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​Cosmic Awakenings:

The Anthropocosmic Vision of Andrew Davis
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When we look at the moon, we see a self-declaration of value. The moon is saying "I am here. I matter." And we matter, too. We live in a universe of value speaking to value. As we think anthropo-cosmologically, we realize this. The term combines "anthropo-" (pertaining to humans) and "-cosmology" (the study of the cosmos), suggesting a philosophical or metaphysical framework that explores the relationship between humans and the cosmos in a holistic manner. In the world of process philosophy, few are as articulate as Andrew M. Davis in helping us realize our capacities this way of thinking. This page offers an interpretive appreciation of a recent talk he gave at a conference called "Metaphysics and the Matter With Things: Thinking with Iain McGilchrist,' co-sponsored by the Center for Process Studies and The California Institute for Integral Studies (March 29-31, 2024). The image above was created by AI.

Andrew Davis on a Universe of Value
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I wish I'd been there. I wish I'd attended the "Metaphysics and the Matter With Things: Thinking with Iain McGilchrist" conference. I also wish I had been in the room to hear Andrew M. Davis give his presentation. Fortunately, you and I can both enjoy it through its recorded version, offered below. Its sound is a little low, but you can make out what he's saying, and it's very good.

Five Lures for Attention

In the talk Davis presents his "five propositions" (see below) as, in his words, "lures" for attention and feeling. They are:

1. The cosmos is not anthropomorphic; rather, human beings are anthropocosmic.
2. What the cosmos proclaims through experience is value.
3. Where there is any value, there is an intended spectrum or hierarchy of values.
4. Within this hierarchy of values, there exists an asymmetrical relationship: higher values are inclusive, while lower values are exclusive.
5. The essence or the meaning of the world, and of life itself, is rooted in its capacity to respond to the proclamations of positive value, which fundamentally ground its existence.

In response I offer a cluster of additional lures in response to his five propositions, unpacking them in my way and reflecting on some of their implications. This isn’t the first time I’ve engaged his work. See also: (1) Daily Life Metaphysics: An Interpretive Overview of Davis' Mind, Value, and Cosmos; (2) Andrew Davis in Munich: On the God of the Universe Really Good? Alien Minds, Artificial Intelligence; and (3) Cosmotheology: Andrew Davis and Martin Rhees. 

Anthropocosmic Thinking

At the heart of Davis’s short presentation is an advocacy of what he calls "anthropocosmic" thinking: a form of thinking that situates human beings within the context of a larger cosmos, of which they—we—are a part. This cosmos is not merely a collection of facts but also a proclamation of values, and we ourselves, receptive to those values, are participants in the proclamation.

There is a kind of anthropocosmic thinking that gets lost in the cosmos and forgets local settings on Earth. Andrew M. Davis's anthropocosmic thinking is not of this kind. There is also a kind of anthropocosmic thinking that so focuses on the interconnectedness of all things that it forgets the intrinsic value of each individual actuality: each frog, each leaf, each person. Andrew M. Davis's anthropocosmic thinking is not of this kind either. His is an anthropocosmic philosophy that includes the local and the particular.

Anthropocosmic Feeling

Additionally, there is a kind of anthropocosmic thinking that gets lost in ideas about anthropocosmology but forgets the importance of feeling the world anthropocosmologically, of having an inner disposition to think, feel, perceive, and respond to others, and to the larger world, in an affective and effective way. His anthropocosmic thinking points us toward a way of living that includes awe, wonder, respect, compassion, and care—not just for the stars alone, but also for ourselves and others. He speaks of it as a matter of attitude: an axiological attitude that is attuned to, not isolated from, the value of the world and universe in which we live.

Anthropocosmic Metaphysics

For Davis, this way of living begins with and can be supported by a metaphysics of the anthropocosmic. We know from his earlier work that numerous ideas weave themselves into his metaphysic: actuality, possibility, mind, value, the world, and God. In a sense, none of them are primary; all depend on the others, such that relationality itself is the ultimate. But the relations he has in mind are not between ideas alone; they are between people, other animals, the earth, the stars, and the galaxies.

