Episode 54: Lobsters, Pianos, and Hidden Gods

"All things feel," Pythagoas said. Panpsychism, the belief that consciousnes is a property of all things and not limited to the human brain, is back in vogue -- with good reason. The problem of how inert matter could give rise to subjectivity and feeling has proved insoluble under the dominant assumptions of a hard materialism. Recently, the American filmmaker Errol Morris presented his own brand of panpsychism in a long-form essay entitled, "The Pianist and the Lobster," published in the New York Times. The essay opens with an episode from the life of Sviatoslav Richter, namely a time where the famous Russian pianist couldn't perform without a plastic lobster waiting for him in the wings. In Morris's piece, the curious anecdote sounds the first note of what turns out to be a polyphony of thoughts and ideas on consciousness, agency, Nerval's image of the the "Hidden God," and the deep weirdness of music. Phil and JF use Morris's essay to create a polyphony of their own. REFERENCES Errol Morris, "The Pianist and the Lobster" Sviatoslav Richter, Russian pianist Nick Cave., Red Hand Files #53 Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Bruno Monsaingeon (dir.), Richter: The Enigma Bon Jovi, "Livin’ on a Prayer" Brad Warner, "The Eyes of Dogen" Gilles Deleuze, Difference and Repetition Edgard Varèse, composer Benjamin Libet, neuroscientist Robin Hardy (dir), The Wicker Man Frans De Waal, Mama’s Last Hug Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus Sartre, The Transcendence of the Ego Tarot de Marseille - XVIII: The Moon Marsilio Ficino, Three Books on Life Carl Jung, "On the Relation of Analytical Psychology to Poetry", The Red Book Terence McKenna, Food of the Gods