JOURNEY IN BEING
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New Topics, Concepts and Propositions
Outline
Introduction… Foundation… Journey in Being… Fundamental Problems… Lexicon… Sources and Influences… Bibliography… Index… The Author
This chapter will be done after chapters 2, 3 and 4
Topics. Conceptions of metaphysics2
Topics. Completeness of the metaphysics
Topics. Introduction. Concept of being; existence
Theory of Being. Requirements. Theory of Being and its development: five basic concepts
Basic results of the theory
Some applications of the theory
Introduction: primary concerns. Two main concerns: dual address of the nature of being and knowing and defining the classes of existing thing
Topic. Dual address of the nature of being and knowing
Topic. Being, knowing and their relationship
Further possible objects: process, relationship, property, universal, morals
The theory of being is clearly revelatory and revolutionary for the understanding of the entire range of being
Topics. Fundamental nature of logic. Logic, logos and metaphysics. Alternative foundation of the Theory of Being. Whatever is allowed by Logic is actual and, therefore the possible and the actual are identical; and – this could be a definition of Logic! Logic (and related ideas) and the void. Science and logic. Universality
Topic. Logic and the Theory of Being. On logical or necessary relations. Development of the idea. There are no necessary propositions with content. Tautology and absurdity. Contingent propositions. A contingent proposition must have a domain of truth and a domain of falsity. Laws of physics. Science. Mathematics as tautology. The tautological character of mathematics does not render it trivial. Non-trivial character of mathematics. The consistency of mathematical systems is not given. Mathematics, form and logic. Mathematical form
Topic. Principles of Thought1 Introduction. Concepts. Topic. Logic is a principle of thought. Topic. I suggest that there is a logic of pictures. Topic. On reflexivity. Dual critical and constructive interaction. Topic. Radical criticism. Reflex applied to radical criticism. Possibility of absolute knowledge
On Definition
Function. What is function?
Science2. What is science? Is science unending? Nature of science. Two polarities. (A) Views that see science as unending or in eternal process emphasize discovery of limits to older theories, revolution and replacement by new theories. Such views naturally emphasize the hypothetical (almost flimsy) nature of all scientific theory; they naturally emphasize limits to (human) cognition and the fortuitousness of knowledge and the possibility of scientific theories. A discussion of science is important in this essay for the following reasons. (1) Claims in the literature of the tradition regarding the importance of science as a mode of human knowledge. (2) I have used the ideas and theories of science as suggestive in developing the Theory of Being even though the Theory of Being is not logically dependent on the theories of science. (3) It may seem that the Theory of Being contradicts science; it does not. It may seem that my intent is to contest the significance of science among my intentions are. To find a (true) Theory of Being and to place science and other endeavors within this broadest ‘context.’ (4) Significance of the Theory of Being for science. (B) The view of science, mathematics and logic as objects i.e. as inhering in nature i.e. of human cognition as perfectly attuned to nature. (C) In this dual and combined perspective, it is (locally adapted) intuition that enables scientific theories while it is adaptability (also a form of intuition) that enables growth. (5) The Theory of Being has implications for science ‘versus’ faith. The question of evolution versus creation. Theory2. Induction. Therefore a law of nature is an object. A properly articulated and tested (experimentally and conceptually) theory is a fact even though it (necessarily) does not have universal application. Logic is the one universal law
Some principles. Return to objectivity by allowing the question, allowing process, allowing doubt
Topics. General cosmology. A cosmology. Normal cosmology. Two divides. Evolution. Dynamics, dynamics and form. Life, form and microform. Mind
Indeterminism; causation, objecthood, space-time; recurrence; identity; individual; higher identity, Brahman; annihilation; universe; logos; laws of nature; physical cosmology
God; the objects of faith and religion
Some topics to incorporate. Mechanism, quasi-causation, quasi-determinate object
Sources for cosmology
Alternative titles. Anthropology or philosophical anthropology; Human Being and Society
Topics. Human being – soma-psyche; society, social –and political– philosophy and sciences; the place of theory; morals and art – the highest value (defined), the good, faith; objectivity of morals
Topics. Organism; origins; function, achievement and disorder
Topics. Mind. Mind and action against a background of shade and light. Characterizing mind. Aspects of mind: attitude, reflective, active. Analysis. Synthesis. Growth. Personality. Transformation
Topics. Function, exceptional achievement and disorder
Topics. Language and culture; society, order and chaos. (Function vs. designated functions vs. corruption from decay vs. abuse)1
Concepts. Language, symbol…
