OUTLINE FOR JOURNEY IN BEING

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OUTLINE

Preface… 1

Introduction… 2

Foundation… 7

Journey in Being… 12

The Fundamental Problems… 12

Lexicon… 13

Sources and Influences… 13

Index… 13

The Author… 13

 

PREFACE The preface includes: a brief description of the contents and form of this book or essay; my reasons for writing the book and suggestions on reading it. The purpose of the descriptions is to give the reader an idea of what to expect. So as to achieve this purpose, it is necessary to mention only a few ideas and to omit most definitions of and problems associated with the concepts introduced

Content and form of the book The book is about the nature of all things including all their possibilities and transformations

What is the significance of the title, ‘Journey in Being?’

‘Journey’ refers to two interwoven journeys – the transformations of the universe seen as a process of becoming, and the transformations of an individual in understanding and exploring the universe. Understanding and exploration require one another; they are mutually supporting. Understanding includes knowledge. Exploration includes the experience of change which includes travel. However, a basic part of exploration is not only experience of change but, also, change itself – transformations or mutations of the world and of the individual in form and identity. The explorations may be seen as ‘experiments in the transformation of being.’

The Journey has an intrinsic significance. So much of human activity is directed to some other (external) purpose or to a final moment of enjoyment. The intrinsic significance of the journey is that the ‘goal’ is the entire process and not only the final result; they may both be enjoyed; together, they constitute meaning (significance)

The description of interactions between process and outcome may be interpreted in terms of (constructive) achievement. There may be one or more main or overriding objectives or goals. Each goal will have sub-goals or tasks; this division of goals and labor may continue to an elementary level. (Additionally, there are supporting and co-occurring activities of which some are automatic and some require attention.) Goals may be definite or open ended. The goals are, naturally, interactive but, at times a constituent task will be the temporary overriding concern. Later, such temporary importance may change in character, merge with other concerns, or fade into insignificance. The establishment of even the main objectives is never completely final; and when a main goal is thought to have been achieved, a further horizon may appear. Thus, even from the perspective of achievement, the process or journey is ever present and significant

Presentation as a journey is important to understanding development of the essay and to its usefulness to anyone who would undertake his or her own journey

‘Being’ is what exists, what is real. In the essay, I have developed a Theory of Being that helps to clarify the idea of ‘thing’ by answering the question, ‘What is a thing and what things are there in the universe?’

I said that the book is about ‘all things.’ Two problems with use of the word, ‘all’ should be mentioned. One is that in attempting to list all things there is a potential for paradox. Another concern is that, even if paradox is avoided, how is it possible to know that every thing has been included or listed in a descriptive (conceptual) scheme? The nature of the paradoxes, the meaning of ‘all,’ and (attempted) resolutions of the problems are taken up, later, in the essay

The use of ‘all’ means that the focus is the universe outside which there is no thing. This includes a focus on the immediate present, on this world and on the lives of individuals – and on the relation between the immediate and the remote that gives significance to both

(‘Outside’ is not to be taken in a merely spatial or temporal sense. Note that the phrase, ‘outside which there is nothing’ has two interpretations. One is the concrete meaning that all things are in the universe. Given the existence of nothingness, another interpretation is that it is immaterial whether nothingness is regarded to be inside or outside the universe – or even whether there is an infinity of nothingnesses, e.g., one attached to every element of being)

The fundamental achievements I implied above that goals of and approaches to the journey were in understanding (knowledge) and exploration (transformation.) These are the overall and interactive areas of achievement. Understanding guides exploration and exploration adds to understanding by increment and by confirmation or disconfirmation; thus understanding guides exploration (reason.) Understanding is a phase of exploration and may apply to itself in the form of ‘logic…’ The achievements in understanding: The results may be stated and their truth shown in a number of ways; these developments, the special areas and details, and the implications (practical, conceptual and for the significance of being) are part of the substance of this essay. The basic achievement is an understanding of being and its varieties and possibilities. This understanding is provided by the development of a metaphysics or theory of being in interaction with related and more specific areas of knowledge. The main features and logic of this development are complete and there is a sense in which the foundation is final and without the possibility of further regress (refinements and elaboration are possible and necessary.) A central result is about ‘limits’ to being and transformation. There are two kinds of limit – necessary (logical) and all other or practical limits. The practical limits are not absolute but difficult or infeasible; they may have been thought to be impossible on some views of reality which are themselves limited. However, new insight and new understanding may transform what was thought to be infeasible into something eminently possible… A sample of implications and developments includes an understanding of the significance of being (living,) a tentative and qualification of quantum theory, development of an account of (the structure, function and development of) human mind that is consistent with the theory of being and that has application to exceptional achievement and disorder, an understanding the nature of faith and religion and a novel evaluation of the ‘articles of faith,’ a final metaphysics (in the sense noted above) and resolutions of a number of classic problems of metaphysics such as the question of substance ontology, the mind-body problem, the question of “Why there is something rather than nothing?” It is shown that there is no ultimate, unchanging substance; that substance ontology serves no useful and realistic purpose; that the ‘foundation’ of being is in nothingness or the void; that there is no necessary need for further foundation; that, therefore, the final metaphysics is neither monism nor dualism; that the demonstration of these assertions is possible by logic (logic requires to have and is given an interpretation that is alternate to and includes the traditional one.) Finally, the understanding provides partial foundation for the explorations. Achievements in exploration and transformation: The understanding is a basis to develop a system of transformations that draws from various traditions and synthesis. Though tentative, the system of transformations and experiments is designed to be minimal and complete. This system is made possible as a result of the account of human mind and theory of being described above. The understanding is itself a form of transformation. The actual transformations (my experiments) in the form and identity of being include two kinds: development through growth, commitments, projects and endeavor; and ‘real’ transformations in form and identity (the boundary between the kinds is not definite.) My projects and commitments include ‘Journey in Being,’ and its phases of ultimate, personal and social experiment. A systematic exposition of the transformational journey that includes its foundation and the experiments (in-process) is found in the body of this essay, primarily in the chapter titled, ‘Journey in Being.’ A basic approach, founded in the theory of being and labeled, ‘The Dynamics of Being’ has been developed. Actual developments are based in the dynamics and experiment. Specific experiments may be classed as immediate or ultimate (the distinction is blurred.) The following examples are a sampling from the essay. Immediate transformations: Self and body awareness in healing, interactions cultivation of the unconscious (and its interaction with the conscious) in the creative process and achievement, use and cultivation of dreams, self-awareness and self-expression in interpersonal interaction and charisma, the physical journey (journey-quest) as a source of inspiration… Intermediate level transformations: use of the immediate transformations in growth and in projects, projects in group action, projects in symbolic representation and machine realization of being… Ultimate transformations: It is convenient to distinguish inner (mind, awareness, identity) and outer transformations (identity – identity is at the boundary of the distinction, body, and world.) My experiments in ultimate transformations are still in their early stages. The development of the understanding (theory of being…) is an exception to the preliminary character of these transformations. Approaches to transformation identity (self vs. universe or all being) include yoga and its combination with the theory of being and physical action (journey.) The continuation of the approach to transformation of identity may result in self-transformation and actual transformation of being to other forms including all being – and may be a most efficient approach. It is an open question whether death shall be the only practical approach to such transformation in my life. However, it has been shown from the Theory of Being that there must be an approach other than death; such an approach may be equivalent to a realization of the ‘relative’ nature of death. Here, then, it is clear that the distinction between inner or mental and outer or actual transformation is also blurred, incomplete and relative to a limited awareness; and it is also clear that cognitive understanding alone is incomplete and needs to be supplemented, at least, by an understanding based in all dimensions of mind (which is found to be continuous with the actual or the body)

