JOURNEY IN BEING

PREPARATION FOR
A PRESENTATION

ANIL MITRA, PHD

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Journey in being-presentation.html (PowerPoint presentation, Word document)

CONTENTS

Introduction. 2

Understanding the narrative. 2.     The idea of the metaphysics. 2.     Journey. 2.     The presentation. 3

Part 1.     Universal metaphysics. 7

Function. 7.     Development of the metaphysics. 7.     The argument 10.     Objections and counterarguments (generic) 13

Part 2.     The sum of all endeavor. 15

Function. 15.     Introduction. 15.     Characterizing the human endeavor 15.     Common and experimental endeavor 16.     The problem of possibility and limits. 20.     Review of limits. 20.     All endeavor 21

Part 3.     Journey. 22

Function. 22.     Introduction. 22.     Ideas. 23.     Objections and counterarguments—method and content 45.     Topics from the history of ideas. 56.     Being and identity. 59.     Truths. 62.     The Future. 64

Appendix. 65

Dictionary. 65

 

JOURNEY IN BEING

THE PRESENTATION

Introduction

The journey of the title started as personal and sought universality through ideas and transformation. Accordingly, the narrative reflects the personal and the universal

Understanding the narrative

Every culture and every individual sees the world in terms of what amounts to a world view. In saying this it is not suggested that such views are entirely relative, explicit—the content of some written document or documents. The views of a culture or society may be distributed in the habits and words of the people and it includes instruments for negotiating the world and must, therefore, have some degree and—at least implicit—kind of validity. And as far as documents go, the world view or metaphysics may be expressed in the kinds of things people do with their lives, their interests, their commitments—very much as it is in the actual case

World views contain implicit and explicit elements. The implicit elements include those that are embodied in institutions and practices. Explicit elements include stories, legends, faiths, science, philosophy…

A significant portion—see Ideas—of this narrative is devoted to the development, justification and elaboration of an explicit world view or metaphysics—a Universal metaphysics, the Metaphysics of immanence

It is crucial to the understanding of the development that this world view to realize that it is claimed that the Universal metaphysics is an ultimate one and reveals the universe to be infinitely larger and more varied than is commonly understood in the world views from the myths and faiths to modern science and secular humanism. This claim is not merely asserted but is demonstrated

The idea of the metaphysics

Outline: void --> fundamental principle and brief consequences

Introduction: Metaphysics = Logic… implies that our physics cannot be universal

Journey

journey, becoming, experiment, discovery, action, diffuse action, single-minded action, transformation, world, experience, idea, immediate, ultimate, identity, meaning, ideal, vision, goal, possibility, feasibility, the right, the good, individual, relationship, commitment, sharing, significance, society

Origins

Ideas

Method

See method under Universe

Subject

1.      Method and subject arise together, in interaction

2.      Ultimate Theory of Being (Metaphysics-Logic-Cosmology)

3.      Mutual raising up of the level of the metaphysics and—human—endeavor including action, the formal disciplines and common—human—truth

Transformation

Method

System

Transformations so far

The presentation

Function

The presentation is a blueprint for a number of functions that include presentation, guide to Metaphysics-A Journey in Being.html—the version of 2007 whose most up to date version is ..\Journey in Being-New World-essence.html (doc,) and supplement to the 2008 in-process version ..\Journey in Being-2008.html (doc)

The kinds of presentation include computer presentation, formal presentation, general talk, formal debate, impromptu debate, letters and emails, a variety of venues including university, church, community-bookstore, pub, hike, chance meeting, informal meeting, job interview, radio, TV, hosted show, various impromptu occasions including casual discussion and chance-encounter-in-passing… and the purposes include exposition, demonstration, transformation, persuasion for shared commitment and action

Approach

Elements

Areas

Strategic examples, inferences, references to the main essays / site

Introduction

Universal metaphysics develops an ultimate metaphysics. It explains the sense of ‘ultimate’ used here and demonstrates—shows—that the metaphysics is ultimate. The metaphysics introduces the concepts of Universe, Law—a special case of Form, domain, and Void; and it uses these concepts to show that the one and only law of the Universe is Logic (the capitalization is explained below.) The concept of the Normal is then introduced as a means to explain the regular behavior of this—our—cosmological system or cosmos within the Universe that, in its entirety, has no such—contingent—regularities. The idea of Experience is used to situate the individual—animal andor human—in this infinite but apparently remote context as well as to give substance to the context

