Finding Ourselves within the Maps We Create
Todd L. Duncan
Journal of Big History June 11, 2026 DOI: 10.22339/jbh.v9i2.9206 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Perspective graphical Relation database Consciousness Expression computer science Universe Semantics computer science Epistemology Cognitive science |
| Key points | Argues that the mental and physical are complementary aspects of expressing reality, not separate substances, resolving the paradox of being both within and outside descriptions of the universe. |
Abstract
At the heart of our struggle to understand consciousness within the integrated history of the cosmos is an apparent paradox: we are both “within” and “outside of” any description of the universe we can formulate. This essay explores a way to resolve the paradox by recognizing the inherent limitations of a description. Any description is incomplete in the sense that it exists only in relation to a corresponding capacity to describe. Building on this insight, I suggest that we view “mental” and “physical” not as separate substances, but as complementary aspects of what is necessary to give expression to reality. This perspective may offer expanded possibilities for seeing our full selves within the mental maps we create to understand existence.