My purpose in writing the book (essay)… other function (see the section from the supplement and any material on purpose from the original document) I have written the book because I believe that I have something significant and original to say. I have drawn from and synthesized some aspects of a number of traditions, especially western thought and the philosophies of India. However, the essay is not intended to be a summary of the history of knowledge or of action and experiment. Although there are intimations, in the history of ideas, of the fundamental results in this essay, I believe that the depth, clarity of statement, and completeness of the ideas and the necessity of the arguments are without precedent

The Intended Audience Is this title good? This work is directed at a number of audiences. The first is the general reader who may have an interest in the deep nature of the universe and, perhaps, in traveling in those depths – in exploration of the far reaches of being. The primary parts to the ‘journey’ are understanding or knowledge, and actual exploration including transformation of the individual being. The essay provides an account of the phase of understanding which I regard to be reasonably complete with respect to the objectives. The understanding provides a foundation for the exploration which remains in-process. The essay describes what has been done so far and outlines design for what remains. The travels in the depths and the far reaches are not to the exclusion of the immediate present. A number of immediate concerns are taken up, for example, individual possibility and choice (meaning and morals,) group choice or politics, living in the natural world as a source of inspiration and truth. I have shown that the relation between the universal and the immediate is real, i.e., the connection is an actual one and goes beyond the ‘mere’ fact of the meaning that the universal gives to day to day life. In the introduction, I have tried to give a more accessible –less technical- account for the general reader. The chapters that follow the introduction are more technical but, although there are specialized parts, the body of the essay, taken as a whole is not specialized. I have been asked by readers of preliminary editions why I have included so much detail –so many concepts– in such a short space. The necessary response is that the contents are necessary to the goal of understanding all being. It is necessary to that goal, in its achievement and as one measure of its success, to subsume the traditional ideas regarding being and its varieties. Although I find it necessary to direct my thoughts at others – to share my ideas, it is also necessary to be true. It is therefore natural that the subsumption of the traditional ideas must be reasonably complete and critical; additionally, the ideas as well as my ‘system’ of thought should be subject to creative mutual adjustment as part of the process of subsumption. The general reader is likely to experience the central chapters, ‘Foundation’ and ‘Journey,’ as difficult but the reader who persists may enter a ‘Journey in Being’ as participant rather than spectator. It may appear to some readers that my perspective is scientific and to others that it has a religious aspect. It is clear that I have learnt much from science and have received some inspiration from traditional religion. There is a difficulty in defining a perspective as –even partly– scientific or religious because science and religion are, in their entirety, complex activities whose perspectives have multiple dimensions. An ambition, toward which I have made efforts, is to acquire, as far as possible, direct knowledge of being – informed by but, finally, independent of particular perspectives. Of course, I would like my perspective to be scientific as far as that means that my thought is fluid and subject to modification in light of new information and new reflection; and I would like my thought to be religious as far as that implies awareness of and openness to what is true. I have not written specifically for audiences who define their interest in terms of limited viewpoints; however I hope that those who are open to the thought that their viewpoint may be tentative will find interest in this essay. In view of what I have just said, how is it possible for me to persuade others of the validity of my thought? I hope that readers will base their answer to that question on an evaluation my thought. For may part, I may say that my present thought is the result of analysis, synthesis and experiment with of a wide range of ideas combined the experience of a lifetime over roughly half a century. It is human to be passionate about –to have belief in– one’s vision of the world but, perhaps, inhuman to be attached to the vision at all costs… Another audience is the reader who is philosophically inclined. The essay traverses the terrain of a number of traditions of philosophy. The professional philosopher will find much of interest, especially the illumination (solution) of a number of classic problems and areas of philosophy such as the theory of being or metaphysics, the nature of ethics and of group choice (political philosophy,) the mind-body problem, the nature of mind and matter, the problem of substance (the result is that there are no fundamental substances; instead the foundation of being is in the void or, equivalently, in complete indeterminism which, however, necessitates the origin of form and structure and of a kind of local causation and local determinism,) the nature of space and time – relational or absolute, what has been called the fundamental problem of metaphysics, i.e., ‘Why is there something rather than nothing?’ and the related question, ‘Why does the universe contain sentience?’, problems of the theory of knowledge, the nature of the noumenon or thing-in-itself, and questions as to the nature of philosophy and, especially metaphysics and logic. The variety of reflections is tied together by a unity of perspective that stems, in part, from the theory of being that has been developed. My method includes but is not restricted to analysis; I have considered it important that philosophy should endeavor to illuminate the nature of the real – of being. Although there are intimations, in the history of ideas, of the fundamental results in metaphysics, I believe that the depth and clarity of statement of the ideas and the necessity of the arguments are without precedent. An objective in all these endeavors, as well as in those that follow, has been, first, to contribute to understanding and, second, to occasionally summarize pertinent aspects of the state of knowledge in the field. The developments that follow will have interest for more specialized audiences but not to the exclusion of the general or the philosophically inclined reader. One purpose to these specialized topics is to show how the general theory of being and the specialized topics have implications for one another. Taken together, the general and specialized interests – especially those whose focus is concerned with mind, its nature, structure and function – will form a foundation for a design of a complete and minimal system of experiments for the exploration and transformation of being. The degree to which the developments are complete and elaborate is not uniform (some of the developments are detailed in other essays.) Individuals with an interest in theoretical physics will find a tentative and as yet qualitative foundation for some of the basic theories and fundamental concepts of physics - quantum theory; the relativistic theory of space-time-matter and force. For biologists, there are reflections on the nature of life and the necessity of the variation and selection ‘mechanism’ of evolution and a generalization of that mechanism to all creation, to all origins of form and structure. Persons active in the sciences of mind and behavior (psychologists) will be interested in the account of the nature and structure of mind. Regarding the possibility of two concepts of mind, the phenomenal and the psychological, that has dominated much thought since the middle of the nineteenth century, I find that necessity requires the conclusion that the distinction is false and is based in a limited (premature) understanding of both ‘concepts.’ Regarding the structure of mind, my focus has been at two levels – the possibility of mind as a source of adaptation (creativity) and the dimensions of human mentality. I have formulated a set of parameters or dimensions that permits a uniform treatment of mind and person in specific contexts and over a lifetime. This includes uniform formulations of the functions (cognition, emotion and drive or instinct) and a formulation of personality that transcends and is relatively neutral toward the culture-centered attempts of the past. The latter is made possible, in part, by connecting the human context, concepts and dimensions of mind, and the theory of being of this essay. It is shown that a complete account of the working of mind must be a basis for a complete account of the being and meaning of the individual: the account of human mind is a basis for the design of the experiments in transformation. Workers in the recently activated (roughly, the final quarter of the twentieth century) and multi-disciplinary field of consciousness studies will find a simple resolution of the ‘problem of consciousness’ that is, essentially, a special case of the resolution of the mind-body problem mentioned earlier. The limit of the treatment is not arrived at when I say that the cognitive scientist will find reflections and conclusions regarding the structure of thought and the possibility of the interpretation of mind as machine. The essay contains reflections on the nature of symbolic systems that include the nature of the symbol and the object, the nature of language and of mathematics. These reflections are based, in part, on the concept of the ‘free symbol’ that is based in the metaphysics; this concept is also the basis of an elucidation of aspects of social theory such as the nature and aspects of individual and group choice, i.e., of ethics and of politics. I have attempted to craft the essay as art – have attempted to occasionally suffuse the prose with a poetic sense. This attempt is consistent with the reflection, found in the discussion of the nature of symbols, that poetry and logic (reason) are not necessarily or essentially distinct and that their forms may be combined in positive ways that compromise neither poetry nor reason