Language. Summary of the discussion. What the discussion will say after disentanglement. 1. The putative concept of language based on the languages of humankind. 2. Such restriction is the basis of most formal study. 3. The (implicit) program of linear linguistic self-containment is impoverishing. 4. ‘Language’ has two functions: thought and communication. 5. I propose the following extensions: t-language to include all thought especially the nonlinear thought of visual imagery. C-language would not be limited to spoken language. 6. Such conceptions are natural extensions of linear language and enriching of the ‘human experience.’ 7. Criticisms of language as an instrument. 8. Language as an instrument of thought The limits of language are the limits of thought. 9. Language as an instrument of communication. Normally, in this world, re-creation rather than communication is necessary to new experience – to being ‘alive.’ The limits of communication are, from the point of view of the real – of being real, not true limits but are constitutive of functional communication. 10. Varieties of linguistic form. Illocutionary point (term?) Metaphor. Preliminary observations. Earlier and later meaning. Are all descriptions metaphorical? Metaphor is conflation or association of meaning; root metaphor is association with implicit meaning. Through metaphor objective statements become flush with life. Principle of effability. Meaning of the principle. . Consequences of the principle. It follows from this that there can be no absolutely hidden truth. . Source of the principle. Relation to ‘Principle of Sufficient Reason.’ According to Leibniz, reasoning is founded on this principle (as the source or ground of all contingent or factual truths) and the ‘Principle of Contradiction’ (as the source of all necessary truth.) Make entry into the section, ‘Logic,’ above. 11. Morals and concepts. Main discussion. What is language? What are the ‘delusions of language?’ The first delusion. Language is recursively delusional. Language functions. Paradigms of language. The languages. Open ended character of definition. Open ended character of language? Why we think ‘language’ is Language – again. I now rail against analytic philosophy even though I become tired of doing this. I do so because analysis is one of the places to which I turn for inspiration. A theory of limits is generally one of a fixed system. ‘Limits’ of language and so of thought. The strengths of ‘linear language.’ Language and culture. Without the culture of our language we would be mere animal. (I am caricaturing an attitude.) Embracing an alternate modality is not rejection of what has been definitive of human being and culture. Where, however, have I shown that this possible enlargement of the idea of language can overcome limits? In the first place new conceptions are not merely about overcoming limits but are also about emerging from narrow perspectives. A non-linear iconic view of language also overcomes those limits that are the limits of flatness and linearity. About limits. Two kinds of doubt have been cast on the ‘Theory of the Limits of Language’ and ‘Limits of Thought.’ First a direction in which formal thought has absolute depth. Second, enmeshment is freedom; it is an ‘improvement’ over the dry perfection of the Theory of Being (said in different form in the long version.) Identity with the ultimate is being the ultimate. The temporal ultimate would seek the particular or, logically, from the nature of the void and its existence, it would necessarily become the particular. Moments of perception are among my favorite times of day
Topics. Morals, feasibility, the highest ideal
Objectivity of Morals. What does it mean to say a moral is objective? Morality and the Good become Objective by Allowing Flexibility, Doubt, Question, or Process in Ideas. The Good; Ideals; The Highest Ideal. Development of the idea of morals as discovery. 1. The immediate case: The Good is The Real (or identical to it.) 2. The ultimate case. As noted objectivity may be introduced by allowing flexibility of ideas or concepts. Ontological or metaphysical moral: it is not possible think about questions of the objectivity of an object without reflection on the nature of the object
An account of morals. Need for a sufficiently rich account. Kinds of difficulty in moral behavior. Relation between the kinds. Practical and ideal relations. That the drive to or ability for the practical and the ideal appear to reside in the same ‘inner’ place. A theory of morals
Topic. Politics and ideals; and the world. (Is ‘and the world’ good here; is it diluting?) The possibility of politics. The problem or question of ideals. The modern world. What is the problem; and the nature of the problem? Is the word ‘problem’ useful here; what alternatives should I consider? The importance of clarity and realism. A proper statement i.e. conception of the problem will go far toward solution. Application: preliminary examples. Complete this to make set that is illustrative of principles and representative of the range of application. Issue of war, terrorism and peace. Question: what is the source of the disconnect between people and government? Question. How may rational government approach the problem of aggression? Energy policy. On democracy
Topics. Criticism is necessary for there to be significance. General significance of ‘Foundation.’ Prospect for ‘Journey in Being’
Topics. Redistribute the topics of Introduction of this document and of Journey in Being between the Introduction and this section. Allow repetition. Details here?
