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The Fractal Geometry of the Universe

Think of a basic science education as giving you the pieces to the puzzle of the universe. All the facts are there, but nobody tells you how to put them together to create a belief system that provides meaning. Those who claim to know always end up basing those belief systems on pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, or scams.

metaculture is like the picture on the puzzle box of the universe. And it is a fractal.

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Who is This For?

metaculture is for all people disillusioned with organized religion, politics, capitalism, technology, and all other institutions of modernity that appear to be arrayed in a confederacy against our happiness and ability to thrive as natural humans.

It is for all progressives who yearn for a social safety net that will use the incredible wealth of our society to protect people from the abuses of capitalism and reestablish the balance of power between workers and owners. Surely the vast majority will support evidence-based policy if they can just see through the propaganda that pervades our media. You know that the people who stand in opposition to progress use religion as the basis for their decision-making. How can they ever change their minds about climate change without changing their literal view of scripture?

It is for all young men who are being led by the pied pipers of the manosphere toward the right-wing faux-philosophy of Jordan Peterson. If you are searching for meaning and a belief system that will help you become a better person and eventually meet a woman—is misogyny really what you think they want? The majority of women are progressive. Do the basic math. Real men are realists, and metaculture is a viable, reality-based alternative to the manosphere.

This is for anyone who recognizes and resents those who peddle belief systems catering to the disaffected and offer conspiracy theories in place of analysis; scams instead of solutions; spiritual grifters who use quantum woo to sell supplements and seminars to people whose symptoms are a condition of modern life, and cannot be cured without doing the work of organizing for social change that conspiracy theories distract them from.

metaculture offers something for everyone, providing a path to reconciliation, optimism, and hope for the future for everyone, regardless of where you are starting from.

Why Create This?

The main reason is that nobody else seems to have bothered. There are a number of reasons why this is, most of which boil down to the progressive and secular aversion to dogma. This means that the closest similar attempts are organizations like Unitarian Universalists, Secular Humanists, and Sunday Assembly, all of which lack a comprehensive philosophy that can offer the kind of definitive answers that traditional religion always has. They lack the ideology and therefore the organizing power.

In his critique of Jordan Peterson, Nathan J. Robinson perfectly sums up the need for a project like this wiki:

"He is popular partly because he offers adrift young men a sense of heroic purpose, and offers angry young men rationalizations for their hatreds. And he is popular partly because academia and the left have failed spectacularly at helping make the world intelligible to ordinary people, and giving them a clear and compelling political vision."

Progressives, scientists, and secular people must present a clear and intelligible vision for how the universe works that can compete with the shortcut philosophies and easy answers peddled by both traditional and modern spiritual and political grifters.

metaculture solves this problem by describing a self-correcting belief system that avoids the pitfalls of dogma while retaining the inspiration and organizational zeal of a proper ideology. It does this by putting self-correction and science as its core value, with every other conclusion subject to revision should evidence contradict it.

A secondary reason to create this wiki is that this author finds it fun, interesting, and cathartic, and would do this even if nobody would ever be able to read it. One could say there is an uncontrollable urge to do so, and Sapolsky would agree. But hopefully you will read it and find it both enlightening and entertaining.

Why a wiki?

God Bless Jimmy Whales

The wiki format was chosen to allow ongoing updates based on best practices from the latest widely accepted research, contributions from many people with different perspectives on the common goal, non-linear reading order, and direct links to detailed descriptions and research on any subject that the reader is unfamiliar with.

Advantages to this publishing style are detailed on the wiki page.

The wiki format also embodies the core values of science and self-correction. Where a book is static, a wiki is eternally editable, creating a canon that will never become dated and always follows the evidence.

The best way to read this wiki is to follow the links anytime you have a question or a curiosity. You will eventually get back to where you left off. Topics with multiple references may require multiple readings. Use the Montessori approach to self-directed learning.

Hovering over the links with your mouse on desktop or using tough screen gestures will give you a preview of the first paragraph of each page and a thumbnail. This makes it much easier to stay on one page as you read and keep track of the ones you have already seen.

Why the Lower Case "m"?

Not a proper noun

metaculture is not a name for a particular philosophy. It is a common noun used to describe the emergent, global, common culture that will allow future generations to recognize their shared humanity and cooperate effectively while retaining long-held traditions, heritage and uniqueness. It represents the generalized sociological and psychological principles that underlie all human cultures, whatever those may be, rather than a specific theory about what those are.

Similarly, we know there are true laws of physics that govern the universe, and science can only improve our approximation of them over time. metaculture's current form is like the current state of science, with the common goal of better approximating the thing it seeks to describe by incorporating new evidence.

The lowercase m emphasizes the fact that metaculture is not the philosophy of any one person or group, but an abstract and inevitable concept that, whatever form it takes, will be the next step in cultural evolution. This wiki seeks to describe that thing, regardless of whether or not it is that thing. Though it offers itself as an alternative among few viable candidates.