The ideas of the Universal metaphysics, also called Metaphysics of immanence, are not entirely unknown or unwritten in the history of ideas. What is new is the demonstration, the elaboration as a Theory of being—see the contents—i.e., a world view; and the development of immense consequences for everyday and extraordinary human life and affairs, and for common, academic and esoteric knowledge

The metaphysics and its methods of demonstration are interwoven; and it is shown that any level that seeks to be foundational should and may be integral with method. I.e., method or Logic is not another topic

The metaphysics does not upset common and contextual views within their respective domains of validity. Thus the metaphysics satisfies one natural requirement of any advance in understanding. Outside common views the metaphysics provides a new view of the universe as infinitely larger and more varied than the traditional. There can be no larger or more varied view… and all this is demonstrated in ‘cold Logic’

That Logic and metaphysics arise together suggests the possibility of circular reason. The demonstration shows that there is no circularity or assumption

Although the new metaphysics refers to the ‘furthest reaches of being’ it is based in what is so immediate and given in experience that it generally escapes notice and may be immensely difficult to appreciate. The term ‘abstract’ is suggested as a characteristic of the core of the new metaphysics. Here, however, the meaning of abstract is not that of a remove from the immediate but of an immersion in what is so immediate that it is not normally seen

One way of characterizing the new view is that it makes no distinction between the remote and the ultimate and the immediate—this confers upon the view and its demonstration a certain trivial character. However, the triviality lies in its lying beyond question and is therefore also the source of the depth and profundity of the view. In its pure essentials the view does not say much about common or particular contexts; however, in combination with any system of knowledge—or when applied to a particular context—including day-to-day practical knowledge the view reveals profound consequences that include revision andor re-appreciation to an often ultimate level of—the systems of human—knowing

The sum of all endeavor focuses first on a conception of the common human endeavor and its traditional possibilities and limits. It then goes on to describe all or universal endeavor—whose only limits, from Universal metaphysics, are the necessary or logical limits. The discussion suggests that the limits of Human being are those of all being, i.e., those of universal endeavor

Some versions of the presentation begin with the Universal metaphysics. A primary advantage of this setup is the early introduction of the central concepts, immense power and results of the entire development; it also shows that the traditional conception of the limits of the human endeavor are not at all absolute. Beginning with the Universal metaphysics may provide a shock that fractures a primary block to accepting a new view: the requirement of re-education of the intuition

An alternative arrangement is to begin with The sum of all endeavor. This arrangement may be seen as motivating the development of the Universal metaphysics. However, in this arrangement the contingent character of the traditional human limits must be taken on faith—pending later demonstration (the brief discussion of the Universal metaphysics above provides a preliminary but inadequate account of the limits)

The first two parts are intentionally brief and have a number of shortcomings of explanation and demonstration that are addressed in the final part

Journey develops consequences of the metaphysics under two main headings, Ideas and Identity. The Ideas are developed as Universal ideas or Theory of being and implications for Human being—that include showing that, properly understood, the limits of Human, i.e., Animal being are those of all being. A consequence of the ultimate metaphysics is a re-conceptualization and ultimate characterization a number of important topics that are central to thought and include Form, substance, Object, Logic and meaning, mind, cosmology; and the nature and possibilities of Human being and the social world. The universal develops both content and method and shows the necessity of the dual development as co-development. The discussion of the ideas rounds out their application to our world via the concepts of experience and the normal. The discussion of Identity first takes up the ultimate possibilities of (human) being and describes a system of experiments-in-process in the realization of possibility

On the meanings of terms

The words used for the main concepts are common terms, often important ones, such as being, metaphysics, form, substance, object, logic, meaning (itself,) mind (and matter,) cosmology; and human being, society, culture, civilization…

In any system of understanding such terms may have definite meaning but such definiteness exists only in terms of the understanding that may itself be incomplete and inadequate

Further, meaning resides not only in symbols but is primarily immanent in context or use. Explicit meaning is overlaid upon use and intuition; but does not escape use and intuition—which is a good thing. There are, however, degrees of escape and return—which is also a good thing. Despite separation, symbol and organism may be seen as unitary. It will be seen that there are aspects of explicit symbolic meaning that can be fully separate and absolute. There is no universalizing such as all meaning is absolute or no meaning is ever separate from context; all such assertions must be evaluated case by case

