There is Physical Reality following the Arrow of Time.
We can clearly see that expressed in Evolution’s pageant upon this most unique planet.
Earth's Evolution has, when taken as a whole, been an unrelenting drive towards ever greater cognition and manipulatory abilities, it has crawled back from every setback, adapted, thrived till conditions radically changed again.
This Evolutionary drive created humans during this particularly benign Era in Earth’s ever evolving biosphere.
Emergence is Inherent in Evolution
Four limbs forced the creation of new areas of the brain and new awarenesses. All the way up to a brain that could observe, learn, remember, reflect and mull over observations combined with memories. Then communicate those personal thoughts to other brains, then pass those memories onto generations long after it dies and goes away.
In humans, evolution found its most spectacular emergent property yet, the crown jewel of Life’s long striving. That is, our Mindscape.
Our mind’s increasing ability to focus on observations: watching, cataloguing, listening to that something inside, that's constantly chattering away to whatever part of our brain is hearing it. All the while striving to make sense of itself, it’s own inevitable death, its place in the world, and the world in general.
This emergent something in our brain created a self-aware mind, or more accurately, Our Mindscape. The home of all our thoughts and feelings, fears and convictions. Something unique in Earth’s Evolution.
Ergo, we can break down human reality to two fundamentals:
The realm of "Physical Reality", and the realm of our "Human Mindscape."
I also believe, none of us can really understand the rest of our world without first coming to terms with and absorbing that simple fundamental “Truth” in one way or other.
Reaching back to my essay:
… Science was so successful that today all too many people believe we are the masters of our world and too many have fallen into the hubristic trap of believing our ever fertile mindscape is reality itself. Thus the endless reams of fruitless dialogue, where learning is the last thing too many care about.
Which brings me back to Gould’s missing key.