JOURNEY IN BEING

Anil Mitra

© Copyright March 2012—May 2012,
Anil Mitra, PhD

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CONTENTS

&METATEXT

On Metatext

Symbols, Styles, and Formatting to Mark Text

Symbols Used as Information for Readers

Symbols Used to Produce Versions and Mark Work to be Done Later

Styles

Formatting

Planning. Approach. Form. Outline. Writing. Editing. Sources. Site Design

Outline of Planning

Planning

Approach

Top—Down

General—Special

A Document to Store Detail

Form

Narrative Styles

Langer’s Concept of Presentational Form

Poetry of Form

Source for Detail on Form

Outline with Central Statements

Outline

Central Statements

Write Outline with Central Statements

Writing

Brief Plan

Fine Tune

Styles

Editing. Literary Style

Sources

General Sources

Current Standout Sources

Consider the Following Sources

Site

Tentative Outline with Minimal Central Statements

Motto

INTRODUCTION

&Preliminary Comment—Temporary Section Headings in the Introduction

Functions of the Introduction

Describe the Journey in Being

Introduce and explain the idea

Narrate the Origins and Describe Sources for the Journey

Introduce the Framework for the Journey

Explain the Meaning and Significance of Being as Used Here

Provide a description of the Journey

Describe the narrative

Concept

Form

Development of the Ideas

Outline of Contents

Implications: Significance of the Developments

Human

Ideas, Thought and The Academic Disciplines

Civilization

To My Audiences

Intended Audiences

Suggestions on Reading the Narrative

Some Essential Concepts (Ideas)

Introduction to the Idea of a Journey

Origins and Sources for the Journey

Framework for the Journey

Metaphysics

Tradition

Process

Doubt and Attitude

The Significance of Being

The Power of Being in the Framework and the Journey

Being in this Narrative

The Journey

Framework of Understanding

Ways and Pathways

The Narrative

The Concept of the Narrative

Form

Development of the Ideas in the Narrative

Outline of Contents

Significance of the Developments

The Human Endeavor

*Ideas, Thought, and The Academic Disciplines

W-Civilization—Its Nature and Destiny

To Audiences

Intended Audiences

Some Suggestions on Reading the Narrative

Some Essential Ideas or Concepts

General, Human, and the Journey

*Academic

BEING

Introduction

Ideas and Structure of this Chapter

Being and Experience in this Narrative

Experience

The Concept of Experience

Meaning in this Narrative

Need for and Possibility of Meaning by Example, Illustration and Ostension

Related Words

Other Uses of the Word ‘Experience’

The Givenness or Fact of Experience

Givenness

The Issue of Robustness and its Significance

Robustness of Experience and the World

Robustness of Experience

*Views that Minimize or Deny Experience and its Significance

Consequence: Experience is Real

Robustness of the World

Views that See Experience as Everything… and as the Only Thing

Consequence: There is a Real or ‘External’ World

Experience as Central to Human Being

The Reality and Extension of Experience

Attitude and Action are Duals Within Experience

Being

The Concept of Being in this Narrative

The Concept

Related Words

Other Uses

*Duration and Extension

Meanings of the Verb ‘to be’

The Significance of Being in this Narrative

The Robustness of Being

Response to Doubts that There is no Being

Response to Doubts that Being is Ephemeral and Ineffectual

*Functions of Doubt

*Existence

The Concept

Being and Existing are not Different

Some Problems with the Idea of Existence

Universe

The Concept of the Universe

This Narrative

Significance of this Concept of ‘Universe’

Relation to Eriugena’s Concept of ‘Universe’

The Physical Universe and Other Common Uses

*Domains

The Concept of a Domain

Complements

Pattern, Law, and Law

The Contingent and Therefore Non-Universal Character of Law

Laws Have Being

Universe and Law

Possibility and Actuality

Creation

Void

The Concept of the Void

Properties of the Void

Essential Properties

Other Properties

Significance

METAPHYSICS

What is Metaphysics?