Likewise, references to god are also lower case to indicate the generic term for god and not the implied Judeo-Christian God that the capital "G" typically refers to.

Does using the lower case at the start of a sentence reinforce the notion of the common noun usage? Or does the distinct violation of language rules make it even more of a proper noun? We will not get into this.

The Goals of metaculture

metaculture attempts to describe the emergent properties of a universal meta-belief system based on empirical knowledge of our universe, our minds and humanity's shared culture. It is emergent because it arises from a robust, up-to-date science, philosophy, psychology, and liberal arts education that provides all of the prerequisite concepts required for rational comprehension of the universe and human consciousness.

A number of modern authors and podcasts are helping to popularize this way of thinking that seamlessly incorporates evidence-based ethics and rituals (meditation, gratitude, forgiveness, etc.) into the context of modern, secular life, without the supernatural baggage that traditional religion requires.

The goal of this wiki project is to describe this emergent meta-belief system and provide concise summaries and links to free educational resources that allow you to learn all the necessary prerequisite concepts needed to fully comprehend it.

Philosophical Goals

When fully developed, metaculture should provide:

• A mental framework for rational comprehension of how the universe and our brains work.
• A culturally neutral moral philosophy, updated for the future.
• An evidence-based, self-correcting socioeconomic and political philosophy.
• A viable path towards the creation of a universal in-group.
• A fully consumable, interactive Wikipedia that tells the story of human knowledge.

Any improvement to the ideas, perspectives, or rhetoric that better advances these philosophical goals should be adopted.

Social Goals

By providing an easy way for anyone to gain all the prerequisite knowledge needed to come to this understanding, the following goals for society should be advanced:

• Promote the principles of science, reason, and critical thinking.
• Use Evidence-Based Best Practices as the basis for political and personal decision-making.
• Change primary meterstick for success from money/GDP to utilitarian happiness/GNH.
• Integrate art, music, creativity, games, and aesthetics in education and daily life.
• Reduce cognitive dissonance brought on by conflicting interpretations of science and religion.
• Update our culture's ethics and social norms to deal with capitalism and future technology.
• Increase the incentives for economic and social justice and restore the balance of power.
• Expand political, personal, religious, and economic freedom.
• Oppose pseudoscience and the grift economy and undermine it with awareness.
• Increase the trust in institutions that is required for democracy to function.
• Catalyze creation of secular institutions that serve all of the cultural and psychological functions as religious ones.
• Preserve nature and the environment, avert climate change, and other apocalypse scenarios.
• Effect world peace, unity, and and end to all war (if there's time).

Any improvement to the ideas, perspectives, or rhetoric that better advances these social goals should be adopted.

A New Kind of Metanarrative

metaculture is not a replacement for any rational, universalist belief system you already hold that works for you. It is a new perspective on these common ideas that covers all philosophical bases from a holistic point of view, tries to appeal to a variety of modern cultural perspectives, and offers new ways of presenting the ideas to fill in the gaps of modern education that keep others from coming to the same understanding.

For many, it's just the thing you already believe, with more detail, and a symbolic fractal theme that ties together all the ideas into a single, unifying concept. It is a way to unite different people of the world who believe the same thing in different ways.

"It's like reading a more articulate and detailed version of how I view reality." --Satisfied Reader

Whether you come from a theistic or atheistic perspective, metaculture offers a path to reconcile the cognitive dissonance that conflicting scientific and spiritual modes of thought can cause.

The triangles are a metaphor

It should work side-by-side with any religious or humanist tradition you practice, allowing greater understanding of science, spirituality, and other cultures without replacing your own. It's metaculture, not monoculture.

A thorough reading should serve as an inoculation against scriptural literalism and authoritarian ideologies, and a booster for critical thinking, regardless of whether the proposed belief system is adopted as a whole. It offers something for everyone.

The Happiest YouTube Rabbit Hole

Each page of the wiki introduces a key concept, and has curated, high-quality educational videos that explain them in easy-to-understand terms. They present an optimistic perspective on science, religion, and psychology that focuses on wonder, meaning, and increased personal and cultural happiness.

Watching the videos on this wiki will work wonders for your YouTube algorithm and will never lead you down a conspiracy theory rabbit hole!

Core Tenets

Fractal Pantheistic Universalism

metaculture is a complete, unified philosophical and theological system that addresses major questions of ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, aesthetics, etc., that philosophers, scientists, and religions have always dealt with.

metaculture is for everyone, but in the present moment it fills a vital need to present an alternative belief system that fulfills the same need for certainty offered by religions, scam artists, and right-wing ideologues. By putting science and self-correction as its core value, it avoids the pitfalls of dogma.

The goal is not to rewrite these works but to combine the best of them in a way that offers a simple, universally applicable belief system that is consistent with both science and scripture and can be understood regardless of one's education level or cultural background.

