CONCEPTS FROM JOURNEY IN BEING - 2005
ANIL MITRA PHD, COPYRIGHT © September 2007
Document status: September 23, 2007
Outdated; maintained out of interest
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CONTENTS
The Metaphysics – an Ordering, with Concepts
Reductions, Completeness, Consistency
Alternative Ordering. Focus: the Individual and the Journey
The following is a tentative reordering for the Chapter, ‘Foundation,’ i.e., of the METAPHYSICS of the sections, ‘Introduction,’ ‘Metaphysics,’ …, ‘Faith.’ It needs to be further considered for (1) Fundamental relationships among the topics, i.e. for the best order –including alternates in possible addition to the alternate of item 2 that follows– and for consolidation. (2) A second reordering for the second main chapter, ‘Journey in Being.’ (3) Completeness with respect to (a) the theory of being – especially the metaphysics, (b) the individual in the journey, and (c) systematic formulations of (human) knowledge that will have been separately analyzed for ‘completeness’ such as an encyclopedic formulation, e.g., the modified Britannica system
Section code: consider adding to the text
Being
That which
exists or has existence; related
to the verb, to be and its
various forms – but not to all of its meanings
and uses; the depth of the idea
is due to its transparency. ‘Exists’ usually refers to the present instant or
slice of time; it has a more general use in that something has being if it
exists somewhere and somewhen… or somewhere-when… Numerous analyses of being
and existence suffer from confusions of
meaning and therefore unnecessary resort to sophistication in
analysis; this is typical of analyses of the type that are piecemeal and, in a
stab at intelligence, stop short of making the necessary distinctions that was originally the
intention and characterizes much of analytic philosophy (continental
philosophers tend to make the twin error of suppressing meaning in favor of
depth.) It is important to simultaneously
analyze the meaning and use of 1. Meaning (and use,) and 2. Being;
and to be clear about the meaning(s) intended and the meanings clearly ruled
out and 3. The field or range of concepts, in depth, within which ‘meaning’ and ‘being’
are seen to be embedded
Metaphysics is the
science or study of being as being, i.e., not in any particular aspect such as
the science of motion or the science of life. This is its most specific sense
and, in this sense, metaphysics is identical or close in its meaning to logic;
there is an inclusive but not common sense in which the particular sciences and
studies are and should be part of metaphysics. Traditionally there is a common
and inclusive meaning of metaphysics in which general or philosophical
cosmology and psychology have been considered to be part of metaphysics
The later term, ontology, became reserved for the specific
sense of metaphysics. The phrase, ‘an ontology’ is also used in reference to
the fundamental elements of a being or a context or a class of beings or
contexts. For the universe, then materialism,
atomism, monadism, idealism
are possible ontologies. It will be shown, shortly, that the
universe has no ontology in the senses that, firstly, there is no fundamental element other than the void and, secondly,
this is a purely logical statement in that it requires no premise. A Theory of Being is the working out of (1)
an ontology or metaphysics, and (2) a complete range or chain of particular kinds
or aspects of being and systems of understanding of particular aspects of being
where knowledge of the range and the systems of understanding are based
in local understanding (e.g. empirical and conceptual science) in light of the
ontology. A theory of being would naturally include metaphysics in its specific
sense that is identical to ontology and includes logic and in its more general
sense which include general cosmology and the study of mind; it would also
include epistemology or the study
and theory of knowledge
Universe
All being over
all times and all spaces – or all space-times. I use the plural forms of space
and time or space-time because time and space may be a patchwork rather than
continuous. Everything in the universe has existence (if universe and existence
are used in their generalized senses.) Note that in any given meaning something
cannot exist and not exist. The phrases universe and the one universe
are identical. The word world is
used here in reference to a sense of what constitutes the universe (it is used,
more generally, to denote a coherent context e.g. the social world or the
physical world)
The Void
(nothingness; absence of being)
Metaphysics, the nature of possibility
Possibility: intension and extension, i.e., the meaning and domain of the possible; the actual; necessity
Logos
Plural: logoi. Related to form
and logic, below
In its original meaning in Greek thought, logos, meaning ‘word,’ ‘reason,’
or ‘plan,’ was ‘the divine reason
implicit in the universe.’ Here, the logos of a being is its necessary form, i.e., what is constitutive of its being, i.e., without
which it would not be that being. When not referring to any particular being,
logos is the logos of the universe; however, there is no reference to a divine
realm that is essentially distinct from the world. Is there a pure logos, i.e. an order with the
possibility of conclusions with no premise or, perhaps, no premise except the
word that is equivalent to the presence of symbols?
