JOURNEY IN BEING
Anil Mitra
© Copyright March 2012—May 2012, Anil Mitra, PhD
Home | Brief Plan
Top | Contents in the Document
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
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
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
Development of the Ideas in the Narrative
Significance of the Developments
The Human Endeavor
*Ideas, Thought, and The Academic Disciplines
W-Civilization—Its Nature and Destiny
To 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Value
Duality of Particularity and Abstractness
Inhabiting Abstract Objects
Identity and Realization
The Principle of Identity
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
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
BEING IN THE UNIVERSE
†Review of Metaphysics, Identity, Realization, Power
On Explanation
The Concept of Explanation
Clarification and Relation to Causation and Conceptual System (Theory)
Explanatory triad
Phenomena
Explanatory Framework—Universal and Particular
Elements
*Nature
Explanatory framework
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
Demonstration
Characterization of the Journey
Ways
Framework
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
Special Modes
Visualizing and Preparing
System of Experiments
Resources