Outline and Structure This had been labeled, simply, ‘Outline.’ What is needed, in addition to an outline, is an explanation of the sequence and structure – how the narrative mirrors the journey. Especially important is the presence of personal or individual elements, of narrative and formal elements, the roles and relations of these elements, their placement, and how to distinguish them. It is important to let different readers, with different interests and levels of preparation, know where to go for what

Reading the book Since a book is a ‘presentational form,’ i.e., it stands as a whole but the presentation is linear, the whole form may be best grasped by reading it more than once – perhaps at different paces and levels of detail (table of contents, the preface, introduction, section on the fundamental problems, glossary, and index help this. Regarding meanings: every meaning may change; the meanings stand together as an interconnected system and therefore it is necessary to make a conscious effort to be aware of my use and meanings of words (the index, glossary, and sources and influences help this. Note that introducing new words is not always feasible and might create further problems)

INTRODUCTION TO THE JOURNEY IN BEING

Here are some preliminary comments whose purpose is to give a quick introduction to some central ideas of this essay. Some goals are given and some results are stated with at most minimal justification. Justification (demonstration or proof) is a part of the journey and is developed in rest of the introduction and the body of this essay

The central goal and ambition of the journey described here (in this essay) is understanding and realization of all possibilities of being This requires clarification; the clarification below that begins the introduction is an outline. Note that this introductory set of comments is new (its content is not new)

Here is a brief explanation of the meaning of ‘being.’ A being is an entity that exists and the quality of being is the quality of existence, i.e., something has being if it exists. Being is used in a general sense that includes becoming or coming into existence. The concept of being may appear to be trivial but it enables depths of understanding that might otherwise be unrealized. Reasons for the use of ‘being’ and further clarification of its use or meaning in this essay are given later. Because of its traditional uses, being may appear to be a specialized and esoteric concept. However, it is not specialized – it is, perhaps, the most general of concepts (all things are suffused with being, the theory of being is at the foundation of all disciplines of knowledge) and it is the generality that may make it appear to be remote. Specialized conclusions –conclusions that apply to a restricted phase or class of being– follow from combining the general (theory of being) with specific concerns, e.g., an activity or an academic discipline. As a result of the power of the concept of being, such specialized conclusions may be deeper and more reliable than results that stem from the limited concern alone… Being is sometimes used with religious connotations, e.g., as a substitute for ‘God’ or ‘soul.’ Here, being is not used in such senses. The primary importance of the use of being is that it encourages reflection on and analysis of what it is –and what it means– to exist and, so, to deep conclusions about the nature of the universe as a whole. Naturally, analysis of being may have implications for the possible natures of God and soul but the main interest here is that there are implications for the natures of mind, of matter and of the universe. The ubiquity of being and the generality of the concept require an effort to grasp the idea and its magnitude but, if what I have been saying is true, there is a great reward to the effort. I might have used an alternate word to ‘being.’ I chose to use ‘being’ rather than some other word, not only because I like its sound, but also because there is a deep, though sometimes misleading and confusing, tradition to its use in the history of ideas. Choice of ‘being’ has encouraged use of and connection with that tradition

Who or what is to understand and to realize all possibilities? The response is any entity, e.g., (1) An individual, and (2) All being. (The uses of ‘Being’ in this essay are clarified later; here, being may be thought of as similar to ‘entity.’) The realization by ‘all being’ is identical to the universe (taken to be all being, outside of which there is nothing) in its evolution or history. Thus the understanding and realization in question must include the valid parts of all traditions of knowledge and transformation… The idea that an individual may achieve what is accessible to all being appears to be paradoxical; this is addressed in what follows

The following discussion regarding possibility, necessity and logical impossibility should be tightened and condensed

It is shown in this essay (it is actually shown immediately below) that all possibilities are accessible to any individual and, so, there is no need to include the phrase, ‘as far as possible’ after ‘understanding and realization’

It is shown (it is actually shown immediately below) that only what is logically impossible is actually impossible. All other states of being are achievable by any individual and will, necessarily, be attained by some individual being

Examples of logical impossibilities are, ‘An apple that is completely red and completely blue.’ It is trivially obvious that such a state cannot be realized. A significance of the observation that the only impossibilities are logical ones is that not all logical impossibilities are obvious impossibilities or contradictions. The significance of this observation and some examples are considered later

Here are some
examples of possible transformations (realization) of interest. (1) The natural processes of the world or universe that appear to occur without external intervention. (2) Individual achievement. (3) Traditional life; living in the present. (4) Negotiating or stepping outside (transcending) limits of or implied by individual identity, by regularities expressed in common sense and the sciences, e.g. the physical and economic sciences – except when to negotiate such limits would violate necessary or logical limits

The idea that what is not logically impossible is possible appears to contradict science and common sense. Many logical possibilities appear violate the known laws of physics. An example is the idea that ‘something may come from nothing.’ In fact, it is not clear that this is a violation of physical law. It is easy to show that ‘a universe from nothing’ does not violate the principle of conservation of energy – the negative energy of the gravitational field may balance the energy associated with matter; additionally, in the quantum world view, spontaneous creation is not absurd in the way that it is in the pre-quantum, Newtonian world view. However, the theory of being provides a deeper argument whose precise version and details are given later. In outline the argument is as follows. The idea of the void is that of nothingness – of complete absence. The void is not merely the absence of things; it is also the absence of pattern, form and law. The void ‘exists’ for it is what is left when the universe is subtracted from itself. That nothing ever came from the void would be a law; therefore, it is necessary that something will come from the void. More precisely, for any actual or possible state of being, that it never arises out of the void is a law; therefore, all such states of being, including the entire universe or all being, must arise from the void. I.e., the void is equivalent to any being, to all being, to the universe; and to the annihilators of all these entities. Here is a preview of some additional results of the theory of being; the complete account and arguments are given later. (1) If a creator is separate from what is created, then the universe (all being) cannot have a creator. However, parts of the universe may be created. This has implications for the nature of both physical law and God… If what is possible (what is not a logical contradiction) is necessary the following are true. (2) Every ‘particle’ of the universe is capable of ‘self-annihilation’ as is the universe itself (the later arguments show this to be ‘colossally’ improbable.) (3) Every actuality and every possibility must repeat infinitely in extension and duration i.e. in space and time; this constitutes a form of karma which is given meaning by the next conclusion. (4) There is a being that spans the recurrences of discrete being. (5) The seemingly paradoxical conclusion, ‘Jesus Christ is risen from the dead’ must obtain in countless cosmological systems. I said earlier, that the intent in this essay is not specifically religious. However, it is shown that truth and religion have some intersection. It is important to ask what is the significance to the articles of faith such as the ones regarding karma and resurrection whose occurrence is one of infinite repetition. Since the establishment of the theory of transfinite numbers in the late nineteenth century, it is known that there are orders of infinity. The infinity of all occurrences may, and undoubtedly does, unimaginably exceed the infinities of karmic recurrence and of resurrection. So, the Theory of Being developed in detail later in this essay requires both karma and resurrection and lends credence to possibility but not at all to the actuality or necessity of local karma or of the resurrection on this earth or in the local cosmological system

These considerations do not imply that achieving any given state or all states is feasible or desirable

Here are some
examples of infeasibility. In our world or corner of the universe, violation of the laws of physics is not impossible, i.e. not logically impossible, but is, normally, staggeringly infeasible. Even while satisfying these laws, some goals may be economically infeasible

What is
the meaning of desirability? It includes what is good, what is ethical but the meaning of desirability and of the ethical must be left open. Finding those meanings is part of the Journey. Feasibility and desirability are not independent. Something that at first seems desirable may turn to be not desired if it is highly infeasible. A goal whose achievement seems unlikely may be a worth investing some effort if the outcome has great value or desirability

If all goals that are not logically impossible are achievable, what is to be made of the value of effort, of respecting traditional wisdom regarding unlikely goals, of what is usually considered to be possible and what are usually considered to be limits on possibility?

