Philosophy:
A blind man in a dark room
looking for a black cat
that is not there.
Define some terms
Main Entry: phi�los�o�phy
Pronunciation: f&-'l�-s(&-)fE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -phies
Etymology: Middle English philosophie, from Old French, from Latin philosophia, from Greek, from philosophos philosopher (philo = love, sophos or sophia = wisdom or Love of Wisdom)
Date: 14th century
- 1 a
- (1) : all learning exclusive of technical precepts and practical arts
- (2) : the sciences and liberal arts exclusive of medicine, law, and theology "a doctor of philosophy"
- (3) : the 4-year college course of a major seminary
- b
- (1) archaic : PHYSICAL SCIENCE
- (2) : ETHICS
- c
- : a discipline comprising as its core logic, aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology
- 2
- a : pursuit of wisdom
- b : a search for a general understanding of values and reality by chiefly speculative rather than observational means
- c : an analysis of the grounds of and concepts expressing fundamental beliefs.
- 3
- a : a system of philosophical concepts (some listed below)
- b : a theory underlying or regarding a sphere of activity or thought "the philosophy of war" "philosophy of science"
- 4
- a : the most general beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group or the sum of the ideas and convictions of an individual or group "her philosophy of life"
- b : calmness of temper and judgment befitting a philosopher
�phil*o*soph*ic \*fi-l*-*s*-fik\ or phil*o*soph*i*cal \-fi-k*l\ adjective
�phil*o*soph*i*cal*ly \-k(*-)l*\ adverb
However that is not quite the story. Now about the navigation within philosophy.
Syllogism.
Main Entry: syl�lo�gism 
Pronunciation:
'si-l&-"ji-z&m
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle
English silogisme, from Middle French, from Latin syllogismus,
from Greek syllogismos, from syllogizesthai to syllogize, from
syn- + logizesthai to calculate, from logos reckoning, word --
more at LEGEND
Date: 14th century
1 : a deductive
scheme of a formal argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a
conclusion (as in "every virtue is laudable; kindness is a virtue; therefore
kindness is laudable")
2 : a subtle, specious, or crafty
argument
3 : deductive reasoning
Another.
Main Entry: di�a�lec�tic
Pronunciation:
"dI-&-'lek-tik
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle
English dialetik, from Middle French dialetique, from Latin
dialectica, from Greek dialektikE, from feminine of dialektikos
of conversation, from dialektos
Date: 14th century
1
: LOGIC
1a(1)
2 a : discussion and reasoning by dialogue as a method of
intellectual investigation; specifically : the Socratic techniques
of exposing false beliefs and eliciting truth b : the Platonic
investigation of the eternal ideas
3 : the logic of
fallacy
4 a : the Hegelian process of change in which a concept
or its realization passes over into and is preserved and fulfilled by its
opposite; also : the critical investigation of this process b
(1) usually plural but singular or plural in construction :
development through the stages of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis in
accordance with the laws of dialectical materialism
(2) : the investigation of this process (3) : the theoretical
application of this process especially in the social sciences
5
usually plural but singular or plural in construction a :
any systematic reasoning, exposition, or argument that juxtaposes opposed or
contradictory ideas and usually seeks to resolve their conflict b
: an intellectual exchange of ideas
6 : the dialectical tension or
opposition between two interacting forces or elements
Commentary
How is it going. Is the wisdom of man working out in the world.
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man
glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord,
exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the Lord.
What is
Truth... The statement, "there is no absolute truth", is an utterly illogical statement.
The implication is a declaration that "there is
One absolute truth but no other". An adjustment to the quote to make it somewhat logical is that,
"There is no absolute truth, relatively speaking".
Another problem remains, the statement is false. There are Physical laws that work every time, everywhere.
For instance, Newtonian Classical Mechanics tells of 3 physical laws that do not change.
Gravity works. Action and reaction are quantitative and qualitative. Entropy is doing it's job very well.
The Cosmos is more than the physical. If there are physical laws there are metaphysical laws or
Spiritual Laws. Ideas are not Physical even if their consequences are.
Logic is an example of a body of metaphysical law. I suggest a replacement phrase for the "no absolute truth" chant:
"Relative truth is relatively true."
A little etymology of metaphysical:
Meta is a transliterated Greek word that denotes associations.
The english words "With, Among, After, Beyond or Behind", substitute
depending on the grammar.
In the use of meta in isolation such as prefixes to words think in terms of With or Among.
Other groupings with other words lend to the idea of time lines.
For instance when translating Greek, and the text shows Meta Tauta the substitution of "After" is proper.
The word Physical, speaks to the workings of the world.
Here is a little more Webster:
- the part of philosophy concerned with the study of the ultimate causes and underlying nature of things.
- the branch of philosophy that treats of first principles, includes
- ontology: The study of the nature of existence or being. Descartes.
- cosmology: The study of the origin and general structure of the universe.