Metaphysics is Study and Knowledge of Being

Introduction

Metaphysics as a Discipline

Possibility and Fact of Metaphysics

Metaphysics as an Activity

E-The Perfect Metaphysician

Approach to the Measure of a Metaphysician

The Characteristics for Pure Metaphysics

The only Metaphysician is the Perfect Metaphysician

The Characteristics for Applied Metaphysics

The Characteristics for Action and Transformation as continuation of Metaphysical Activity

The Perfect Metaphysician: Summary

What ‘Metaphysics’ shall Not Mean in this Narrative

It is not Study of the Occult

It is not a Speculative Metaphysics

It is not Systematic by Intention or Imposition

It is not by Design a Metaphysic of Experience

Responses to Some Criticisms, mainly Modern and Recent, of Metaphysics

Modern Doubts Regarding Metaphysics

Metaphysics is Possible

Significant Realist (Empirical), Systematic, but Non-speculative metaphysics is possible

Metaphysical Thought May Have Practical Motivation and Consequences

Non-Trivial Metaphysics is Possible

Direct Address of the Criticisms of Metaphysics

The Metaphysics of this Narrative

The Metaphysics of this Narrative and its Entailments

A Unique, Ultimate, and Universal Metaphysics

Uniqueness

Universal Character

Ultimate Character

*Simultaneous Emergence of Metaphysics and Epistemology

The Universal Metaphysics

Principle of Being and its Demonstration

Properties of the Void

Principle of Being Stated in Terms of Existence of States

Meaning of ‘Existence of States’: Concept and Object

Statement of the Principle of Being in terms of Limits

Need for Clarification of Meaning

Meaning and Significance of the Principle of Being

Meaning of the Principle of Being

Meaning of Limitlessness

Meaning of the Principle is also Brought out by Alternate Formulations

Need for an Effective Formulation

An Effective Formulation in Terms of Logic

Formulation in terms of logic

Effectiveness of the Formulation

Need for an alternative conception of logic

The Concept of Logic

Other Formulations

Two Equivalent Fundamental Forms

Primitive Forms—Givens that Harbor Explicit Forms

Alternative Forms

Some Detailed Consequences

Purpose of this Section

Consequences for Cosmology and Identity

Fundamental Doubts

Existential, Internal, and External Sources of Doubt

Response to Doubt that the Metaphysics is Empirical

Response to Doubts Regarding Internal Relations

Response to Existential Doubt

A Unique, Ultimate, and Universal Metaphysics Revisited

The Metaphysics

The Universe

On Demonstration and Interpretation

Alternate Proof

Necessary

Plausible

A-Doubt and Attitude

Doubt and Faith

Faith

Belief

Topics in Metaphysics

Consequences

*Logic

Conceptual realism

Recapitulation: The Concept of Logic and its Origin

Principle of Being in terms of Logic (conceptual realism)

The logics and Logic

Logos as the Object of Logic

The Logos is the Universe in All its Detail

The Sense of this Statement

On the Nature of Logic

Deduction and Logic

What does it mean that Logic is empirical?

Art and Fiction

*Science

The Concept

Concept of science so far

An Interpretation of Science as Fact

Science and the Metaphysics

Future Concept of Science

Impossibility of Science of the Universe Revealed by the Metaphysics

Consequences and Necessities of Being as Journey Without Limit

Participation and immersion

Miracles

*Cosmology

Introduction

Concept of Cosmology

Subject Matter

General versus Special Cosmology

General versus Physical Cosmology

General Cosmology

Method

Variety

Extension and Process

Being and Extension

Principle of Being and Process

Examples of Process

Description

Dynamics

Origins. Evolutionary and Special Processes

Origins of Cosmological Systems

Being, Space, and Time

Immanence of Extension and Duration

Patchworks of Space and Time

Is the Speed of Light Absolute

Multiple Times and Signal Velocities

Circular Time

Inseparability of Space and Time

Mind and Matter

The Ambition of the Discussion

This chapter

The chapter Being in The Universe

Mind, Matter and the Universal Metaphysics

Freedom and Determinism

Some Considerations of Mind and Matter in The Universal Case

How Pervasive is Mind?