The following concepts and conclusions could fall under the individual concepts
The universe:
contains not only all things but, also, all patterns, all laws, all forms, all feelings (in a sense
to be developed, feeling includes sensation, perception, cognition, imagery,
icon, symbol sense, and emotion. I.e., feelings and etc. are forms despite any
subjective feelings that they are outside the universe. Specifically,
cognitions are forms)
There are no laws, patterns, or forms outside the universe; and further, there can be none. This follows from the concept of the universe and is an example of the contingent being equal and equivalent to the necessary
All actual
entities including laws, forms, science,
etc. are part of the Universe and, trivially, laws,
forms, and even sciences are necessary and possible entities
If a (proposed) entity is not actual, it cannot be part of the Universe and is neither possible nor necessary
Therefore, actuality º
possibility º necessity
(i.e. it is true in all contexts that what is possible must be actual in some
context.) Relative to the one universe all beings and events are necessary;
there is no contingency
If a (proposed) entity is not actual, it cannot be part of the Universe and is neither possible nor necessary
The Universe has
no creation, no creator, no beginning, no end, no boundary
or edge; parts of the
universe, with respect to duration or extension, may have creation etc.; that
there is no beginning or end, no boundary does not imply that the universe is
eternal or infinite (for without continuity in time and space there is no
measure to reveal eternity or infinity;) yet the Universe may contain eternities and infinities
The void: the ‘complement’
of the Universe: contains no laws,
forms, restraints, patterns;
the ‘laws’ of logic are not true laws.
Therefore:
The Void º Every entity º Every possibility º The Universe º All being
Therefore
There no substances unless the
void is counted as a substance
The resulting ontology is neither pluralism nor monism
but
a substance-free
ontology or voidism
with no regress of explanation
and
The Universe is infinitely greater than The ‘known universe’ in
extent
(space-times,) depth, variety… including the
‘universes’ of everyday experience and science
For, what is
imaginable is possible unless it is logically impossible (or its existence
entails a logical impossibility;) i.e., what
is logically possible is possible and actual and therefore necessary
A ‘universe of possibility’ is described in Cosmology, below; here are some examples:
That all logical
descriptions are actual, shows that the question of the existence of God is trivial in comparison to the deep
question of the possibilities of the nature
of god. Clearly, there are many powers in the universe corresponding
to which it may be said that, in some meaning, there are many gods. What can it
mean that there is one God? It does not mean that there is one power separate
from the many powers but that the powers not ultimately separate or separable
and that they constitute the one power in which all being partakes. That one
power may be called Brahman, the
ultimate real
‘Jesus Christ is
risen from the dead’ must obtain in countless cosmologies; this is actually two
examples in itself – the rising from the dead which calls into question the
meaning and absolute character of death,
and the recurrence. The example
chosen for its ‘shock and awe’ – its absurdity to the rational minded, its
out-theologizing theology does not transcend farce, “writer ‘demonstrates’ the
existence of Santa Claus.” Recurrence of individuals is given meaning by ‘being
that spans all being’ which is given meaning by the theory of identity; this,
too, calls into question the meaning of death
Any entity or
being may and therefore can interact with any other being; i.e. all objects and
events stand in necessary relation… this consequence of the present theory of
being has been called the principle of
sufficient reason. Therefore, there are ghosts or ghost universes;
however, if a ghost is something that has no interaction with ‘this’ world then
there are none
Annihilation of the entire actual universe
or any part of it is possible and necessary; this, however, provides no measure
or estimate of probability
The Normal
The foregoing seems to negate the stability of the world, the laws of science, and common sense which regardless of limitations is a practical necessity of the stability of experience (true common sense can call itself into question and, therefore, is not subject to the limitations on validity that common sense ascribes to itself)
Stability is returned through the concept of the normal.