Preliminary topics. Meanings of (concept)
‘journey.’ Individual – universal. Merging. Journey º Becoming º
Being º Universe (all being)
Topics. Why journey? Necessity in life, discovery and realization of possibility and the good. Journey, becoming, as purpose, significance in itself; even if Brahman were achieved or the book of life writ these would not be the end of ends; there is always dissolution –necessary and good for the way is made for ‘re’ creation– and all creation is re-creation; and the being of being is in integration – e.g. thought and feeling – and integration requires process (a mere happening is not a moral integration even if it is a logical integration; read on.) And… Journey is logically necessary to ends; practically the likelihood of ends without Journey though not zero is infinitesimal; morally the Journey-End in relation is good and therefore the Journey is morally necessary to being or living in the good – in the arc of perfection, in the light of the perfect against the dark of evil. You may wonder why I write ‘evil;’ I have justified the being of evil and therefore the use of ‘evil’ but this is not the force; my force is the passion of the vision that good and evil permit; and this expression of passion is justified… in the justification just mentioned; in the necessary integration of feeling-cognition which is a fact and therefore above justification; and in the absence of process without integration of the bound –binding to the world as received– and the free – being in the process of the world, even at the helm (if only in some small degree.) When someone claims ‘I feel so insignificant’ I might respond ‘You are small and therefore your normal effect is naturally small; but you are not insignificant unless you abandon your normally small effect; and… in not abandoning your normal effect your effect (and you) are significant which may become large’
Ambitions, goals. Redistribute the material in Chapter 1. Introduce the real and the good as equivalent to that material. Projects. Knowledge; being and transformation; design and construction of being (mind, life, application; practical concerns – integration of nature and design;) social change (the section ‘Society, Transformation and the Good;’ practical concerns – direction of change, feasibility, the question of theory)
Background. See the sections ‘A System of Human
Knowledge’ and ‘A Historical Account of Transformation’ below
Method. Write this section and the subsection Journey in Being; emphasize principles and details and send an outline to the Introduction
Topics. The personal and the impersonal voice in literature. That the personal may have two problems: it distorts the impersonal or it drowns it out (the volume of impersonal work in the modern world – published for whatever reason– does that anyway.) Therefore, when the personal has value the voice has positive value – e.g. as discussed in the introduction to this chapter. Provided it does not succumb to the problems and their temptations. There are perhaps two kinds of value to the personal voice – when it is of interest in itself and when it enhances the impersonal voice
Topics. Purpose to inclusion of this material. It is not purely biographical or purely personal; that there are venues that properly avoid the personal is recognized. The purposes are (1) to illustrate an aspect of the journey, (2) to show what makes for a journey, (3) to illuminate discovery and –I hope– the nature of discovery (true discovery is or contains creation,) and (4) as a possible example or model. I have attempted to avoid confusion of the logic of the general or impersonal arguments with the personal narrative. I have attempted to avoid confusion between the logic of the impersonal argument and the personal narrative. Note. Except brief comments elsewhere, especially the introduction, and the section ‘After…,’ below, this is the only section that contains a description of –relevant– aspects of my life
Topics. Import from the detailed version of 2006 –especially the introduction– and its personal sources
Narrative. A novel?