Since the present system is ultimate and the concepts are—often—raised to their ultimate capacity for meaning, it follows that the meanings or uses of the terms must necessarily different than in any other lesser system. For adequate understanding it is necessary for the audience to pay attention to the present use or meaning. To distinguish present use the terms may be capitalized e.g. Being or Logic

Thus the sign Being indicates the specified meaning of ‘being’ and not that Being refers to any special being or kind of being—especially ultimate being. It is significant to note, however, that without an understanding of ultimate potential Being is not completely understood… but the same may apply also to Object, Logic, Meaning, Mind, Cosmology and Human being

Part 1.           Universal metaphysics

‘Universal metaphysics’ would have redundancy if it were not for a variety of restricted uses of ‘metaphysics’

Function

The Universal metaphysics is ultimate as defined below. It is of interest in itself and as foundation for the ideas and the transformations in being and identity. The foundation is limited in that no symbolic formulation can generate all possibilities of being but is ultimate in that no deeper abstract foundation is possible. The foundation has another kind of limit in that symbolic formulations can not be complete substitutes for ideas and ideas cannot be complete substitutes for transformations in being and identity

We begin with the metaphysics (1) because this brings out the power of the development early and (2) it provides context for the next part, The sum of all endeavor. Particularly, while the next part shows that the common cultural estimates of the limits of human endeavor are imprecise, the metaphysics shows that those limits may be transcended to an immense degree and gives some idea of directions and means of the transcendence

Development of the metaphysics

See Part III for the concept of absolute demonstration

The demonstration will follow the following flexible sequence of concepts:

Universe

existence (being)

all

entity

law

form

pattern

universe

The universe is all being and contains all being which includes form, pattern, and law. There is—exists—one and only one universe

In this sense of ‘universe’ there is no other universe. It will be seen later that the universe cannot separate into two effectively separate or non-interacting parts

immanence

Form and law are immanent in being and this means that they are of being—an aspect of being—and not something external—for there is nothing external to the universe—that is attached to or imposed on being: law is what is perceived of Law that is of being

meaning

possibility

actuality

necessity

Domain

difference

domain

complement

dimension

Examples of dimension are extension and duration. It is not clear whether other dimensions are possible on Logical grounds

The possibility of non space-time coordinates and of multiple temporal dimensions is left open till further discussion

extension

duration

space-time

coordinate

local-global

description, frame, patch

Void

absence

void

The void is the absence of being. Its fundamental property is that it contains neither entity nor form nor law. The void exists

Fundamental principle

The fundamental principle is the transformational result of the metaphysics—the one that makes it ultimate and allows raising of the metaphysics, the logic, the study of objects, of mind, of cosmology and of human being to their ultimate levels

Consequences… and significance

Theory of being—a metaphysics without substance, of ultimate but finite depth, and ultimate and unlimited breadth or variety

Nature of the universe—a universe of unlimited being… the only fictions are the Logical fictions

Theory of identity—the individual is identical to the universe

Further properties of the void

On substance

Fundamental problem of metaphysics

Properties of the void

Substance

Violence to the common and scientific sense of reality and resolution…

The normal

Cosmological examples

The following is linked to the original statement in Part III

Examples of necessarily existing objects. All actual objects. Most annihilator objects. Infinitely many copies of actual objects. Jesus Christ. Infinitely many copies of Jesus Christ (on infinitely many cosmological systems.) Recurrence. Karma. Every consistent fiction, i.e., all consistent literature, myth, legend. The Universe. The Void. Every complement corresponding to an existing domain

Logic

From the fundamental principle, every consistent concept has reference. This opens up the meaning of consistency. Clearly Logic is implicated. The meaning of consistency presents a problem. The problem is tacitly resolved by turning it around. What ‘describes’ the universe is Logic. The precise nature of Logic is to be discovered—of course the classical principles of logic provide clues

The fundamental principle of Logic is the principle of reference (Logic is an object)

The following is linked to the original statement in Part III

In a sense, Logic is Law or, perhaps a Law. However, it is unlike physical law which says something about behavior. Logic is what must obtain for concepts and sentences to have reference (the overlap with grammar again.) Logic does not so much determine variety as to permit variety; this is similar to the sense in which physical law describes rather than determines. In the sense that Logic is Law it is not merely a Law but it is the universal law. Are there any other universal laws? From the fundamental principle it follows that there are not. ‘The’ physical laws necessarily apply to a—very—limited domain. What is the immanent form of Logic? If we name it Logos, the question becomes What is Logos? Logos harbors the infinite variety of being; specifically it harbors the ‘entire system of consistent concepts.’ Although it suggests paradox, if we leave ‘the entire system…’ as implicit in Logic, there is no paradox for Logic is not determined as traditional logic or logics which may be but approximations to Logic

