I have just discovered, in the Danish new age magazine Nyt Aspekt (January 2021), something called The Galileo Commission. In a report, we see a psychologist (Harald Walach) teaching philosophy of science, supported by 90 "advisor researchers".
On the universities today, it is no longer philosophers who are teaching philosophy of science. I consider myself one of the last persons who have experienced that it is philosophers who are teaching philosophy.
Walach is introducing a new “philosophy of science”, where only "scientific materialism" is designated as "scientism". Among the “research advisors” are Deepak Chopra, Stanislav Grof and Rupert Sheldrake . This latter, now elderly guy, Rupert Sheldrake, is really busy spreading his neo-lysenkoist propaganda. On page 5, in the summary of the report, the psychiatrist Dr Iain McGilchrist, writes (after having taught the usual Thomas Kuhn postmodernism):
What we want, in the words of the better US title of Rupert Sheldrake´s “The Science Delusion”, is “Science Set Free”. Science needs to be liberated, not besieged.
As shown in my text series on scientism critique, these new agers are themselves promoting scientism and reductionism: New Age scientism, and postmodern scientism (Neo-Lysenkoism). The reason why they apparently are able to collect 90 "researchers" to be the advisors behind this report, which itself must be characterized as scientism, is precisely the suppression of philosophy, especially philosophy of science, and philosophy of mind.
The report can only be characterized as a confusion of philosophy of mind and philosophy of science. The attempt to reduce this to "philosophy of science" – (postmodernism) - is therefore a distortion of philosophy of mind.
Then there is the usual contempt for Aristotle and his logic (page 37 in the summary). Walach calls Aristotle´s logic an “either-or” logic. He writes (in a very academical language):
The logical binary mode of thinking should be confined to where it belongs: analysis of scientific theories and their corollaries along with analysis of empirical finding and their consistency with theories. But whenever it comes to finding new models and whenever it comes to integrating findings into a larger picture, binary logic is often unhelpful. It is not so much that it is wrong, but more that it does not help (summary, page 37).
Oh, it does not help beyond what Walach describes in his pseudo-profound academical language? As I have told in my article, Meditation as an Art of Life, Aristotle´s teaching was a spiritual practice with the aim of enlightenment. Walach is, due to his lack of philosophical education, ignorant about this. Aristotle´s logic, combined with Socrates´s Elenchos, saved me from madness. And by the way, Walach confuses the thought distortion, False Dichotomy, with Aristotle´s logic. The philosophical ignorance is stunning.
Walach believes that we instead “need a more inclusive type of thinking that can proceed in the form of ‘both-and’” (page 38). But this is typical postmodernist and New Age preaching. “Both-and” logic basically means relativism (sophism). Besides False Dichotomy, both-and "logic" is central in the concept of "Doublethink", a concept which George Orwell created in his dystopian novel 1984. Doublethink is a part of Newspeak (read about Doublethink here).
As an example of the same in New Age, see for example Susun Weed´s book, Healing Wise. On page 5, she writes about the "Wise Woman Tradition":
Substance, thought, feeling, and spirit are inseparable in the Wise Woman tradition. Wholism, holographic imagery, and unified field physics are parts of the holy wisdom of the Wise Woman way: a choiceless "both/and" wisdom. Everyone wins. Each one is the best [...].
And, on page 7:
Our universe includes all; it is "both/and, not "either/or".
This is the usual example of the Nondual Bias, and a confusion of the levels of nondual reality (see my free ebooks: A Dictionary of Thought Distortions (the nondual bias), and, The Tragic New Age Confusion of Eastern Enlightenment and Western Subjective Idealism (the confusion of the levels of nondual reality).
On the whole: the beginning of Susun Weed´s book is one long repetition of postmodernist both/and rhetoric, which, due to the above-mentioned bias and confusion, seems to justify anything (accompanied by New Thought preaching): for example "chaos, permeability and nonsense" (page 23), "contradiction" (page 32), "no rules" (page 33).
Susun Weed is, like another plastic shaman, Lynn Andrews, a member of the non-existent "Sisterhood of the Shields" (read more); in other words: a liar. Also read these texts on her: Police: Ulster County Woman Choked Victim Over Lettuce, and, Susun Weed Testomonials.
A central issue with Doublethink, or both/and logic, is that it can be used as a justification of gaslightning. When I´m dealing with victims of New Age, I´m often (if not always) faced with how they have been abused through gaslightning. Also read this article (where Susun Weed also is featured): Love and Light: Spiritual Bypassing, Gaslightning, and Abuse of Power.
It is not at all a surprise, when Walach in the end writes:
The Network is committed to no dogma or creed. It encourages intellectual discernment and is wary of the ill-founded and sensationalist claims of ‘pseudoscience’. In asking searching questions about the nature of life and the role of the human being, the Network abides by its guidelines of open-minded, rigorous thinking and care for others at all times (page 49).
Herewith the doors are opened for, that we from know on must accept that New Age theories are pure science. Why not begin with Susun Weed´s new book: Abundantly Well: The Complementary Integrated Medicine Revolution. This is precisely the sort of pseudoscience, which the Galileo Commision (dictated by Rupert Sheldrake) wants us to accept as the new "true" science (also read my article: The Devastating New Age Turn Within Psychotherapy).
Take a look at the The Galileo Commission website. When philosophy of science has been removed from all educations (something which is going on right now), nobody will be able to see, that this is a New Age and postmodernist website, and not a genuine science website.
Philosophy of science was traditionally the discipline that inquire into what can count as science, and, for example, discriminates between science and pseudoscience/scientism/reductionism. Walach is of course not mentioning this with a word, despite that he apparently teaches philosophy of science.
In order to get a grip of the ideology which The Galileo Commission is forwarding, read my booklet:
Rupert Sheldrake and the Rise of Neo-Lysenkoism (Scientism Critique: Part 2)
Download the report:
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