However, choice is neither necessary nor appropriate. The immediate and the ultimate complement each other—the immediate is ground for ultimate which illuminates the immediate.

This is the way for individual, civilization, and ‘Being’.

If the ultimate is beyond empirical, how can we even talk of it? We use intuition and imagination, subject to rational criticism, design action based in thought, which also functions as experiment. It is an ongoing and interactive process.

Its means are ideas and action—thought and experiment.

The possibility of a framework

Even though we do not and perhaps cannot know the ultimate in all detail, we may be able to build a framework to understand the ultimate.

Reason as fabric for the narrative

A preliminary comment on reason and meaning

The meaning of terms and of meaning itself is critically necessary to any careful understanding. The following paragraph is a preliminary comment on meaning which will be taken up again, later in the narrative.

In the literature one finds a range of meaning for ‘reason’; and for most of the fundamental terms in this narrative. In part this is so because even if there are any, meaning and reason do not refer to simple, given objects. Even so far, there is no single precise meaning for such terms; and so it is the responsibility of a writer to explain what they mean and use that meaning consistently. Correspondingly, the responsibility of the reader is to follow the writer’s meaning. Of course, that does not mean that the reader will not be critical even if the writer is consistent for the reader may find the author’s use inadequate to his stated purpose. And it does not mean that the reader may not supplement the author’s meaning from their own thought or from tradition; but it would then not be valid to criticize the author based on the reader’s supplemental interpretation.

What is reason?

Here REASON shall mean how to establish truth; this early statement is elaborated and broadened as the narrative emerges.

Terms related to reason are rationality, logic, Logic, science, and argument.

Reason or argument as a narrative thread; and weaving together all knowing, all action and their interaction

Knowledge—truth—is important decision and action… particularly in determining a path of realization.

How is knowledge established? How may we determine our actions. Is the determination unique, cognitive, and to be prescribed in advanced? Or is the necessary and cognitive to be balanced? I.e., the determination non-unique, learning, incremental, and also based in feeling; and in value which is also subject to revision?

That is, is rationality a determination of a unique and necessary path of action; or is it a mix, as described above.

We often think of knowledge or content as different from the means and received methods of establishing knowledge.

But knowledge is in the world, as are any means, and so method and content are at root all content.

In thinking on method and content, many words arise: establishing fact, inference—hypothetical and necessary, values and assessment, emotion and cognition, reason and rationality, and imagination and intuition.

All these fall under a single notion and a term that has sometimes been used recently in relation to establishment of truth is ‘ARGUMENT’. I like that use because it is inclusive. However, because it has an innate appeal to me from the history of thought, I shall generally use ‘reason’ in preference to argument.

As we will see, reason and content are partially and conventionally separable but ultimately and necessarily interwoven. In which connection there is no absolute a priori.

Reason is a main thread weaving The Way together. It must be so for reason or method and content have mutual dependence and inseparability.

The greatest possible universe or Being

‘Being’ reminds us that the focus is not merely one of ‘material’ or simple substance.

Its meaning

As a fact

Its significance

Narrative

The section on experience is preliminary.

Ideas

Experience

Abstraction

Meaning

Reason I: The elements of reason

Fact; establishing fact

Necessary vs. hypothetical inference

Reason

‘Reason is everything’

Method is content

Foundation—begin in the present; no a priori

Begin where we are, in the present

There is no absolute a priori

Not seeking immediate perfection empowers foundation

Being

The concepts—their choice, the givens, the fundamental concepts

Possibility, natural law, and logic

Reason II: the sciences

Here, ‘science’ is interpreted broadly to include the concrete and the abstract; and non-dogmatic religion as addressing the of the inner, whether of the individual or of the universe.

Metaphysics and logic

Mathematics and science

Regarding religion

Metaphysics

Fundamental principle—proof and heuristics; on the nature of the void; metaphysics is possible

The universal metaphysics; formulations, consistency, consequences, and significance; criticisms and perspectives

Reason III

Metaphysics is Logic interpreted as reason

As reason, Logic has the following extensions to logic-as-necessary-inference

1. Inclusion of hypothetical or inductive as inference that is less or other than necessary,

2. Inclusion of fact or premise and determination of fact,

3. Extension of necessary inference and definite fact to the pure metaphysics,

4. Extension of the foregoing to the perfect metaphysics which though unitary, is dual with regard to function and criteria.

The full metaphysics and its rationale

Existential and optimal stance

Cosmology

Aim and principles

General cosmology

Identity, relation, and process; quality; being, space, and time

Experience and the real world—mind and matter

Levels of Being

General…

Receptacle and disposition

Atman and Brahman

Origins of form and of physical cosmology

Agency

Identity, psyche, dynamics, and agency

Wholeness of Being

Citta

Practical agency

Becoming

The Aim of Being

The aim and its derivation

Ethics of the aim

The Way of Being

Attitude

Ways, catalysts and paths

Living The Way

Wholeness of being

Sangha and practice

Practice, action; and balance

Templates

Everyday process

Universal process

The Path

Past and present

Future

Epilogue—The way forward

The epilogue suggests some ways forward from the narrative.

An existential endeavor

Regardless whether the universal metaphysics is true it is self-consistent, consistent with all experience, and contains all possible experience; so to live under its umbrella is existentially optimal.

Immediate and ultimate

The immediate and ultimate are interwoven. Regardless of focus, we live in both. Our derived ethic is to live well in this world and aim for the ultimate.

Intrinsic and instrumental

The intrinsic—the inner or experiential—is the true nature of being. To think that the intrinsic excludes the instrumental is an error. The way to the ultimate is intrinsic and instrumental.