Glossary

Physicalism is the philosophical thesis that everything that exists is ultimately physical, or supervenes on physical entities, properties, and laws. In the philosophy of mind, physicalism asserts that mental states, consciousness, and subjective experiences are entirely identical to, or p

Collective pretence is a social phenomenon where members of a group or society mutually agree to uphold an illusion or narrative that they privately know to be false, in order to maintain social order or navigate a rigid system.

Hyper-normalisation is the collective, performative maintenance of a failing societal system by citizens and leaders who are fully aware of its failures but act as if it is functioning normally due to a lack of perceived alternatives.

Alexei Yurchak is an anthropologist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, best known for coining the term "hyper-normalisation" in his study of the late Soviet Union's social dynamics.

The Original Position is a hypothetical scenario developed by philosopher John Rawls as a thought experiment in which rational, self-interested individuals choose the principles of justice for their society from behind a 'veil of ignorance' that hides their personal identities and social s

The Difference Principle is a core component of John Rawls' theory of justice, stating that social and economic inequalities are permissible only if they work to the maximum benefit of the least-advantaged members of society.

A 'palace in time' is a philosophical and theological metaphor coined by Abraham Joshua Heschel to describe the Sabbath as a sacred sanctuary built within the dimension of time, rather than physical space.

The sanctification of time is a theological and philosophical concept, central to the work of Abraham Joshua Heschel, which refers to the practice of treating time as a sacred dimension of existence to be revered, celebrated, and filled with spiritual presence, rather than a resource to be

Substrate independence is the philosophical assumption that conscious minds are not tied to biological brains and can be implemented on other physical mediums, such as silicon-based computer hardware.

The posthuman stage is a hypothetical future phase of evolutionary and technological development where a civilization has acquired technological capabilities so advanced that they can run high-fidelity computer simulations of conscious minds.