State-Society-Culture Dynamics

As time series , we can describe the trend as declining, that is, the people are getting progressively dissatisfied with the Vice-President (the sampling methodology is explained elsewhere by Dr. Mangahas, so I speak here of “the people” as if the entire population is being asked). The start of the time series was on December 2013, and the terminal point here is September 2015, and goes from 62 percent to 33 percent. It can be argued that the time series is not yet finished and that the trend may be reversed. Therefore an alternative would be to give a two time average, a sort of simplified moving average by dividing the time series into two 1 year blocks: from December 2013 to September 2014 as first block; and then from December 2014 to September 2015 as second block; and if the time series continues, to give an annualized comparison. 2014 2015 62 44 73 31 67 42 52 33 Source: SWS current extraction The averages a...

We are here on the third planet to find our way back to the One. Stated thus baldly, this is much too simple, you say. But this simplicity does not even hint at the complexity by which “our way” is treaded. For in this way back, is the anguish and the tumult that rivals the fall of the angels. The way back to God demands nothing less than the perfection of the soul. How perfect? Well, just as perfect as God. And that, connotes all the anguish of life, all pain and of course, all endurance, all patience it entails to go this path to perfection. I don't know, but think and feel certain that this project of going back to God is not achievable in one short life. Unless we can ask someone to be perfect in our stead, which to me defeats the whole desideratum of perfection. In the first place, and this is important to emphasize because it is rarely stressed by sages through the ages that the way to perfection is not solitary, but social. Although ultimately perfection is of...

PROLEGOMENON All sociological theories have philosophical underpinnings; all social science too.  And with quantum theory ascendant in physics, it seems that even the natural sciences also do.  Here I take a pause from empirical sociologizing and devote my thoughts to some philosophizing.  Such is long overdue.  I owe it to myself, and to my faithful former students, who now are social and political powers on their own.  In this era of Facebook, I can call them friends. My life, to some persons who will take the trouble, will be evaluated and judged.  Indeed, such is social life that we are always being judged, ever evluated by others.  Evaluations that are worth it will always include thoughts of the person being evaluated, and for a thought leader, such as once a professor, will include a consideration of my philosophy.  I have fought and won; as also I have fought and lost.  That is life.  Through my teachings and my posts, my...