Special Metaphysics and Cosmology

Metaphysics and Science

Relationships

Sources in Science

Implications for Science

*Objects

The Idea of the Object

Perfect and Practical Objects

The Perfect Object

Modes of Practical Object

Non Epistemic Criteria

Particular and Abstract Objects

Terminology: ‘Particular’ versus ‘Concrete’

Particular and Abstract Objects—the Distinction

Abstract Objects—The Standard Accounts

The Unified Theory

Proof

Interpretation

Perfection Revisited

The Seeming Perfection of Abstract Objects

Sources of Imperfection: Limitations of Symbolic Systems

$The Nature of Mathematical Truth

Sources of Imperfection: Some Symbolic Systems are Experimental in Intent

A Variety of Objects: Exploration

A Variety of Objects: Particular

Entity

Interaction

Process

Substance

Tropes

Ideas and Concepts

Values

A Variety of Objects: Abstract

Mathematics and Logic

Universals

Properties

Concepts and Ideas  as Abstract

There are no mental objects besides concepts

Form

Value

Duality of Particularity and Abstractness

Inhabiting Abstract Objects

Identity and Realization

The Principle of Identity

Consequences

Identity and Cosmology

Realization is a Journey

Power

The Concept of Power

Ultimate Power and Inheritance

God as Ultimate Power

Mediate Powers

Our Organism and Mind

Society, other Persons and the Institutions of Culture Including Technology

Nature

The Powers

Special Metaphysics and Powers

*Applied Metaphysics

The Object in Pure Metaphysics

Practical Objects and the ‘Good Enough’ Criterion

Context. Practical Object as Perfect

Value and Perfection

The Range of Applied Metaphysics

*Method

Review of Developments

Metaphysics and Logic

Comments on Logic

Method and Content

General

Epistemology and Metaphysics

Imagination and Realism

Two Caricatures of Method

Imagination and Realism

Internal and External Relations

Imagination and Realism: Details

The Iconic and the Symbolic

A Conventional and Convenient Distinction: Discovery and Justification

Heuristic-Plausible Argument and Creation

Doubt and Necessary or Certain Argument

Observations on Method, Necessity, and Heuristics

Knowledge

Science and Metaphysics

Applied Metaphysics

Philosophy

Logic and Mathematics

Art and Religion

Doubt, Faith, and Attitude

*On Meaning

General Comments

*Fallacies of Meaning

*Formal Development

Some Essential Ideas or Concepts

General, Human, and the Journey

*Academic

BEING IN THE UNIVERSE

Introduction

Review of Metaphysics, Identity, Realization, Power

On Explanation

The Concept of Explanation

The Concept

Clarification and Relation to Causation and Conceptual System (Theory)

Explanatory triad

Phenomena

Explanatory Framework—Universal and Particular

Elements

*Nature

Explanatory triad

Phenomena

Explanatory framework

Elements

Matter

Life

Human Being

Human Organism

Psyche as Organic

*Human World

Human Being and Nature—Psyche and Psychology

Primary Goal

Balance Between Freedom and Constraint

Mind, Matter and the Science of our Cosmos

Necessity

Parameters

Human Mind

Is Human Nature Complex andor Ineffable?

Society

Explanatory Triad

Tradition and Process

Organization of Society

*The Human Endeavor

The Human Endeavor

The Academic Disciplines

W-Civilization

Nature and Destiny

Status

JOURNEY

Origins of the Idea of a Journey in Being

Individual

Metaphysics

Tradition

Realization is a Journey

Demonstration

Characterization of the Journey

Ways

Framework

Metaphysics

Tradition

Experience and Reflection

Experiment and Transformation

Synthesis. Dynamics of Being

Possibilities for a name

The Idea of a Dynamics of Being

Approach or Method

Reflexive Cultivation of the Dynamics

Illustrations of the Dynamics

Ideas

Identity or Being-as-Being

Practice

Action

Painting Pictures of the Real

Future and Past

Dimensions

Being

Special Modes

Visualizing and Preparing

System of Experiments

Resources