Original subtitles

[ BASS PLAYING ]

>> IT DOESN'T OCCUR TO MOST

PEOPLE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS, BUT

PHILOSOPHERS ARE VERY CONCERNED

TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT IS THAT WE

ENGAGE WITH OBJECTS IN THE

WORLD.

[ ENGINE TURNS OVER ]

WE PHILOSOPHERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN

INTERESTED IN WHAT'S UNIQUE

ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS AND HOW IT IS

THAT HUMANS ENGAGE WITH AND MAKE

SENSE OF THE WORLD AROUND US.

WHAT, IF ANYTHING, GIVES MEANING

TO OUR LIVES?

MOST OF US DON'T THINK ABOUT IT.

WE JUST SIT DOWN IN THE CHAIR AT

THE TABLE AND PICK UP THE FORK

AND THE SPOON AND WORK WITH

THEM.

[ JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING ]

PHILOSOPHERS ARE VERY INTERESTED

IN THINKING, "WELL, HOW CAN THAT

HAPPEN?"

HOW IS IT THAT THESE MINDS UP

HERE SOMEWHERE IN US MANAGE TO

GET OUT THERE INTO THE WORLD AND

GRAB AHOLD OF THESE PHYSICAL

OBJECTS?

[ JAZZ MUSIC CONTINUES ]

>> I'M RYAN CROSS AND I'M A BASS

PLAYER, CELLIST, COMPOSER.

[ BASS PLAYING ]

I STARTED PLAYING WHEN I WAS 9

YEARS OLD, STARTED PLAYING CELLO

AND STARTED PLAYING AFTER MY

BROTHERS.

THEY ALL PLAYED CLASSICAL

INSTRUMENTS, AND SO I DECIDED TO

GO ON AND FOLLOW IN THEIR

FOOTSTEPS.

BUT THEN I TOOK IT A STEP

FARTHER AFTER HIGH SCHOOL,

PICKING UP THE BASS, AND

STARTING TO FIGURE OUT THAT BASS

WAS A LOT COOLER THAN THE CELLO.

[ LAUGHS ]

FOR ME, CONNECTING TO MY

INSTRUMENT, BEING CONNECTED TO

MYSELF -- I HAVE TO BE CONNECTED

HERE.

SO I HAVE TO BE IN TOUCH WITH

MYSELF.

"MYSELF" MEANING THE INSTRUMENT

BECOMES YOU, YOU KNOW?

SO YOU'RE IN TOUCH WITH THIS.

I STARTED PLAYING THE

INSTRUMENT, AND IT FELT LIKE IT

HAD A CHARACTER OF ITS OWN.

THE SOUND DIRECTED ME WHERE TO

GO, AND IT FELT LIKE I WAS

BETTER BECAUSE I WAS PLAYING THE

INSTRUMENT.

[ JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING ]

>> SO, IF YOU GO ALL THE WAY

BACK TO ANCIENT GREECE, TO THE

5th CENTURY B.C. AND ATHENS, YOU

FIND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT

PHILOSOPHERS IN THE HISTORY OF

THE WEST, NAMELY PLATO.

NOW, PLATO WAS FAMOUS FOR

ARTICULATING A STORY ABOUT WHAT

IT IS FOR ANYTHING TO BE

ANYTHING AT ALL AND, IN

PARTICULAR, WHAT IT IS FOR US TO

BE THE KINDS OF BEINGS THAT WE

ARE.

>> WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PLATO IS

TRUTH, CORRECTNESS, THEORETICAL

UNDERSTANDING.

HE WAS...

>> DRUNK ON THEORY.

IT WAS SO AMAZING TO HIM.

ONE OF HIS BIG CONTRIBUTIONS TO

PHILOSOPHY WAS THE THEORY OF

FORMS, AND THAT WAS THE IDEA

THAT WE UNDERSTAND THINGS AND

RECOGNIZE THINGS AND CAN USE

THINGS ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT

WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY

ARE.

>> PLATO THOUGHT, "THINGS ARE AS

THEY REALLY ARE WHEN THEY'RE

ABSTRACTED AWAY FROM ALL OF

THEIR PARTICULAR DETAILS.

>> AND THAT'S REALLY BEEN A

DOMINANT INFLUENCE IN

PHILOSOPHY.

SO PHILOSOPHERS HAVE THOUGHT

THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE WORLD BY

GETTING CLEAR ABOUT THE WAY WE

THINK ABOUT THE WORLD.

>> ON THE PLATONIC MODEL, THE

MOST IMPORTANT AND MOST

INTERESTING THING THAT WE CAN DO

AS HUMAN BEINGS IS TO SIT BACK

AND THINK RATIONALLY ABOUT THE

NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE.

THAT'S A CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHER'S

ACCOUNT OF WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT

US AS HUMAN BEINGS.

WE'RE RATIONAL BEINGS.

WE'RE INTELLECTUAL BEINGS.

WE'RE THINKING BEINGS.

>> THEN COMES ANOTHER MOVE A

LONG TIME LATER, AROUND 1650.

RENé DESCARTES, WHO WAS A

MATHEMATICIAN AND ALSO VERY

INTERESTED IN SCIENCE...

>> DESCARTES SAID -- AND HE

MEANT THIS AS SORT OF A

DEFINITIVE DESCRIPTION OF

HIMSELF AND OTHER ENTITIES LIKE

HIM -- IS, "I AM A THINKING

THING."

>> AND A THINKING THING IS A

MIND WHICH HAS, IN IT, IDEAS

AND, IN IT, EXPERIENCE AND, IN

IT, A REPRESENTATION, A KIND OF

PICTURE OF THE WORLD.

>> ESPECIALLY SINCE DESCARTES,

PHILOSOPHERS HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT

US AS SUBJECTS STANDING OVER

AGAINST OBJECTS.

>> AND WHAT YOU GET IS THIS

INCREDIBLE IDEA OF WHAT I CALL

"DISENGAGED SUBJECT," RIGHT?

BUT THE SUBJECT OF KNOWLEDGE IS

NOT ENGAGED IN A SOCIETY.

ON THE CONTRARY, DESCARTES IS

ASKING PEOPLE, EACH ONE, TO GO

BACK INTO THEIR OWN MIND AND SEE

HOW THEY CAN BE CERTAIN OF

ANYTHING IN THE WORLD, RIGHT?

SO DISENGAGED FROM THE SOCIETY,

FELLOW SPEAKERS, DISENGAGE FROM

THE BODY, DISENGAGE FROM

TRADITION AND HISTORY.

DON'T SIMPLY TAKE ANYTHING ON

THE FACT THAT YOU GOT IT FROM

YOUR PRECEPTORS OR -- WORK IT

OUT FOR YOURSELF.

IT'S THE INCREDIBLE ACT OF TOTAL

DISENGAGEMENT.

THE REALLY PROPER HUMAN KNOWING

THINGS IS UTTERLY OUTSIDE OF THE

SOCIETY, THE BODY, AND ANY KIND

OF TRADITION, RIGHT?

>> DESCARTES WAS OBSESSED WITH

THE IDEA THAT WE COULDN'T GET

OFF THE GROUND IF WE COULDN'T

FIND SOMETHING CERTAIN TO REASON

FROM.

AND, NATURALLY, THE ONLY THING

HE COULD BE CERTAIN OF IS THAT

HE WAS A THINKING THING, BECAUSE

HE SAID EVEN IF HE DOUBTED IT,

THAT HE WAS A THINKING THING, HE

WAS THINKING.

SO THERE, YOU CAN GET STARTED,

AND FROM THERE, YOU CAN DEDUCE

EVERYTHING.

AND EVERY PHILOSOPHER

AFTERWARD -- BIG-DEAL

PHILOSOPHERS LIKE KANT -- WAS

WORKING WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK.

AND SPINOZA AND LEIBNIZ AND SO

FORTH -- THEY ALL JUST TOOK THAT

FOR GRANTED.

AND THEN A PHILOSOPHER CAME

ALONG HIGH-POWERED ENOUGH TO

RESIST AND OVERTHROW THE WHOLE

PLATO/DESCARTES TRADITION, AND

THAT WAS HEIDEGGER.

MARTIN HEIDEGGER WAS A GERMAN

PHILOSOPHER.

IN 1927, HE PUBLISHED A BOOK

CALLED "BEING AND TIME," WHICH

WAS A LANDMARK IN 20th CENTURY

PHILOSOPHY, ONE OF THE MOST

INFLUENTIAL WORKS IN PHILOSOPHY

IN THE LAST 100 YEARS AND MAYBE

EVER.

>> HEIDEGGER'S IDEA WAS THAT THE

PLATONIC MODEL HAS GOT THE STORY

COMPLETELY BACKWARDS, THAT, IN

FACT, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

THAT CHARACTERIZES US ISN'T OUR

ABILITY TO SIT BACK AND THINK

RATIONALLY AND LOGICALLY ABOUT

ANY ENTITY OR ANY SET OF

SITUATIONS IN THE WORLD.

THE MO IMPORTANT THING ABOUT

US IS OUR ABILITY TO BECOME

INVOLVED IN WORLDS AND TO

DEVELOP SKILLS FOR ACTING IN

THOSE WORLD THAT, AT ROOT, ARE

NOT INTELLECTUAL SKILLS BUT VERY

PRACTICAL KINDS OF SKILLS.

>> SKILLFUL COPING IS BEING ABLE

TO DO THINGS WITH YOUR HANDS,

LIKE PAINTING OR HANDWRITING OR

WOODWORKING.

OH, SPORTS IS ANOTHER SWELL

EXAMPLE THAT YOU LEARN HOW TO

DO.

BUT WHEN YOU ARE ASKED HOW YOU

DO IT, YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY SAY.

"WELL, I JUST, YOU KNOW -- I'M

TRYING TO HIT THE BALL.

HOW AM I TRYING TO HIT THE BALL?

I DON'T KNOW.

I'M JUST SWINGING THE BAT."

BUT NOT JUST SWINGING THE BAT.

YOU MAY BE TALKING TO SOMEBODY

WHO'S REALLY GOOD AT IT.

>> SO, HEIDEGGER IS REALLY

CONFRONTING THE ENTIRE TRADITION

OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY, GOING

BACK TO THE ANCIENT GREEKS.

AND FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES,

PHILOSOPHY WAS -- WELL, LET ME

START OVER AGAIN.

THAT WAS TERRIBLE.

[ STATIC CRACKLING ]

[ BIRDS CHIRPING ]

>> IF YOU THINK ABOUT A HAMMER

IN A PHILOSOPHICAL WAY OR WHAT

PEOPLE WOULD CALL A

COMMON-SENSICAL WAY, YOU'D LOOK

AT THE PROPERTIES THE HAMMER

HAS, THE SHAPE IT HAS, THE COLOR

IT HAS.

AND HEIDEGGER SAID, "THAT'S

WRONG.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT A HAMMER

IS, YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT THE

PROPERTIES.

YOU DON'T DESCRIBE IT.

YOU DON'T EXPLAIN IT.

YOU PICK IT UP AND YOU START

DRIVING NAILS.

AND YOU REALLY ONLY SEE WHAT THE

HAMMER IS WHEN YOU HAVE THE

SKILLS TO HAMMER WELL.

AND WITHOUT THOSE, THE HAMMER

WILL NEVER REALLY SHOW ITSELF TO

YOU.

>> THE JAPANESE WORD FOR TOOL IS

DOGU.

IT TRANSLATES INTO THE WAY OF

CARPENTRY.

>> AND THAT'S A VERY SENSITIVE

DESCRIPTION OF WHAT A TOOL IS.

A TOOL ISN'T AN INSTRUMENT THAT

YOU FOCUS ON.

A TOOL IS LITERALLY A WAY THE

CARPENTER HAS OF ENGAGING WITH

THE WORLD.

>> YOUR ABILITY AND YOUR SKILL

FOR HAMMERING WITH A HAMMER --

ALTHOUGH, WHEN YOU ACQUIRE IT,

IT MIGHT REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT OF

THOUGHT SO THAT YOU DON'T BANG

YOUR THUMB EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE

AND THAT KIND OF THING.