Although the world is ultimately, absolutely unstable its current or normal
condition is that of at least apparent stability. The stability of the world is
actual (even if not absolute which as has been seen, it cannot be.) Therefore
that relative and practical stability is necessary. The stability is normal
even though not absolute; thus ‘normal’ does not mean absolutely stable,
reliable, or without indeterminism. The normal characterizes, for example, the world
of experience as against the ultimate or absolute infinity of the actual
Universe. This implicit characterization of the normal does not specify a fixed
extension, that is, the determination of what is and what is not normal is not
given in advance
What is taken to
be normal depends on the context or
situation and the state of knowledge. The world is normal; however,
what is taken to be the world depends, e.g., on the state of knowledge,
especially scientific knowledge
Mind
Sentience; knowledge: the nature of the object – the form of sentience vs. the fluidity of form in the noumenon; knowledge, religion, myth, science (perception and imagination) and the chain or variety of being
Feeling / expression includes sensation, perception, cognition,
imagery, icon, symbol
sense, and emotion / speech, dramatic
communication, affective
expression and physical action;
consciousness as feeling vs. bright consciousness
Feeling is a function of the state of being of certain elements
but without universality of feeling, mind is paradoxical; and since there is
only one universe there is no mindless universe; and feeling is universal; however, the forms of feeling may differ vastly among
cosmological systems. Therefore, in all except absolutely ephemeral being,
feeling is a function of the state of other elements, i.e., there is primal knowledge that is not an effect or
cause in the normal sense. Through accumulation, organization and layering of
form, higher, e.g. animal or human, mind builds up whose routine function may be described as quasi-causal and quasi-deterministic because the routine
apprehension of new contexts is at most partially causal and deterministic
Becoming
The necessity of all
becoming is shown above. Mechanisms of becoming necessarily obtain
in numerous circumstances, i.e., are normal; however such mechanisms are not
universal. Rather, they are ‘probable.’ Mechanism is not the only normal or
explanatory paradigm. Identity provides an explanation of the significance of
aspects of becoming discussed below
The following
mechanism provides a foundation for cosmology where the details are
worked out. The elementary paradigm of becoming is necessarily one of indeterminism: ephemeral elements that
perchance stand in a relation of near symmetry
and are therefore, together, more durable (relatively stable.) Becoming from
beyond the ephemera is necessarily selection of indeterministic variation but
not necessarily incremental; there may be, however, most probable degrees of incrementalism determined, e.g., by a balance
between some need for difference and lower probability of large variation. It
has been seen that there are no absolute elements; however if the ephemera or the primitive trans-ephemera
are taken as elements, then the perchance affinities that permit
relatively stable being may be described as primal
force or primal ethics;
this primal ethics is not ethics its most primitive precursor. Becoming is
necessary; any normal mechanisms of becoming, e.g. the incremental, obtain
necessarily though not universally
This line of thought may give partial explanation, needing further
development, to: co-existence (but non-universality of measure) of duration and extension, non-rigidity and therefore sequential interaction
according to remoteness of the elements and therefore relativity of the
measures of duration and extension; and of atomism.
Thus, space-time is interwoven, multiple, patchy, does not necessarily extend
to microscopic scales. It may
also be seen that there is no universal
causation in either the deterministic or probabilistic senses. In a
normal cosmological system, a dominant
though not microscopic space-time,
non-deterministic causation and system of elements and laws may emerge; these may be immanent in their nature or imposed in the sense that they have some
connection to the larger universe; however they are invariably local: there is
no universal space-time, causation, system of elements or atomism, law
The description of becoming may take a mathematical form but
the infinity of its variety (it must include, for example, theoretical physics
as an extremely special case) may make that unlikely except in special cases or
new mathematics
Divides and
turns in the origin, variety and complexity of being
Durability, symmetry, stability and probability in the population of being,
i.e., the universe
Journey, design, individual
journey, transformation,
possibilities of transformation.
Except those whose description or depiction would involve violation of logic,
all transformations are possible. However, there is a distinction between
general and normal transformations; note that the delimiting boundary of the
normal is not given, fixed or clear. The transformational phase of the journey
(1) focuses on normal transformations,
(2) seeks to expand the boundary of the
normal through analysis, intuition and experiment, (3) does not
exclude general transformation.
It is important to recognize the infinitely variable aspect of the boundary of
the normal and to avoid its conceptual degeneration into fixity and a return to
the mind-matter or spirit-matter distinctions as real
Order and Chaos
Indeterminism
(and, perhaps, the multiplicity of forms) may be experienced (as against the
normal, the quasi-causal order
and the designs of individuals)
as chaos
In this connotation, chaos is not identified a priori with the concept of chaos from ‘dynamical systems theory’
Mechanism and Explanation
Evolution as mechanism;
identity as an example of explanation; necessity and probability but not universality of
mechanism in the universe; science and
the disciplines; in a given cosmological
system, evolutionary mechanisms and identity may constitute a normal explanation whose improbability is
infinitesimal
Evolution on the
paradigm of variation and selection
is a mode of becoming (and so placed separately from the discussion of
becoming)
On a
Darwinian-like paradigm, evolution is a normal
mode of becoming. Clearly, incremental
evolution by variation and selection cannot be the only mode of
becoming. However, the reign and power of evolution are often poorly
understood. Examples are the compound organ, the sudden emergence of
characters, e.g. the sudden emergence of wings in a wingless insect. The