At Home in a World of Value

His is a metaphysic of anthropocosmic ideas, to be sure, but also a metaphysics of homecoming: that is, of being at home in the universe and at home on earth. It can be rendered philosophically, as he does in much of his professional writing, and also lived existentially and in community with others. At the heart of his metaphysic is the idea that the world of facts is also a world of values: that other living beings and we ourselves are not just objects in the world but also subjects of our own lives, and that the very activity of being alive, in the immediacy of the moment, is an act of, in his words, "aesthetic achievement."

Achievement as Experience

The word "achievement" can be misleading if it suggests a willful approach to the world, bent upon controlling others. For Davis, achievement is in the very activity of realizing and actualizing possibilities for harmony and intensity, for beauty, in the act of experiencing the world. A child at play, enjoying the immediacy of the play itself, is such an achievement. And so is the bursting forth of energy from a river or a mountain, a star, or a galaxy.

Self-Expression and Value

They are all "expressing themselves" or "announcing themselves" to the world and saying, in effect, "Here I am. I matter, too." Thus, Davis invites us to see a world that is beautiful and that matters. This does not mean that all things matter equally or in the same way. Innocent play matters more, and is more beautiful than, an act of torture. But there are nothing in the universe that doesn't declare itself in some way, and in that declaration it presents itself as a pulsing forth of vitality, of self-expression, and it embodies a value of one sort of another.

Hierarchy of Values

Davis recognizes a hierarchy of values that can be achieved in the world and in the cosmos, with some lesser than others. Just as innocent play is more valuable than torture, so the seeking of truth is more valuable than self-deception, and an act of kindness is more valuable than an act of cruelty. Truth and goodness are, for Davis, forms of beauty, and more valuable than their opposites.

Asymmetry of Values

Additionally, he sees the universe unfolding in ways that bespeak what he calls an "asymmetry" of values. He notes that, during the evolution of the universe, there was a time when protons, neutrons, and other subatomic actualities were gathering into the newly developed unity of an atom: itself a whole composed of, and enriched by, its parts. If, as he believes, these actualities enjoyed various forms of intensity, there was indeed beauty in the intensity, and still is. But once life on Earth emerged, a still newer possibility for harmony and intensity emerged, namely that of moral beauty in at least the human and perhaps other animal spheres, of which the empathy mentioned above would be an example. The atoms and molecules cannot experience such empathy, but human beings can do so, even as our bodies are composed of atoms. There is an asymmetry of values.

Living by Cosmic Values

Davis points us toward a way of living in which we ourselves, each in our way, feel lured by values of truth, goodness, beauty, and a sense of the sacred. For him, these ideals lie within a cosmic mind in which all values are included. This mind can be named God. He does not speak of this mind in his presentation at the conference, but you sense the idea in the background and are left with the feeling that possibly, just possibly, living with a sense of this mind, and perhaps even attunement to it, might be a way into a renewal of religion: at least the kind of religion for which he and many others hope. A religion weaned of separative tribalism while enjoying the gifts of bonded communities, be they communities from legacy, axial-age traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) or new forms of religious life, now being born. In any case, Davis points toward an anthropocosmic way of living, filled with openness to the wide and wondrous and to the intrinsic value of each living being here on Earth.

Metaphysics for the Integrating Mind

This way integrates diverse forms of attunement of which the human mind is capable, described by Iain McGilchrist in two books: a left hemisphere mentality and a right hemisphere mentality. The left hemisphere is analytical, detail-oriented, and tends to focus on abstract categorization, preferring structured, controlled interactions with the environment. In contrast, the right hemisphere is holistic, context-sensitive, and excels in recognizing relationships and nuances, fostering a deeper, more empathetic engagement with the world. Davis's anthropocosmic metaphysics offers a conceptual framework for appreciating both modes of attention. It is, in its own way, a right-brain, left-brain metaphysic for the integrating mind.

The Becoming of the Self and Society

Such a mind is not integrated as an already complete whole. It is itself always already on the way, in process like the rest of the universe, integrating.  In its becoming, at its best, it is inwardly nourished by what has been and animated by what can be: that is, to the realm of possibility, particularly in its normative features of truth, goodness, beauty, and a sense of the sacred.

