Developing Mathematically Rigorous Foundations for Metaphysics
The development of calculus enabled the field of natural philosophy — the branch of philosophy concerned with the natural world — to transform into the branch of science called physics.
We want to do for metaphysics — the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of consciousness, the relationship between mind and matter, and the nature of identity, among other things — what calculus did for natural philosophy.
We consider it plausible that the metaphysical insights necessary for this are already implicitly understood in the mystical traditions of the world religions, and that the time is ripe for formalizing them.
In particular, we think these insights may follow from taking dependent origination, the central metaphysical concept in Buddhism, to its logical conclusion.
We think these insights may be formalizable in the language of category theory, a branch of math that has been likened to the "primordial ooze".
Many of Hegel's core metaphysical ideas, which are notoriously hard to comprehend, have already been formalized in category theory. We think the same may be possible for Buddhist metaphysics.
Why Mathematical Metaphysics?
Complex systems foundations
Mathematical foundations for a science of complex systems may be needed to robustly model various complex systems — like ecosystems, economies, and the climate — and how they interrelate.
However, such foundations may remain elusive in part because they are bottlenecked on basic philosophical questions like “what is a representation?”, which in turn are bottlenecked on metaphysical questions like “how does the choice of representation influence that which is being represented?”
Mathematical foundations for metaphysics could offer the prerequisite philosophical clarity needed to resolve these bottlenecks.
Reconciling science and religion
Mathematical foundations for metaphysics could lay the theoretical groundwork for a science of consciousness that can answer questions like “what happens to consciousness upon death?” and “is there a relevant sense of personal identity under which we are accountable for all of our actions?”
This, in turn, could serve as a Rosetta Stone for the mystical traditions of the world religions, resolving with mathematical precision the apparent contradictions that arise from the ambiguities of natural language, like whether death leads to heaven/hell, reincarnation, or oblivion.
Trustworthy AIs
Without technically precise understandings of what truth and goodness are, it’s difficult to avoid building AIs that merely reflect the biases of their programmers, or else sycophantically validate their users’ own mistaken conceptions of truth and goodness.
Mathematical foundations for metaphysics could provide the basis for formally evaluating truth and goodness from within any given perspective, as well as a principled mechanism for reconciling conflicting notions of truth and goodness across different perspectives.
This could pave the way for the development of superintelligent AI mediators that could earn the trust of humanity, and help us shift into a new equilibrium of peace, justice, and prosperity for all.