John Vervaeke

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John Vervaeke is a Canadian cognitive scientist, associate professor at the University of Toronto, where he directs the Cognitive Science Program. He is best known for his YouTube lecture series, public appearances, and for his work on wisdom, meaning, rationality, and 4E cognition. He has contributed concepts such as "Ecology of Practices" and "The 4Ps of Knowing."

Early Life

John Vervaeke
Personal details
Residence	Toronto
Education	PhD, MA, BSc, University of Toronto HBA, McMaster University
Occupation	Professor
Website	https://johnvervaeke.com/

Vervaeke’s childhood was spent in Canada where he was shaped by his Fundamentalist Christian upbringing which he reflects upon as traumatic. He found the framework of his upbringing lacking and sought wisdom in practices such as Taoism and Buddhism reading books like Lord of Light, Siddhartha, and Fifth Business.

Vervaeke attended McMaster University in Ontario and received his MBA in philosophy, graduating with honors. He went on to earn a BSc as a Specialist in Cognitive Science, an MA in philosophy, and a PhD in philosophy.

Dissertation: The Naturalistic Imperative in Cognitive Science (develop)

Career

He has been an associate professor and Director of the Cognitive Science Program at the University of Toronto since 2020 where he teaches courses on Cognitive Science, Psychology, Rationality, and Buddhism. He has received awards including the Ranjini Ghosh Excellence in Teaching Award. He has lectured at Universities including including Cambridge Divinity School, George Brown College, Lakehead University, Duke’s Institute for the Humanities, and Yale University. John Vervaeke was a Panelist for the Embodied Movement Summit, and Psychedelics beyond the clinic. Vervaeke also teaches three courses at the online collage Peterson Academy.

He has explored the topic of wisdom notably in shows such as the PBS series Wisdom Keepers: Healing a Divided People where he talks about practicle philosophy and enlightenment. He has discussed these themes in other channels as well including being a keynote speaker at 2023 UTOK Consilience Conference titled “Leaveling Up: Extended Naturalism” and at the 2023 Wonderstruck Symposium on Consciousness in Buonconvento, Italy.

He has made thirty two publications on the themes of wisdom, rationality, and mindfulness with over 64 thousand reads on research gate.

He has created two series, Awakening from the Meaning Crisis and After Socrates.

Views

Vervaeke is also known for popularizing and developing concepts such as an 4E Cognition, Ecology of Practices, The Meaning Crisis, The 4Ps of Knowing, Reciprocal Opening, and Relevance Realization.

John Vervaeke holds that we are "suffering from a wisdom famine in the West." His work focuses on exploring and solving this problem. His knowledge spans both Eastern and Western Traditions of Philosophy and he seeks to bridge Scientific Enlightenment with Mindfulness and Spirituality. Vervaeke proclaims, "Wisdom isn't optional."

He co-wrote a book called Zombies in Western Culture. He argues that the zombie story is a recent myth that captures the zeitgeist of the culture: wandering, meaningless, and hungry. He argues that there has been a cultural domicide (killing of home) leaving many homeless and wandering. In reference to St. Augustine he says that our culture has a religion sized hole in its heart.

Vervaeke outlines The Meaning Crisis is the underlying foundation for many of the crises we experience in the modern world, mainly the mental health crisis. He points the finger to the Menaing Crises as the answer the the increasing of “depression, despair, and suicide rates.” Among these symptoms he also highlights that people feel disconnected, unsure about fundamental values, and have little direction for the future.

He holds that we need an Ecology of Practices in our lives to give ourselves our lives a coherence to facilitate flourishing. He does not point to traditional religions as the way out, but rather to a mode of pursuing wisdom.

Media and public engagement

Awakening from the Meaning Crisis was well received and discussed in philosophy circles and is noted for comprehensively engaging with topics such as meaning, despair, and transformation in a rigorous manner bringing in historical context to highlight the development of these ideas.

Vervaeke is also a podcaster appearing on podcasts with Tim Ferris, Lex Friedman, Elizabeth Rover, and Jordan Peterson, and he is one of the Four Horsemen of Meaning along with Peterson, Pageau, a Bishop Barron.

Bibliography

Zombies in Western Culture: A Twenty-First Century Crisis

Awakening From the Meaning Crisis: Part One: Origins

Mentoring the Machines: Orientation - Part One: Surviving the Deep Impact of the Artificially Intelligent Tomorrow

Mentoring the Machines: Origins - Part 2: Surviving the Deep Impact of the Artificially Intelligent Tomorrow

Mentoring the Machines: Thresholds - Part 3: Surviving the Deep Impact of the Artificially Intelligent Tomorrow

Dispatches from a Time Between Worlds: Crisis and Emergence in Metamodernity

Routledge Handbook on the Philosophy of Meditation

External Links

Vervaeke Foundation

Awakening from the Meaning Crisis

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