The argument

Principles of reasoning

Principles of good reasoning—argument—are sometimes referred to as the theory of rationality. The concept of logic is sometimes seen as being more restricted than theory of rationality in being traceable—by this concept of logic—back to the formal features of representations involved in inference

It is not the purpose here to review the theories of rationality or of logic or their history but to discuss (1) the concepts of rationality and logic—to be completed in subsequent parts, and (2) their development and deployment here

Argument based in the subject or context

A general principle of rationality, however, is that good reasoning is based in the subject of discussion and may involve premises regarding the subject or context and the formal features of inference which are presumed to be based in that context or a class of contexts to which it belongs

Argument that is—apparently—not based in the subject

There are various forms of ‘argument’ that are not based—directly—in the subject and many of these are considered under fallacy

However, an argument clearly based in the subject may not be available and yet judgment may be necessary

Under such circumstances alternative forms of argument may be employed and used even though they are not or do not appear to be rational

An ad hominem argument or an argument based in authority, including objection to an argument, is based in the person or authority or circumstance of the arguer—or in an appeal to external or received authority. Although such arguments and objections are not formally—logically—valid they may carry weight when formal argument is not available or when the audience does not have the time or ability to follow formal argument. When judgment or action is necessary, the only recourse may be to ad hominem argument or objection

Emotion is not a form of argument but is integral to action when action is known to be necessary—either obviously as in the case of imminent danger or by inference. However, when rationality is insufficient persuasion, emotional appeal to action may be appropriate but such appeal still does not constitute reason

It may be argued, and this thought is developed formally later, that emotion and cognition are inseparable, first, in that cognition rides upon a level of feeling without which the individual may—will—cease to cognate and, second, in that emotion (feeling) is essential in selecting from among the myriad data which data are important relative to reflection and action and in ongoing give and take—motivation—between thought and action. The issues are subtle and the argument of this paragraph do not justify or even nearly fully clarify the role of feeling

It is not being said that such forms of ‘argument’ are rational but the use of them may be rational. Additionally it may be argued that there is some connection to rationality—if we trust someone’s argument it is presumably because we trust their access to reason; if we trust feeling we presume that feeling points in the rough direction of appropriate action and we follow it when action is necessary and in the absence of more accurate pointers (we do this even when cognition points roughly)

Principles and content arise together

A central position of the development is that principles of argument and content arise together and are interwoven. This of course does not imply no separation or separability at all

It is essential that the foregoing principle is developed rather than assumed. Also, the principles of reasoning used in the developed are sufficiently evaluated to allow confidence in them—and confidence in necessary reasoning must be absolute. Thus, while the present work is not a complete treatise on logic, it provides a full concept of Logic and develops the essential Logical tools used here

Logic and method

As noted it is not the purpose here to develop a detailed account of logic and method. Rather, the goal of the discussion of logic and method in the narrative is to

1.      Introduce a concept of logic / method rather than systems of logic

2.      As noted above method and study arise together. The principle that allows and requires this is the principle of reference introduced later that itself arises out of rational concerns though not circularly

3.      The concept of method is immanent in and necessary for development of the universal metaphysics and the Logic

4.      The concept is not entirely abstract for it is used, first, in the net development and, second, in the evaluation of standard logics

The principles of criticism

The principles of criticism (objections) are not other than the principles and ways of argument or rationality. When we criticize we are looking at ways in which argument breaks down, i.e., we are looking, first, at ways of argument

Fallacy

Purposes to consideration of fallacy include (1) to encourage criticism of the development, (2) to prepare for criticism

Fallacies have been classified as material, verbal and formal or logical. Roughly, material fallacies are based in premises and the use of premises—premises and use of premises that is faulty or irrelevant. These include assuming what is to be proved; false generalization, and false particularization that disregards exceptions; irrelevant conclusion based in emotion or fear or threat, or in personal considerations including authority, or popular sentiment; inferring the premise from the conclusion and inferring the negation of a conclusion from the negation of a premise. Verbal fallacies are those in which a conclusion is obtained by improper or ambiguous use of words. A logical fallacy is an error in the form of an argument; logical fallacies are thus formal; however, the term logical fallacy is often used in a more general sense to refer to invalid argument and, in this sense, there is overlap between the logical and the other kinds of fallacy

