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Journey in BeingJourney in BeingAnil MitraAnil Mitra

‘‘Whereof one cannot speak… Whereof one cannot speak… ’’

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SourcesSources

• Journey in Being, Horizons PressJourney in Being, Horizons Press

Journey in Being, Journey in Being, www.horizons-2000.org::

• The present foundation, a brief The present foundation, a brief documentdocument

• Journey in Being, the narrativeJourney in Being, the narrative

• Many other core, supporting and Many other core, supporting and secondary essayssecondary essays

Journey in Being: the ideaJourney in Being: the idea

• Being-over-time: a historical view - history Being-over-time: a historical view - history does not entail destiny or determinismdoes not entail destiny or determinism

• My life as a JourneyMy life as a Journey

• I came to recognize only I came to recognize only necessarynecessary limits limits

• Being is –at the intersection of the– known Being is –at the intersection of the– known andand unknown… its use is enabling, avoids unknown… its use is enabling, avoids commitment to substancecommitment to substance

BeingBeing

• In experience, there is being or existenceIn experience, there is being or existence

• Power, the ability to have an effect, is the Power, the ability to have an effect, is the sign of being. Categories are eliminatedsign of being. Categories are eliminated

• The void i.e. the absence of being, of The void i.e. the absence of being, of entities entities andand laws, is a foundation for being laws, is a foundation for being without substance or infinite regresswithout substance or infinite regress

• The void is equivalent to all beingThe void is equivalent to all being

Details of Foundation

The void, becoming…The void, becoming…

• The void is foundation and source The void is foundation and source without substance or infinite regresswithout substance or infinite regress

• There are no ultimate laws, the There are no ultimate laws, the foundation in the void shows foundation in the void shows essential indeterminism at the root of essential indeterminism at the root of beingbeing

• Variation and selection is the Variation and selection is the standard mode of becomingstandard mode of becoming

… … and origin of form and and origin of form and logiclogic• … … and explains the origin of near-and explains the origin of near-

symmetric quasi-stable structures in symmetric quasi-stable structures in quasi-causal, quasi-deterministic patternsquasi-causal, quasi-deterministic patterns

• Language and symbol are expressions of Language and symbol are expressions of the possibilities of form for a contextthe possibilities of form for a context

• A logic is the expression of the necessities A logic is the expression of the necessities for the context. Laws are systems of logicfor the context. Laws are systems of logic

KnowledgeKnowledge

• Knowledge is the effect of the one in Knowledge is the effect of the one in the otherthe other

• Mind, as being-in-its-relations, is Mind, as being-in-its-relations, is present in primal being – is coeval, present in primal being – is coeval, coextensive with being… coextensive with being… MIND IS BEINGMIND IS BEING

• Knowledge bifurcates into symbol Knowledge bifurcates into symbol and ideal objectand ideal object

Knowledge of the objectKnowledge of the object

• Apprehension is knowledge through the Apprehension is knowledge through the built in forms or categories of intuitionbuilt in forms or categories of intuition

• Comprehension is the enhancement of Comprehension is the enhancement of apprehension by the free symbolapprehension by the free symbol

• Although there is no apprehension of Although there is no apprehension of the external object, there is the the external object, there is the possibility of perfect correspondence in possibility of perfect correspondence in comprehensioncomprehension

TruthTruth

• Factual truth is correspondence with Factual truth is correspondence with the external objectthe external object

• … … and is known by coherence within and is known by coherence within the ideal – apprehension and the ideal – apprehension and comprehensioncomprehension

• Truth may be seen as a system of Truth may be seen as a system of affinities within the individual and affinities within the individual and between the individual and between the individual and ALL BEINGALL BEING

Higher truthHigher truth

• Higher truth involves affinities among Higher truth involves affinities among all systemsall systems

• In factual truth, the cognitive system In factual truth, the cognitive system is primaryis primary

• In beauty, the emotions are primaryIn beauty, the emotions are primary

Summary of foundationSummary of foundation

• The void is foundation of a theory of The void is foundation of a theory of beingbeing

• What is possible is necessaryWhat is possible is necessary

• All entities may interact. There is one All entities may interact. There is one universeuniverse

• All possibilities are recurrently actualAll possibilities are recurrently actual

• There is There is BEINGBEING that spans that spans allall being in its being in its knowledge and beingknowledge and being

LogicLogic

• Determinate being, that there is a being Determinate being, that there is a being that is not another being, is the that is not another being, is the condition for a minimal condition for a minimal LOGICLOGIC