These concerns are addressed by introducing the idea or concept of the normal. The traditional limits, possibilities and impossibilities are normal limits… Thus what is usually considered to be impossible is normally infeasible. However, we have seen that what is infeasible may be a worthwhile goal and, additionally, since feasibility is relative to knowledge, new insight may transform formerly infeasible goals into feasible ones

Do these considerations invalidate traditional ways of life and typical goals? Is it being said that enjoyment of life as it is –of the present– is not good? No; the experience of an intrinsic worth of tradition and enjoyment of living is recognized as among what is desirable; the worth of a variety of ways of life is recognized; and enjoyment and achievement are not exclusive but are mutually supporting

Introduce what is revolutionary, foundational and deep (deeper than the tradition including science and philosophy) though not without prior intimation

The discussion in this section provides an introduction to some of the ideas used in this essay. The discussion here is intended to be non-technical. A more complete discussion –with more careful definitions and arguments, elaborations and examples– is given in the sections that follow. So as to keep the later sections –relatively– complete, some material from this section is repeated. Not all material is repeated – identify what material should be read (and by whom) and what material may be omitted

The section Introduction, from the Preface to Journey in Being - foundation supplement Sept 04 II.html, has material that should go to diverse places. Place appropriately

What is the ‘Journey in Being?’

Introduction

What is the ‘Journey in Being?’

Significance of Journey

Why ‘Journey’? Is this not contained in the previous heading? In some ways. However, it is also being asked why ‘journey’ is used and not ‘becoming?’ It is not merely that ‘The Becoming of Being’ is awkward. ‘Journey’ signifies: that, at outset, the paths and destinations are unknown – their creation or discovery is part of the journey; that the story follows many threads of which some are dead ends; that the journey is wonderful – enjoyed also for its own sake even in its aspects of boredom and dread; and that the journey continues…

Origins and Paths (Trajectories) of the ‘Journey in Being’

Significance of the Individual Story Explains the significance of the individual story or journey. Not biographical in nature i.e. does not emphasize what is distinctive about the author’s life but what may be universal to individual effort: contains information that displays the process as a journey, that may inspire and concern others with similar ambitions, that shows the relations between the individual and the universal… and that may be useful, in later sections, in illuminating the process of discovery and creation. When greatness is assigned to individual effort it is often done in a way that depicts the individual as destined for greatness. There is a view, according to the Theory of Being developed in this essay, in which there is intrinsic significance to the efforts of the individual. This significance does not lie in mere effort but in dedicated effort, effort that is both synthetic –therefore sustained and holistic– and reflective or critical and analytic. Thus while some works achieve recognition and ‘greatness’ these measures of accomplishment are not measures of the significance of individual effort. The significance of these thoughts is not that they constitute justification for effort but that they give effort meaning that is independent of the outcome. At the same time, the same Theory of Being, shows effort and hypothesis to be a form of contact with the real. The personal elements of the story are segregated to this section

Origins

Two Paths (Trajectories)

Journey: Ideas and Transformation

Life Experience: work; relationships; therapeutic relationships; living in nature; travel; learning and thought; seeking transformation

On Being

The following questions are identical

What is Being?

What is the meaning of Being?

On Meaning: Although every meaning may change, the meaning of ‘Being’ –that which exists, the quality of existence– is too fundamental to change. ‘What is Being?’ is answered, in principle but not in detail, by analyzing the meaning of ‘Being.’ What remains to be given or discovered is the elaboration of being – its analysis, significance and kinds or possibilities. Note that ‘meaning’ has more than one meaning of which two significant families are those centered around the uses ‘the meaning or sense and reference of a word or term’ and ‘the meaning or significance of life.’ Which of these two families is being used should be clear from the context

On being and the meaning of being: Details come later. Although the meaning of being is given very clearly, the generality and abstraction of the concept and the breadth of its extension provides room for interpretation, variety, subsumption of everything in the universe outside of which there is nothing

Comments on the word, ‘BeingA case of one word, two symbols which is distinct from the issue of ‘On Meaning,’ above. The use here is the existential use, ‘Water is H20’ or, simply, ‘Water is’ and not the use as a copula or linking word, ‘Water is wet.’ ‘Water is H20’ may, with qualification, be written, ‘Water = H2O’ but ‘Water is wet’ may not be correctly written ‘Water = wet,’ or, even, ‘Water = wetness’

Why focus on Being? 1. Being is the most general of ‘things.’ Therefore, its understanding may (its successful understanding, as in this essay, will) be the source and precondition of all understanding

2.
Being is unknown and undetermined in its possibilities and, therefore, as will be seen, powerful in its power for understanding and, consequently for transformation. E.g. analysis of being and non-being –the void– shows why there is being, what are its possibilities, what are the possibilities and limits of individuals, resolves many age-old issues in the nature of being –metaphysics– and has significance for many of the most fundamental issues of being – human issues

3. An example is that of substance ontology: introduction of ‘substance’ is an attempt to see what is most fundamental – a substance is thought to be unchanging, that out of which all changing things and appearances come; the positions of relationship and process are similar – they are alternatives to substances that avoid some of its problems; however, the theory of being to be developed shows that neither substance nor process nor relationship are fundamental. Instead, nothingness is fundamental and, as will be seen, in nothingness is the foundation of being and, in their domains, of substance etc. and of causation…

4. It will seem that a number of fundamental conclusions are arrived at by logic alone; however, the implicit assumption is that ‘there is being.’

