The Thinkers' Club

Tonight, Randy Mayle (moderator of The Thinkers’ Club) will present both his Three Worlds Philosophy and some new polls to help in the instruction and application of the Philosophy in today’s religious and philosophical environment.

As a brief introduction, the Three Worlds Philosophy declares that every religion and philosophical system, including atheism, is a creation and expression of one of three worlds. Accordingly, each of us are either consciously or unconsciously participating in the creation of one of these three worlds.

Do you know which world you are creating?

Despite steady headlines and official reassurances, there are growing concerns that the U.S. economy may be heading toward turbulent waters. Years of artificially low interest rates fueled borrowing, inflated asset prices, and left both the public and private sectors carrying historically high levels of debt. As interest rates rise to control inflation, the cost of servicing that debt increases, threatening slower growth and financial instability. Meanwhile, soaring gold and silver prices read as warning signals of eroding trust in fiat currency and conventional monetary policy. These dynamics invite comparisons to the 1970s, when inflation and stagnation coexisted and steadily weakened purchasing power. The open question is whether today’s economic strains are part of a necessary correction after extraordinary policy measures, or early signs of a more serious and prolonged economic storm.

• To what extent are today’s economic risks the delayed consequences of prolonged low interest rates, versus the result of more recent shocks (pandemic, geopolitics)?
• Can central banks realistically control inflation without triggering a financial crisis, given current debt levels?
• Do rising gold and silver prices signal declining trust in the dollar, or are they simply another speculative hedge in uncertain times?
• How convincing is the comparison between today’s economy and the stagflation of the 1970s — and where do the similarities/differences break down?
• If warning signs are already visible, what would meaningful preparation look like at the individual, community, or national level?

Let’s explore how philosophical insights germinate into tangible actions. What seeds have you planted in conversation, creativity, community, or life — and how did those seeds grow, or falter?

Come prepared with some of your stories (or of course, just to listen). We welcome both successes and failures - because we know they will be grounded in passion, purpose, and insight. Whether your idea blossomed or still lies dormant, your story matters. Let’s nourish our ideas through shared wisdom and practical strategies for starting and sustaining meaningful action.

• What philosophical idea(s) have you translated into action in your life?
• Was it a project, an initiative, an act of community, or a personal transformation?
• What sparked that idea — curiosity, frustration, duty, or long-held longing?
• How did your idea change in the transition from mind to world?
• How did you take the first step? What helped or hindered you?
• What grew, faltered, or transformed as you nurtured your idea?
• What surprises, struggles, or breakthroughs did you experience?
• Have you ever helped someone else plant an idea? What did that look like?

Simulation theory is the philosophical proposal that reality may not be the most fundamental layer of existence, but rather a constructed environment generated by an advanced intelligence. Rather than asking how the universe works, it asks why it appears ordered, law-governed, and intelligible to minds like ours. Thinkers such as Nick Bostrom have framed the theory probabilistically, suggesting that if simulated worlds vastly outnumber non-simulated ones, then our own reality may be among them. Supporters point to features such as the mathematical structure of the universe, limits like the speed of light, and the increasing realism of our own digital worlds as suggestive parallels. Critics counter that the hypothesis is unfalsifiable, relies on speculative assumptions about future technology, and risks blurring probability with metaphysics.

• What would count as convincing evidence that we are living in a simulation?
• Are features of the universe — such as physical constants, quantum randomness, or mathematical elegance — better explained by a simulation, or by naturalistic theories?
  Does the simulation hypothesis differ from older philosophical skepticism (e.g., Descartes’ evil demon), or is it just a modern rebranding?
• If we are in a simulation, who or what might be running it, and for what purpose — and does that question matter philosophically?
• Should the simulation hypothesis be taken seriously as a scientific possibility, or does it belong strictly in philosophy and thought experiments?
• Even if we could never escape or confirm a simulation, does believing we are in one change how we should live our lives?