• All logics are the necessities of a contextAll logics are the necessities of a context

• Without reference, there is no Without reference, there is no propositionproposition

• A propositional form without reference A propositional form without reference results in paradoxresults in paradox

Two dividesTwo divides

The following divides, which connect The following divides, which connect our world to Primality, are essential our world to Primality, are essential to animal and human beingto animal and human being

• Origin of a coherent cosmological Origin of a coherent cosmological systemsystem

• Origin of the free symbolic capabilityOrigin of the free symbolic capability

General cosmologyGeneral cosmology

• General cosmology is the elaboration of General cosmology is the elaboration of the theory of being founded in the voidthe theory of being founded in the void

• Physical cosmology is the theory of the Physical cosmology is the theory of the origin of coherent origin of coherent cosmological systemscosmological systems

• The origin of structure and quasi-The origin of structure and quasi-causation in a coherent phase-epoch is causation in a coherent phase-epoch is a a foundation for quantum-theoryfoundation for quantum-theory

Possibility and probabilityPossibility and probability

• What is classically impossible in a What is classically impossible in a coherent cosmological system is actually coherent cosmological system is actually improbableimprobable

• The improbable is necessary if restriction The improbable is necessary if restriction to the cosmological system is removedto the cosmological system is removed

• Absolute restriction to a cosmological Absolute restriction to a cosmological system is not possible. Probability may be system is not possible. Probability may be enhanced in negotiation of the boundariesenhanced in negotiation of the boundaries

Human being and symbolsHuman being and symbols

• The categories of intuition are The categories of intuition are adaptation to the forms of the adaptation to the forms of the cosmological systemcosmological system

• The free symbol is a foundation for The free symbol is a foundation for adaptability of an organismadaptability of an organism

• The free symbol is the foundation for The free symbol is the foundation for language, knowledge, truth and language, knowledge, truth and error, and cultureerror, and culture

Ethics or valueEthics or value

• The free symbol is a source of The free symbol is a source of creative thought and actioncreative thought and action

• In the absence of unbounded In the absence of unbounded rationality, guides for creative action rationality, guides for creative action and to avoid destructive action are and to avoid destructive action are adaptiveadaptive

• Here lies the origin of creative and Here lies the origin of creative and prohibitive value or ethicsprohibitive value or ethics

The theory of action and The theory of action and valuevalue• Ethics includes morals, aesthetics and Ethics includes morals, aesthetics and

political value or political philosophypolitical value or political philosophy

• The origin of ethics is the selection of ad The origin of ethics is the selection of ad hoc rules and rule respecting organismshoc rules and rule respecting organisms

• Higher thought enables a theory of ethics Higher thought enables a theory of ethics but bounded rationality limits the theorybut bounded rationality limits the theory

• Also enabled is an idea of the Also enabled is an idea of the highest idealhighest ideal

The nature of beingThe nature of being

• The nature of being, which exists, is The nature of being, which exists, is its elements which also existits elements which also exist

• ‘‘Element’ is interpreted liberally, to Element’ is interpreted liberally, to include part, relation, form…include part, relation, form…

• As guides to the ultimate, look to the As guides to the ultimate, look to the theory of being and the history of theory of being and the history of human thought and actionhuman thought and action

What is the Journey in What is the Journey in Being…Being…• … … the becoming, being, and dissolution, the becoming, being, and dissolution,

here-now and ultimate of here-now and ultimate of BEINGBEING within within ALL BEINGALL BEING

• ... includes all knowing, understanding, ... includes all knowing, understanding, creation and discovery, all storiescreation and discovery, all stories

• … … the form of the journey is a binding the form of the journey is a binding among knowing, acting and beingamong knowing, acting and being

Journey in Being

‘‘Journey in Being’Journey in Being’

… … Is the name of two interwoven stories Is the name of two interwoven stories of being:of being:

• My travels in being where My travels in being where understanding and transformation understanding and transformation interactinteract

• The story of being – of the one universe The story of being – of the one universe – where being is conceived in its aspect – where being is conceived in its aspect as a journeyas a journey

The journeyThe journey

• Background: the diversity of Background: the diversity of accumulated knowledge, action, and accumulated knowledge, action, and the worldthe world

• Metaphysics: the understanding that Metaphysics: the understanding that recognizes only necessary limitsrecognizes only necessary limits

• Transformation: based in and Transformation: based in and informing the metaphysics; draws from informing the metaphysics; draws from the classic modes of transformationthe classic modes of transformation

