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Feb 2025
24m 51s

Philosophical Frameworks that Inform You...

JONATHAN CUTRELL
About this episode

This episode explores philosophical frameworks—ontology, teleology, and dynamism—to inform decision-making in uncertain situations, providing practical advice for applying these concepts in your professional and personal life.

  • Understand how ontology, teleology, and dynamism can help you navigate conversations about future actions for teams, companies, families, or yourself. Ontology focuses on a thing's intrinsic characteristics, teleology on its purpose or outcome, and dynamism on the changing environment.
  • Learn how these philosophical frameworks address the uncertainty of the future and provide tools for making intentional decisions. The episode connects these concepts to practical advice, especially for engineering managers, demonstrating their relevance to your career.
  • Explore how ontology identifies a thing's characteristics in isolation, while teleology considers its purpose or outcome. Discover how dynamism identifies changes in the environment and intent, providing a contextual understanding.
  • Consider how dynamism can recognize the need to change a team's role due to external factors, like AI, which contrasts with the potentially static views of ontology and teleology.
  • Understand that 'should' implies value in decision-making, with choices leaning towards desirable or undesirable outcomes. The episode explores how to define the criteria for 'should' in various contexts.
  • Realise the importance of adapting your thinking to new realities, which is crucial in decision-making.

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