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Journey in being. Anil Mitra. Preliminary. A journey in Ideas and Identity. Ideas as the place of appreciation of being—of our being, of the world… Ideas as the instrument of negotiation Incompleteness of ideas as expression of possibilities and potentials of being - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Journey in being
Anil Mitra
Preliminary
A journey in Ideas and Identity
Ideas as the place of appreciation of being—of our being, of the world…
Ideas as the instrument of negotiation
Incompleteness of ideas as expression of possibilities and potentials of being
Identity. Transformation of being—of identity—completes realization
...in the finite and the infinite
The finite, the here-now is important—in itself and instrumentally
In the finite there are Normal but not ultimate limits
The boundary between the finite and the infinite is not absolute
The Journey is in and bridges the finite and the infinite or ultimate
A journey in being
We are already in and remain in being…
The outer reach of a journey in beingPossibility. What is possible for human being, for the individual?
The Good. What ends are desirable, aesthetic, ethical?
Feasibility. What is feasible?
Paths. What ways may we conceive, choose?
Presentation version
First emphasis—introduction and overview for ‘Journey in being’
Secondary emphasis—ideas that enhance and channel or derive from the journey
Designed to be accompanied by narrative andor notes
Other versions and detailshttp://www.horizons-2000.org
Presentation
Outline of topics
Audience and influence
Introduction
Ideas
Journey
Objections and counterarguments
Further contributions to the History of ideas
The story begins…
Audience and influence
Introduction
Ideas
Journey
Objections and counterarguments
Further contributions to the History of ideas
Audience and influence
Who I would reach
The influence that I would have
Audience
General—understanding and significance; transformation of being and identity; state of the world, values, choice, action
Technical—the sciences; technology, art, history, religion; philosophy and its nature, metaphysics, theory of transformation; logic, mathematics; choice and change
Influence
What kind of influence do I want to have?
The influence of resonance—not of copying or repetition
Listening, understanding, criticism, and selective use
Next in the story…
Audience and influenceIntroduction
Ideas
Journey
Objections and counterarguments
Further contributions to the History of ideas
Introduction
The essential ideasNew ideas and contributionsIssues: understanding and
reason
Introduction—outline
Journey
Being
A new view of the worldUniversal metaphysics / Metaphysics of immanence
An objection from science and common sense
The concept of the Normal
A note on meaning. Important concepts
Journey
In the immediate and the ultimate
From this world to the ultimate
…Discovery in ideas
Contingent or Normal and necessary limits
Transformation in being—in identity
Being
That which is or exists—whatever exists has being
When properly understood being is the central concept of understanding and transformation… of a ‘new’ and ultimate view of the Universe
A new view of the world
Metaphysics of immanence… or The Universal metaphysics
The one Law of the Universe is Logic
The metaphysics is ultimate in breadth and depth
A new view—continued
A potential problem of understanding
There is an apparent clash with common—limited—and scientific views of the Universe
However the truth of the view is demonstrated
The nature of ‘demonstration’ is clarified, grounded and advanced
The concept of the Normal
The apparent clash with common views is resolved via the concept of the ‘Normal’
This Normal world is required by the view
This resolves the further concern that the present view, though ultimate, is removed from the immediate
The narrative argument
It is convenient to defer some details of the arguments to a separate section
Therefore, the argument and its problems of reason are taken up in
The main discussion—Ideas and Journey
Objections and counterarguments
A note on lexical meaning
The world view or metaphysics is larger than any other—this is demonstrated
It is significantly new and larger than the common views—day-to-day or technical
Therefore, although the terms used are common their meanings are significantly altered andor enhanced relative to previous use—this, too, is demonstrated
Some important concepts I
