Physical Things 7 Complex Physical Wholes 8 From Particles to Molecules References 7: Emergence of Life 1 Self-Organization 2 Self-Maintaining and Self-Adapting Systems 3 Self-Regenerating Systems with Functional Parts 4 Proto-Biological Systems 5 Living Cells and Their Minds 6 Societies of Cells and Multicellular Organisms 7 Cooperative Relations Among Organisms 8 Societies of Complex Organisms 9 Our Universe References 8: Platonism as a Way of Life 1 To Become Divine 2 The Ascent of the Soul 3 Degrees of Functional Excellence 4 Matter Is Impairment 5 Strategies for Transfiguring Souls 6 The Iterative Method of Transfiguration 7 Transfiguration Is Reprogramming the Body 8 Lifting Yourself Up by Your Own Bootstraps 9 Do-It-Yourself Transfigurations 10 Gaining Superhuman Virtue 11 Transhumanist Theosis 12 Ecstatic Theurgy References 9: Multiverse Rebirth 1 Bodies beyond Bodies 2 The Libraries of Universes 3 The Growth of Complexity 4 Multiverse Reincarnation 5 The Soul Is the Form of the Body 6 Progressive Karma 7 The Plotinian Higher Universe 8 Your Tree of Lives 9 Universes Beget Universes References 10: To Call the World Tree 1 Casting a Circle of Reasoning 2 Water: The Original Nothingness 3 Earth: The Emergence of Existence 4 Air: The Totality of Forms 5 Sky: The Structure of Nature 6 Light: The Best of All Possible Worlds 7 Sun: The Good Illuminates the Best World 8 Fire: The Tree of Universes 9 Sex: The Andretor and the Gynetor 10 Ecstasy: The Stars in the Sky 11 Uncasting the Circle of Reasoning References 11: Atheistic Mysticism 1 Interpreting Mystical Experiences 2 Features of Mystical Experiences 3 Eleven Atheistic Mystical Experiences 4 The Five Themes in Atheistic Mysticism 5 Atheistic Mysticism and Relational Structure 6 Atheistic Mysticism and Ego Dissolution 7 Atheistic Mysticism and the Good References Index