Especially with the characteristics of space, time, causality, and freedom.
- intimately connected with epistemology: The study of the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge
- the underlying theoretical principles of a subject or field of inquiry
- a treatise of Aristotle, dealing with first principles, the relation of universals to particulars, and
the teleological doctrine of causation. Teleological philosophy is the argument for the existence of God based on the
assumption that order in the universe implies an orderer or designer and cannot be a natural feature.
The logical conclusion of the pursuit of beginnings is in an "ultimate uncaused cause".
The argument is it between Apparent and Actual design, by intelligence or by chance.
Did the computer or paper printout you are using to view these words come about by chance? Did the document itself
come about by chance? These are absurd examples and yet as a comparison they are also far less complex than the
simplest form of life we see in the world.
The Watch Maker is not blind as eyes were present in the Cambrian age.
The Religion of the Blind Watch maker
Humans are not practically different in reality. I know a man whom I call a friend.
We have common beliefs in the area of family
and the interactions of society. He is from communist China.
Many have attempted to build human behavior models in the hope of predicting,
modifying and controlling the society. It does not happen because we
human beings are by nature "children of disobedience" Ephesians 2:2-3.
So the observable human behavior in this world is not ultimately controllable
even with the educational systems conversion from institutions of learning and knowledge
to behavioral modification centers. The result is that we claim and profess freedom
while we drug the children who are the most active minds.
Read THE BOOK,
you will find the answers there. I have.
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"If God is good, why is there evil?" is the most asked question by the skeptic.
A quick look at
Equip.org will get you started.
Without God and without the fall of Adam
Genesis 2:16-3:13
there would be no knowledge of good and evil. An entirely fascinating aspect of
the nature of evil being the most asked question is that it is the first issue
addressed by the Bible. We then see the framework of the problems in the relationship
between Men and Women, Mankind and nature, and the spiritual assault that we deal with.
Ephesians 2
Paragraph 3 in the Equip.org article opens points then to the true question.
"What is Good and What is Evil?". How do we make an objective determination.
Note that the killing of the Jews by the Nazis was "legal" at the time. Just as
the Roman Caesars Nero, Domitian, and Vespasian found pleasure in killing Christians
in the "Games" to be entertainment. Again it was a "legal" act to do so.
Slavery was and is in some places "legal". Does the fact an activity is "legal"
make it "moral and good" rather than "evil"?
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Ethics Morality and Integrity
Ethics requires Morality (the foundational principals) and Integrity (the willingness to stick with it). Not just the rules but the why of the rules and the ability to follow.
So many times we can identify the ideal but not live up to that ideal.
The existentialist and the Tao/Dao ethical systems are fundimentally equal but not very quantifyable and as can be seen through their definitions, the foundations are not known nor can they be.
Philosipies have intrinsic consequences. The head-hunter may hold to his ethics with high integrity but are his actions of moral. Is getting a head universally GOOD. Ubiquity is key.
Does the system work for everyone, everywhere, every time? If not, the system is just another relativistic methodology that can be thrown on the heap. The argument between the Epicurean and the Stoic continues through the ages. As they are polar in their outlook, both cannot be true. As Kierkegaard writes �Either Or�.
Go to the "Define" section of this document for terms.
Existentialism
Function: noun Date: 1941
: a chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for his acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad
Tao.Dao:
Pronunciation: 'dau, 'tau
Function: noun
Etymology: Chinese (Beijing) d�o, literally, way
Date: 1736
1 a : the unconditional and unknowable source and guiding principle of all reality as conceived by Taoists
b : the process of nature by which all things change and which is to be followed for a life of harmony
2 often not capitalized : the path of virtuous conduct as conceived by Confucians
3 often not capitalized : the art or skill of doing something in harmony with the essential nature of the thing "the Tao of archery"
Now this is from my ongoing ethics class ....
Galatians
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More
Existentialism.
Declared to be "fathers" of the notion, Kierkegaard and Augustine look at existence through the lens of
James 2:17.
To re-phrase what was stated previously in this document, the true measure of the philosophy is in the workings of that philosophy in reality.
( I am still looking into existentialism as a body of thought. There is personal accountability but atheists think they can handle it with an evolution of society to a Utopia or an Anti-Eden. There is a diversity of method here however. The two primary schools of thought still exist after all this time. With an "If it feels good do it" mentality, living with a passion for the now we see a neo-hedonism. As before this method eventuates in the same emptiness as the old hedonism. And the new stoic perspective in light of the politically correct movement of relativism is as Neilson said "A point in every direction is like having no point at all". If all paths lead to the top of the mountain, why are there so many people in the valley
of desperation.
- in the atheistic model
- Netchie gave us Hitler
- Sardt gave us the Cambodian killing fields
- The theistic model
- St. Augustine
- Confessions. The self examined life in the light of a holy God.
- Kierkegaard
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