Zoltan Cendes Challenges the Way You Think About What’s Real (and How You Know It)

Questions about life and the universe seem to be as old as human thought. While countless individuals have tried to provide the answers to these questions, the fact remains that many across the globe still haven’t found the answers they seek. From religion to philosophy, there are many potential pathways to determine what is real. 

As Zoltan Cendes, founder, president and CEO of Ansoft LLC, as well as the author of the book “The Objectivist’s Guide to the Galaxy,” explains, drawing on knowledge of the scientific method, combined with an objectivist mindset, can give humanity a better understanding of what’s real and what matters. 

What Is Real? 

One of the most fundamental questions that Cendes seeks to address is the idea behind what is real — why the universe is filled with infinite “somethings” rather than nothing. With an objectivist mindset, Cendes argues that existence exists whether an individual is aware of it or not. However, consciousness gives humanity awareness of the universe’s existence. 

Because of this, Cendes explains that the best way to understand what is real is through “the scientific method within the wider context of objectivist thought. The first step in the combined scientific/objectivist method is observation. It begins by asking: ‘What, in reality, gives rise to the observation?’ This is followed by developing a hypothesis, which is an explanation of the observation that can be tested against reality. In the scientific method, the hypothesis is modified iteratively until the predictions from the hypothesis agree with the observed results. The scientific/objectivist method provides a logical bridge between an observation and its understanding.” 

By framing the way people think about reality through a scientific/objectivist lens, Cendes argues that there is greater safety in putting facts and existents in the driver’s seat of perceptions. Basing theories and beliefs on things that can be experimentally observed, rather than relying on speculation, is the safer route when trying to understand philosophical truths and finding guidance for one’s own thoughts and actions. 

Finding Answers to Moral Quandaries 

Debates over right and wrong are another area of constant contention in the world. Different groups, both religious and non-religious, argue different ideas over what constitutes moral actions. 

Cendes asserts that true morality is inherently linked to observable qualities that influence the standard of value for mankind — being alive and having the ability to reason. He writes, “This idea may be expressed in logic as: Major premise: Man’s life is the standard of value. Minor premise: Reason is essential to man’s life. Conclusion: Reason is essential to the standard of value. The moral is thus that which promotes man’s ability to reason, the immoral that which destroys it.”

For many, free will is central to concepts surrounding morality. The ability to think and choose for oneself shapes who people ultimately become. But as Cendes reveals, this principle also has its roots in science: 

“The knowledge ‘neurons that fire together come to be wired together’ implies that what you think about matters. Where you focus your thoughts affects the wiring in your brain. Your attitudes, your actions and your character are forged by what you think. The more you focus your mind on an idea, the more you strengthen the neurons associated with that focus in your brain. Free will is your ability to wire your brain as you like by focusing your thoughts.” 

While Cendes admits that modern science does not yet understand how neurons create the consciousness and sense of self, what people think about and focus on matters. How individuals focus their thoughts affects the neurons in a way that influences how they perceive themselves and the world around them. Humans essentially have the ability to program their own brain in a way that will dramatically shape future choices and outcomes. 

Reality In the Age of AI 

These scientific concepts also underpin Cendes’ thoughts regarding AI tools. While artificial intelligence is certainly poised to unlock new horizons in a variety of tasks, Cendes notes that humankind’s experiences with reality is what drives true consciousness, volition and sense of self. 

“Words have meaning only to a person who experiences life,” he writes. “We hold words as concepts derived from existence; AI tools hold words as correlations. Man’s neural network is programmed by himself or herself; an AI tool’s neural network is pre-trained using mathematical algorithms and data from external sources.” 

Experience from existence appears to be a key factor that enables meaningful perception of reality. Indeed, the hallucinations that have plagued AI tools seem like they could stem directly from a lack of existence or experience in the real world. While programming advances will undoubtedly aim to make such hallucinations less common (and improve the capabilities of AI as a whole), the reality of existence will continue to set living, breathing humans apart — so long as they rely on their own observed experiences, rather than relying fully on AI. 

Shaping Existence Through Objectivism 

Ultimately, Cendes believes that when humankind bridges the gap between observation and meaning through science and reason, people will become better equipped to discover the universe’s big truths. With philosophical reasoning based on what can be observed rather than simply speculated upon, Cendes’ approach seeks to offer reliable answers to some of the biggest challenges and questions humanity continues to face today.