What We Are: Volume II: The Integrated Life: A Personal Philosophy for the Age of Science

In Volume II of Dr. Michael L. Adix’s philosophical series, the author applies theories proposed in his first volume to an ambitious range of topics, including ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics, and theology. Where the first volume establishes an overarching metaphysical/epistemological grand unifying theory, this second volume tackles more normative territory.

Previously, Adix proposed a dualistic ontology composed, on one hand, by the material universe, and, on the other, by the intrinsic experience of it, thus locating consciousness as a co-equal aspect of the fabric of reality. Here, he explores what it means to be a conscious being in a seemingly material, uncaring universe, leveraging the established dual-aspect principle to establish ethics, politics, and aesthetics grounded more in empathy than the impersonal logic of the deontologists.

What We Are is technical yet accessible, broad in scope yet intimate in detail. Adix is a neurosurgeon, and each chapter is informed by a medical case study and/or autobiographical allegory aimed at humanizing concepts discussed. For example, he recounts the story of Ruth Kimball, a patient with a subdural hematoma aggravated by 15 years of unintentional medical neglect, illustrating a variety of basic moral failures that occurred along the way, each seemingly inconsequential.

While Adix uses philosophical jargon, it can be intuitively understood, largely due to his gift for rendering complicated philosophical ideas understandable. Like Oliver Sachs, he captivates readers with the scientific mysteries of the human mind.

The book also impresses in its thorough anticipation and consideration of potential criticism. Adix is transparent that this remarkable contribution to philosophy is made possible, in part, by AI. He outlines how he used AI as a sparring partner to improve his ideas and arguments or to trade insufficient concepts for better ones. Some might consider that cheating, but the result is something that has survived a process akin to the most rigorous peer review.

Indeed, Adix’s book stands as a philosophical work so ambitious and compelling that it shouldn’t be ignored.

Also available in hardcover and ebook.