Topics. Preliminary. The journey of discovery
Foundation. Foundational issues, general and particular, have been discussed in ‘Foundation.’ Two objectives of this section: (1) review what is relevant from ‘Foundation’ and (2) develop or recapitulate what is necessary for the topics of this section. The general – nature of being in ‘Theory of Being,’ modes and variety of being and dual solution of the problems of being and knowing in ‘Theory of Objects.’ The particular – knowledge in this world have been discussed in ‘Logic,’ particularly in the discussion of science, in ‘Cosmology,’ in ‘Human Being’ which includes consideration of psyche, values, art and society and in ‘Faith’
Principles of Thought2. Introduced in ‘Logic’ (this may change) where general principles were discussed. Here (1) develop details and (2) do this in narrative style; which is necessary because the principles are not separate (cannot be separated) from thought itself. The principles – some principles: the following list needs to be completed from J05 rough notes and the main documents – principles and thought not separate: logic is a principle but informal thought and the question ‘what is logic?’ also important; generalized reflexivity; doubt, question, elimination of a priori commitments allow objectivity; the good and the real –thought in modernism to be distinct– are not so and this is allowed by return to objectivity as just mentioned and gives reality and meaning to both… a move away from crawling piecemealism; concepts4 and the full nature of concepts (percept, bound, free, symbol, icon, system-field; that concept has a number of denotations including ‘content’ but we use the denotation of ‘ideational form’ here and connotations.) A principle is that the principles are not separate from the ‘principles of action’ therefore whatever is written here has relevance for and draws relevance from the chapter ‘Foundation’
Topics. Philosophy and Metaphysics in light of the
Theory of Being
Topics. Metaphysics. A beginning: a functional metaphysics
Topics. Catalog of problems of metaphysics. The primary purpose is as test for claims of completeness earlier; a secondary purpose is to enhance claims or, if they are negated, to enhance understanding. Classical: being, substance, space, time, nature of metaphysics, forms, categories, atomism, change and constancy. Scholastic: universals and particulars, free will, existence of and nature of God, soul and body. Modern: nature of the real; mind and matter; identity, substance, ontology; identity over time, personal identity; modality and counterfactuals; causation and laws; causation, regularity and counterfactuals; probabilistic causation; laws of nature; matter, space and time; objects as substances vs. mere bundles of properties; conception of spirit; nature and existence of the external world, what is real – reality of material things, organizing principles of nature. Recent: identity and necessity, Kripke – identity statements are necessary but knowable only a posteriori. Being as journey or becoming; becoming as being. Indian metaphysics: there are points of contact between Indian thought and the Theory of Being. as a whole, Indian Philosophy recognizes the greatness of being (Brahman, the real) and identity of the self (Atman, soul) with it; it stresses the immediate in karma (work) and moksa (salvation;) these ideas focus on what may be important to the individual and to transformation; in ‘A History of Transformation’ below there is consideration of some schools of Indian thought that focus on these concerns. Types of metaphysical theory: Platonism relationship between the ideal and the immediate; Aristotelianism – metaphysics is immanent; Thomism – reflection on everyday things and the everyday world reveals it as pointing beyond itself to God as its sustaining cause. Cartesianism – the main problem of Descartes was the divide between the determinate world of matter then being revealed by science and the world of mind that was free of material constraint… that were brought together by Design as the sign of God; Idealism; Materialism – two modern responses to the problem of Cartesianism. Argument in metaphysics: metaphysics as an a priori science… and as an empirical science; metaphysical arguments – logical form of metaphysical arguments; transcendental arguments, form and example, q = knowledge is possible only if p = the world is according to the forms of intuition and q therefore p. Criticisms of metaphysics – the possibility of a supersensible knowledge; Hume, Kant, Logical Positivism, Moore and Wittgenstein, the modern religious philosophers
Topics. Philosophy
Topics. A History of Human Knowledge and Exploration
Note. Add reference to ‘A Historical Account of Transformation’ which is in principle a part of this section
Topics. Basis in fundamentals and encyclopedic systems. The question of the tradition: disparate values of continuity versus regeneration, re-experience and the burden of tradition. The systems