compound organ may be explained by a sequence of incremental change in both
structure and function; in some cases, the sudden emergence of characters may
be explained by regulator genes that had rapidly evolved to eliminate turning
on of the character in response to a changed environment (or world, or
opportunity) and then evolved again to turn the character on in response to a
further environmental change. Although evolution is normally dominant since
some balance between micro-incrementalism and saltation is most probable, it cannot be
absolute because the less probable and the improbable cannot be ruled out on
account of the theory of being and of the identity between the actual and the
possible
Form
Forms in perception and cognition: the sign of one element in another is a filter or abstraction and this is necessarily ‘good’
All forms are elements of
the logos; commonly, however, the logoi are the most general of
forms. All forms have being;
there is a proper meaning of form according to which a form is an object or thing. Forms are not elements of another universe; forms
may be seen as imposed but are ultimately inherent in the universe
provided that the dynamic nature of form is accepted; including symbolic logic, mathematics is the
systematic study of form: when the symbolic study of form is reduced to a
system the label ‘mathematics’ applies
As descriptive of form,
symbol and language are precursors to logic and
mathematics and are kinds of (systems of) signs
whose study has been called semiotics;
language is a form of communication
that is included in the more inclusive form of dramatics which is not
restricted to the art-form of theatre; art, too, has a concern with form; an assertive sentence
is a form of proposition
Universals:
with a proper meaning of ‘universal,’ as concepts, universals, e.g. tree-hood
and redness, will be shown to have being, e.g., think of redness as a relationship rather than a property. I.e. a universal is an object or
thing
Perception (cognition-feeling) is a partially congruent filter of the infinite multiplicity of forms in the noumenon
The extension of the concept of being, also called the ‘chain
of being,’ included in mind is also the variety
of forms… It is probable that our knowledge of the chain is
infinitesimal. Sources for this knowledge include imagination, ideas and action and their history
including science, religion, myth, story,
exploration…
Object
The nature of the object; in the intuitive forms, the ideal object º a form or external object; symbol,
ideal object and concept; the
concept: intension (sense,
meaning) and extension (domain of
application, reference, use;) ‘object’ is very general and its reference is not
restricted to what is concrete or continuous or localized; a process or a relationship is properly said to be an object
The individual
Symbolic or descriptive and intuitive
forms; illusion º the ideal object misplaced; belief = symbolic or intuitive form held
to correspond to an actual form; knowledge
= belief + truth e.g. correspondence; common faith = pragmatic belief or belief in the ‘service’
of action (note that common faith includes knowledge and, also, the need of
greatest becoming in an indeterministic universe may require either
identification of knowledge-generalized and faith or that faith be held as
superior to knowledge… and note the secondary function of belief in belonging)
Explanation and
understanding; the nature of theory; the possibility of metaphysics; principles
of thought which include that thought is a form of being and
therefore thinking is a form of becoming and that explanations are invariably
hypothetical unless logically necessary
The distinction
between logic in the primal and symbolic cases occurs also for knowledge:
primal knowledge in the elements of being vs. symbolically expressed knowledge.
In the symbolic case two kinds (at least) of error
are possible: falsehood, the
illusion that the symbol validly refers; and concretization,
the feeling, fostered by the apparent acuities of symbol and perception, that
the form of the symbol is precisely the form of the world. In the primal case,
a kind of error may be described: a lack of fit between the ephemera that does
not result in duration greater than that of the individual isolated ephemera;
in the primal case, error is the rule and ‘validity’ the exception. These
issues are reiterated in discussing logic, below
On realism: our
perception is in the universe which ‘generates’ and is therefore independent of
our perception for its being; however, at root there is no independence of
being from knowing and, therefore, there is no actual question regarding the
independence of being and knowing. The forms, which include the cognition of
form, are not dependent on cognition; as cognized, forms constitute a non-congruent filter. Thus: realism
On the subjective: objectivity has two meanings,
(1) knowing the object-as-such and (2) seeing or attempting to see an issue
from all sides. In certain pictures of knowing, objectivity in the first
meaning is impossible; but in others, it is possible. In a model of the
universe as an unending collection of facts, it is, in general, impossible to
be objective in the second sense; however, it is not given that the universe is
an unending collection of facts and even if it is, it is not necessarily a
collection of facts that are equally worth knowing
There is a sense
in which every event or fact is an object and every object is an
event. Similarly a proposition or
knowledge of a state of affairs is an object
The Individual
Consolidate with ‘Object,’ above and ‘Identity,’ below
Preliminary considerations of identity. Identity is the sense of being the same individual over change (and difference and displacement in time and location.) Identity is possible, even over drastic changes, through memory which integrates the differences and also makes goals and value possible
Truth
Just as there is one world and not two worlds such as a world
of things and a world of forms, a mundane world and a divine world, or a world
of matter and word of spirit, a secular world and a world of faith and religion
– as understood below, so there is one truth, i.e., one realm of truth.
Therefore, when the concern is with truth, there is no essential separation
between the secular world and the world as seen in (true) religion. The domains
of truth are not separable – there is one
truth which means that in knowing or speaking the truth there is no
a priori separation of the world into domains whose truth is separately
knowable
If, as has been seen, the world (universe) is essentially
connected so is truth. Therefore, in speaking truth it is not possible to speak
separately of a mundane world and
a divine world, of a world of
matter and a world of spirit.