WHEN YOU'VE GOT THE SKILL, AS A

REAL SKILLED CARPENTER, THE LAST

THING THAT YOU WANT IS TO BE

THINKING ABOUT OR RATIONALLY

ANALYZING OR STEPPING BACK FROM

THE ACTIVITY THAT YOU'RE

INVOLVED IN.

>> HE'S DONE IT FOR SO LONG --

LIKE, HE STARTED APPRENTICING

WHEN HE WAS 15, SO IT'S SO MUCH

IN HIS BODY, THE WAY HE MOVES.

AND IT'S REALLY LIKE A MARTIAL

ART.

IT'S VERY MUCH A MOVEMENT, LIKE

A DANCE.

>> YOU WANT TO ALLOW THE

ACTIVITY TO GO THROUGH YOUR

BODY, 'CAUSE YOUR BODY HAS A

CERTAIN KIND OF KNOW-HOW FOR

OPERATING IN THIS DOMAIN THAT

THOUGHT ABOUT THE DOMAIN WILL

TYPICALLY GET IN THE WAY OF.

THIS MOST-FUNDAMENTAL WAY OF

INTERACTING WITH OUR WORLD,

OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR WORLD, OTHER

OBJECTS OR TOOLS IN OUR WORLD,

AND SO ON HAD BEEN COMPLETELY

NEGLECTED FOR 2,500 YEARS OF

WESTERN HISTORY BECAUSE OF THE

INFLUENCE OF PLATO.

>> I'M LEAH CHASE, DOOKY CHASE'S

RESTAURANT IN NEW ORLEANS,

LOUISIANA.

>> SHE IS THE GRANDE DAME OF

CREOLE COOKING IN NEW ORLEANS.

SHE IS THE GIRL WHO HAS THE

NERVE TO CHASTISE PRESIDENT

OBAMA FOR PUTTING A LITTLE HOT

SAUCE IN HIS GUMBO BEFORE HE

TASTES IT.

>> NEVER DID I THINK I WOULD BE

GOOD ENOUGH TO SERVE A

PRESIDENT.

WHEN I CAME HERE, I KNEW

NOTHING.

I'D NEVER BEEN IN THE INSIDE OF

A RESTAURANT IN MY LIFE, AT 18

YEARS OLD -- NEVER.

I WENT IN THIS WOMAN'S

RESTAURANT.

SHE TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING.

BUT ONE THING I LEARNED -- TO

LOVE THAT RESTAURANT.

I LEARNED TO LOVE FOOD, I

LEARNED TO APPRECIATE IT, AND I

ALWAYS SAID, "THIS IS WHAT I

WANT TO DO."

>> SHE HAS 60-PLUS YEARS OF

EXPERIENCE COOKING.

PEOPLE THINK OF RECIPES.

SHE IS THE RECIPE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE BACK THERE

COOKING, WE NEVER LOOK IN ANY

COOKBOOKS.

IT'S JUST OUT THE HEAD.

"WHAT WE WANT TO COOK TODAY?

WE WANT TO COOK TOMATO-AND-BASIL

SOUP, AND I THINK WE WANT TO ADD

SOME POPCORN IN THE MIDDLE.

AND THEN YOU'LL GET THE BUTTER

FLAVOR OF THE POPCORN."

IT'S JUST AMAZING THE DIFFERENT

DISHES THAT WE COME UP -- OR SHE

COMES UP WITH JUST OFF THE CUFF.

>> TELL ME WHAT YOU PUT IN IT,

'CAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA.

>> WE PUT BEET TOPS.

WE PUT TURNIP TOPS.

WE PUT MUSTARD GREENS.

WE PUT KALE.

WE PUT COLLARD GREENS.

>> THE GREAT THING ABOUT BEING A

PHILOSOPHER IS -- IT'S VERY HARD

TO TEST WHAT WE SAY.

YOU CAN SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT.

WE'RE USUALLY DEALING IN SUCH

ABSTRACT, GENERAL THINGS THAT

YOU NEVER HAVE TO PROVE IT.

THEORIES OF THE MIND HAVE BEEN

PUT TO THE TEST WITH THE

DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPUTER.

USING COMPUTERS, WE WERE FINALLY

IN A POSITION TO TEST THOUSANDS

OF YEARS OF PHILOSOPHICAL THEORY

ABOUT HOW THE MIND WORKS.

TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT SEEMED

LIKE THE COMPUTER FINALLY

OFFERED US A CHANCE TO CONSTRUCT

A MIND USING, AS OUR MODEL, ALL

THE PHILOSOPHICAL THEORIES WE'VE

DEVELOPED.

BERT DREYFUS' GENIUS WAS

RECOGNIZING THAT THIS WAS WHAT

WAS GOING ON.

>> THE CLIMATE AT THE TIME WAS

ONE OF GREAT EXCITEMENT WITH

REGARD TO THE PROSPECT OF

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

>> THERE WERE THESE PEOPLE IN

THE A.I. LAB -- ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE LAB -- CLAIMING

THAT THEY HAD FOUND THE RULES

AND THE SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATIONS

THAT WOULD SOON ENABLE COMPUTERS

TO BE INTELLIGENT.

>> BERT WAS A JUNIOR FACULTY

MEMBER AT MIT IN THE

HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT -- NOT THE

MOST PROMINENT DEPARTMENT AT

MIT.

>> THEY WERE SAYING, "LOOK, WE

KNOW HOW THE MIND WORKS.

YOU PHILOSOPHERS HAVE MISSED

IT."

>> HE WAS GOING UP AGAINST VERY

PROMINENT RESEARCHERS AT HIS OWN

INSTITUTION WHO WERE IN THE

MORE-PROMINENT DEPARTMENTS AT

MIT, THE ENGINEERING AND

COMPUTER-SCIENCE KINDS OF

DEPARTMENTS.

>> THEY WERE SAYING, "WE DON'T

HAVE TO CARE ABOUT WHAT DREYFUS

SAYS.

HE'S JUST A PHILOSOPHER."

>> WHAT PROGRAMMERS WERE DOING

WAS TRYING TO MAKE A COMPUTER

INTELLIGENT BY GIVING IT THE

KIND OF THOUGHTS THAT THEY

THOUGHT HUMANS HAD.

SO YOU'D MAKE AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST

OF, "THERE'S A TABLE IN THE

ROOM.

THE TABLE IS BROWN.

THE TABLE IS HARD.

THE TABLE IS THIS SIZE."

AND YOU CAN SEE THIS COULD GO ON

FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.

>> AND IT'S GOT TO DO A LOT WITH

UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S RELEVANT.

WHAT'S RELEVANT RIGHT NOW IS

THAT I'M SITTING HERE TALKING TO

YOU.

AND THE LIGHTS ARE RELEVANT.

THE CAMERAS ARE RELEVANT.

IF THERE'S ANY DUST ON THE FLOOR

UNDER THIS CHAIR, IT'S NOT.

I MEAN, YOU JUST CAN'T TAKE

ACCOUNT OF ALL THE FACTS.

IN THIS ROOM, THERE'S AN

INFINITE NUMBER OF FACTS ABOUT

THIS ROOM.

>> THE SYSTEMS WOULD GET HUNG UP

ON METAPHORS OR HUNG UP ON

INFERENCES THAT WERE DEPENDENT

ON KNOWLEDGE OF ORDINARY THINGS

IN EVERYDAY LIFE, LIKE IF YOU

PICK UP THIS PIECE OF WEED HERE

AND DROP IT, IT WILL FALL,

RIGHT?

AND WHEN IT WILL FALL, IT WON'T

MAKE A SOUND BECAUSE IT'S SOFT.

THINGS LIKE THIS THAT EVERYBODY

KNOWS.

HOW MUCH STUFF LIKE THAT DO YOU

KNOW, RIGHT?

A HUNDRED THINGS?

A THOUSAND THINGS?

MAYBE A MILLION THINGS, RIGHT?

>> AND I THINK THE HOPE WAS THAT

ONCE WE GOT ENOUGH OF THOSE

FACTS INTO THE COMPUTER, THAT

THE COMPUTER WOULD START ACTING

LIKE WE DO.

IF HEIDEGGER WAS RIGHT AND

BERT DREYFUS WAS RIGHT, YOU

COULDN'T DO THAT.

>> BERT REALLY THOUGHT THAT THE

ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE

COMMUNITY WAS BASING THEIR

RESEARCH PROGRAM ON A BAD

UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT IS TO

BE THE KINDS OF BEINGS THAT WE

ARE.

>> PHILOSOPHY HAD FINALLY

DISCOVERED THAT THIS

RATIONALIST, ATOMISTIC,

RULE-FOLLOWING UNDERSTANDING OF

HOW THE MIND WORKS IS WRONG.

>> THEY HAD THE PLATONIC IDEA

THAT THE KINDS OF BEINGS THAT WE

ARE ARE RATIONAL, COMPUTING

MECHANISMS.

WE ARE LOGICAL SORT OF

CHARACTERIZERS OF THE UNIVERSE.

AND THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY

COULD, THEREFORE, REPLICATE ALL

OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO JUST BY

WRITING COMPUTER PROGRAMS,

WHICH, AFTER ALL, ARE VERY

LOGICAL AND VERY RATIONAL AND

FOLLOW RULES VERY, VERY WELL.

>> ...AND, MOREOVER, SORT OF

LAUGHING AT THE PHILOSOPHY

CLASSES, WHERE THEY SAY, "LOOK,

YOU PHILOSOPHERS HAVE BEEN

TRYING TO UNDERSTAND PERCEPTION

AND ACTION AND SKILL AND ALL

THAT FOR 2,000 YEARS AND YOU'VE

GOT NOWHERE.

WE ALREADY HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT

CLUE, AND IN ANOTHER 8 TO 10

YEARS, WE'LL HAVE INTELLIGENT

COMPUTERS.

>> THERE WAS A LOT OF DERISION

OF BERT AND HIS WORK.

>> THEIR NAME FOR ME WAS

"THE WEASEL," APPARENTLY.

>> AND BERT -- PARDON MY PUTTING

IT THIS WAY -- IS KIND OF AN

AMUSING-LOOKING CHARACTER, HAD

BRILLIANT ORANGE HAIR, AND

PETIT, LITTLE GUY, SORT OF MOVED

AROUND, YOU KNOW, LIKE A -- I

DON'T KNOW -- AN INSECT OR

SOMETHING.

>> THEY SAID, "DREYFUS DOESN'T

KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT

PROGRAMMING."

I HAD NO CLUE -- THEY'RE

RIGHT -- ABOUT PROGRAMMING.

"HOW COULD HE BE TELLING US THAT

WE CAN'T DO THIS?"

>> IN HIS VIEW, IT WAS SORT OF

THE EMPEROR HAD NO CLOTHES.

THERE WAS NO SUPPORT FOR THIS

IDEA AT ALL.

SO HE STARTED TRYING TO SHOW HOW

IMPLAUSIBLE IT IS.

>> ONCE, I WAS REALLY BRAVE.

THEY SAID, "WE'VE GOT A CAR THAT

WILL DRIVE ON THE STREET IN

TRAFFIC FROM HERE TO THERE WITH

NO HUMAN DRIVER.

AND I SAID, "I DOUBT IT."

AND THEY SAID, "WE'RE TELLING

YOU WE'VE GOT IT."

AND I SAID, "I'M TELLING YOU

THAT YOU HAVEN'T GOT IT.

YOU'RE LYING."

AND I WAS RIGHT.

I MEAN, IT WAS JUST THAT REALITY

WAS ON MY SIDE.

THERE WAS THIS HUGE EFFORT TO

SUPPRESS THIS CRITICISM, MAINLY

BECAUSE THERE WERE MILLIONS OF

DOLLARS AT STAKE.

DARPA GAVE THE MONEY FOR THE

DEFENSE RESEARCH, AND THEY WERE

AFRAID THEY WOULD STOP GIVING

THEM MONEY.

AND THEN WHEN I WAS AT MIT, THEY

WERE EVEN MORE AFRAID, BECAUSE

THE A.I. LAB GOT ABOUT

$1 MILLION A YEAR FROM DARPA FOR

A.I. RESEARCH, AND THEY WERE

AFRAID THAT IF THEY EVER READ MY

PAPER, THEY WOULD TAKE AWAY

THEIR MONEY.