Although it seems that the classification of fallacies is ad hoc, they may be seen as arising out of the principle of reference that lies at the core of rationality

Hume’s argument against material necessity, e.g. strict causation, was not that material necessity does not obtain but that it does not follow logically from some cases, e.g. from all prior cases, to all cases including future cases. Hume’s argument is not an argument against causation even though it is commonly taken to be so—for there may be some alternative logical argument; the argument of the Universal metaphysics is a Logical or necessary argument for certain material necessities; the case of causation is subtle and is taken up later

The argument itself

There are a number of intended gaps in the argument—and content—so far. These cases of incompleteness and omission are filled in Journey

Necessary versus probable arguments

The central arguments of the Universal metaphysics or Theory of being, particularly the Fundamental principle and the Theory of identity are necessary. A necessary argument is one whose premises and inference are necessary

In applying these theories to particular domains of knowledge, the result is necessary or contingent according to whether knowledge of the particular domain is contingent or necessary

A later argument for the existence of an external world—a world not contained in experience even though it may be experienced—is necessary except for being contingent upon the amount of information in experience. The Fundamental principle may be used to remove the contingent aspect of the argument although it may leave doubt about which part of experience is external. However, some such doubt will probably always exist even though any particular doubt may, perhaps, be cleared up

Ring of concepts

Problems

The question arises how the various concepts and arguments stand together. Especially (1) How does the Universal metaphysics acquire significance of intuition and heart, and (2) How does the individual relate—via experience—to the universal? Although this is immanent in the development, it is useful to provide an outline of the holism of the argument:

Resolution approach: ring of concepts

Preliminary discussion of experience and existence → fundamental principle → metaphysics: completed analysis of the basic concepts of experience, existence, form, identity → objects: particular, abstract → method, demonstration, proof, logic, meaning, grammar → mind, cosmology, journey → elaboration and application to, e.g., human world: civilization and faith → transformation in being and identity

Objections and counterarguments (generic)

Objections based in content and form of argument

Objections to content and method… and counterarguments are taken up in subsequent detailed analyses

The main objections are found in experience, existence, Objections and counterarguments—method and content

Other kinds of objection

The kinds of objections in this section are not based in errors of fact or form of argument or other fallacies of reason. Rather they are kinds that are peripheral to method-content. I consider them primarily because they may enter at a level that is less than explicitly conscious and intentional. Such objections or doubts may of course be present in the thinking of others but it is important that they may be present also and especially in the thinking of an author and may therefore have negative impact on the impeccability and strength of an author’s conclusions and arguments. I also take up such considerations so as to be ready for various kinds of attack or minimization based in person and fashion

It is inevitable that some individuals may have at least subconscious ad hominem doubts. My background is laid out at on my website http://www.horizons-2000.org. However, an essential point to the present development is its argument and I ask that readers raise any circumstantial doubts to a conscious level and ask whether the value of what they may learn is worth the effort of following the details of the arguments

In any culture there is a core of accepted belief. The present development appears to undermine both classical religion and secular humanism… and there is bound to be ‘objection’ or doubt from these perspectives. The actual position, however, is that those cultures have domains of validity and the present development agrees and must agree with them in those domains. That is because the present development is a necessary universal metaphysics. Individuals will inevitably find some archaic view apparently supported here. In all such known cases the source of this support is some combination of (a) the use of existing terms with new meaning and (b) the replacement of current world views by the universal metaphysics

Finally, I will mention the personal attack as a form of ad hominem objection. I mention this not because I want to take up the concern in any sense of argument but because of the possibility of a defense reaction, i.e. of taking an argument from logic as an ad hominem objection, and in order to prepare myself for it

A general response to the personal attack is (a) positive or self-affirmation, and (b) negative—the attacker is in no position to make such ‘arguments.’ This response is not complete in itself. First, the expression of feeling does not exclude cognitive truth. Therefore, if I set myself up defensively against all but the most calm argument I am almost inevitably missing some essential element of being-in-the-world which includes ideas relevant to the topic under discussion. Second, audiences, i.e. third parties are sensitive to feeling even when it is peripheral to the issues. In fact all parties, including the 1^st and the 2^nd are sensitive to the sway of elements peripheral to the issues at hand. These elements which include the ad hominem argument are not intrinsically peripheral or destructive they may also be constructive and interwoven with the ‘issues.’ There are situations where the para-argument should be used in return. A second general response is to bring the focus, including that of para-argument, back to the real issues

