Philosophy to Live By
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 friends have known my thoughts, and have variously picked up or dismissed them. The ones who have stuck with me will inevitably ask, was he worth it (the attention)? Or was he worth listening to?
I believe, but am not sure, that stating one's philosophy gives a perspective through which one can be judged, and consequently, accepted or dismissed, as appropriate to their evaluation. But accepted or dismissed, my friends will not escape the pointed question. “but did you understand it?” Where reactive emotions run high (emotive cathexis), the demand to understand first, before judging, offers some communicative rationality. Thus, I secure for myself (and my thoughts of course) a measure of semantic validity.
MY PHILOSOPHY TO LIGHT MY WAY
We are spirit entities, or souls. We were created in the beginning by the Supreme Being, Who is sexless, and can therefore be addressed as God or Goddess; as long as the address is worshipful it doesn't much matter. As Shakespeare said, “a rose by any name would still smell as sweet”. This creative act entitles him/her to be considered as father or mother. Thus, Jesus calls him Father; and thus the Wiccans address her as Mother.
We were created to be companions. Fellows, as family; thus essentially perfect. Why were we created? To share in the enjoyment of being, and to know God primarily as our ultimate companion, but also to know each other as brethen in perfection.
So far so good. But why is life so angst riddent, so difficult? Because we are no longer purely spirit entities, not as we were originally created. We have “fallen” into materiality. We have flesh bodies. We have done so because of our own will. We have willed our own worlds, our own statuses, our own roles, our own systems of interaction. We have colonized the earth, built institutions, destroyed or rearranged nature. We have acted, and reapt the consequences of our actions. We ae saddled with karma. Life in the material word is problematic at best, but that is the least of it. It is a set of problems whose solutions are laced with keen pain.
TO BE CONTINUED
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 friends have known my thoughts, and have variously picked up or dismissed them. The ones who have stuck with me will inevitably ask, was he worth it (the attention)? Or was he worth listening to?
I believe, but am not sure, that stating one's philosophy gives a perspective through which one can be judged, and consequently, accepted or dismissed, as appropriate to their evaluation. But accepted or dismissed, my friends will not escape the pointed question. “but did you understand it?” Where reactive emotions run high (emotive cathexis), the demand to understand first, before judging, offers some communicative rationality. Thus, I secure for myself (and my thoughts of course) a measure of semantic validity.
MY PHILOSOPHY TO LIGHT MY WAY
We are spirit entities, or souls. We were created in the beginning by the Supreme Being, Who is sexless, and can therefore be addressed as God or Goddess; as long as the address is worshipful it doesn't much matter. As Shakespeare said, “a rose by any name would still smell as sweet”. This creative act entitles him/her to be considered as father or mother. Thus, Jesus calls him Father; and thus the Wiccans address her as Mother.
We were created to be companions. Fellows, as family; thus essentially perfect. Why were we created? To share in the enjoyment of being, and to know God primarily as our ultimate companion, but also to know each other as brethen in perfection.
So far so good. But why is life so angst riddent, so difficult? Because we are no longer purely spirit entities, not as we were originally created. We have “fallen” into materiality. We have flesh bodies. We have done so because of our own will. We have willed our own worlds, our own statuses, our own roles, our own systems of interaction. We have colonized the earth, built institutions, destroyed or rearranged nature. We have acted, and reapt the consequences of our actions. We ae saddled with karma. Life in the material word is problematic at best, but that is the least of it. It is a set of problems whose solutions are laced with keen pain.
TO BE CONTINUED
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