BackgroundBackground

Background: the diversity of the worldBackground: the diversity of the world. . The following are treated as ‘data:’ The following are treated as ‘data:’ all available personal and transmitted all available personal and transmitted experience including accumulated experience including accumulated knowledge and symbolic means; knowledge and symbolic means; theory including science; technology; theory including science; technology; literature, art, humanities, content of literature, art, humanities, content of myth and religion; journeys of othersmyth and religion; journeys of others

MetaphysicsMetaphysics

• General metaphysics: the theory of General metaphysics: the theory of being and cosmology which found a being and cosmology which found a complete system of metaphysicscomplete system of metaphysics

• Symbol: the foundation of Symbol: the foundation of understanding has been shownunderstanding has been shown

• Value: the highest ideal exists Value: the highest ideal exists together with freedom of choicetogether with freedom of choice

General metaphysicsGeneral metaphysics

• Includes theory of being, cosmology, Includes theory of being, cosmology, and the understanding of mindand the understanding of mind

• The theory of the void founds The theory of the void founds metaphysics, and the formulation of metaphysics, and the formulation of a complete system of problems of a complete system of problems of metaphysics and their resolutionmetaphysics and their resolution

The problems of The problems of metaphysicsmetaphysicsFoundation for Foundation for BEINGBEING, relationship and , relationship and POWERPOWER, ,

SYMBOLSYMBOL and and VALUEVALUE, , LOGICLOGIC and and LANGUAGELANGUAGE, , DYNAMICSDYNAMICS and and TRANSFORMATIONTRANSFORMATION, the , the VOIDVOID, , MINDMIND, , FORMSFORMS, , UNIVERSALUNIVERSAL, , COSMOLOGYCOSMOLOGY, , DETERMINISMDETERMINISM and and CAUSATIONCAUSATION, and , and GODGOD, , QUANTUM MECHANICSQUANTUM MECHANICS, , SPACE-SPACE-

TIME-BEINGTIME-BEING, , MATHEMATICSMATHEMATICS may be regarded as a may be regarded as a science of science of FORMFORM. Solution to the . Solution to the FUNDAMENTAL FUNDAMENTAL

PROBLEM OF METAPHYSICSPROBLEM OF METAPHYSICS i.e. ‘Why is there i.e. ‘Why is there something rather than nothing?’ something rather than nothing?’

ValueValue

• The occasion for value is in the The occasion for value is in the freedom and possibility of the free freedom and possibility of the free symbolsymbol

• Good is not created by ‘goodness’ Good is not created by ‘goodness’ but by power which also results in but by power which also results in evilevil

• The highest ideal and the Journey or The highest ideal and the Journey or Adventure in BeingAdventure in Being

Essential transformationEssential transformation

• Essential transformation, based in Essential transformation, based in incomplete knowledge, is necessary incomplete knowledge, is necessary for realization of possibility and the for realization of possibility and the ultimateultimate

• Being itself is the target of Being itself is the target of transformationtransformation

• Transformation or action and Transformation or action and understanding are mutually informingunderstanding are mutually informing

DynamicsDynamics

• Extension of logic to ‘the art of Extension of logic to ‘the art of understanding and effecting the understanding and effecting the possible and the good’possible and the good’

• Founded in Founded in theory of beingtheory of being and and distinction of probable versus distinction of probable versus necessary limitsnecessary limits

• Search to magnify small probabilities Search to magnify small probabilities e.g. creativity, insight and discoverye.g. creativity, insight and discovery

ApproachesApproaches

• The dynamicsThe dynamics

• The classical approaches of Yoga, The classical approaches of Yoga, psychoanalysis, the physical journey, psychoanalysis, the physical journey, shamanism, science, healing based shamanism, science, healing based in engagement of the entire in engagement of the entire organismorganism

• Design of a complete, minimal Design of a complete, minimal system of experimentssystem of experiments

The journey continuesThe journey continues

• I return to reflection, the physical I return to reflection, the physical journey, and transformationjourney, and transformation

• I invite fellow travelersI invite fellow travelers

• I take up the remaining I take up the remaining developments for the journey as developments for the journey as outlined at outlined at www.horizons-2000.orgwww.horizons-2000.org. . Includes experiments with symbolic Includes experiments with symbolic machines and social actionmachines and social action

After the journeyAfter the journey

• I seek being over becoming…I seek being over becoming…

• … … and perception over thoughtand perception over thought

Design