Some terms with enhanced meaning—important concepts are boldbeing, journey, existence, idea, transformation, foundation, intuition, object, experience, concept, percept, reason, reference, abstraction, universe, possibility, actuality, necessity, logic, substance, determinism, metaphysics, philosophy, rationality
Some important concepts II
… depth and breadth of understanding, method, form, particular object, abstract object, grammar, meaning, mechanism, causation, human being, society, culture, institution, civilization, faith, religion, science, knowledge, ideational form, and dynamics of being
Next in the story…
Audience and influence
IntroductionIdeas
Journey
Objections and counterarguments
Further contributions to the History of ideas
Ideas
…Are essential to appreciating and negotiating
the world
...A significant part of the journey
Ideas—outline
Intuition
Metaphysics
Objects
Cosmology
Normal worlds
Method
Contributions to the history of ideas
Intuition
Introduction
Being
Existence
Intuition and Object
Experience, concept and reference
Intuition I
How we experience the world, e.g. in terms of space and time and cause and properties, occurs outside experience
Why we see in certain terms—space and time, red versus blue and so on—may be explained by adaptation
That we see in such terms has been labeled ‘Intuition’
Intuition II
This sense of Intuition was used by Immanuel Kant (philosopher, 1724-1804)
In this sense, Intuition is the ability to perceive and concerns subjective experience of and is ‘bound’ to things
Reasoning regarding things involves free images and symbols
Intuition III
Here the meaning of Intuition is extended to cover perception and reasoning
Conception—having mental content—is perception and reasoning. Then:
Intuition is the ‘faculty of conception’ or, in modern terms, ‘the ability to have conceptions’
Intuition IV
Perception—the empirical side of Intuition—is perfect for the simple objects being, all being, and absence of being
The reasoning or thought side of Intuition has been held perfect for logic. However, logic itself is experimental
A new concept ‘Logic’ will be found to be perfect logic—non-empty and powerful
Unity of Intuition I
Thus far Intuition is the dual that is roughly perception and reason
Perception is bound to the Object; reason is free and occurs via recollection as icons and symbols
Alternately expressed, reason is remotely or loosely bound—even pure experience has a remote and a potential Object
Unity of Intuition II
The origin of—the capacity—reason is in perception
Though Normally bound, even perception has freedom—this freedom lies in the nature of being
Perception and reason constitute an original unity
This unity also lies within Experience
Intuition and metaphysics
The necessary aspects of Intuition—perfect perception of the simple objects and Logic are the two pillars of an ultimate metaphysics… that lies within intuition
This metaphysics is foundation for the depth and variety of being and, with particular disciplines—e.g. the sciences, understanding of specific areas of being
Metaphysics
Necessary ObjectsExistence or being, ‘all,’ ‘part,’ ‘absence’
Universe
Domain
Void
The Universal metaphysics or Metaphysics of immanence
Metaphysics—conclusions I
The universe is all being. Therefore…
There is exactly one Universe
The Universe contains all Objects, all Law, all Form, all kinds, all Creators… the Universe itself can have no creator
The Actual and the Possible are identical
…these and the following conclusions are a representative sample
Metaphysics—conclusions II
Domain
One part of the universe can create another
A limited God makes actual and explanatory sense
This, however, gives little support to any predefined God of this cosmos
Metaphysics—conclusions III
The Void
The concept of the Void is fundamental in showing the nature of the Universe (all being) which is its complement
The concepts of Universe, Domain and the Void are instrumental in developing a ‘Universal metaphysics’ or ‘Metaphysics of immanence’ which is now taken up
The Fundamental principle
The Fundamental principle of the ‘Universal metaphysics’ states that The only restriction on actual states is that of Logic—the capitalization is explained later
This principle is the central and foundational theorem of the metaphysics
We now demonstrate the Fundamental principle
Fundamental principle—proof I
The Universe is all being