There is a latent suggestion in the word ‘spirit,’ that a separate world may be
carved out in actuality and in the inner life of the individual, and that the
experience of individuals is or should be essentially private and not open to universal view.
This suggestion is consistent with the idea of separation of matter and spirit,
of the privacy of spiritual practice, of the feeling that spiritual practice is
other than living in the world. These suggestions are abhorrent. Here, again,
‘being’ in its neutrality to these and other separations, in its character of
being a priori to human experience, surfaces as superior to the modes of
description. ‘Being’ is not a mode of description. We approach being as if it
were a question
What is the way to truth?
It might seem that there are many ways such as the four Yogic ways. However, as
in cognition-emotion and thought-action, these and others may be seen as one way
Beauty
Logic is the understanding
of logos; it includes deduction or argument in that they uncover
necessary form. Since there are no contingencies in the universe, there is a
sense in which science,
especially in its conceptual and explanatory sides as in, e.g., theoretical
physics, is logic. Because the discussion emphasizes the understanding and
variety of logical forms, this section is separate from the discussion of logos
A goal of the journey: living in feeling and becoming; the role of logic is to be overcome rather than avoided
The following considerations could also be placed under ‘logos’
The origin of
logic: in ‘original’ becoming, when primal
elements of being (entities) stand, out of indeterministic becoming,
in relatively stable relation the durations of those entities are more than
ephemeral. The potential for mutual stable relation may be seen a kind of primal probabilistic logic. The symbolic case permits an apparent
distinction of truth vs. falsehood:
the symbol is taken to have reference that is (1) complete in itself, and (2)
precise; these two conditions make possible sharp contrast that does not hold
in the primal case of the possible vs. impossible or the true vs. false. Do
symbols actually satisfy these two conditions? I.e., is the distinction of the
true vs. the false that is apparently possible in the symbolic case a real
distinction?
What restrictions does logic place on the actual? No restriction,
of course because logic is in the Universe and therefore immanent in it.
However, when possibility and, therefore, actuality is described symbolically,
e.g. in language, there will be some descriptions that contain contradictions
and therefore impossible, i.e., have no actual realization. It may be
interesting and useful to investigate what conditions this places on the
extension of the concept of the actual, i.e., on what descriptions are
realizable (and therefore real or actual.) Similar considerations apply to all
forms of imagination that are sufficiently precise as to allow depictions whose
impossibility of realization is inherent in the depiction itself. These
limitations are the limitations of logic on
the realization of description
Occasionally, develop the details of the LOGIC AS A DREAM
Cosmology
Cosmology: range and kinds of being… the chain of being
General cosmology:
the span of being, recurrence, the articles of faith; origin
of a quasi-coherent, quasi-deterministic, quasi-causal cosmological
system with quasi-determinate being; time, space and space-time: locally and normally continuous but globally
patchy, multiple and occasional and microscopically without support
Sources (examples) for general cosmology.
Imagination (iconic and symbolic) and action; the traditional disciplines and
the history of thought and action.
Science and physical cosmology; faith, myth and religion; symbolic, iconic and
dramatic expression: pure imagination, dreams and dreaming, language, art
including drama and literature, philosophy, logic and logics, and mathematics
Physical cosmology:
space-time, matter and force in our cosmological system; variety
of cosmological kinds: solar system,
stars, galaxies, cosmological
models (universality vs. occasional nature of our kind of system;) earth sciences including geology; life;
mind and matter in a cosmological
system; history
Identity
Identity and personal identity. Preliminarily, identity
is a sense of sameness between
two states of an object that, if we did not know otherwise, could be different
because the object is perceived at different places in space-time or in different
even if similar forms or have its constitution changed indistinguishably if the
replacement had not been seen. Any discussion of identity is likely to be
confused unless various meanings and uses of identity are distinguished.
Perhaps, the first distinction is identity as sameness in all aspects or absolute identity vs. sameness in constitution in which an
object is the same object if it has the same constitution even if it is at
different times and places vs. an object that has changed but counts as the
same object because the change is not too great, e.g., parts of it have been
replaced or the shape is not too different. There is a sense in which the only
thing an object is identical to is itself at the same place and time. Sameness
in constitution has meaning only in a normal cosmological system where the
elements of being, e.g. particles, have identity. It should be clarified that,
in the foregoing, sameness is sameness of being. However, sameness or
similarity of form have meaning across normal cosmological systems. Thus, we
distinguish sameness, similarity, or continuity of being vs. that of form. In
general, only the latter can have meaning across normal cosmological systems.
