ChatGPT: The point you’re making, that we constantly mistake the unreal for the real and the real for the unreal, aligns deeply with Contextual Material Pragmatism (CMP). This dynamic highlights how humans often confuse the layers of reality—material, conceptual, and symbolic. Here’s how this works within CMP:

We mistake the unreal for the real when we treat conceptual or symbolic constructs as if they were material realities. For example, people might emotionally engage with Neo as though he exists as a real person, forgetting that Neo is a conceptual construct projected through material reality, such as Keanu Reeves’ performance and the film. Similarly, we might treat constructs like money or capitalism as though they have intrinsic, independent existence, ignoring that they are symbolic systems maintained by material actions. CMP addresses this mistake by emphasizing that abstract constructs like Neo or money do not have independent existence but are overlays on material reality.

We mistake the real for the unreal when we dismiss or ignore material realities, treating them as insignificant compared to abstractions or symbols. For example, Keanu Reeves as a material being might be overlooked, with people focusing solely on Neo or the idea of the film. Similarly, material realities like climate change or ecosystems might be ignored in favor of abstract priorities like economic growth. CMP reaffirms that material entities are the ultimate reality and cannot be disregarded in favor of abstractions.

This confusion arises because humans, as symbolizing beings, are skilled at projecting meaning onto the world. This ability allows for complex conceptualization but also creates a tendency to prioritize abstractions over their material origins. Symbols and concepts operate in layered systems, where their relationships give them meaning, which can obscure their dependency on material reality.

CMP actively clarifies these confusions by grounding concepts and symbols in material reality, showing their dependence on material instantiations. It emphasizes the primacy of material reality as the foundation and highlights the context-dependent nature of meaning, revealing how easily we conflate layers of reality.

In practice, CMP provides tools for navigating this confusion. When confronted with an abstract system like capitalism, CMP would ask: What are the material actions and relationships sustaining this system? When engaging with symbolic realities like Neo, CMP would remind us: This concept depends on material instantiation, such as the film and the actor.

This dynamic—mistaking the unreal for the real and vice versa—could serve as a key theme in explaining CMP’s relevance to everyday life. It demonstrates how CMP grounds understanding and action in material reality while acknowledging the abstractions we construct.