Topics. A System of Human Knowledge and Exploration. The intension or sense of the concept of knowledge is elucidated in ‘Foundation.’ Here, focus is on the extension or range; approach: the ultimate based in the theory of being in interaction with traditions of human knowledge. Variety of traditions. Classical formulations, Plato through Britannica, and the traditions universalized by the theory of being (as in An outline of Journey in Being which universalizes an adaptation of Britannica; also see History of thought and action.) Evaluation of Completeness: in principle by the approach; in fact, using the references above, by enumeration of the disciplines; academics; evaluation of the system; relation to action and history
Topics. What is a transformation? Virtual – knowledge, awareness; those realized in virtue of knowledge of identity or equivalence. Actual– experience, becoming, transformation of the organism or identity whether recognized or not; the distinction between virtual and actual transformations is related to the psyche – soma distinction; therefore a virtual transformation is in fact actual. History of transformation and approaches to transformation. Theory or foundation. The concept of the journey. Methods and approaches to transformation. Transformations so far
Topics. Western ideas including the Greek ideal, Freudian and other conceptualizations of growth; mystics and saints. Shamanism; other systems that date back to prehistory. Indian systems – Samkhya, Yoga, Bhagavad-Gita and its four yogic systems, Vedanta; the voice of the Vedas and the Upanishads; Buddha…
Topics. States of psychic sensitivity (altered states.) Nature and types of state and characteristics including dreams, visions and other forms of psychic awareness whether arising from the psyche or the world. Sources, methods and cultivation e.g. focusing dreams and their integration in awareness and cultivation of other states in the present and over time; cultivation, idiosyncrasy and opportunity. Kinds of method or approach including meditation and isolation of the psyche, suspension of judgment, exposure to archetypes through symbol-art-myth-faith – and consequent cognitive-emotive integration, contemplation and focusing of psyche, induction of states in groups andor by, variously, shaman, priest or pontifex and… Enhancing or inducing factors such as physical isolations, physiological alterations of state from exposure, shock or trauma, pain, fear, anxiety – imposed or volitional and purposive, exertion and exhaustion, rhythm and dance, fasting and diet (Ayurvedic medicine does not distinguish food, drink, medicine, drug) alteration of or extreme environment. Uses of such states in awareness and discovery, transformation of self, personality and in e.g. healing of the person i.e. of psyche-soma (kinds and examples including EMDR,) and, methodologically and serendipitously (opportunistically,) through concepts of growth enhanced by the theory of being in transformation of being. Sensitive individuals, relation to disturbance – that any relations are not necessary; personality or disposition and state. Savant, modes and theories, relation to developmental deficiency – that any relations are not necessary; relation to states and dispositions to states of psychic sensitivity; experimental inductions of the savant syndrome in normal individuals; possibility of cultivation
Topics. Examples: paths and ways of transformation
Topics. A history of exploration; see ‘A System of Human Knowledge’ above
Topics. The concept of the journey. (Individual-World)1 ® (Individual-World)2. Journey in Being: (Individual-World) ® Universe
Topics. Methods and Approaches to Transformation. The Dynamics of Being; Factors of Transformation – see ‘A Historical Account of Transformation’ above… other factors; Theories and Models of Growth extrapolated by the dynamics
Note. A source for the theories and models of growth is ‘A History of Transformation;’ all sources may be enhanced by reflection and the dynamics
Topics. Summary, evaluation, prospect
Topics. ‘Design,’ ‘Society, Transformation and the Good’ below
Topic. Construction of being; simulation? Of intelligence, mind, and life
Topics. Approaches. Design and evolution. Conceptual and embodied experiment and implementation (conceptual – symbolic, computational or software; embodied – hardware, analog.) Agents and tools (agents are independent, tools augment or are synthetic with human performance and ability; both can be conceptual andor embodied, software andor hardware)
Topics. Ideals, action… Purpose. Foundation, values, designed and experimental action in the world based in ideals and values especially the good and the real –which include and imply caring and love– and practical concerns e.g. feasibility – economic and organizational (institutions)
Topics. Theory: society, structure, and change. The context: history, the modern world, values and needs. Special concerns: laissez faire vs. design vs. creative destiny; economics and institutions; the assumptions and limits of feasibility theory; morals and the management society; faith and the secular society; special problems of the world today; humanity, local and global relations. Design: institutions and programs. Action: implementation
Note. The previous title was ‘Prospect’
General. As for ‘Significance’ in the chapter ‘Foundation’
Personal. My life, is there a resolution of my personal ambition, issues of self, and of intellect
Comment. May combine with ‘Sources and Influences’
Comment. Combine Index and Lexicon?
Comment. May leave as is