AND, IN THE END, THAT'S SORT OF

WHAT HAPPENED.

>> ULTIMATELY, I THINK IT'S FAIR

TO SAY THAT THAT CRITICISM HAS

WON OUT.

>> THE CLAIM WAS YOU COULD BUILD

SUCH AND SUCH A MACHINE AND YOU

COULD TEST THAT CLAIM BY SEEING

WHETHER YOU CAN BUILD SUCH AND

SUCH A MACHINE.

AND IT COULDN'T BE DONE IN THE

1950s OR THE '60s AND IT HASN'T

BEEN DONE EVEN NOW.

PERHAPS I CAN REACH TO ONE OF

THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS

ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

HUMAN BEINGS AND MACHINES BY

ADVERTING TO SOMETHING ABOUT

EACH OF US WITH WHICH WE ARE

DEEPLY FAMILIAR, AND THAT IS

THAT IT MATTERS TO US WHAT

HAPPENS IN THE WORLD.

IT MATTERS TO US WHAT HAPPENS TO

US.

IT MATTERS TO US WHAT HAPPENS TO

OUR FRIENDS.

IT MATTERS TO US THE PROGRESS OF

SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY.

ALL OF THOSE ARE DESIDERATA.

THOSE ARE THINGS TO BUILD A LIFE

ON THAT ONE CAN SUMMARIZE IN THE

PHRASE "GIVING A DAMN."

AND IF YOU HAVE THAT PHRASE,

THEN YOU CAN SAY, IN A WORD,

WHAT A.I. HAS SO FAR FAILED TO

COME UP WITH BY SAYING, "THE

TROUBLE WITH COMPUTERS IS THAT

THEY DON'T GIVE A DAMN."

>> WHAT WE ARE, AT BOTTOM, MUCH

MORE FUNDAMENTAL THAN OUR BEING

THINKING SUBJECTS, IS THAT WE

CARE ABOUT SOMETHING.

SOMETHING MATTERS TO US.

[ FLAMENCO GUITAR PLAYS ]

>> [ SINGING IN SPANISH ]

>> THE REALLY IMPORTANT ENDS OF

HUMAN LIFE ARE ENDS THAT ARE

ONLY PERCEPTIBLE IF YOU LET

YOURSELF BE WITHIN THE HUMAN

SITUATION TOTALLY.

I MEAN, TAKE LOVE.

WHAT IS IT TO HAVE A REALLY

LOVING RELATIONSHIP?

WHAT IS IT TO HAVE REAL

COMMUNION?

WHAT IS IT TO HAVE A REALLY

MEANINGFUL BIT OF MUSIC?

YOU CAN GO ON AND ON.

[ FLAMENCO GUITAR PLAYS ]

NOBODY CAN LOSE TOUCH WITH THAT

ASPECT OF BEING HUMAN ENTIRELY,

BUT THEY ALWAYS DENATURED IT,

SO, OF COURSE, PEOPLE WERE MOVED

BY MUSIC.

PEOPLE WERE MOVED BY ART.

PEOPLE WERE MOVED BY LOVE AND

SUCH.

SO THEY INVENTED VARIOUS WAYS OF

DESCRIBING THAT.

I MEAN, SOME KIND OF ANIMAL-TYPE

SYMPATHY BONDS PEOPLE.

SO THAT CAN EXPLAIN WHY LOVE IS

IMPORTANT.

AND THEN THEY EXPLAINED THAT

CERTAIN KINDS OF EMOTIONS THAT

WE FIND PLEASURABLE ARE AWOKEN

IN US BY LISTENING TO THIS KIND

OF MUSIC.

SO YOU GET, INCIDENTALLY, A VERY

INTERESTING SHIFT, WHERE PEOPLE

TALK ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF ART

IN TERMS OF THIS NOTION OF

AESTHETICS -- IN OTHER WORDS, IN

TERMS OF OUR REACTION.

THIS THESIS IS AURA SENSATION --

IN TERMS OF THE PROFOUND TRUTH

THAT YOU CAN FIND IN A GREAT

WORK OF ART, FIND TRUTH ABOUT

HUMAN BEINGS.

>> MOODS DON'T HAPPEN WITHOUT

OUR HEADS, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN

THEY HAPPEN IN OUR HEADS.

THE ANALOGY I LIKE TO USE IS A

RADIO, RIGHT?

A RADIO GETS TUNED IN TO

DIFFERENT RADIO STATIONS, AND AS

YOU TURN THE DIAL, YOU GET

DIFFERENT SONGS PLAYING ON THE

RADIO.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE STATIONS

ARE ALL INSIDE THE RADIO.

THAT JUST MEANS THAT WITHOUT THE

RADIO GETTING TUNED TO THEM,

YOU'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO PICK

THEM UP.

THE TRADITIONAL PHILOSOPHICAL

WAY OF UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD

AND THINKING OF KIND OF INSIDE,

SUBJECTIVE STUFF, THOUGHTS

INSIDE OF US, AND THEN FACTS,

OBJECTS OUT IN THE WORLD, ONE

THING THAT THAT WAY OF THINKING

ABOUT THE WORLD DOES IS IT MAKES

ALL SORTS OF THINGS INSIDE OF

US -- MOODS, EMOTIONS, RIGHT?

THOSE ARE KIND OF SUBJECTIVE

THINGS THAT WE PROJECT OUT ON

THE WORLD, ONTO THINGS.

SO YOU WANT TO SAY THE WORLD'S

NOT HAPPY OR SAD.

WE'RE HAPPY AND SAD AND WE

PROJECT OUR HAPPINESS OUT ONTO

THE WORLD.

WHEN THIS PHENOMENOLOGICAL

TRADITION STARTED TO UNDERCUT

THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN SUBJECTS

AND OBJECT, WHAT THAT DID WAS

ALLOWED US, IN A MUCH MORE

NATURAL WAY, MAKE ROOM FOR

MOODS, EMOTIONS TO BE OUT IN THE

WORLD.

>> WHEN YOU TALK OF SOMETHING

LIKE A JOYFUL MOOD IN THE ROOM,

IT'S PLAIN NOT A CREATION OF MY

MIND OR YOUR MIND.

WHAT IT IS, IF YOU LIKE, IS A

CREATION OF OUR INTERACTION.

>> AND I THINK THIS MATCHES OUR

COMMON-SENSE WAY OF TALKING

ABOUT IT.

SO, WE TALK ABOUT THE MOOD IN

THE ROOM.

"THERE WAS A HAPPY MOOD AS WE

WALKED INTO THE PARTY" OR "THE

MOOD OF THE NATION IS DOWNCAST

RIGHT NOW" OR "DEPRESSED AS A

NATION."

I THINK THAT'S CAPTURED

SOMETHING REAL ABOUT OUR

EXPERIENCE OF THE WORLD AND THE

WAY THAT THE WORLD ISN'T JUST

THESE SORT OF NEUTRAL FACTS BUT

THAT IT LINES UP IN PARTICULAR

WAYS, IT'S ILLUMINATED IN

PARTICULAR WAYS, AND WHEN WE GET

IN THE RIGHT MOOD, IT'S A WAY OF

GETTING IN TUNE WITH THE WORLD

SO THAT IT CAN SHOW CERTAIN

FEATURES TO US.

SO, WHEN YOU'RE HAPPY, THE WORLD

LOOKS DIFFERENT, AND IT'S NOT

JUST THAT YOU ARE INTERPRETING

THE WORLD THROUGH A DIFFERENT

FILTER, BUT YOUR HAPPINESS TUNES

YOU IN TO FEATURES OF THE WORLD

THAT YOU AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION

TO.

JUST AS SKILLS ALLOW THINGS TO

SHOW THEMSELVES, THEY ALSO ALLOW

PEOPLE TO SHOW UP AND BE THE

PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE.

A CRAFTSPERSON, AS THEY LEARN

HOW TO WORK WITH WOOD, HOW TO

HAMMER, HOW TO USE THE

EQUIPMENT -- THEY'LL START TO

SEE THINGS THAT SOMEONE WITHOUT

THOSE SKILLS DOESN'T SEE.

THEY BECOME SOMEONE WHO INHABITS

A WORLD DIFFERENTLY.

>> CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS

OF CHOOSING THE PIECE OF WOOD?

HOW DO YOU TELL IF IT'S THE

RIGHT PIECE OF WOOD OR THE WRONG

PIECE OF WOOD?

>> [ LAUGHS ]

[ LAUGHS ]

>> OUR BODIES, OUR WAYS OF BEING

GET ATTUNED TO THE WORLD, AND

THERE'S A KIND OF UNDERSTANDING

THERE THAT WE CAN'T EXPLAIN OR

WE'RE VERY POOR AT ARTICULATING.

RULES WORK BY IGNORING DETAILS.

WHAT ANYONE WHO'S VERY SKILLED

IN A DOMAIN KNOWS IS THAT BEING

VERY SKILLED MEANS RESPONDING

NOT JUST IN GENERAL TERMS TO A

SITUATION BUT RESPONDING VERY

SPECIFICALLY TO WHAT THE

SITUATION DEMANDS.

SO A CHEF WORKING IN THE KITCHEN

CAN'T GO BY THE RULES IN THE

COOKBOOK.

>> LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT RULES

IN COOKING.

YOU KNOW, I HAD A BOOK WRITTEN

BY A WOMAN, AND SHE PUT THE

RECIPES IN THE BOOK THAT -- HER

HOUSEKEEPER AT THAT TIME WAS THE

MAMMY OF THE HOUSE, YOU KNOW,

BUT SHE WAS THE LADY WHO RAN THE

HOUSE.

SO, NATURALLY, ALL HER

FRIENDS -- WHEN THE LADY THE

WROTE THE COOKBOOK SOMEWHERE

ABOUT 1910 OR SOMETHING, THEY

ASKED HER, "WELL, WHY DO YOU

GIVE HER ALL YOUR RECIPES AND

ALL YOUR THINGS?"

SO, HER ANSWER WAS A GOOD ONE.

SHE SAID, "YOU KNOW, COOKING IS

LIKE RELIGION -- RULES DON'T NO

MORE MAKE A COOK THAN SERMONS

MAKE A SAINT."

SO YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE RECIPES,

ALL THE RULES YOU WANT AND YOU

CAN TAKE THE SAME THINGS I'M

DOING HERE AND MAYBE YOU CAN'T

DO THE SAME THINGS I DO.

>> RISK IS ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT

IN BECOMING A MASTER -- IN FACT,

IN ACQUIRING ANY SKILLS AT

ALL -- BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO LEAVE

THE RULES BEHIND AND STOP DOING

WHAT ONE GENERALLY DOES AND

DOING THE STANDARD THING AND YOU

PUSH OUT INTO YOUR OWN

EXPERIENCE OF THE WORLD.

>> YOU HAVE TO TAKE RISKS.

YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING THAT

THE RULES DON'T TELL YOU TO DO

SO THAT YOU CAN START TO LEARN

TO GET TUNED INTO THE PARTICULAR

FEATURES OF THE SITUATION.

[ BIRDS SQUAWKING ]

>> WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT

THINGS TO MASTER?

>> LEARNING TO READ OCEAN

CONDITIONS, KNOWING YOUR BOAT,

PRACTICE, EXPERIENCE, AND I

GUESS THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF

LUCK, AND THEN PHILOSOPHY HAVE

SOME BALLS, TOO.

[ LAUGHS ]

>> JUST THE HUMAN ELEMENT IN

CONTROLLING ONE OF THESE BOATS.

WHEN THEY TAKE OFF, THEY WON'T

DO THIS.

THEY'LL CLIMB THIS WAY, LIKE A

PLANE, AND THE NEXT THING YOU

KNOW, YOU ARE GOING SWIMMING.

>> THE QUESTION THEN ARISES

WHETHER THE PEOPLE WHO ARE

RUNNING SPEEDBOAT RACES ARE

BRINGING OUT SOMETHING IMPORTANT

ABOUT THE BOATS OR ABOUT THE

WATER THAT THEY ARE SENSITIVE TO

AND NOBODY HAS EVER BEEN

RESPONSIVE TO BEFORE OR WHETHER

THE WATER AND THE BOATS ARE JUST

MEANS TO ACHIEVE SOME PARTICULAR

GOAL, LIKE BEING THE FASTEST

BOAT.