5. Detailed conclusions will result when the concept of being is applied to particular situations. Examples are the conclusions regarding logic, science, myth and religion including questions of soul-spirit-God, morals or ethics, the nature and significance of
individual presence

Core Concepts, Arguments and Conclusions Note that this section has been substantially incorporated in the earlier section ‘The Central Goal and Ambition…’ Complete that incorporation; place all useful materials; eliminate this section. Reckon that this section has overlap with other sections; where is the section to be placed; where are subsections to be placed

Preliminary key words – Words to explain essential concepts to the relatively casual reader while a more detailed list is in later sections &or the lexicon? Words: being, mind, normal… Categories: Of Being, Of Mind…

On ‘Whole Systems Why ‘Whole Systems’ and not the modern tendency to ‘Cool Systems,’ to lazy complacency and mere icon smashing which can be done by any raging bull or impotent cow with one or two neurons? In the end, it is the whole that is cool… that provides the greater insight into a greater variety of possibilities, that enables discovery, creation and transformation, that provides the reader with the tools to engage in the journey as participant rather than spectator. One source of ‘Whole Systems’ is recorded thought of the traditions – past and present. These are not complete as may be recognized and as is demonstrated by the Theory of Being developed here. However, the traditions are a source towards completion – as far as it is possible – and this is a reason, in addition to others including the practical ones, to analyze all significant issues of Being including Human Being especially including, as a test, Complete Systems of Problems of Metaphysics. Formally, a Theory of Being, a World View, or a Metaphysics is an attempt at a whole system. Because the elements of the world (universe) interact, so may the concepts interact under the relational (theoretical) structure of the metaphysics – this is why it is essential to consider a metaphysics as a whole rather than piecemeal. However, how can the completeness of a metaphysical system be known? Two ways arise: logical and empirical verification. The Theory of Being of the present document contains both elements. In its most general features, the theory follows from logical considerations and the only empirical elements are given e.g. being i.e. existence (something exists) and, in the understanding of the local phase-epoch of the universe, the existence of experience. In the more detailed development, the present Theory of Being has (necessarily) both logical-conceptual elements regarding the structure of the subject matter and empirical elements concerning the ‘facts’ of the subject. This discussion may have parts placed here and (overlapping) parts placed in the section, ‘foundation.’ The parts place here should be relatively non-technical

Introduction / What is the Journey in Being

Being / becoming: Why / What they are / Which is significant?

The Core Arguments

The Core Conclusions ‘Ghost universes passing through ours like ships in the night… not felt or seen as such but, perhaps, as a shiver in the darkness, pondered briefly and then forgotten’

Purpose and Goals of the Journey

The Concept of Importance

Knowledge and Hypothesis Alternative titles: ‘Symbol and Hypothesis,’ ‘Knowledge in Being and in Becoming…’ This is a tentative improvement of the section, ‘Symbol and Error,’ of previous outlines. Where should the (content of the) topics Mind and Error; Mind, Thought, and Language; The Hard Problem of Knowledge; of the previous version (in the essay or supplement) of this section be placed? This topic is a discussion of two frameworks for knowledge that correspond to similar frameworks for being – that of becoming and that of all being… (1) Hypothesis as the essence of knowledge. In the first framework, knowing or coming to know is a process in which discovery (creation) is possible only when error is possible. One way of saying this is that, in this framework, hypothesis is the essence of knowledge – because, not only is hypothesis on the way to knowledge but because being-in-process is fundamental rather than result or ‘end point.’ (2) The possibility of metaphysics and positive knowledge. In the second framework, positive judgment is possible, i.e., final rather than tentative knowledge is possible. (As is seen in various ways, there is a mode –are modes– of final knowledge of all being.) Both frameworks are made possible by the free symbol. Science to the present time (c.2005) is an example of knowledge under the first framework. It is often assumed that because the ‘series of scientific discovery’ is apparently incomplete, it can not be completed in any way. This is shown by Omnes to be false. Omnes’ system is one system, in outline, of completed science. The Theory of Being of this essay, is another example, also in outline, of a completed theory… it is important to note, however, that the present Theory of Being is demonstrated, at its level of generality, to be a complete theory of being. Plan: The various topics are discussed elsewhere. Place appropriately. Keep a simple form of the discussion here – possibly absorbing it to other sections

Hypothesis as the Essence of Knowing Acknowledges the significance of the possibility of error –the necessity of openness to error– but finds an alternate view in which hypothesis is the essence of knowledge as knowledge-in-process as an aspect of becoming, i.e., being-in-process. There is a viewpoint or state in which being-in-process is eternal life and similarly in which error is divested of its negative connotation and living in hypothesis is living in knowledge

On Criticism Should this be placed here?

The Possibility of Knowledge of Being or of Positive Judgment Need simple words. Note that this is related to the possibility of metaphysics discussed below

Conservative and Liberal Attitudes toward Knowledge Incorporate this topic in the foregoing

Realization: the Journey Continues…

Ideas: Being and Aspects of Being

Transformation

The Central Conceptual Issues

Summary

FOUNDATION – THE THEORY OF BEING INTRODUCTORY COMMENT: THIS SECTION OR DIVISION, FOUNDATION FOR THE JOURNEY IN BEING, IS IN ITS DEVELOPMENT ALSO PART OF THE JOURNEY. WHEN NO LONGER NECESSARY, ELIMINATE THE FOLLOWING BOXED OUTLINE AND THE BOOKMARK ‘foundation’

outline of the section

Key terms

Introduction

On Being

Outline of The Theory of Being

The Theory of Being

Metaphysics, Logic, Cosmology and Theory of Knowledge

Theory of Knowledge

Metaphysics

Logic

Cosmology

Consequences of The Theory of Being

Remaining sections, wrap-up, point to the next section, ‘Journey in Being’

Key terms These are key terms for the entire document and may be classified according to division of metaphysics and this document. Words include concept, theory, LOGIC and logic…

Introduction: Objective – foundation for the journey, i.e. of all knowing and transformation… Whether this is possible depends on what is meant by ‘foundation’ and what count as knowledge and being, i.e. what knowledge and transformation (being) are considered to be real or essential. While it would be superfluous to include all factual knowledge, the choices should not make ‘all knowledge’ and ‘all being’ trivial. Approach – why is metaphysics chosen as foundation and execution of all knowing; and extension of metaphysics to include action and experiment in transformation… and why is being placed at the core of the metaphysics? (Beyond the fact that the essential analysis of ‘metaphysics’ is through ‘being.’) The theory of being that is developed is manifestly and intrinsically an adequate foundation, i.e. it shows its own foundational nature. May repeat some material from ‘Introduction to the Journey in Being’

Preliminary: Principles of Thought Should this be Heading 2?

First Principles

Sources

On Being Alternative title: The Concept and Nature of Being or, simply, Being… Collect all ideas and sections on being. May repeat some material from ‘Introduction to the Journey in Being’

What is –the Meaning of– Being?

Comments on the Word ‘Being’

The Concept of Being Becoming is discussed above in the ‘Introduction to the Journey in Being;’ determine the parts of the discussion to be placed there, parts here, and parts to be repeated… How important to being is becoming? In the end, I think that being is found to be fundamental – not because becoming is not fundamental to being in a normal sense but because (1) fundamentally, in the Theory of Being, becoming, relationship are implicit in being – as are many other apparently fundamental concepts such as ‘form’ and ‘substance,’ and (2) Even in the normal or practical sense, the form of being can be understood either through becoming – evolution – or through adaptation i.e. symmetry of the elements. Note regarding importing material from the compound section that includes ‘necessity of becoming’ from foundation: the necessity is that in the void – which is present even when there is being – there must be becoming i.e. it follows from the meaning of void or non-being that being will occur; it is not being said that the concept of becoming is necessary for or prior to that of being. This discussion is relevant to the section, ‘Focus on Being’ and overlapping parts may be placed there

Focus on Being Why?

Power: the Measure of Being

The Elimination of Substance This section is new to the outline. There is discussion of the point in this outline, the supplement and foundation. Is this the best location for the discussion?