Social Transformation

One implication of Davis' thought is that society, too, is becoming and that we ourselves can become in community with other people and the more than human world, consonant with our cosmic calling. What is that calling? Davis does not have time to develop the idea in his brief presentation, but I can imagine. My guess is that it is the same as that of many other process thinkers. It is the calling to develop local communities that are creative, compassionate, participatory, humane to animals, and good for the earth, with no one left behind, otherwise called beloved communities. It is a calling to develop forms of consciousness, among citizens, beginning at an early age, that are attuned to the pulsating value of life on Earth and beyond Earth. Can the heavens above, the stars and galaxies, be perceived not only as moving objects in space but as disclosures of pulsating value? With Davis's help, they can.

Jay McDaniel

​Axiological Asymmetry and
the Reason for Being

1. The cosmos is not anthropomorphic; rather, human beings are anthropocosmic.
2. What the cosmos proclaims through experience is value.
3. Where there is any value, there is an intended spectrum or hierarchy of values.
4. Within this hierarchy of values, there exists an asymmetrical relationship: higher values are inclusive, while lower values are exclusive.
5. The essence or the meaning of the world, and of life itself, is rooted in its capacity to respond to the proclamations of positive value, which fundamentally ground its existence.

​Davis offers a final challenge, a recurrent theme in McGilchrist's work: the challenge of transitioning from a merely propositional way of knowing to a dispositional orientation towards the world. What would it be like to develop an attitudinal axiology that is transparent to transcendent values which ground our being? Such an approach could express and arguably point towards an arc of human purpose and being. 

Who Are We? Why Does Anything Exist? 

Andrew M. Davis, Iain McGilchrist, Richard Tarnas, John Vervaeke

​Summary of Discussion

(following Davis's presentation)

The discussion after Davis's talk unfolds in several layers, tackling themes from the influence of public figures to deep philosophical inquiries about the nature of values and existence. ChatGPT summarizes the panel discussion with the following "lures for attention."
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Cultural Influence of Figures like Taylor Swift and Donald Trump: The panel explores how these figures, despite their vastly different domains (pop culture and politics, respectively), command significant public attention and influence. A participant observes that Taylor Swift represents an idealized image for young people, particularly young women, reflecting a form of modern idolatry where celebrity status intersects with personal identity formation. Conversely, Donald Trump is discussed as a more divisive figure, with his influence being compared to historical movements driven by strong personalities and ideologies. The dialogue touches on the psychological and sociological dynamics that allow such figures to resonate deeply with large segments of the population, suggesting a broader societal need for belonging and identity that these figures fulfill.

Meaning Crisis in Modern Society: The conversation explores the idea of a "meaning crisis" where traditional structures such as religion no longer provide the communal and existential grounding they once did. This crisis leads people to seek meaning in alternative forms, such as celebrity culture or political allegiance, which may not offer the same depth or stability. This segment of the discussion emphasizes how modern society often replaces deep-seated needs for connection and purpose with superficial or temporary solutions, which can exacerbate feelings of isolation and disconnection.

Philosophical and Theological Reflections: The panelists discuss how metaphysical and existential questions shape our understanding of the universe and our place within it. They examine the concept of values as fundamental aspects of human experience, influencing our perception of the world and our interactions within it. This leads to a discussion on different philosophical approaches to understanding values, including how values are recognized, experienced, and prioritized differently in various cultural and philosophical contexts.

Hierarchy of Values and Their Implications: Further discussion focuses on the hierarchy of values, exploring how higher values (such as altruism, beauty, or truth) are more inclusive and have a broadening effect on human consciousness, whereas lower values (such as survival or basic pleasure) are more exclusive and limiting. The conversation touches on the implications of such hierarchies for personal and societal development, including how they influence ethical and moral decisions.

Impact of Values on Leadership and Social Structures: The panelists connect these philosophical ideas back to the initial discussion of leadership and cultural figures, suggesting that the values embodied by leaders like Taylor Swift and Donald Trump reflect and reinforce certain hierarchies of values within society. They argue that understanding the values promoted by these figures can provide insights into broader cultural and societal dynamics.