IT MAY BE THAT SOME OF THEM ARE

DOING ONE AND SOME OF THEM ARE

DOING ANOTHER AND SOME OF THEM

ARE DOING BOTH.

>> SO, THE WILLINGNESS TO TAKE

RISKS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STAGE

IN MOVING BEYOND JUST COMPETENCE

AND FOLLOWING THE RULES AND

DOING WHAT EVERYONE ELSE DOES TO

GETTING TO THE POSITION WHERE

YOU LEARN WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED

TO BE RESPONDING TO.

>> WHAT DISTINGUISHES THE KIND

OF RISKS WE'RE INTERESTED IN

FROM JUST BRAVADO IS WHETHER THE

RISKS ARE TAKEN IN THE INTEREST

OF WHAT SOMEBODY IS COMMITTED

TO, WHAT THEY'VE DEFINED

THEMSELVES IN TERMS OF, AND WHAT

MAKES THE MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCES

IN THEIR LIVES.

THAT KIND OF RISK IS A SPECIAL

KIND OF RISK THAT IS A NECESSARY

PART OF BECOMING A MASTER IN

ANYTHING.

>> HEIDEGGER CALLS THIS, FAIRLY

DRAMATICALLY, "RUNNING FORWARD

INTO DEATH."

[ CHUCKLES ]

AND WHAT THAT MEANS, I THINK, IS

BEING WILLING TO EMBRACE A

PARTICULAR KIND OF POSSIBILITY

AND LET OTHER POSSIBILITIES DIE

OFF.

RISKS OF LOOKING RIDICULOUS, FOR

EXAMPLE, RISKS OF GENUINELY

LOSING THINGS YOU MIGHT REGRET

LOSING LATER ON.

[ JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING ]

>> TAKING RISKS IS IMPORTANT.

IT'S AN ESSENTIAL PART OF JAZZ.

IMPROVISATION IS SUPPOSED TO BE

THE ELEMENT OF FREEDOM,

VENTURING INTO SPACE THAT HASN'T

BEEN SEEN BEFORE.

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO ALWAYS BE

TRYING SOMETHING NEW INSTEAD OF

PLAYING PATTERNS OR JUST PLAYING

SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY'S HEARD

BEFORE.

SOMETIMES, I'M SURPRISED MYSELF.

SOMETIMES, I LISTEN BACK TO

SOMETHING I PLAYED AND BE LIKE,

"OH, MAN, DID I PLAY THAT?"

IN A GOOD WAY, YOU KNOW.

AND THEN OTHER TIMES, I'M LIKE,

"OH, MAN, DID I PLAY THAT?"

[ LAUGHS ]

>> WHY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO?

I LIKE WHAT I DO, BUT I'VE

LEARNED I DON'T CARE HOW OLD YOU

ARE.

YOU TAKE A RISK.

YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND

KEEP GOING.

>> IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT

YOU CAN'T EVER GET BEYOND A

RULE-GOVERNED BEHAVIOR WITHOUT

TAKING RISKS, THERE'S ALSO KIND

OF EXHILARATION OR JOY IN HUMAN

EXISTENCE LEAVING THE RULES

BEHIND, GOING OUT ON THE EDGE,

LETTING THE WORLD SHOW SOMETHING

NEW TO THEM.

THE RISK TAKERS ARE THE ONES WHO

DISCLOSE NEW WORLDS, DISCLOSE

NEW WAYS TO BE HUMAN, NEW WAYS

TO BEHAVE, DISCOVER NEW THINGS

ABOUT THE WORLD.

>> YOU COMMIT YOURSELF, AND IT'S

THROUGH YOUR COMMITMENT THAT,

ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE WORLD IS

ORGANIZED IN TERMS OF THINGS

THAT ARE MEANINGFUL TO DO AND

THINGS THAT ARE IRRELEVANT TO

DO.

[ LAUGHS ]

>> WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE

THIS COMMITMENT TO A PARTICULAR

SOMETHING THAT'S FINITE AND THAT

YOU COULD LOSE AND THAT'S RISKY

AND YOU HOLD YOURSELF OPEN TO IT

COMPLETELY, WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT

SITUATION IS THAT YOU GET A SORT

OF MEANINGFUL EXISTENCE, AND THE

MEANINGFUL EXISTENCE IS THE ONE

THAT IDENTIFIES WHO YOU ARE.

IT'S YOUR MEANINGFUL EXISTENCE.

IT'S THE ONE THAT PICKS YOU OUT

AS AN INDIVIDUAL, BECAUSE NOBODY

ELSE UNDERSTANDS THE PARTICULAR

HIERARCHY OF MEANINGFUL

DIFFERENCES THE WAY YOU DO.

THE ISSUE IS -- WHAT IS IT TO BE

THE KIND OF BEING THAT WE ARE?

AND YOU WANT TO EXPLORE THAT

ISSUE BY ASKING, "WHAT IS IT TO

BE THE BEST VERSION OF US?"

WHEN WE'RE OPERATING AT OUR

BEST, WE'RE PRECISELY NOT

DETACHED FROM THE SITUATION THAT

WE'RE INVOLVED IN.

RATHER, WE'VE OPENED OURSELVES

UP TO BEING CALLED TO ACT IN A

CERTAIN WAY IN THE SITUATION.

SO YOU FIND EXAMPLES OF THIS ALL

OVER THE PLACE.

I READ, RECENTLY, A BOOK BY

JOHN McPHEE CALLED

"A SENSE OF WHERE YOU ARE,"

WHICH IS A BOOK ABOUT

BILL BRADLEY, WHO WAS AN

EXTRAORDINARY COLLEGE BASKETBALL

PLAYER AND WENT ON TO BE A GREAT

BASKETBALL PLAYER IN THE NBA.

HE SAYS, "THE MOST AMAZING THING

ABOUT BRADLEY, WHEN HE'S TAKING

THE BALL DOWN THE COURT, IS HIS

VISION."

HE SAYS, "HE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE

LOOKING AT ANYTHING.

RATHER, HE'S A GLAZE OF PANOPTIC

ATTENTION."

[ CHUCKLES ]

"HE'S NOT FOCUSED ON ANYTHING,

BUT HE'S READY TO BE DRAWN INTO

WHATEVER IT IS THAT'S CALLING

HIM TO ACT AT THE MOMENT.

[ JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING ]

>> AUTHENTICITY MEANS OWNING UP

TO THE SITUATION YOU'RE IN,

CONFRONTING THE SITUATION, AND

DOING JUST WHAT NEEDS TO BE

DONE.

IT'S A RESPONSIVENESS TO THE

UNIQUE PARTICULAR SITUATION

YOU'RE IN.

WHEN YOU'RE AUTHENTIC, YOU'RE

RESOLUTE.

YOU'RE CONFRONTING THE SITUATION

YOU'RE IN AS THIS PARTICULAR

SITUATION, NOT JUST AS AN

EXAMPLE OF A KIND OF SITUATION.

>> I CALL IT "THE TEENAGE-BOY

PHENOMENON."

YOU KNOW, WHEN BOYS, OFTEN, ARE

TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY

OUGHT TO ACT AND WHAT IT'S COOL

TO DO AND WHAT IT'S UNCOOL TO DO

IN PARTICULAR SITUATIONS, YOU

OFTEN FIND SOME OF THEM WHO DO

WHAT THEY'RE SURE ONE OUGHT TO

DO IN A PARTICULAR SITUATION AND

THEY DO IT BECAUSE THEY'RE SURE

THEY OUGHT TO DO IT, AND IT'S

ALWAYS A DISASTER.

>> WHEN KIDS ARE COMING UP AND

THEY'RE LEARNING TO PLAY IN

SCHOOLS AND THEY'RE IN THAT SORT

OF FORMAL ENVIRONMENT, WHERE

THEY'RE IN FRONT OF A TEACHER,

PLAYING MUSIC, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE

FORCED TO BRING SOMETHING TO THE

TABLE AND THEY'RE TOLD TO GET

BETTER AND BETTER.

"YOU'RE NOT PLAYING WELL.

YOU NEED TO PLAY BETTER TODAY.

WHAT'S LACKING IS, LIKE,

LISTENING TO EVERYONE ELSE IN

THE ROOM AND SORT OF

UNDERSTANDING THAT, "I DON'T

HAVE TO RELY ON JUST EVERYTHING

THAT I KNOW.

IF I LISTEN TO THE OTHER GUYS AT

THE MOMENT, I CAN COME UP WITH

NEW THINGS ON THE SPOT."

THAT'S WHY I'M REALLY, LIKE, IN

TUNE WITH IT OR IN TOUCH OR

CHANNELING, IF YOU WANT TO SAY.

[ JAZZ MUSIC CONTINUES ]

>> SO, THE AUTHENTIC PERSON IS

THE ONE WHO WILL CONFRONT THIS

CONCRETE SITUATION, WHO WILL DO

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, IS

RESPONSIVE TO IT, ATTUNED TO IT,

AND WHO, THEREFORE, HAS A

CERTAIN KIND OF SPONTANEITY

THAT YOU DON'T GET IF YOU INSIST

ON FALLING BACK ON RULES,

PRINCIPLES, PROCEDURES, GENERIC

FORMULAS FOR HOW TO ACT AND WHAT

TO THINK AND WHAT TO SAY AND HOW

TO BE.

>> WHEN I WAS ONLY PLAYING

CLASSICAL, I WOULD JUST READ

WHAT WAS ON THE PAGE, LEARN IT,

AND MEMORIZE IT, AND PLAY IT.

WITH JAZZ, WHEN I'M IN THAT

ZONE, I'M NOT EVEN THINKING

ABOUT, "WHAT AM I PLAYING?" OR

WHAT NOTE.

IT'S JUST WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE

MOMENT WITH THE OTHER MUSICIANS,

AND THIS IS WHAT I'M BRINGING

OUT.

IT'S REALLY HARD TO DESCRIBE.

>> IT'S A VERY COMMON QUALITY

FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE LEARNING HOW

TO PLAY JAZZ TO BE VERY

INTROVERTED WITH THEIR MUSIC.

AND WHEN YOU'RE PRACTICING EVERY

DAY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU DO

BY YOURSELF.

YOU KNOW, YOU OPEN UP YOUR

PRACTICE BOOK AND YOU READ YOUR

NOTES OR WHATEVER OR YOU

PRACTICE YOUR RUDIMENTS ON THE

DRUMS, STUFF LIKE THAT, AND

THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU'RE

DOING ALL BY YOURSELF.

AND SO WHEN YOU GET TO A

PERFORMANCE SETTING, WHEN YOU'RE

AROUND OTHER MUSICIANS, THERE'S

A HUGE TENDENCY TO SORT OF GET

IN YOUR HEAD AND TO JUST GO BACK

TO WHAT YOU'RE USED TO DOING

EVERY DAY, SIX HOURS A DAY, IS

JUST PLAYING BY YOURSELF AND NOT

REALLY LISTENING FOR THE WAYS TO

REACT TO WHAT'S GOING ON

OUTWARDS.

AND AS YOU GROW OLDER AND AS YOU

GET MORE EXPERIENCE AND AS YOU

LEARN TO MASTER YOUR INSTRUMENT

AND MASTER MUSIC-MAKING, YOU

LEARN TO INCLUDE THE OTHER

MUSICIANS AND THEN, EVEN

FURTHER, INCLUDE THE AUDIENCE

AND ALSO INCLUDE THE NUANCES AND

THE DIFFERENT SORT OF ASPECTS

THAT ARE AROUND THE ROOM AND

BRING THAT IN AND USE THAT TO

HELP YOU CREATE THE MUSIC THAT

YOU'RE CREATING FOR, BECAUSE

YOU'RE ALWAYS CREATING MUSIC FOR

SOMEBODY.

>> ACTORS ACTUALLY HAVE THIS

WONDERFUL EXPRESSION -- IT'S

VERY HEIDEGGERIAN, THOUGH I

DON'T

THINK THEY KNOW IT -- WHICH IS

THAT WHEN YOU'RE ONSTAGE AND

YOU'RE ACTING, AS THEY SAY, YOU

HAVE TO OWN IT.

THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL WAY OF

DESCRIBING, YOU KNOW, GOING FOR

IT AND REALLY PUTTING YOURSELF

INTO IT AND NOT WANTING TO STEP

BACK AND DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM

WHAT YOU'RE UP TO.

IT'S VERY TEMPTING TO WANT TO

SORT OF KEEP THE BACK DOOR OPEN

SO THAT YOU CAN STEP OUT OF YOUR

ACTIONS AND DISAVOW THEM OR

RETHINK THEM OR PLAY THE SCENE

ALL OVER AGAIN AND SO ON.

BUT IF YOU'RE ONSTAGE AND

ACTING, YOU CAN TELL WHEN AN

ACTOR IS RETICENT IN THAT WAY.

>> IN THESE KINDS OF SITUATIONS,

THEY EXPERIENCE THEMSELVES AS

HAVING THE ACTION DRAWN OUT OF

THEM, AND YOU'LL FIND IT IN

SPORTING EVENTS.

I'M SURE THAT YOU'LL FIND IT IN

MUSIC.

YOU'LL FIND IT IN ANY DOMAIN

WHERE OPERATING IN THE DOMAIN

REQUIRES A SOPHISTICATED KIND OF

SKILL AND REQUIRES A KIND OF

OPENNESS TO WHAT'S GOING ON AT

THE MOMENT.

AND THAT GOES, ALSO, FOR THE

DOMAIN OF LIVING A LIFE.

>> THERE'S SOMETHING WEIRD ABOUT

THIS TEA.

I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT IT DOESN'T

POUR.

SO LET'S NOT WORRY ABOUT IT.

>> THEN I'LL KEEP -- GO AHEAD.

>> WELL...

>> IT'S POURING.

IT'S JUST POURING SLOWLY.

>> VERY SLOWLY.

I'LL HAVE TO GIVE IT ARTIFICIAL

RESPIRATION.

I NEVER DID THIS BEFORE.

SEE IF THAT SAVES IT.

AHA.

I HAVE TO BECOME A TEA DOCTOR.

>> THERE'S REAL TENSION IN

SOCIETIES BETWEEN CONFORMISM AND

INDIVIDUALISM.

IN ORDER FOR SOCIETY TO

FUNCTION, THERE HAS TO BE A

CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF

REGULARITY IN A HUMAN BEHAVIOR.

>> THERE IS WHAT HEIDEGGER CALLS

"THE ONE," WHICH IS HIS NAME FOR

NAME FOR THE SOCIAL NORMS.

THAT IS, YOU DO WHAT ONE DOES.

YOU DRIVE ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE

OF THE STREET, YOU WEAR CLOTHES,

YOU STAND WITH THE DISTANCE THAT

ONE IS SUPPOSED TO STAND IN YOUR

CULTURE WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE,

AND SO FORTH.

>> THERE IS A SENSE THAT

MINDLESS CONFORMISM IS

DEHUMANIZING AND DESTROYS WHAT'S

GREAT ABOUT US AND UNIQUE ABOUT

US.

SO WE VALUE INDIVIDUALITY, AS

WELL.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A TENSION

THERE.

IF EVERYBODY'S AN INDIVIDUAL,

THEN YOU LOSE THE BENEFITS THAT

COME FROM SHARE ADHERENCE TO

RULES AND SHARED NORMS AND

VALUES.

SO THERE'S ALWAYS A TENSION

GOING ON THERE.

>> SO, IF YOU DID SOMETHING THAT

WAS REALLY, TOTALLY, RADICALLY

NEW AND HAD NO CONTINUITY WITH

THE TRADITIONS OF THE CULTURE

YOU'RE IN, IT WOULD BE

UNINTELLIGIBLE.

AND IT WOULDN'T JUST BE

UNINTELLIGIBLE TO YOUR FRIENDS.

IT WOULD BE UNINTELLIGIBLE TO

YOU.

>> IF YOU SORT OF THROW OFF ALL

YOUR CLOTHES AND ROLL IN THE

FLOWERS AT LUNCHTIME, WHEN

EVERYBODY ELSE IS EATING THEIR

SAUERKRAUT AND WURST OR

SOMETHING, THAT ISN'T IT, NO.

>> THERE'S A CERTAIN ROMANTIC

CONCEPTION WHICH IS THAT YOU

JUST BURST OUT OF ALL

CONVENTIONAL CONSTRAINTS, ALL

NORMS AND RECEIVED OPINIONS, AND

YOU JUST BECOME YOUR OWN PERSON.

WE'RE THOROUGHLY CONDITIONED BY

THE WORLD WE'RE IN, AND THAT

WORLD IS A WORLD OF CUSTOMS,

TRADITIONS, PRACTICES THAT WE'RE

JUST SO IMMERSED IN, WE CAN

NEVER SEE OUR WAY OUT OF IT.

SO THE ONLY WAY TO DO ANYTHING

SKILLFULLY AND WITH INNOVATION

AND INSIGHT AND SENSITIVITY AND

AUTHENTICALLY IS TO BE

APPROPRIATING TRADITIONS,

PRACTICES, CUSTOMS THAT ARE ALL

AROUND US IN THE WORLD THAT

WE'VE JUST ABSORBED.

>> WHEN THE SOUTH AMERICAN

TEAMS, ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO,

REALIZED THAT THEY COULD GAIN

SOME SPACE OVER THE GERMANS BY

PULLING THE BALL BACK TO RIGHT

ONTO THE SIDELINE -- RIGHT?

THEY'D PULL IT BACK TO THE

SIDELINE, AND THE GERMANS REALLY

RESPECT THE RULES AND THE

BOUNDARIES.

THEY WOULDN'T COME IN.

SO IT GAVE THEM A LITTLE ROOM,

RIGHT?

SO THEY USED THE SUPERIOR SKILL

THAT THEY HAD TO REALLY

MANIPULATE THE LINES.

IT GAVE THEM SPACE, AND THEY

STARTED BEATING THE GERMAN TEAMS

AGAIN.

>> THE EXAMPLE OF AN ATHLETE, I

THINK, IS A GOOD ILLUSTRATION OF

THIS.

ATHLETES ARE RULE-BOUND,

RULE-GOVERNED.

YOU CAN'T PLAY THE GAME UNLESS

YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE RULES.

BUT THE GREAT ATHLETES SEE A WAY

TO EXPRESS SOMETHING ABOUT THE

GAME WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE

RULES BUT IN A WAY THAT OTHER

PEOPLE HADN'T THOUGHT TO DO OR

AREN'T ABLE TO DO.

>> A REAL INNOVATOR CHANGES THE

WAY THE GAME IS PLAYED AND THE

GAME TAKES ON A NEW STYLE AND

PEOPLE START PLAYING IT

DIFFERENTLY, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE

FOLLOWING THE SAME RULES.

>> THERE'S THE FAMOUS EXAMPLE,

THE FOSBURY FLOP.

HE JUMPS WITH HIS BACK TO THE

THING HE'S JUMPING OVER.

EVERYBODY ELSE WENT -- SORT OF

DIVED OVER.

AND EVERYBODY THOUGHT IT WAS

CRAZY, BUT HE WON GOLD MEDALS AT

THE OLYMPICS.

>> THE SAME RULES ARE GOVERNING

THE GAME, BUT NOW THE GAME HAS A

WHOLE NEW LOOK.

THERE'S A WAY OF DOING THINGS

THAT'S ALTOGETHER NEW.

>> HEIDEGGER HAD TO WORK OUT A

NEW NOTION OF "WORLD," BECAUSE

IT WAS CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT THE

IDEAS IN ANOTHER REALM THAT

PLATO WAS THINKING ABOUT, AND

IT'S NOT THE SUM TOTAL OF

OBJECTS, WHICH IS WHAT DESCARTES

WAS THINKING ABOUT.

WELL, THEN WHAT IS IT?

WHAT IS IT TO BE OPEN TO THE

WORLD THE WAY WE ARE?

WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE OPEN TO

WHEN WE'RE OPEN TO THE WORLD?

WHAT IS IT TO HAVE A WORLD AT

ALL?

THERE ARE LOTS OF WORLDS.

THERE'S THE WORLD OF JAZZ, THE

WORLD CARPENTRY, THE WORLD OF

COOKING, THE SPORTS WORLDS, AND

THEN THERE'S OUR WORLD, "OUR"

MEANING THE ACADEMIC WORLD.

>> HEIDEGGER THOUGHT THAT OUR

HIGHEST DIGNITY AS HUMAN BEINGS,

WHAT REALLY SET US APART FROM

EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE UNIVERSE,

WAS OUR CAPACITY TO DISCLOSE

WHOLE NEW WORLDS, TO OPEN UP

WHOLE NEW POSSIBILITIES.

[ FLAMENCO GUITAR PLAYING ]

HEIDEGGER COINED THIS IDEA OF

DISCLOSURE -- TO CAPTURE

SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT USED TO

THINKING ABOUT.

AND THAT IS THE WAY THAT THINGS

ONLY SHOW THEMSELVES WHEN ALL

THE CONDITIONS OF SKILL AND ALL

THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THEM

ARE POSSIBLE.

AND THEN THE EXPERIENCE THERE IS

OF SOMETHING OPENING UP, A SPACE

OF POSSIBILITIES OPENING UP, A

WAY OF INHABITING THE WORLD

OPENING UP.

AND IT'S NOT LIKE IT WAS THERE

ALL ALONG.

IT'S NOT LIKE THE WORLD OF JAZZ

MUSIC WAS SOMEWHERE THERE IN THE

MIDDLE AGES, SAY, OR IN THE

GREEK WORLD JUST WAITING TO BE

DISCOVERED.

IT WAS SOMETHING THAT HAD TO

HAVE A SPACE PROVIDED FOR IT.

>> [ SINGING IN SPANISH ]

>> THESE WORLDS, THESE COHERENT

WHOLE ORGANIZED WAYS OF BEING

HUMANS IN ACTIVITIES AT OBJECTS

IN THE WORLD -- ALL OF THAT

REQUIRES SOMETHING TO OPEN IT

UP.

>> [ SINGING IN SPANISH ]

[ APPLAUSE ]

[ LAUGHTER ]

[ LAUGHTER ]

>> HEIDEGGER, ESPECIALLY IN THE

LAST FEW DECADES OF HIS LIFE,

BECAME OBSESSED WITH WHAT HE

CALLED "THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF

THE WEST."

IT WASN'T THE SORT OF HISTORY

THAT HISTORIANS USUALLY TALK

ABOUT -- THINGS HAPPENING,

BATTLES BEING FOUGHT.

INSTEAD, IT WAS THE HISTORY OF

CHANGES IN WORLDS.

[ THUNDER RUMBLES ]

>> HEIDEGGER SAW THAT THERE WERE

EPOCHS IN WHAT HE CALLED THE

HISTORY OF BEING" IN WHICH THERE

WERE NOW A WHOLE DIFFERENT STYLE

OF COPING AND A WHOLE DIFFERENT

STYLE OF EVERYTHING.

>> EVERYTHING IS.

WE DON'T USUALLY THINK ABOUT

WHAT IS-NESS MEANS, BUT IN HIS

VIEW, THE HISTORY OF BEING IS A

SERIES OF THREE TO FIVE

DIFFERENT FUNDAMENTALLY

DIFFERENT WAYS OF CONCEIVING OF

IS-NESS.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE

PEOPLE WALK AROUND THINKING

IS-NESS IS THIS OR IT'S THAT.

IT'S JUST THEY'RE SOCIALIZED

INTO IT.

THEY GROW UP LEARNING TO DEAL

WITH THINGS THROUGH PRACTICES

AND DIFFERENT WAYS.

>> THERE WAS THIS EARLY GREEK

EPOCH, AND THAT WAS AN EPOCH IN

WHICH THE NAME FOR BEING WAS

"PHYSIS," AND IT MEANS "NATURE."

>> THEY HAD A SENSE THAT TO BE

WAS TO SORT OF EMERGE, TO OPEN

UP OR BLOSSOM OR DAWN INTO THE

LIGHT, INTO THE OPENING AND THEN

TO SORT OF WITHER AWAY AND TO

FADE AWAY.