Outline of The Theory of Being ‘Theory of Being’ is somewhat interchangeable with ‘Metaphysics’ and so the alternative title: Outline of The Metaphysics. An overview of the development without headings or details – may have sections. Why and how the development of the theory is an interactive unity whose elements may be identified as the traditional topics of Metaphysics, Logic, Cosmology and the Theory of Knowledge (Note that ‘metaphysics’ has a restrictive sense as in the element of the unity and an inclusive sense as that unity.)

Outline of the Metaphysics and its Logic This is just a repeat of the above title included to see if there is any material in the supplement

The Theory of Being Alternative title: The Metaphysics, General Metaphysics, or, simply, Metaphysics. Development of the Theory of Being with the Metaphysics, Logic, Cosmology and Theory of Knowledge: use the multiple outlines below. In this Heading 2 section, it is necessary to rationalize the heading levels

What is Expected of a Theory of Being?

What is Expected of a Theory of Being?

System for Knowing and Realizing All Actual and Possible Being This is implicit in the logic developed in this essay, especially this section. One test for this is to see whether all significant issues of Being including Human Being especially including Complete Systems of Problems of Metaphysics may be included in the Theory of Being. This topic is currently placed in the section, The Fundamental Problems but is manifest in the contents of the Theory of Being / Metaphysics developed below. If it is not, should the topic be explicitly mentioned in the present section, Foundation?
Elements of a Theory of Being
Primitives
Methods or Approaches
Results
System of Understanding
System of Explanatory Principles
System of Actual and Possible Being

The Theory of Being Reveals its Own Motivation

Some Issues and Problems that any ‘Complete’ Theory of Being Must Address One issue is that of completeness of the theory (of Metaphysics) which should here be addressed in principle. An explicitly complete system (in outline) is in the next main division, ‘Journey in Being’

Absolute Completeness
Relative Completeness

Metaphysics, Logic, Cosmology and Theory of Knowledge This topic is pertinent to the section, ‘Outline of The Theory of Being.’ Include (enhance) discussion of the inseparability of these topics in the best development; note that inclusion of Theory of Knowledge is new to this introduction and is practically necessary but not absolutely necessary as indicated at the end of this paragraph. May raise this to level II heading. Preliminary comments on the Theory of Knowledge. This discussion on could be placed in the next section. Given the Theory of Being developed here, certainty in knowledge cannot be the ultimate ‘function’ of knowledge –even the possibility of certainty may be questioned– although it may be a useful normal function. It may even be questioned whether the function of knowledge is to know – this assignment of function is based the natural and practical inclination of the ego or self and emphasized by the acuity and immediacy of sense perception; rather the underlying ‘function’ of knowing may be seen as connection, immersion or adaptation. (In questioning whether the function of cognition is knowing, the significance of presence –subjective presence, the locus of and a precondition for meaning and, at root, meaning itself– in the universe is not questioned.) What is the source of knowledge? “Although all individual knowledge begins with experience it does not follow that it arises out of experience (alone.)” This points out a limit on empiricism which is further limited because of its focus on knowledge by acquaintance i.e. apprehension of the object. Empiricism does not explain the difficulty that a robot with eyes and ears would have in replicating the human form of knowing unless it also had the equivalent of the human cognitive system that includes the brain. I.e. the categories of intuition which are necessary for the forms of knowledge –of known objects– do not arise out of experience which is clear but may also be seen from the observation that a rock or a robot with sensory organs but not a human or animal like brain do not and cannot have the normal categories of intuition which make possible knowledge by description i.e. the symbolic representation of the object. Thus, pure rationalism is limited because it omits the role of experience. However, even a combination of rationalism and empiricism is logically empty unless a concept of knowledge is adopted and this amounts to specifying a function. While such a combination may provide foundation for the normal function of knowledge as knowing it is inadequate for the universal and normal function of connection, immersion or adaptation. As relationship, it is logically absurd to expect representation of the object – even though there are normal circumstances in which there is the privilege of a remarkable and functional facsimile of representation. Just as being is essentially ‘tentative’ on the account of the Theory of Being, the essence of knowing is hypothesis. Given this, there is no necessary limit to knowing – especially in its symbolic manifestation; the limits, though significant, are normal and practical but not universal or absolute. The Theory of Knowledge or Cognition is important in the ‘normal world’ but is not a necessary prerequisite or co-requisite to a general theory of being

Theory of Knowledge …and belief. Nature of knowledge, validity or correctness of knowledge: truth. Why the theory of knowledge is preliminary and why, even though it is obviously important, it is not as important as it is often thought to be… It is preliminary because, inasmuch as it is (if it is) crucial it should be so; and if it is not crucial then, in view of the importance of epistemology in modern thought, the ways in which it lacks foundational character should be established at the outset

Truth Keep the discussion below? If so, this is preliminary

Metaphysics …the core, where these four topics intersect has been given in ‘Outline… .’ It may still be desirable to introduce some elements of theory of knowledge, logic and cosmology here. In the following, identify or enter the alternate logics leading to the equivalence of the void and of all being and related conclusions, and identify, from among these, the fundamental conclusion(s). Note, in at least one of the developments, that the fundamental conclusions are equivalent to ‘essential indeterminism at the core of being.’ Note that some of the topics are redundant to this Heading 3 section (Metaphysics,) some may go to the Heading 3 sections, ‘Logic’ and ‘Cosmology’ and others to the Heading 2 section, ‘Consequences of The Theory of Being.’ This needs to be done for the terms (Being, Mind…) below: get the essential terms, put them in the proper order and section, ‘define’ and develop the terms and their interrelations

Metaphysics

Being

Mind The idea or concept of mind and its elaborations is developed in a number of sections. The objective here is to show and illuminate (the concept of) mind and to analyze its place in relation to (the substance-free theory of) being. It is shown that, in consequence of this Theory of Being, neither mind nor matter is fundamental, that the mind-body problem is the artifact of a premature and empty theory of being (materialism) and that, with a suitable (and fruitful) extension of the concept, mind and being are co-extensive

Universe

World

Metaphysics

Form

Universals Here or later?

Knowledge Here?

Truth Here?

Form

Mind, Symbol and Object It is important to clearly define (1) the pertinent concept field, and (2) the terms including ‘symbol,’ ‘object,’ ‘internal object,’ and ‘external object.’ The two sections, ‘Mind and Symbol’ and ‘Symbol, Ideal and External Object’ of the existing version have been combined into this one. Is this good?

The Infinitely Many Attributes Theory

Ideal and External Object What are the relations among symbol, ideal and external object? Is there the external object or what is the meaning of ‘external object?’ If symbol and ideal object are not identical, what is their relation? This is obviously Kantian territory and justice must be done to Kant and his successors

Knowledge

Epistemology as Part of Metaphysics

The Status and Applicability of Ideas

Universals

Truth

Ethics / Morals Combine with ‘Action?’

Action

Logic / Logics

Logic This may be the place to discuss the following topics from the foundation: paradox, necessity of reference and others. This may also be the place to insert a discussion of Dynamics of Being which need not have a separate section since it is included in logic – review this

Logic and The Possibility of Metaphysics This topic is clearly related or perhaps logically identical to the topic, The Possibility of Positive Judgment of the section, Introduction to the Journey in Being. Although the topic of the possibility of metaphysics and the relation of the possibility to logic is not new, they are combined in this section that is new to this outline – what is its proper placement?