Therefore the Universe exists and contains all Entities and other Objects—Laws, Forms…
The Void is the complement of the Universe relative to itself
Therefore the Void exists and contains no Entities, Laws, or Forms…
…Proof II
If from the Void a state whose description involved no contradiction, no violation of logic, could not manifest—that would constitute a law of the void
Therefore the only restriction on actual states is that of logic
This defines ideal logic—Logic, non-empty since it is approximated by the logics
…Proof—Objections I
Because of its significance, it is essential to criticize the Fundamental principle… by
(1) Criticism of the given proof and, if it is wanting, provision of alternate proof. (2) Questioning the principle itself… whether the principle and its consequences violate what we already know—science, common sense…
…Proof—Objections II
Science and common sense are addressed via the idea of the Normal
A Normal state or world is one, such as our world, in which only a limited number of states is feasibly or normally accessible
The Fundamental principle requires the existence of Normal worlds
…Proof—Objections III
An objection to the given proof of existence of the Void. Whereas complements of ‘proper’ sub-domains exist, it does not follow that the complement of the Universe itself exists
An alternate proof is given next
Slide Objections and counterarguments has alternate demonstrations
An alternate proof
There is no distinction between existence and non-existence of the Void
Therefore the Void may be taken to exist
This in turn implies existence of the Void
Details of proof are in notes to the Objections and counterarguments slides
An objection from physics
Objection. The quantum mechanical ‘vacuum’ is a place of vast energy and activity. Therefore the Void cannot be the absence of being
Counterargument. Quantum theory is local. It is not the Law of the Universe. Science allows this possibility which is here demonstrated
…Proof—Objections IV
Objection. The variety of being in the Universe is defined by Logic. However, as noted, Logic is a defined concept. Therefore, ‘Logic as Law’ shows nothing
Counterargument. Logic as Law derives from logic as Law which is not empty. The problem of Logic is not that it is empty but of the degree of infinity of variety permitted
…Proof—comments I
Identification of Logic and Metaphysics has been considered by Gottlob Frege (logician, 1848-1925) and Ludwig Wittgenstein (philosopher, 1888-1951)… and of Metaphysics and Intuition by Kant
Here, powerful forms of these concepts culminate in the identity of the rational Intuition, Logic, and Metaphysics
…Proof—comments II
It has been noted that the Fundamental principle is the keystone of the powerful ‘Universal metaphysics’
Among various objections to the principle and its demonstration is the fact that ‘so much appears to come from so little’
See slide Objections and counterarguments for responses
The Universal metaphysics I
Introduction
Fundamental principle of the Universal metaphysics
On Logic
A cosmological variety
The Normal
The edge of the Normal
The Universal metaphysics II
Substance, determinism and explanation
The Universal metaphysics is ultimate in depth and breadth
Completion of the rational (empiric-logic) ‘Method’
Form
Limits
Objects
Concept and ObjectNecessary and Contingent or Normal Objects
Particular and Abstract Objects
A system of Objects
The fundamental concept of the metaphysics
Logic, Grammar and Meaning
Cosmology
The concept of cosmology
Variety
Process—mechanism, causation
Space, time and being
Mind
Local / physical cosmology
Principles of thought and action
Cosmology—variety I
The Fundamental principle underlies the cosmological variety
Because the only restriction on Actual states of the Universe is that of Logic, the only fictions are the Logical fictions
Subject to Logic, all of literature has an Object
Cosmology—variety II
Given interpretation as conceptual, then subject to Logic, all emotions, all works of art, all music must have Objects
What is actual is necessary. This—our—cosmos is necessary. Every individual is necessary; and their identities are necessary
Cosmology—variety III
The Universe must pass through both Void and manifest states, i.e. there must be occasions of ‘something’ and of ‘nothing’ This resolves what has been called the fundamental problem of metaphysics (why there is something rather than nothing)… and is seen to imply that the fundamental problem is ‘What exists?’