>> THINGS WERE WHOOSHING UP,

LINGERING AWHILE, AND THEN GOING

AWAY -- IMPORTANT THINGS.

EMOTIONS WELL UP AND LINGER AND

GO AWAY.

MOODS WELL UP AND GO AWAY.

GREAT ATHLETIC PERFORMANCES DO

THAT.

>> AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU

LOSE A SENSE OF IF YOU THINK

THAT TO BE IS JUST TO BE AN

OBJECT OF KNOWLEDGE.

>> THEN WHAT HAPPENED AFTER

THAT?

THE CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF

BEING IN GREEK WAS "POIESIS,"

AND POIESIS MEANS "BRINGING

THINGS OUT."

BUT THIS IS LIKE GROWING CROPS.

THIS IS NURTURING.

IT WAS WHAT CRAFTSMEN DO.

SO LIKE HIROSHI, THEY WERE

HELPING THE GRAIN IN THE WOOD

COME OUT AND SHOW ITSELF AT ITS

BEST.

AND, OF COURSE, COOKS DO THE

SAME THING.

THEY BRING OUT WHAT'S BEST IN

THE FOOD AND THEY BRING OUT

WHAT'S BEST IN THE PEOPLE EATING

THE FOOD AND THEY BRING THEM ALL

TOGETHER.

SOMETHING OF POIESIS IS STILL

LEFT FROM THAT EPOCH, AND IT'S

KIND OF MARGINAL FOR US NOW.

I MEAN, THE BIG BANQUETS WERE

THE CENTRAL THING FOR THE

HOMERIC GREEKS, AND THE

CRAFTSMEN WERE THE CENTRAL THING

FOR THE POIESIS EPOCH.

BUT WE STILL HAVE A SENSE OF

THAT, AND JUST AS WE STILL HAVE

A SENSE OF THINGS WHOOSHING

UP, MOODS PARTICULARLY.

NOW, THEN WHAT'S THE NEXT ONE IS

VERY INTERESTINGLY DIFFERENT

THAN POIESIS.

INSTEAD OF BRINGING OUT WHAT'S

IN THINGS, THE ROMAN

UNDERSTANDING OF BEING WAS TO

IMPOSE FORM ON MATTER, AND

INSTEAD OF BRINGING THINGS OUT,

YOU HAMMERED IT INTO SHAPE.

YOU IMPOSED AN ORDER ON

EVERYTHING.

THEIR FAVORITE THING, I WOULD

IMAGINE, WOULD BE BRICKS.

YOU JUST GOT THIS MUD.

YOU CAN'T BRING OUT THE FORM IN

THE MUD BY POIESIS.

YOU JUST MAKE THE MUD INTO

BRICKS, YOU MAKE THE BRICKS INTO

ROADS. YOU MAKE THE ROADS INTO

BRIDGES, AND YOU ADMINISTER THE

WHOLE ROMAN EMPIRE.

YOU KEPT DOWN THE CROWD, AS

VIRGIL SAYS, THE GREAT PERSON

DOES.

THEN THAT SETS UP THE CHRISTIAN

ONE.

AND, FINALLY, THERE'S ONLY ONE

BIG PRODUCER, GOD.

HE IMPOSES ALL THE FORMS ON

EVERYTHING.

EVERYTHING HAS ITS PROPER PLACE

IN A HIERARCHY, AND EVERYBODY

KNOWS WHAT TO DO BECAUSE THEY

GOT THAT PLACE.

THE KING DOES WHAT KINGS DO, AND

THE BISHOPS DO WHAT BISHOPS DO.

AND NOBODY HAS TO EVER WORRY

ABOUT WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE A

SOLDIER OR A PEASANT OR A

BISHOP, 'CAUSE THAT'S ALL

SETTLED FOR THEM IN THEIR GIVEN

TRADITION AND THEIR FAMILY AND

THEIR LOCATION IN THE SCHEME OF

THINGS.

WHAT ARE ALL THINGS THEN?

WELL, WE HAVE A WORD FOR IT.

WE JUST DON'T NOTICE IT.

THEY'RE ALL CREATURES --

CREATURES CREATED BY THIS

SUPREME BEING.

>> AND THEY THOUGHT ALL THE

THINGS WERE ORDERED BY HOW CLOSE

THEY WOULD APPROACH TO GOD'S

NATURE.

THEY HAD A NOTION, IN THE

CHRISTIAN WORLD, OF WHAT THEY

CALLED "NOBLE METALS" -- THINGS

LIKE GOLD AND SILVER.

THESE WERE NOBLE BECAUSE THE

CHRISTIANS THOUGHT THEY WERE

MORE LIKE GOD.

THEY WERE INCORRUPTIBLE.

THEY WOULDN'T RUST.

AND SO WHEN YOU LOOKED AT GOLD,

YOU THOUGHT, "THAT GOLD IS MUCH

CLOSER TO GOD THAN JUST AN

ORDINARY ROCK."

AND IT WAS ALL ORGANIZED AROUND

GOD THE HIGHEST AND GREATEST

THING IN THE UNIVERSE.

>> IT'S A VERY CLOSED WORLD.

IF, AS HEIDEGGER THINKS, HUMAN

BEINGS ARE THERE TO OPEN WORLDS,

THIS IS ABOUT AS FAR FROM WHERE

WE SHOULD BE AS WE CAN GET.

>> THE WAY HEIDEGGER UNDERSTOOD

IT, THE MODERN AGE LASTED FROM

ROUGHLY THE 16th CENTURY TO THE

20th CENTURY.

>> THE MODERN SUBJECT HAS TAKEN

THE PLACE OF GOD.

IT'S US WHO GIVE EVERYTHING ITS

MEANING.

>> WHAT HUMANS IN THE MODERN AGE

WERE ALL ABOUT WAS DOMINANCE --

DOMINATING THE WORLD, SUBJECTING

IT TO THEIR WILL.

AND SO, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE

GREAT HEROES OF THE LAST SEVERAL

HUNDRED YEARS, THEY WERE

EXPLORERS AND CONQUERORS BRAVELY

ENCOUNTERING NEW SITUATIONS OR

SCIENTISTS WHO CRACKED THE CODE

AND FIGURED OUT HOW TO

MANIPULATE THINGS AND USE THINGS

OR COWBOYS WHO HAD THIS SORT OF

DEEP INNER WILL, AND THEY COULD

GO OUT AND BREAK DOWN ANY

OBSTACLES IN THE PATH TO

ACHIEVING WHAT THEY DESIRED.

>> NOW WE'RE IN SOMETHING

ENTIRELY NEW, WHAT HE CALLS

"THE TECHNOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING

OF BEING."

>> HEIDEGGER WANTS TO USE THE

WORD "TECHNOLOGY" TO TALK ABOUT

OUR UNIQUELY CONTEMPORARY WAY OF

EXPERIENCING THE WORLD.

>> EVERYTHING IS INTERCONNECTED,

EVERYTHING IS EXCHANGEABLE, AND

ALL MEANINGFUL DISTINCTIONS HAVE

BEEN GOTTEN RID OF, EXCEPT THIS

ONE SORT OF EMPTY DISTINCTION --

TO BE EFFICIENT AND OPTIMIZED.

AND YOU SEE IT ALL OVER THE

PLACE.

WE'RE SO USED TO IT THAT WE

DON'T EVEN NOTICE IT.

THAT'S WHAT GREAT PHILOSOPHERS

ARE SUPPOSED TO DO IS HELP US

SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND OUR

UNDERSTANDING OF BEING.

>> EFFICIENCY DEMANDS A KIND OF

STANDARDIZATION.

YOU HAVE A FEW WAYS THAT YOU

BECOME VERY, VERY GOOD AT AND

THEN YOU REPEAT THEM OVER AND

OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER

AGAIN.

YOU HAVE THESE SORT OF

FRIGHTENING SUBDIVISIONS THAT

YOU SEE AS YOU DRIVE IN FROM THE

AIRPORT, USUALLY, WHERE ALL THE

HOUSES ON THE SIDE OF THE HILL

ARE THE SAME SHAPE, THE SAME

COLOR.

THEY JUST DISCOVERED THAT'S THE

MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO BUILD A

HOUSE AND THEY JUST BUILD THEM

ALL THAT WAY.

AND EVERYBODY MANAGES TO LIVE

THAT WAY, AND SO EVERYTHING IS

TOTALLY STANDARDIZED.

EVERYTHING IS JUST RESOURCES TO

BE OPTIMIZED.

>> THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO

FEED PEOPLE IS TO HAVE A FEW

WAYS OF DOING IT, AND THEN YOU

IMPOSE IT EVERYWHERE.

THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO MAKE A

BROAD RANGE OF GOODS AVAILABLE

TO EVERYBODY IS TO DO IT ON A

BIG SCALE, LIKE WALMART DOES --

RIGHT? -- AND MAKE EVERY ONE

INDISTINGUISHABLE AND HAVE

EVERYTHING ORGANIZED AND

EFFICIENTLY LAID OUT.

>> IT'S JUST TO GET THE WORLD AS

ORGANIZED AS POSSIBLE AND TO

BRING MORE AND MORE INTO THIS

TOTAL ORGANIZATION.

IT'S REALLY SYSTEMS THINKING.

EVERYTHING IS A SYSTEM.

THE AIRPLANE IS NO LONGER AN

OBJECT WHEN IT'S SITTING ON THE

RUNWAY.

IT'S A COG IN THE TRANSPORTATION

SYSTEM.

AND YOU MIGHT THINK, "WELL, AT

LEAST YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE TO

EITHER TAKE THE PLANE OR NOT

TAKE THE PLANE," BUT NO.

THE TOURIST INDUSTRY HAS BEEN

SET UP FOR IT TO MAKE YOU A

FILLER OF THIS POTENTIALITY FOR

RUNNING AROUND THAT'S ON THE

RUNWAY.

BUT WHY WILL PEOPLE GO?

JUST TO GET A REST AND GET MORE

ENERGETIC SO THAT THEY CAN

PLUNGE BACK INTO THE RAT RACE,

IN WHICH THEY'RE ALL

REPLACEABLE.

THEY'RE JUST DOING SOME JOB

EFFICIENTLY, AND IF SOMEBODY

COMES ALONG AND DOES IT MORE

EFFICIENTLY, THEY CAN BE

REPLACED.

>> ONE OF THE DANGERS OF

TECHNOLOGY IS IT RELIEVES US OF

THE BURDEN OF HAVING TO DEVELOP

SKILLS.

TECHNOLOGY IS ALWAYS SOLD AS A

LABOR-SAVING DEVICE.

WHEN YOU BUY THE LATEST

TECHNOLOGY FOR COOKING, THE

PROMISE IS THAT YOU CAN COOK AS

WELL AS A MASTER WITHOUT ANY OF

THE SKILLS THAT THE MASTER HAS.

AND THAT GOES FOR EVERYTHING,

WITH MUSIC, AS WELL.

SO ALL OF US NOW TODAY CAN ENJOY

MUSIC OF A QUALITY UNIMAGINABLE

TO MOST PEOPLE IN THE HISTORY OF

THE WORLD IN THE COMFORT OF OUR

HOMES WITH VERY LITTLE COST AND

VERY LITTLE EFFORT.

THAT'S A GREAT PROMISE.

WHO WOULD GIVE UP ON THAT

PLEASURE OF HEARING MUSIC IN

THAT WAY?

BUT THE DANGER IS THAT WE GIVE

IN TO THE SEDUCTIONS OF

TECHNOLOGY TO THE DEGREE THAT WE

LOSE ALL OF THESE SKILLS.

>> THE INTERNET IS ACTUALLY A

MUCH BETTER EXAMPLE, BECAUSE

WHAT THE INTERNET IS DOING IS --

IT'S BASICALLY TRANSFORMING ALL

REALITY INTO INFORMATION.

>> EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET IS

EQUAL.

YOU CAN HAVE THE MOST IMPORTANT

INFORMATION RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO

THE MOST TRIVIAL.