Allowing identity to include similarity or sameness, there are two kinds of
identity: identity of being or substance
and identity of form. Finally,
there is a distinction between identity which can be made objective and
perceived or subjective identity
which allows for the perception of or pointing out of identity despite lack of
identity according to this or that objective
identity criterion. There is no particular importance to one kind of
identity vs. another or subjective vs. objective identity since each has its
own sphere of use and utility; what is important is to not confuse the
distinctions and to know for what ranges the extensions of the different kinds
of identity have overlap
The nature of personal identity; meaning or significance of the span of being and of recurrence;
continuity and limits to identity through participation
Especial need to consolidate this new topic
Personal
identity is the sense of being the same
individual over change (and difference and displacement in time and
location.) Identity is possible over even drastic change through memory
which integrates the differences and also makes goals and value possible.
Identity also gives meaning to being that is
the span of individual beings (here, the term ‘individual’ is
relative) in that individual identities merge in global identity (or
identities) which also makes for continuity
of individual identity in life and, through spanning, over multiple lives
Reflection, action, caring,
commitment and relationship (bonding) are additional
sources of continuity of individual identity
Personal
identity is, first, subjective identity
(continuity) of form. It can be identity
(continuity) of substance only in a normal cosmological system.
However, in knowledge, identity or continuity of form can be given meaning
relative to the entire universe; this is possible in such a way that it makes
no significant difference whether the identity is merely in knowledge or real.
This knowledge in ultimate form is Atman which, in light of the just mentioned
lack of significant difference, is Brahman.
This also shows a dual role for knowledge
and memory, for knowing and remembering
Dissociation:
In ‘ordinary’ life, an individual’s sense of self, and so his or her attitude
to the world, changes with the situation; however, there is, together with the
sense of difference, a sense of sameness. Sameness and difference are in
dynamic relationship; from here it is a small step to the occasional absence of
a sense of sameness or continuity of self – the dissociation of the self
Human Being and Society
The organism; animal and human evolution: structure is the
embodiment of form, reproduction
is the extension of durability with renewal, mind includes the internalization
of the modes of becoming in the individual, i.e., the creative function; integration of the mental functions; symbol – bound
and free; the free symbol
requires memory; consciousness; bright consciousness and its relation to reflexivity and the free symbol; psychology, the elements of mind and the categories
of intuition including humor
as the category of indeterminism and, so, of creation;
even the psychology of the normal is not the psychology of the simply
dependable or reliable but must include appreciation of order and chaos; growth, development, meaning, commitment
and love; value; mind
and symbol as a proximate account of being; order and chaos in human
life and society; nature and necessity of action;
social science(s) and philosophies: the functions, especially the group functions, within society including culture and the academic disciplines, art, and religion;
structure, politics and law, and economics
and technology
Bridging in
general
Desirability
Desirability or value;
the desirable is a function of what is of high
value, what is constructive
of value and commitment
and modes of life in terms
of action (the right) and goals or ends
(the good,) what is ethical
or moral and of what is feasible
including economic feasibility.
The ethical includes personal and social aspects; promotion of the right
or good and prohibitive aspects; evaluation without
excessive proscription; reflexive aspects (what is the nature of the ethical,
especially in moving into new realms of individual and social possibility;) and
constructive aspects, e.g., undertakings and commitments. The aspects of
construction and high value are not merely mechanical in nature and include
both ‘matter’ and ‘spirit’ where spirit is not essentially distinct from matter
and includes the ‘spirit of adventure’ and rejects no source but encourages
examination all sources of in-spirit-ation. The
feasible includes economic or material considerations, political considerations
or organization and institution of group
decisions and action, and issues of social organization. The
feasible implicitly includes considerations of limits to rationality and design; and the implications of ‘order and chaos’
Faith
Common faith; articles of faith; dogma; faith and chaos; myth and religion
– it is important to note that the meaning of religion adopted here is ‘that
which orients the entire being to the whole universe’ and this has overlap with
common sense and knowledge, science, private faith or religion, spirituality
and organized and institutionalized religion; faith
and science
Evaluation of the support of the articles of faith from the above
The nature and significance of faith; literal and non-literal interpretations
and their relations; faith, human being and society. Bridging
Being
application, atomism, being, confusion of meaning, depth, distinctions of meaning, element, field or embedding range of concepts, epistemology, existence, idealism, materialism, meaning, metaphysics, monadism, ontology simultaneous analysis of meanings, theory of being, to be, use
Universe
world
The Void (nothingness; absence of being)
Logos … some concepts are taken from universe and void