The core tenets are:

• Scientific Realism: that an objective reality exists and advances in science improve the accuracy of our understanding of that reality. The metaphysical, ontological and epistemological assumptions of metaculture are the same as those that underlie a modern understanding of Scientific Realism that accounts for the biases, power structures, paradigms, and other social factors highlighted by Thomas Kuhn and Jacques Derrida.

• Utilitarianism: that the success of our ethics can be measured and improved based on the impact it has on human emotions. Furthermore, the assumed goal of utilitarianism (happiness and well-being) can be derived empirically from evolutionary psychology.

• Fractal Aesthetics: that our sense of beauty derives from our evolved mental representations of the universe, and because the universe is inherently self-similar, complex and symmetrical, we find beauty in that which exemplifies these things. The fractal is also the symbolism of metaculture.

• Pantheistic Universalism: that the concept of god is common to all religions because it is an allegory for the universe we all exist in, as well as a self-organizing pattern in the brain.

• That any principle described herein, including these core tenets, is subject to future revision should empirical evidence contradict it. The Dogma of No Dogma.

• Should another parallel effort better succeed in fulfilling the goals of metaculture, our resources should be dedicated to support the project with a greater chance of success.

metaculture allows anyone to quickly gain a robust, consistent, accurate, and self-correcting understanding of how our universe, brains, and societies work. It uses science to provide direct and satisfactory answers to life's biggest questions, without reliance on supernatural stories or forcing you to figure it all out for yourself.

metaculture should convey all the psychological and sociological benefits traditionally ascribed to religion, including social cohesion, psychological support, personal meaning, positive social change, a good creation story, and psychologically satisfying answers to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.[1]

Table of Contents

z = z^2 + c (repeat infinitely)

Since this is a book in wiki format, you will need to follow the links to find most of the information it contains. These are just some starting points.

It is designed to be read not linearly but systematically, following links as you follow your interests, until you rarely see an unread link. Some pages will be visited multiple times, since they serve as a nexus for many related concepts.

Keep in mind that one of the main goals is to bridge the divide between science and religion. Atheists may object to the use of religious allegory, and theists may object to the materialistic metaphysics. Both are encouraged to read with reconciliation in mind. If you want to help the other side understand your perspective, what is the most persuasive way to do it?

Reference Material

The nice thing about evidence-based philosophy is that most books tend to support your point of view.

• The Reading List is a selection of books that, if you fed them all to a large language model AI, would produce something similar to this wiki.
• The Authors page lists a number of modern writers who advocate different aspects of this perspective and continue to push the conversation forward.
• Check out the Podcast page for online content producers.
• A list of Organizations that promote the social and philosophical goals advocated in this wiki.
• The Webinar Series breaks down the wiki by topic, and will include recorded presentations and Q&A sessions once they are available.
• You can also just go to a Random Page and take it from there!

Key Topics

• What is god?
• The fractal universe
• Betting on reality
• The role of religion
• The scientific Creation Story
• The scientific Afterlife
• Consciousness, Free Will, and the Brain
• Utilitarian Ethics
• Maximizing Happiness is objectively the Meaning of Life
• Creating reflexive happiness
• Quality of life versus quantity of life
• Economics and Capitalism
• Politics and Justice
• Best Practices for creating a culture of happiness
• The Importance of Persuasion

Complete Index of Pages

• Most Linked Pages
• All Pages Excluding Redirects
• All Pages

A simple prism

Table of Contents, set to the lyrics of Eclipse

• All that you touch
• All that you see
• All that you taste
• All you feel.
• All that you love
• All that you hate
• All you distrust
• All you save.
• All that you give
• All that you deal
• All that you buy,
• beg, borrow or steal.
• All you create
• All you destroy
• All that you do
• All that you say.
• All that you eat
• everyone you meet
• All that you slight
• everyone you fight.
• All that is now
• All that is gone
• All that's to come
• and everything under the sun.

Like Easter eggs? Find all of the tracks on Dark Side of the Moon and collect your achievement!

Who Are You?

While some corporate ethics use pithy slogans like "don't be evil" that sound good but do little to help resolve modern moral dilemmas, Meta Enterprises is directly addressing the problem of evil by developing a universal ethical philosophy that resolves the conflict between science and religion. We also sell OCR solutions.

We are the good Meta. We are the original Meta. Since 1998.

While it was originally developed and hosted by Meta Enterprises, metaculture is not meant to represent the opinions or perspective of any individual, organization or ideology. Rather it is an attempt to describe the unwritten belief system that a growing number of secular universalists arrive at on their own each day. The components have been written about extensively but separately. The metaculture project seeks to weave this common collection of ideas into a new metanarrative, allowing it to be easily understood, recognized and taught to others. It is a necessary prerequisite for the building of secular institutions that bring people together in celebration of these common goals, and for traditional religions to adapt their theology to enable coexistence in a globalized world.

As such, all authorship on this wiki will be anonymous, so that the ideas are separated from any personality or group.

For any feedback, commentary, or to request an account and become and editor of this wiki, please email fractalguy@metaculture.net