YOU CAN FIND OUT, ON TWITTER,

WHAT YOUR FRIENDS HAD FOR

BREAKFAST AND YOU CAN FIND OUT,

ALSO, THAT THERE WERE 100 PEOPLE

KILLED IN IRAQ THAT DAY WITH

GOOGLE AND FIND ANYTHING AND

YOU CAN GO ON WIKIPEDIA AND GET

ANY FACTS ABOUT ANYTHING.

AND THAT, IN A CERTAIN WAY, IS

TERRIFIC, IF YOU JUST USE IT FOR

SOMETHING RELEVANT, BUT IF YOU

THINK THAT THAT'S JUST THE BEST

THING IN THE WORLD JUST TO HAVE

MORE AND MORE INFORMATION, MORE

AND MORE TRANSFORMABLE STUFF,

MORE AND MORE APPLICATIONS FOR

YOUR iPHONE THAT MAKE IT ABLE TO

DO MORE AND MORE THINGS AND THAT

THAT'S JUST WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT,

EVERYTHING GETS LEVELED.

THERE'S NO MEANINGFUL

DIFFERENCES ANYMORE BETWEEN

WHAT'S IMPORTANT AND NOT

IMPORTANT, WHAT'S TRIVIAL AND

WHAT'S CRUCIAL, WHAT'S RELEVANT

AND IRRELEVANT.

IT'S ALL REDUCED JUST TO MORE

INFORMATION.

>> IF YOU WANT TO REALLY BE

EFFICIENT, YOU DON'T WANT THIS

KIND OF, YOU KNOW, INTERFERENCE

THAT, "HEY, THIS IS SUNDAY" OR

"THIS IS CHRISTMAS."

I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO STOP THAT.

OR "THIS IS THE MIDDLE OF THE

NIGHT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

NO. 24/7 IS ONE OF THE GREAT,

GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR

CIVILIZATION.

SOME THINGS GO ON ALL THE TIME,

ARE AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME, AND

IT'S VERY HANDY.

YOU KNOW, 3:00 IN THE MORNING,

AT A RUSH TO MY COMPUTER, AND I

CAN GOOGLE, AND NOBODY'S GONNA

SAY TO ME, ON THE SCREEN, "THIS

IS NOT AVAILABLE.

THIS PAGE IS NOT AVAILABLE

'CAUSE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE

SLEEPING."

NO. THEY'RE GONNA GIVE IT TO ME.

SO IT'S ABSOLUTELY A GREAT

BENEFIT FROM IT MYSELF, BUT YOU

CAN SEE WHAT THIS IS DOING.

WHAT IS IT DOING?

MAKING US LOOK AT TIME AS

SOMETHING THAT IS INFINITELY

USABLE AND ACCESSIBLE.

DOESN'T MATTER WHEN IT IS, I CAN

ACCESS, RIGHT?

AS AGAINST BEING FORCED BACK

INTO UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE

ARE TIMES THAT ARE JUST

DIFFERENT, THAT HAVE A DIFFERENT

QUALITY.

IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE TO USE THEM

IN THIS WAY.

[ JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING ]

>> AND IT'S TRUE THAT IT CHANGES

US, SO WE HAVE TO BECOME THE

KIND OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SATISFIED

WITH THE SORT OF COMMODITIES

THAT ARE DELIVERED TO US.

YOU COULD IMAGINE PEOPLE WHO

REALLY CONNOISSEURS OF JAZZ

MUSIC WHO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT

ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT

JAZZ MUSIC IS THE WAY THE

MUSICIANS ARE RESPONDING TO THE

PERFORMANCE HALL AND THE

AUDIENCE AND THE PARTICULAR

MUSICIANS THAT ARE THERE AND THE

WEATHER AND WHATEVER ACCIDENTS

ARE HAPPENING.

THE JAZZ MUSICIANS ARE

INCORPORATING IT INTO THEIR

PERFORMANCE.

[ JAZZ MUSIC CONTINUES ]

>> RESPONDING TO THE OTHER

MUSICIANS IS ONE OF THE MOST

IMPORTANT THINGS.

>> IN PLAYING TOGETHER, YOU'LL

HEAR THAT IN THE MUSIC, WHERE

THE PIANO WILL PLAY SOMETHING,

THE BASS WILL REACT, AND THE

DRUMS ARE PLAYING, AND THEN THE

TRUMPET WILL JUMP IN.

YOU ARE INTERACTING WITH

EVERYTHING.

EVERYTHING IS A PART OF WHAT

YOU'RE TRYING TO GET TO.

ANYTHING CAN CHANGE WHAT'S

HAPPENING.

THE CELLPHONE GOES OFF, AND

THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT'S

LIKE, "OH, YOU KNOW, THE CAT

MIGHT MAKE FUN OF IT ON THE

PIANO OR EVEN ON THE TRUMPET,"

OR WHATEVER IT IS, AND IT ALL

BECOMES A PART OF THE

PERFORMANCE.

>> AND IF YOU, AS A LISTENER ARE

A SKILLFUL LISTENER AND HAVE THE

BODILY DISPOSITIONS TO PICK UP

ON THAT, YOU'D NEVER BE

SATISFIED BY LISTENING TO A

RECORDED JAZZ PERFORMANCE ON CD,

BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE

PERFORMANCE THAT WOULD BE

OPTIMAL FOR YOUR BEDROOM OR

LIVING ROOM.

BUT TECHNOLOGY MAKES US, ALSO,

THE SORT OF FLEXIBLE PEOPLE WHO

ARE SATISFIED WITH A SORT OF

CHEAP IMITATION OF ALL THE GOODS

THAT DEEPLY SKILLFUL PRACTICES

DELIVER.

[ FLAMENCO GUITAR PLAYS ]

I'VE HEARD THAT FLAMENCO ARTISTS

HAVE A DEEP AVERSION TO EVEN

BEING RECORDED FOR THIS VERY

REASON.

THEY HAVE JUST AN INTUITIVE

SENSE THAT RECORDING THEM AND

MAKING THEIR PERFORMANCE

REPRODUCIBLE IN ALL SORTS OF

FOREIGN CONTEXTS IS DISTORTING

THAT FLAMENCO IS REALLY ALL

ABOUT.

>> TECHNOLOGY IS SOMETHING TO BE

GRATEFUL FOR.

WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO NOT BE

SEDUCED BY TECHNOLOGY, TO KEEP

THIS DRIVE ALIVE, THIS DESIRE

ALIVE TO BE HUMANS.

>> IN HIS LAST YEARS, HEIDEGGER

WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO

RESIST THE TECHNOLOGICAL

UNDERSTANDING OF BEING AND HAVE

A MEANINGFUL HUMAN LIFE IN SPITE

OF IT.

>> WE'RE SPEAKING TO A MALAISE

THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL, BUT

THEY MAY FEEL, "WELL, I FEEL

THIS MALAISE, BUT, I MEAN, I

HAVE NO RIGHT TO BECAUSE THIS IS

PROGRESS, RIGHT?

THIS IS CIVILIZATION" OR "THIS

IS MODERNITY" OR "THIS IS, YOU

KNOW -- WE MADE THIS TREMENDOUS

LEAP AHEAD FROM ALL THOSE

BENIGHTED PEASANTS IN THE MIDDLE

AGES, SO WHO AM I TO COMPLAIN?"

THIS SENSE OF BEING SORT OF

MORALLY COMPELLED NOT TO

PROTEST, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE

HAVE ALONGSIDE THE FEELING

"SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE, BUT I

CAN'T BELIEVE THE FEELING

BECAUSE REASON TELLS ME THE

CONTRARY" -- WE CAN EXPLODE THAT

MYTH.

>> THE PROBLEM IS HOW TO RESPECT

TECHNOLOGY, APPRECIATE

TECHNOLOGY, USE IT TO GET RID OF

ALL THE DUMB STUFF THAT WE USED

TO HAVE TO DO AND YET NOT LET IT

GET RID OF WHAT MATTERS AND WHAT

IS LOCAL AND WHAT IS UNIQUE AND

WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT AND

MEANINGFUL FOR US.

[ LAUGHTER ]

>> IF I THINK NATURE AROUND ME

IS NOTHING BUT MEANINGLESS STUFF

WAITING TO BE OPTIMIZED, THEN

WHY SHOULDN'T I JUST PUT A NICE,

BIG HOTEL HERE, MAKE A LOT OF

MONEY, ALL THE PEOPLE CAN SEE

THE OCEAN?

THE IDEA THAT THERE'S SOMETHING

THERE INDEPENDENTLY OF ME IS

SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO CULTIVATE

AND DEVELOP A SENSITIVITY TO,

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT A POET

DOES.

THE POET IS SORT OF THE

PARADIGMATIC INSTANCE OF THE

PERSON WHO'S LEARNED A

RECEPTIVITY TO THINGS

INDEPENDENT OF US.

WE CAN ALL LEARN THAT.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A POET OR

AN ARTIST.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BE A COOK OR A

CARPENTER OR A SOCCER PLAYER.

[ SIZZLING ]

LIFE IS MADE MOST MEANINGFUL

WHEN YOU RESPOND TO MEANINGS

THAT ARE INDEPENDENT OF YOU,

RIGHT?

I MEAN, THIS IS A POINT THAT

GOES BACK TO KIERKEGAARD.

KIERKEGAARD SAID THAT, "IF YOU

THINK ALL MEANING COMES FROM

YOU, THEN YOU CAN JUST TAKE IT

BACK.

YOU'RE A KING WITHOUT A CASTLE,"

RIGHT?

"YOU'RE A SOVEREIGN OF A LAND OF

NOTHING.

THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING IN THE

WORLD THAT PUSHES BACK, THAT HAS

SOME FORCE OVER YOU, OR ELSE

YOU'LL NEVER EXPERIENCE ANYTHING

AS REALLY MATTERING TO YOU.

>> THE STANDARDIZATION THAT'S

REQUIRED FOR EFFICIENCY RULES

OUT THOSE SORT OF PRACTICES, AND

WHAT CHARACTERIZES ALL OF THEM

IS THAT THEY'RE NOT TERRIBLY

EFFICIENT.

THEY REQUIRE A REAL SENSITIVITY

AND RECEPTIVITY TO WHAT THE

PARTICULAR WORLD REQUIRES.

>> JAPANESE CARPENTRY DOESN'T

HAVE THE FOCUS ON EFFICIENCY.

IT'S THE QUALITY THAT'S REALLY

IMPORTANT AND THE FEELING, AND

SO SOME PROJECTS -- FOR

INSTANCE, HIROSHI DID THIS

PROJECT THAT TOOK SEVEN YEARS.

AFTER HE SELECTED THE WOOD, IT

TOOK TWO YEARS FOR THE WOOD TO

DRY.

AND THEN IT TOOK 18 MONTHS TO

CUT EVERYTHING OUT IN HIS SHOP.

YOU HAVE TO BE PATIENT IF YOU

WANT A JAPANESE STRUCTURE.

>> THE WAY IN WHICH MICHELANGELO

SAW DAVID IN THE MARBLE -- THERE

WAS, LIKE, THE INCHOATE

POSSIBILITY OF DAVID, AND HE

BROUGHT IT OUT.

FOR ME, THAT'S WHAT WE ALL HAVE

TO DO IN OUR LIVES IN WHATEVER

WAY.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE

MYSTERIOUS TO TALK ABOUT IT LIKE

THAT, BUT I THINK ANYBODY WHO

GETS REALLY GOOD AT THINGS HAS

SOME SENSE FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO

BRING OUT WHAT'S THERE THAT

NOBODY'S SEEN.

FOR ME, IT WAS SPORTS WHEN I WAS

YOUNGER.

NOW IT'S TEACHING, RIGHT?

AND THAT MEANS INTERPRETING

TEXTS.

SO I GET INCREDIBLE JOY OUT OF

SHOWING THAT A TEXT THAT'S BEEN

READ FOR 2,000 YEARS -- THERE'S

THINGS THERE THAT NOBODY'S EVER

SEEN THAT ARE REALLY THERE AND

THAT ONCE WE ARTICULATE THEM

TOGETHER, WE CAN ALL SEE THAT

THEY'RE REALLY THERE, RIGHT?

THAT GREAT TEXTS ARE

INEXHAUSTIBLE IN THE SAME WAY

THAT REALITY ITSELF IS

INEXHAUSTIBLE.