actuality, annihilation, boundary, Brahman, complement of the universe, constitutive of being, contingency, death, edge, end, form, forms, ghost universes, ghosts, god and the deep question of the nature of god (the question of the existence of god is trivial,) law, laws, laws and forms and even sciences are necessary and possible entities, laws of logic are not true laws, logic, necessary form, necessity, no beginning, no creation, no laws, no regress of explanation, ontology, patterns, plan, possibility, principle of sufficient reason, pure logos, reason, recurrence, restraints, science, substance, substance-free ontology, the universe is infinitely greater than the ‘known universe in extent and depth and variety, universe contains eternities and infinities, void º every entity º every possibility º the universe º all being, voidism, what is logically possible is possible, word
The Normal
common sense, normality depends on the context or situation and the state of knowledge, stability is returned through the concept of the normal, world
Mind
affective expression, bright consciousness, chain or variety of being, cognition, consciousness, dramatic communication, emotion, feeling, feeling is universal, form of feeling, icon, imagery, perception, physical action, primal knowledge, quasi-causal, quasi-deterministic, routine function, sensation, sentience, speech, symbol
Becoming
atomism, boundary of the normal, complexity, design, divides, dominant, duration, elements, extension, general transformation, immanent, imposed, incrementalism, indeterminism, individual journey, journey, law, mathematics, microscopic, necessity of all becoming, non-deterministic local causation, normal transformation, origin, possibilities of transformation, primal ethics, primal force, probability, space-time, symmetry, system of elements (local), transformation, universal causation (no), variety
Order and Chaos
design, indeterminism, quasi-causal order
Mechanism and Explanation
the disciplines, evolution as mechanism, identity as an example of explanation, incremental evolution, necessity and probability but not universality of mechanism, normal explanation, normal mode of becoming, saltation, science, variation and selection
Form
art, assertion, communication, dramatics, a form is an object, forms are elements of the logos, forms have being, ideas and action and their history, language, mathematics, not elements of another universe, property, relationship, semiotics, sentence, sign, story, symbol, symbolic logic, universals, variety of forms
Object
belief, common faith, concept, concretization, correspondence, error, event, explanation, extension, fact, falsehood, a cognized form is a non-congruent filter, ideal object, illusion, intension, intuitive forms, knowledge, possibility of metaphysics, principles of thought, process, proposition, realism, relationship, subjectivity and objectivity – meanings of, symbol, theory, truth, understanding
The Individual
also see identity and object
Truth
Beauty, divine or spirit world, mundane world, private truth, there is one truth, one way, ways
LOGIC
limitations of logic on the realization of description, primal elements, primal probabilistic logic, science, symbolic case, truth vs. falsehood, understanding of logos
Cosmology
General cosmology: articles of faith, origin, range and kinds or chain of being, recurrence, sources in the history of thought and action, space-time, span of being
Physical cosmology: cosmological models, earth sciences including geology, force, galaxies, history, life, matter, mind and matter in a cosmological system, solar system, stars
Identity
Identity: absolute identity, identity of being or substance, identity of form, objective identity, personal identity, sameness in constitution, sense of sameness, subjective identity
Personal identity: action, Atman, Brahman, caring, change, commitment, continuity of individual identity in life, dissociation, dual role for knowledge and memory, gives meaning to being that is the span of individual beings, identity of substance, memory, multiple lives, participation, reflection, relationship, sense of being the same individual over change, span of being, subjective identity of form
Human Being and Society
action, art, bridging, bright consciousness, categories, categories of intuition, commitment, consciousness, creation, creative function, culture, development, disciplines, economics, elements, elements of mind, functions, group functions, humor, integration, law, love, meaning, memory, mind and symbol as a proximate account of being, order and chaos, politics, psychology, reflexivity, religion, reproduction, structure, symbol – bound and free, technology, value
Desirability
commitment, constructive of value, design, economic, ethical, feasible, goals or ends, the good, group decisions and action, high value, modes of life, prohibitive, promotion, rationality, the right, value
Faith
articles, bridging, common faith, dogma, faith and science, literal and non-literal interpretations, myth, religion
In the ordering, the following changes are possible: Combine 1. Mind, universe, the void, and the normal; 2. Logos, form and logic, 3. Becoming, order and chaos, mechanism and explanation, 4. Identity, object and the individual, and truth, 5. Human being and society, desirability, and faith. This results in an outline:
Being
application, atomism, being, confusion of meaning, depth, distinctions of meaning, element, field or embedding range of concepts, epistemology, existence, idealism, materialism, meaning, metaphysics, monadism, ontology simultaneous analysis of meanings, theory of being, to be, use
The Universe, the Void and the concept of the Normal