Logics

Modal logic… Quantum Logics Non-Boolean Lattices and Rings, special role of observation Note that there is an argument that quantum logics are not necessary –that observation does not have a special role, see founding equations of motion– and that ‘classical’ logic suffices (quantum mechanics may be discussed under ‘Physical Cosmology’ or ‘Consequences of the Theory of Being’)

Logic

Logics and Their Contexts

Logic

Logic is the Study of Necessary Form

Laws of Logic

Induction and the ‘Scientific Method’

Science and Reality

Law Approximately here seems to be the formal and later development of the theory of ‘being from the void’

The Fundamental Problem of Metaphysics

[Why is there Something Rather Than Nothing?]

Possibility, Necessity and Actuality

Logic

Logic: the Void This seems to be the original development of ‘being from the void’ – the intuitive development, the ‘original’ logic. The following are a preview of some topics that are / were in cosmology and show (again) the intersections of the elements of Theory of Being

The Void
The Void Exists
Identity of Possibility, Actuality and Necessity

Critique of the Development of the Logic

CriticismsOf (1) the development of logic, (2) its application to the theory and origin of being… and to the fundamental problem of metaphysics

Cosmology With introductory comment on and may include general, normal, local (and physical) cosmologies; space-time-matter…

General Cosmology

Ontology as a Topic Why is this here?

Space, Time and Space-Time

Cosmology and Logic The first three topics are also in the section, ‘Logic.’ Are they needed here?

The Void The following question is, at present, qualitative or metaphorical. Is the void a mere absence (zero) of being or an unending process (negative infinity) in that ‘removal’ of all being is never ending?
The Void Exists
Identity of Possibility, Actuality and Necessity
Determinism and Indeterminism. Universal indeterminism and local determinism-like or causal-like behavior are not inconsistent; the latter necessarily follows from the former
Further Properties of the Void

Two Divides

Origins of a Coherent Cosmological System An alternate to ‘coherent’ is ‘normal.’ The idea of the normal is that of a stable phase-epoch in which entities have definiteness, limits and possibilities. The local physical ‘universe’ is an example of a normal cosmological system

Origin of the Free Symbolic Capability

Evolution as a Mechanism

Further Cosmological Consequences

Cosmological System; or phase-epoch or coherent domain of the universe
Creation, recurrence, karma, annihilation Note that this and the remaining topics are repeated below under ‘Religion’ with additional details
…if the concept of a creator requires it to be distinct from the creation, the universe cannot have a creator
Being that is the Span of All Being

Normal Cosmology. Local and Physical Cosmologies

The Concept of the NormalSome possible characteristics of a normal domain: near symmetry and stability, processes have a quasi-causal and quasi-deterministic character, dominant quasi-unique space and time, existence of a uniform description of the domain… but does not uniquely occupy its place

The Normal; Normality and Necessity; Normal Cosmology; Evolution as a Mechanism
Limits, Miracles, Magic

Some Normal Categories and Considerations

Mind and Causation

Action and Choice

Physical Cosmology

Space and Time or Space-Time, and Causation

Space, Time, and Matter
Causation
Dynamics

Life… Life itself is not written on things but is assigned by human beings and therefore to expect a static scheme of assignment, whether intuitive or descriptive or theoretical, that remains consistent in boundary cases is unrealistic even though there may be no problem of differentiation at the core (and thus, the concept of life is not arbitrary, is not a mere assignment.) ‘Life’ is an assigned concept, i.e., it is not merely read and the assignment – intuitive or schematic – must be dynamic and adjusting. The concept of ‘life’ is similar to that of ‘mind’ in being fluid but the nature of the fluidity is different

Summary of the Core of the Foundation

Criticism or Critical Review

Human Being: Mind, Symbol and Value Here is placed an outline of this topic. The details are currently in the following section, ‘Consequences of the Theory of Being.’ Is this arrangement optimal?

Consequences (&or Development) of the Theory of Being Can be considered to be –and, in some ways, is– a continuation of the development of the Theory of Being… If distinct, what are the distinguishing characteristics? Perhaps specialization of the topics or purpose of the topics. Examples: Cosmology, Myth, Faith and Religion… as special topics. While the concept and theory of mind would be in the section, ‘Theory of Being,’ a more detailed development of Human Psychology might be here. While logic will be discussed in the ‘Outline of The Theory of Being’ and have its own sub-section in ‘The Theory of Being,’ detailed treatment of logics might be here or in the next section(s.) Quantum Mechanics and related topics might be placed here (quantum logic is addressed under ‘Logic’)

Human Being: Mind, Symbol and Value

Mind

The Nature of Mind

The Elements of Mind or Psychology. Some dimensions What are the principles of organization of this section? Some possibilities are:

Elements of adaptation; elements of the adapted; and time – including development

The bound framework including the categories of intuition and the axes of mental phenomena; the free framework including free production and association including the icon and the symbol… and language; integration; and time – including development

Dimensions of Feeling

Afferent-Efferent

Bound-Free and Internal-External

Perception, Concepts and Meaning
Wittgenstein’s Contribution Including Use of the Analysis of Solipsism
Feeling-Motivation-Cognition: an Integrated System

State-Disposition

Memory

Center-Periphery

Integration-Independence

Modularity-Integration (Holism;)
Layering

Normal Psychology

The Normal

Aspects of Mind. The Categories of Intuition; Axes for Mental Phenomena; Growth and Development

The Categories of Intuition In the present sense, intuition is prior to the explicit knowing of the world. Intuition is a container or framework for feeling-cognition as in apprehension of…
Axes for Mental Phenomena Experience, attitude, action… Analyze the axes (begun in the present essay and other source documents)
The Elements of Intuition The categories developed as a matrix of elements whose indexes are the categories and the axes (above.) This new development is of extreme importance.
Existential: being, humor… Review this; review all – review for perception and thought
Physical: space, time, causation, humor
Biological: life forms Review this
Psychological: communication, icon-symbol, emotion, humor… Review this for knowledge-belief (inclusion of the symbol –the free-symbol– among the categories subsumes cognition and therefore all mental phenomena, all of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason but, simultaneously, frees philosophy up from intuition…

Growth – Development, Learning, Accomplishment, Personality and Meaning; Meaning, Commitments and Purpose

Development, Learning, Accomplishment
Exceptional Achievement and Disorder
Personality and Personality Factors; an Approach to the Study (Psychology) of the Person as a Whole
The Whole Individual: a Rationalized Study of Personality
Factors for the Psychology of the Person as a Whole
Personality and Meaning
Ontological Psychology

Language, Logic, Culture

Cognition and Communication

Language, Icon and Thought; Expression of Concepts

Uses of Language

Concepts
Attitudes
Metaphor and Other Non-Literal Uses

Comment on Errors Encouraged By Language

Bewitchment of Intelligence
Bewitchment of Critical Thought
It is as if Language Creates a Universe of its Own