I THINK THAT'S THE LESSON THAT

THERE'S THIS KIND OF MYSTERIOUS

SOURCE THAT CONTINUES TO OFFER

HUMANITY MEANING.

YOU CAN CALL IT GOD, IF YOU'RE

RELIGIOUS -- RELIGIOUS IN THE

LITERAL SENSE OF RELIGION --

EVERYTHING'S INTERCONNECTED.

>> A FOCAL PRACTICE REVERSES AL

ALL THE BAD THINGS WE'VE TALKED

ABOUT.

IT DRAWS A GROUP OF PEOPLE

TOGETHER AROUND SOME SPECIFIC

THING THAT MATTERS, THAT

REQUIRES A KIND OF SKILL AND

MASTERY IN ORDER TO BE DONE AND

WHICH BRINGS THE PEOPLE OUT IN

THEIR OWN UNIQUENESS, AT THEIR

BEST.

>> I TELL MY STUDENTS, "YOU

CAN'T BUY THE MEANING OF LIFE,

YOU CAN'T BORROW IT, AND YOU

CAN'T MANUFACTURE IT."

YOU CAN ONLY DISCOVER IT."

AND I THEN INVITE THEM TO SEARCH

THEIR EXPERIENCES AND THEIR

HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS FOR

OCCASIONS WHERE THEY ARE IN A

POSITION TO AFFIRM FOUR

PROPOSITIONS.

THE FIRST IS "THERE'S NO PLACE

I WOULD RATHER BE."

THE SECOND IS "THERE'S NO ONE

I'D RATHER BE WITH."

THE THIRD IS "THERE'S NOTHING

I'D RATHER BE DOING."

AND THE FOURTH IS "THIS I WILL

REMEMBER WELL."

>> THERE ARE MOMENTS WHEN I'M

JUGGLING -- AND THEY'RE MY

FAVORITE MOMENTS -- WHEN I JUST

GET LOST IN WHAT I'M DOING.

AND WHAT HAPPENS TO ME

ONSTAGE -- I GET TO SHARE THAT

MOMENT WITH MY AUDIENCE.

I WILL JUGGLE IN A CROWDED BAR,

AND I KNOW IT'S WORKING WHEN

PEOPLE GO SILENT AND EVERYONE

STOPS AND EVERYONE LOOKS BECAUSE

THEY CAN'T HELP IT.

AND THOSE ARE MAGIC.

THOSE ARE MAGIC MOMENTS.

AND THAT'S WHY I DO IT.

>> WITH JAZZ, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE

ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THE STARS

OF JAZZ, SOMEBODY LIKE

WYNTON MARSALIS OR BRANFORD OR

RAY BROWN, WHICH WAS MY

TEACHER..

YOU COULD JUST GO UP TO THEM AND

SAY, "HEY."

THERE'S A COMMUNITY, AND THAT

COMMUNITY IS WHAT REALLY DREW ME

TO JAZZ MUSIC.

THERE'S THOSE TIMES WHEN YOU'LL

GET TOO INSIDE AND THOSE JAZZ

MASTERS WILL BE SITTING IN THE

AUDIENCE.

THOSE JAZZ LEGENDS WILL COME

OUT, LIKE, "HEY, MAN, CONNECT."

>> YOU HAVE TO SEE, AND PARTLY,

WATCHING THIS MOVIE, YOU'RE

SEEING HOW PEOPLE CAN RESIST IT.

>> IF I WOULD NOT BE BACK HERE,

HOW MANY AFRICAN-AMERICAN

RESTAURANTS YOU SEE?

NONE.

AND IF I HAD NOT STAYED HERE ALL

THE TIME I DID, THE COMMUNITY

WOULD HAVE GONE DOWN TO NOTHING,

TO NOTHING.

YOU STAY IN A COMMUNITY AND YOU

BUILD IT AND YOU MAKE IT WORK.

I HAVE TO DO WHAT I HAVE TO DO.

I HAVE TO GO TO THAT PARK THIS

MORNING AND COOK THESE 20

GALLONS OF GUMBO BEFORE I GO AND

SERVE IT OUT THERE.

AND THAT'S THE FUN THING ABOUT

TODAY.

LOOK HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU MADE

HAPPY JUST WITH A LITTLE CUP OF

GUMBO.

>> WHY IS IT THAT IT'S SOMETHING

SO POWERFUL ABOUT EATING

TOGETHER?

YOU KNOW, WE COULD ALL GO AND

JUST TAKE A QUICK HAMBURGER AND

THEN TALK.

YEAH, SURE, WE COULD.

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT

EATING TOGETHER, ABOUT

EXPERIENCING TOGETHER THE, YOU

KNOW, REALLY GOOD TASTE OF THIS

MEAL, THE EXPERIENCE OF SIPPING

THE WINE TOGETHER.

BUT ALSO IT GOES DEEPER THAN

THAT.

HUMANS NEED TO EAT TO LIVE.

SO, WE ARE -- IN A COLLECTIVE

ACT, WE'RE SUSTAINING LIFE, OUR

LIFE, TOGETHER.

>> AND IT'S GOOD, ESPECIALLY AT

THIS PLACE.

>> CENTURIES AGO, IN THE DESERTS

OF NORTH AFRICA, PEOPLE USED TO

GATHER FOR THESE MOONLIGHT

DANCES OF SACRED DANCE AND MUSIC

THAT WOULD GO ON FOR HOURS AND

HOURS, UNTIL DAWN.

AND THEY WERE ALWAYS MAGNIFICENT

BECAUSE THE DANCERS WERE

PROFESSIONALS AND THEY WERE

TERRIFIC, RIGHT?

BUT EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE, VERY

RARELY, SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN,

AND ONE OF THESE PERFORMERS

WOULD ACTUALLY BECOME

TRANSCENDENT.

AND IT WAS LIKE TIME WOULD STOP.

AND THE DANCER WOULD SORT OF

STEP THROUGH SOME KIND OF

PORTAL.

AND HE WASN'T DOING ANYTHING

DIFFERENT THAN HE HAD EVER DONE,

YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND NIGHT

BEFORE.

BUT EVERYTHING WOULD ALIGN, AND

ALL OF A SUDDEN, HE WOULD NO

LONGER APPEAR TO BE MERELY

HUMAN.

YOU KNOW, HE WOULD BE LIKE LIT

FROM WITHIN AND LIT FROM BELOW,

AND ALL, LIKE, LIT UP ON FIRE

WITH DIVINITY.

AND WHEN THIS HAPPENED BACK

THEN, PEOPLE KNEW IT FOR WHAT IT

WAS, YOU KNOW?

THEY CALLED IT BY ITS NAME.

THEY WOULD PUT THEIR HANDS

TOGETHER, AND THEY WOULD START

TO CHANT, "ALLAH, ALLAH, ALLAH,"

"GOD, GOD, GOD."

THAT'S GOD, YOU KNOW?

CURIOUS HISTORICAL FOOTNOTE --

WHEN THE MOORS INVADED SOUTHERN

SPAIN, THEY TOOK THIS CUSTOM

WITH THEM.

AND THE PRONUNCIATION CHANGED

OVER THE CENTURY, FROM "ALLAH,

ALLAH, ALLAH," TO "OLé, OLé

OLé," WHICH YOU STILL HEAR IN

BULLFIGHTS AND IN FLAMENCO

DANCES IN SPAIN, WHEN A

PERFORMER HAS DONE SOMETHING

IMPOSSIBLE AND MAGIC.

[ FLAMENCO MUSIC PLAYING ]

>> OLé.

>> [ SINGING IN SPANISH ]

>> OLé!

[ RHYTHMIC CLAPPING ]

>> SKILLFUL PRACTICES CAN FOCUS.

THEY CAN DRAW THINGS TOGETHER

AND BECOME FOCAL PRACTICES.

>> IT WILL DEPEND ON THE

PARTICULAR PEOPLE THERE.

IT WILL DEPEND ON THE PARTICULAR

KIND OF MUSIC AND THE PARTICULAR

TALENT OF THE MASTER MUSICIAN

AND THE PARTICULAR INSTRUMENT

AND THE PARTICULAR PLACE AND

TIME.

ALL OF THAT GETS EXPRESSED IN

THE MUSIC ITSELF.

>> AND BY FOCUSING THINGS, I

MEAN THEY FOCUS DIFFERENT

ACTIVITIES, RIGHT?

THEY DRAW DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES

TOGETHER, DIFFERENT THINGS YOU

COULD BE DOING.

SO, AGAIN, THINK ABOUT MAKING

MUSIC.

THE PRACTICE OF MAKING MUSIC

DEPENDED ON ALL KINDS OF OTHER

HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND HUMAN

PRACTICES.

YOU'D HAVE SKILLS FOR PLAYING

THE VIOLIN AND YOU'D HAVE SKILLS

FOR CREATING A HALL WHERE MUSIC

COULD BE PLAYED AND YOU HAVE

SKILLS FOR COMPOSING THE MUSIC

AND SO ON.

AND THOSE ALL WOULD COME

TOGETHER ON THIS MOMENT, WHEN

THE MUSIC WOULD BE PERFORMED.

[ MUSIC CONTINUES ]

FOCAL PRACTICES WOULD ALSO

GATHER PEOPLE.

THEY'D BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO

FOCUS ON THIS ONE EVENT.

SO, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, IF THEY

WANTED TO HEAR MUSIC, WOULD COME

TOGETHER AND THEY'D BE DRAWN

TOGETHER AND THEY'D FOCUS ON

THIS MOMENT OF GREAT MASTERY,

WHEN SOMEONE WAS, AGAIN,

EXHIBITING THIS AMAZING FEATURE

OF HUMAN LIFE THAT WE CAN BECOME

SKILLFUL AND DISCLOSIVE AND SHOW

THE WORLD IN A WAY THAT MOST

PEOPLE AREN'T CAPABLE OF DOING.

>> [ SINGING IN SPANISH ]

[ RHYTHMIC CLAPPING ]

>> OLé!

>> MAKE BEAUTY.

MAKE MORE BEAUTY.

>> [ SINGING IN SPANISH ]

[ MUSIC AND SINGING CONTINUES ]

>> OLé!

>> OLé!

>> AND THIS IS THE WAY I WOULD

LIKE EVERYBODY TO COME TO THE

TABLE SOMETIMES -- AT THEIR

HOUSES.

SIT YOU'RE PEOPLE DOWN TO THE

TABLE.

IF THEY'RE GONNA EAT JUST RAMEN

NOODLES, SIT THEM THERE AND LET

THEM EAT IT AND ENJOY IT.

AND YOU ENJOY TALKING TO ONE

ANOTHER AND ENJOY LIFE.

YOU KNOW THAT.

>> WHEN WE FINALLY UNDERSTAND

MASTERY AND A RESPONSIVENESS TO

THE RICHNESS AND THE CALLING IN

THE WORLD, THEN WE UNDERSTAND

THAT THE SOURCE OF MEANING IN

OUR LIVES ISN'T IN US.

THAT'S THE CARTESIAN TRADITION.

AND IT ISN'T IT SOME SUPREME

BEING, BUT IT'S IN OUR WAY OF

BEING IN THE WORLD.

BEING IN THE WORLD IS A UNIFIED

PHENOMENON.

WHEN PEOPLE ARE AT THEIR BEST

AND MOST ABSORBED IN DOING A

SKILLFUL THING, THEY LOSE

THEMSELVES INTO THEIR

ABSORPTION.

AND THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE

MASTER AND THE WORLD DISAPPEARS.

>> [ SINGING IN SPANISH ]

>> SEEING WHAT MASTERS CAN DO

AND SEEING THAT WE CAN DO IT,

TOO, THAT EVERYBODY CAN, IN

THEIR WAY, BRING OUT WHAT'S BEST

IN THEMSELVES AND IN THE WORLD,

THAT WE CAN RE-EXPERIENCE WHAT

PEOPLE CALLED THE SACRED.

[ MUSIC CONTINUES ]

[ RHYTHMIC CLAPPING ]

[ SHOUTING IN SPANISH ]

>> OLé! OLé!

>> OLé!

>> OLé!

>> OLé!