The universe and the void: actuality, annihilation, Brahman, complement of the universe, contingency, death, forms, ghost universes, ghosts, god and the deep question of the nature of god (the question of the existence of god is trivial), laws, laws of logic are not true laws, necessity, no laws, no regress of explanation, ontology, patterns, possibility, principle of sufficient reason, recurrence, restraints, substance, substance-free ontology, the universe is infinitely greater than the ‘known universe in extent and depth and variety, void º every entity º every possibility º the universe º all being, voidism, what is logically possible is possible, world
The normal: common sense, normality depends on the context or situation and the state of knowledge, stability is returned through the concept of the normal, world
Mind
affective expression, bright consciousness, chain or variety of being, cognition, consciousness, dramatic communication, emotion, feeling, feeling is universal, form of feeling, icon, imagery, perception, physical action, primal knowledge, quasi-causal, quasi-deterministic, routine function, sensation, sentience, speech, symbol
Logos, form and logic
Logos: boundary, constitutive of being, edge, end, form, law, laws and forms and even sciences are necessary and possible entities, logic, plan, necessary form, no beginning, no creation, pure logos, reason, science, universe contains eternities and infinities, word
Form: art, assertion, communication, dramatics, a form is an object, forms are elements of the logos, forms have being, ideas and action and their history, language, mathematics, not elements of another universe, property, relationship, semiotics, sentence, sign, story, symbol, symbolic logic, universals, variety of forms
LOGIC: limitations of logic on the realization of description, primal elements, primal probabilistic logic, science, symbolic case, truth vs. falsehood, understanding of logos
Object
Object: belief, common faith, concept, concretization, correspondence, error, event, explanation, extension, fact, falsehood, a cognized form is a non-congruent filter, ideal object, illusion, intension, intuitive forms, knowledge, possibility of metaphysics, principles of thought, process, proposition, realism, relationship, subjectivity and objectivity – meanings of, symbol, theory, truth, understanding
Truth: beauty, divine or spirit world, mundane world, private truth, there is one truth, one way, ways
Identity and the Individual
Identity: absolute identity, identity of being or substance, identity of form, objective identity, personal identity, sameness in constitution, sense of sameness, subjective identity
Personal identity: action, Atman, Brahman, caring, change, commitment, continuity of individual identity in life, dissociation, dual role for knowledge and memory, gives meaning to being that is the span of individual beings, identity of substance, memory, multiple lives, participation, reflection, relationship, sense of being the same individual over change, span of being, subjective identity of form
Becoming
Becoming: atomism, boundary of the normal, complexity, design, divides, dominant, duration, elements, extension, general transformation, immanent, imposed, incrementalism, indeterminism, individual journey, journey, law, mathematics, microscopic, necessity of all becoming, non-deterministic local causation, normal transformation, origin, possibilities of transformation, primal ethics, primal force, probability, space-time, symmetry, system of elements (local), transformation, universal causation (no), variety
Indeterminism, order and chaos: design, quasi-causal order
Mechanism and explanation: the disciplines, evolution as mechanism, identity as an example of explanation, incremental evolution, necessity and probability but not universality of mechanism, normal explanation, normal mode of becoming, saltation, science, variation and selection
Cosmology
General cosmology: articles of faith, origin, range and kinds or chain of being, recurrence, sources in the history of thought and action, space-time, span of being
Physical cosmology: cosmological models, earth sciences including geology, force, galaxies, history, life, matter, mind and matter in a cosmological system, solar system, stars
Human Being and Society, Desirability and Value, Faith
Human being and society: action, art, bridging, bright consciousness, categories, categories of intuition, commitment, consciousness, creation, creative function, culture, development, disciplines, economics, elements, elements of mind, functions, group functions, humor, integration, law, love, meaning, memory, mind and symbol as a proximate account of being, order and chaos, politics, psychology, reflexivity, religion, reproduction, structure, symbol – bound and free, technology, value
Desirability: commitment, constructive of value, design, economic, ethical, feasible, goals or ends, the good, group decisions and action, high value, modes of life, prohibitive, promotion, rationality, the right, value
Faith: articles, bridging, common faith, dogma, faith and science, literal and non-literal interpretations, myth, religion
In the following, 1. Mind, the Universe and the Void ® Universe, 2. Logos, form and logic ® Form, 3. Form É Object, 4. Identity Þ the Individual, 5. Mechanism and Explanation ® Explanation, 6. Cosmology ® Cosmos, 7. Human Being and Society, Desirability and Value, Faith ® Man (I will probably use ‘Human Being’ but, except for the modern confusion of ‘man’ and ‘male’ and the associated negation of ‘woman,’ I would prefer ‘Man’)
Being
Universe
Mind
Form
Identity
Becoming
Explanation
Cosmos
Man / Human Being
1. Being É Becoming (the role of becoming Ì explanation,) 2. Being É Universe and Mind, 3. Form É Identity, 4. Cosmos É Man
Being
Form
Explanation
Cosmos
Place where?
Identity (É the individual)
Journey
Object
Human Being
Cosmology
Explanation
Becoming
Form
Mind
Universe
Being
1. Identity requires not only continuity but also change etc. and so includes the journey; 2. Identity É Object; 3. Cosmology = Cosmos É Human Being; 4. Becoming É Explanation; 5. Being É Becoming through Universe (note that Identity É Form)
Identity
Cosmos
Explanation