This work of philosophy presents a new picture of concrete reality. The author breaks with what he terms the conservatism of present-day philosophy, and returns to central themes from Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Russell. He works from the ground up, to formulate a new metaphysic capable of accommodating our distinctly human perspective. The author proposes a world with inherently powerful particulars of two basic sorts: one mental but not physical, the other physical but not mental. Whether of one sort or the other, each individual possesses powers for determining his or her own cour ... More

This work of philosophy presents a new picture of concrete reality. The author breaks with what he terms the conservatism of present-day philosophy, and returns to central themes from Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Russell. He works from the ground up, to formulate a new metaphysic capable of accommodating our distinctly human perspective. The author proposes a world with inherently powerful particulars of two basic sorts: one mental but not physical, the other physical but not mental. Whether of one sort or the other, each individual possesses powers for determining his or her own course, as well as powers for interaction with other individuals. It is only a purely mental particular—an immaterial soul, like yourself—that is ever fit for real choosing, or for conscious experiencing. Reasoning that the only satisfactory metaphysic is one that situates the physical alongside the non-physical, the author explains the genesis of, and continual interaction of, the two sides of our deeply dualistic world. He reveals the need for an entirely novel approach to the nature of physical reality, and shows how this approach can lead to wholly unexpected possibilities, including disembodied human existence for billions of years. The book returns philosophy to its most ambitious roots in its attempt to answer difficult human questions about ourselves and our world.