Block 3 The disconnect between the nature of life within each individual
and the moderating nature of the mind is at the root of all conflicts
within the individual. It is also at the root of the conflicts within
morality, politics, religion, economics, and government.
Back in the dim mists of history, when Man first realized he was not the strongest creature in a world where only the strong survived, the seeds of today's conflicts were planted. Banding together to defeat stronger creatures (or other bands of men) was a rational decision to survive a brutal world.
They probably did not realize, or care, that their pure individual freedom would end when they joined that group for protection. None of us today would decide any differently.
As time passed, the human mind continued to aid the survival of the species. Tools were created, group organization and verbal languages were formed, and written language allowed us to pass knowledge from generation to generation.
Modern inventions and conveniences could never be created and mass-produced by one individual alone, and must be produced by organized groups working in tandem.
The benefits of the group cannot be overstated, but still, the disconnect remains between the life instinct of the individual and the demands of the group.
In a perfect world, with perfect morality, we could all do as we wished, and we would not wish to abuse others. We would not need a group to protect us from others, or from the world around us.
The real world, however, is a messy, dangerous hodgepodge of individuals and groups, each with conflicting egos, goals, needs, and wants, and all vying for supremacy.
By nature, each of us wants his own way. By nature, each of us wants the freedom to choose our own faith, our own path, our own code of morality, and our own goals is life. Each of us wants to be protected from outside forces that could control our lives.
Too much individual freedom leads to anarchy. Too much control leads to oppression. And how to balance the two is the problem.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Post #3 The Arational Mind Block #2
Block #2 A mind is the arational tool through which Man confronts the
real world and attempts to place it in a rational system. To
accomplish this, Man must be able to recognize whether he is
thinking rationally, irrationally, or arationally, and to direct his
behavior accordingly.
A baby comes into the world armed only with the basic nature of life and its peculiarly human capabilities to implement that nature. If its nature were not as it is, its human capabilities would not have helped it to survive.
The peculiar capability that most distinguishes Man from all other forms of known life is the mind. His intelligence is what has enabled Man to survive and conquer the environment around him...and pass the sum of his knowledge down from generation to generation.
Whether or not one believes in "tabula rasa", when a baby first begins to use his mind, his "thinking" is completely arational. To the baby, anything he imagines or wishes is not only possible, it is a fact. He has not yet learned to distinguish between his wishes and reality. The point being that Man's mind is by nature arational, with the capability to differentiate between rational and irrational concepts.
Rationality and irrationality can be objectively proven in reality. While a child may think a fire will not burn his hand, reality will inject itself into his thinking if he happens to stick his finger in the fire.
Arational subjects are those that cannot be objectively proved (or disproved) by reality as we know it. By their nature, questions such as "is there a God?" or "is there life after death?", or "what is the purpose of life?" must be answered on faith, either pro or con, rather than on objective proof.
To survive in the world of reality, Man's behavior must be rational, but his mind is not limited by his behavior. His mind is a creative tool, free to consider alternative realities and arational subjects.
In summary, a mind is the arational vehicle through which a man confronts the real world and attempts to place it in a rational system, as well as a vehicle to confront arational questions that must be accepted on faith.
To function properly, Man must be able to recognize whether he is thinking rationally, irrationally, or arationally, and to direct his behavior accordingly.
real world and attempts to place it in a rational system. To
accomplish this, Man must be able to recognize whether he is
thinking rationally, irrationally, or arationally, and to direct his
behavior accordingly.
A baby comes into the world armed only with the basic nature of life and its peculiarly human capabilities to implement that nature. If its nature were not as it is, its human capabilities would not have helped it to survive.
The peculiar capability that most distinguishes Man from all other forms of known life is the mind. His intelligence is what has enabled Man to survive and conquer the environment around him...and pass the sum of his knowledge down from generation to generation.
Whether or not one believes in "tabula rasa", when a baby first begins to use his mind, his "thinking" is completely arational. To the baby, anything he imagines or wishes is not only possible, it is a fact. He has not yet learned to distinguish between his wishes and reality. The point being that Man's mind is by nature arational, with the capability to differentiate between rational and irrational concepts.
Rationality and irrationality can be objectively proven in reality. While a child may think a fire will not burn his hand, reality will inject itself into his thinking if he happens to stick his finger in the fire.
Arational subjects are those that cannot be objectively proved (or disproved) by reality as we know it. By their nature, questions such as "is there a God?" or "is there life after death?", or "what is the purpose of life?" must be answered on faith, either pro or con, rather than on objective proof.
To survive in the world of reality, Man's behavior must be rational, but his mind is not limited by his behavior. His mind is a creative tool, free to consider alternative realities and arational subjects.
In summary, a mind is the arational vehicle through which a man confronts the real world and attempts to place it in a rational system, as well as a vehicle to confront arational questions that must be accepted on faith.
To function properly, Man must be able to recognize whether he is thinking rationally, irrationally, or arationally, and to direct his behavior accordingly.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Post #2 Nature of Life Block #1
Block #1 The basic nature of all other life is also the basic nature of Man.
At the basic level, all life is concerned with two fundamental tasks. The first is to protect the equilibrium of the organism. The second is to continue living.
The second task is the ultimate extension of the first, but must be dealt with separately to distinguish the ultimate goal of sustaining life from the minute tasks of maintaining equilibrium.
At its root, life has no purpose but to continue living. Absent the mind of Man, there is no right or wrong, no good or bad. It would be a world of absolute freedom and of absolute anarchy.
The wolf doesn't regret eating the rabbit. The tree doesn't regret killing the grass that cannot grow in its shade. The only moral lesson to be learned is that, in such a world, only the strong (or lucky) survive.
To me, reason (or common sense) leads me to the conclusion that, absent Man, this is the nature of life.
Reason also leads me to accept that, because Man is a living creature, his basic nature is the same as all other living creatures.
But reason cannot tell me how, or why, it is so. One could believe either that (1) this was by design of a Creator, (2) this was a result of evolution, or (3) this was just a fluke of nature.
This is the first of three building blocks that can reached by reason but also can be accepted by those who rely on faith for their answers.
At the basic level, all life is concerned with two fundamental tasks. The first is to protect the equilibrium of the organism. The second is to continue living.
The second task is the ultimate extension of the first, but must be dealt with separately to distinguish the ultimate goal of sustaining life from the minute tasks of maintaining equilibrium.
At its root, life has no purpose but to continue living. Absent the mind of Man, there is no right or wrong, no good or bad. It would be a world of absolute freedom and of absolute anarchy.
The wolf doesn't regret eating the rabbit. The tree doesn't regret killing the grass that cannot grow in its shade. The only moral lesson to be learned is that, in such a world, only the strong (or lucky) survive.
To me, reason (or common sense) leads me to the conclusion that, absent Man, this is the nature of life.
Reason also leads me to accept that, because Man is a living creature, his basic nature is the same as all other living creatures.
But reason cannot tell me how, or why, it is so. One could believe either that (1) this was by design of a Creator, (2) this was a result of evolution, or (3) this was just a fluke of nature.
This is the first of three building blocks that can reached by reason but also can be accepted by those who rely on faith for their answers.
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