Theory of Value and Group Action

Ethics and Value

Law and Legal Theory

Faith, Myth, Religion and Related Topics

Cosmology and Faith

Religion

Myth

Karma

Cosmology, Myth, Faith and Religion Some common criticisms of religion are (1) many religious accounts of reality are obviously untrue in their common literal interpretation, (2) religion is merely a solace and is thus numbing and, further, prepares believers for manipulation, (3) there are abuses in the name of religion. It is obvious that these claims contain truth. A response to these claims is possible as follows. (A) The claims do not apply to all aspects of religion; therefore, it is necessary to be clear what is meant by ‘religion.’ Additionally, consider that religion and the role or function of religion are distinct. Functions are assigned and there can be no unique function. However, ultimate truth is one function and religion and myth adopt a number of non-literal techniques to orient individuals to the ultimate truth whose apprehension has been thought to be difficult or impossible in literal e.g. scientific or metaphysical terms. In the present essay a literal approach where logic and intuition meet has been discovered and developed. Although I have found this approach to be useful in apprehending the ultimate, it is not clear that it would be found useful by persons of all inclinations. (B) There are good non-literal interpretations of religious belief, and though these may be useful they are not necessary (as just noted.) (C) It appears likely that the elimination of religion is unlikely even in its ‘sub-optimal’ though not abusive forms, and, therefore, there is value to improving the understanding of the nature and function of religious belief so that its conflict with reason can be resolved. This, too, has been done in the present essay, first by attaching significance to the literal interpretation – even if not literally true they point to the incompleteness of common and scientific understanding of ‘fundamental mysteries’ and point understanding in right directions. Thus, clearly, the common understanding of death cannot be said to be valid; the resurrection points to a better understanding without specifying what it may be and, at least, shows the nature of death to be an important mystery rather than the non-issue that the ‘practical minded’ often find it to be. Secondly, the Theory of Being developed in this essay finds many literal interpretations to be improbable rather than absurd

Literal or Material Interpretations

Cosmological System; or phase-epoch or coherent domain of the universe
Normality and Necessity
Creation, recurrence, karma, annihilation Note that this and the remaining topics are repeated, here, from ‘Two Divides’ with additional detail
…if the concept of a creator requires it to be distinct from the creation, the universe cannot have a creator
Being that is the Span of All Being… or of some inclusive range of being
Chain of Being: God, …, Individual Soul, Element of Being
God
Concept: Higher Power… ‘higher’ does not imply remoteness. Replace ‘Higher Power,’ simply, by ‘Power’ or ‘The Power of Being?’ Does this negate the connotations that give ‘God’ its significances? The response is, perhaps, that the essential significances are retained and the ‘erroneous’ ones sieved out. Names: YHWH, Brahman… Attributes of power: defined by the elements of intuition – the axes and categories, e.g.
experience including reflection attitude including perception, feeling and thought, action including creative and destructive power and guidance… (when the elements are rationalized, the attributes may be revised.) Degree of power: omnipotence vs. power, omniscience vs. knowledge

Location in extension and duration: immanent vs. remote e.g. diffuse vs. remote in space, remote vs. continuous creation. Extent – local vs. universal; and implications in light of the location of local, coherent or normal cosmologies in the one universe for the concept, attributes and degree of power

Kinds of argument for the existence and nature of God. A priori arguments, e.g., the
ontological proof regarding the most perfect or real being. Empirical arguments, e.g., the argument from design. Causal arguments, e.g., argument from design. Criticisms. The present a priori and synthetic argument from the Theory of Being; the fluidity and multiplicity of the concept and nature of God and the arguments
Articles of Faith
Limits; Miracles; Magic

Non-Literal Interpretations of Myth, Faith and Religion and the Articles of Faith Status of literal and non-literal interpretations. Ways of similarity or sameness and ways of difference; evaluation of sameness vs. difference. To the extent that the literal and non-literal are distinct: To what extent and how are they mutually supporting? To what extent and how are they in conflict? Final evaluation

Classifications or Typologies of Myth, Faith and Religion

Remaining sections, wrap-up, point to the next section, ‘Journey in Being’ The immediately following Heading 3 and lower sections were originally each one level higher

What has been learned on The Nature of Being This section was ‘Being II: The Nature of Being’

The Journey as a Whole… the Character Common to Every Being

Being as a Whole
Human or Animal Being… as Central to Our Journey… and as an Example
Any Being

The Ultimate

JOURNEY IN BEING

Introduction… purpose and function of this section

Introduction Or Introductory comments

Purpose of the Section

Intrinsic Purposes

Illustration of Being as Becoming or Journey
Three Journeys; Narrative
…and Development of the Journey
The Understanding of All Being
An Essential Account of the Cumulative Understanding From Human Culture and Animal Being with an Evaluation Based in the Theory of Being –inclusive of metaphysics, logic, cosmology and theory of knowledge– and its support in the disciplines and history of action
A Narrative of Transformation

Applied Purposes

Mutual Review of the Foundation and the Traditions

What is the ‘Journey in Being’? Note the repetition

A Map of the Journey

Background: History of Knowledge and Exploration

Understanding

Background Given the previous section on background, is this section necessary?

Unity in Understanding: Metaphysics and the Journey in Being

The Traditions of Knowledge and Systems of Disciplines – emphasizing those of the West and of India

Learning From the Disciplines

Metaphysics and Philosophy in Light of the Theory of Being

Metaphysics… Metaphysics as the investigation whose only limits (subject and method or approach) are necessary limits. Completeness of the metaphysics and system of problems of metaphysics; analysis of completeness

Philosophy… Rediscovery of philosophy i.e. recovery of philosophy from the ailment of mere analysis and the shadows of science. Philosophy and metaphysics are identical in their outer limits; the ‘local’ concerns of philosophy

Metaphysics, Philosophy and the Journey in Being

Catalog of Fundamental Problems Should this be here? Yes, at least to refer to the Level I section, ‘The Fundamental Problems,’ below

Journey to the Ultimate: Transformation of Being

Background Given the earlier section on background, is this section necessary?

Realization

Dynamics of Transformation Based in dynamics of being which has been subsumed by logic

Experiments in Transformation

Realization

The Journey Continues…

After the Journey

THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS CONTAINS ISSUES OR PROBLEMS RESOLVED – OF BEING AND OF KNOWLEDGE INCLUDING METAPHYSICS OR THEORY OF BEING – AND A PROGRAM OF STUDY

Problems of Being and Knowledge Resolved or Illuminated

Problems of Being The intent is to address all significant issues of Being including Human Being. Includes individual and social –especially political– concerns

Problems of Knowledge The intent is to define and address all fundamental aspects of learning (fundamental is defined relative to the interests of the Journey.) Includes disciplines from sciences and humanities. Focus on philosophy – metaphysics, cosmology, logic, theory of knowledge, and ethics – with a special concern for the classical problems of metaphysics

Program of Study, Conceptual and Experimental Investigation

Status and Future of the Essay

Planning and Design

Structure of Subsequent Editions

LEXICON OR GLOSSARY. WHILE THE INDEX CONTAINS A DETAILED LIST OF TERMS, HERE ARE INCLUDED ONLY THE ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS FOR THE JOURNEY IN BEING AND THEORY OF BEING. LOGICAL AND ALPHABETIC ARRANGEMENTS ARE GIVEN BUT THE EXPLANATIONS OF THE CONCEPTS ARE PROVIDED WITH THE ALPHABETIC ARRANGEMENT. THIS ORGANIZATION OPTIMALLY FACILITATES REFERENCE – CASUAL AND IN DEPTH REFERENCE

SOURCES AND INFLUENCES SOURCES ARE THE DETAILED NARRATIVES OF WHICH THIS ESSAY IS A SUMMARY WITH CONCEPTUAL REVISION AND SYNTHESIS. THE INFLUENCES INCLUDE THINKERS AND THE CULTURAL MILIEU, A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE INFLUENCE (RECONSTRUCTION IS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE DIFFUSE NATURE OF THE INFLUENCES,) AND (THIS IS NEW TO THE PRESENT REVISION) SOME KEY TEXTS

INDEX

THE AUTHOR