Cosmology—variety IV
Examples. Karma. Annihilation / creation of manifest phases of the Universe. Subject to Logic, every actual Object recurs infinitely, ‘rising from the dead’ is actual in countless cosmological systems, Normal identities merge in Identity; limited gods are necessary. Comment. The examples remove absurdity but no support is given to occurrence in this cosmos
Ideational form I
Science and religion are examples of ideational form in that they provide a picture of the world or, at least, the base for a partial picture
The mesh of modern economics and ideational forms, e.g. secular humanism, is such that a return to a religious paradigm of the past is difficult to imagine
Ideational form II
The difficulty—but not impossibility—is compounded in view of the immense improvement of the political and economic status of the common individual
The future of the ‘ideational form’ may be difficult to anticipate but Universal metaphysics emphasizes the practical necessity of its future evolution
Ideational form III
This evolution will be likely though flexibly tied to the evolution of political-economics; truth requires reason but its spread is interwoven with political-economics—the understandings of immediate and ultimate truth may impinge upon one anotherThe world is not divided into two ‘spheres,’ the sacred and the ideal or ideational and the mundane that includes the political and the economic
Death I
As a result of the scientific world view and the advent of secular humanism one dominant modern Normal view of death is that it is absolute: individual consciousness begins with birth and ends with death
The Metaphysics shows, however, the merging of individual identities in Identity. Thus the Normal view of death is a relative one
Death II
In life, this world is, roughly, finite; in life, the Universe may be experienced as infinite
In death, therefore, it is as if the infinity of the Universes collapses to the individual; alternatively, in death the ‘finite’ individual becomes the infinity of the Universe
Normal worlds I
Introduction and scope
Human world: individual and societyHuman being
Social world
Civilization
The state of civilization
Faith
Normal worlds II
Common and experimental endeavor
A system of modes of being and knowing
Human modes and their limitsThe animal. Primal holism—early religion-myth,
and science. Religion / ideal Religion | Secular humanism | Science / ideal Science
The future of the ideational form—in which economics and politics are likely to be as significant as reason
Method
Intuition and Object
Faithfulness—its meaning and range
The One and the Many—The Universal metaphysics
The One and the Many—Normal and Local studies
Action
Perfection
Method—comments
The foundation of ‘the method’ and content of metaphysics is found in the analysis of Intuition
Details are in the notes of the previous slide
Contributions to ideas I
Contributions to the following topics are distributed among the previous slides:
Intuition, Metaphysics, Logic, Theory of Objects, and Cosmology
The possibilities of Human and Animal Being
Human knowledge
Contributions to ideas II
Potential contributions to logic, science…
Secondary contributions
Secondary contributions are those that are side interests or offshoots that may once have been thought to be primary
For secondary contributions see the slide Contributions to the history of ideas
Next in the story…
Audience and influence
Introduction
IdeasJourney
Objections and counterarguments
Further contributions to the History of ideas
Journey
Transformation in being and identity
Journey—introduction
Ideas are an essential part of the journeyIdeas are essential to appreciation of the world and the journey
Ideas are essential to understanding and negotiating the world
As journey in being, ideas are incomplete
Transformation in being and identity completes the journey
Journey—outline
A principle of the journey—its necessity
Concept and character of the journey
Transformation and theory
The transformations
A principle of the journey
Necessity of the journey for completeness of being:
Without the journey, without action, without transformation, being is incomplete, a shadow…
Journey: concept and character
JourneyThe way from the immediate, from limits to the ultimate—transformation in ideas and identity
Transformation is essential and includes ideas and being-identity
Origin and evolutionIndividual. Shared. Emergence of focus, ambition and goals
Transformation and theory
Dynamics of being
Catalytic states and modes of transformation
Development of the dynamic
Concerns of the dynamics
Negotiating the feasible
Exploring what is desirable…
Incremental andor large scale change
Exploring the means of change—physical, psychological, social, technological
The transformations
A minimal system
The journey so far
Assessment; the way aheadStudy
The future
Next in the story…
Audience and influence
Introduction
Ideas
JourneyObjections and counterarguments
Further contributions to the History of ideas
Objections and counterarguments
Response to objections is crucial, not only to the
argument, but to understanding and method
Objections / counterarguments
The foundational fallacy
Experience and existence
Being
The Void
The fundamental principle
Non-rational objections
Final thoughts of the story…
Audience and influence
Introduction
Ideas
Journey
Objections and counterargumentsFurther contributions to the History of
ideas
Some further contributions to the history of ideas
Significant ideas that are secondary to the main
development
Some areas of contribution
Philosophy and metaphysics
Problems of metaphysics
Significant problems—some new—resolved in the development
The idea of method
A system of human knowledge
Author
Anil Mitra
The End