Part 2.           The sum of all endeavor

Function

Here we attempt to characterize the endeavor of the human animal. The Universal metaphysics provides both significance and ultimate direction for this endeavor

This part pays particular attention to what are commonly thought to be practical and conceptual limits to the endeavor. The desire to explore human possibility motivated the search for a metaphysics which shows the common ‘limits’ immensely underestimate the potential of human being even those putative limits are based in what appears to be reasonable

What is the potential of human being? It is the potential of being itself. The limits of being have been seen to be those of Logic. There can be no more permissive limits. At any given time, however, certain potentials have been realized and immensely many others have not. One of the goals of the Journey is to explore the possible and the desirable starting at the present boundary of realization

Introduction

Characterizing the human endeavor

(1) Relation to experimental activity. (2) Historical and universal viewpoints. (3) Limits and possibilities are equally characteristic… we are defined by the endeavor and by its limits and possibilities

Limits

Neutral and positive limits—a neutral limit is agnostic r/t ‘beyond’ and a positive limit is one, either absolute or relative, for which there is no beyond. A positive limit is relative if there is no beyond on certain conditions. From the Universal metaphysics, the absolute limits are the ‘limits of Logic.’ A transparent limit is one that is accepted in certain cultures, e.g. the culture of scientific positivism, is otherwise known to not be a true limit

The place of intuition

It is well recognized that formulation of the common endeavor is elusive. This is, first, because knowledge does not completely ‘get outside’ being and action—the internal processes of the organism do not fundamentally represent but remain in interaction with the world and it is only in some rough sense that there is representation. The elusive character of formulation results, secondly, from the fact that knowing is fundamentally in in-tuition and secondarily symbolic

This does not imply that there is no completely faithful symbolic or intuitive representation. We have seen significant cases of such representation. It does, however, mean that knowledge or knowing lies on a continuum of interactive non-representation to independent representation in which faithfulness has meaning and obtains

Much has been written on the place of emotion in relating to the world—and that writing has validity. However the place of intuition is fundamental and emotion and cognition find places within intuition; and, further, as is seen, emotion and cognition are not islands but are deeply meshed in both sense or nature and reference or fact

An essential truth

Whatever its external manifestation and cultural form, the human endeavor has some place in the individual where it resides. That place is, significantly, the intuition which is neither emotion nor cognition-as-we-know-them nor not those but contains their roots-in-integration

Common and experimental endeavor

Individual and society

The first distinction is that of individual and society

The individual has the important characteristic of freedom of choice and action whose non-trivial expression requires effort and commitment and that is not absolute freedom but stands in balance with various necessities of natural law, individual form and tying in to culture and society. A second characteristic is feeling that is the element of experience or mind and has the dimensions of intensity, quality, bonding in perception or ‘attitude’ and action to world and individual versus freedom in potential, e.g. pure experience, icon and symbol. Normal consciousness is bright consciousness; the unconscious is dim consciousness or feeling. The higher human modes are elaborations and layering. Bright consciousness does not require self-reference but such reference enhances brightness in the ability to be aware of awareness and to focus awareness. Awareness without experience is generally dim awareness without awareness of awareness that, if not too dim, may enter into acute awareness. Language, treated in detail in the essays—Home—has the dual function of expression and communication and, in memory and the written form of preservation. The ability to manipulate the environment is enhanced by symbolic representation and preservation

Society is characterized by groups and institutions. Institutions include culture which encompasses the modes of knowing and is fundamental to the institutions. Other institutions include the institutions of knowledge—creation, preservation and transmission, i.e., discovery, representation and storage, and education. Knowledge includes factual and conceptual knowledge, value and morals which are required to balance destructive expression of human freedoms, and a variety of implicit forms such as those of trades and practices. Institutions relating to group process include the political which is the group decision process, codes that may be seen as channeling of behavior toward both efficient and moral ends and whose modes of expression are not restricted to force, and the economic or the feasible organization and processing of resources to individual and social ends

Common and experimental endeavor

Human activity may be classed as common or that of the norm and experimental or that of active departure from the norm. There are tensions between the common and the experimental but both are necessary—the common as expression of adaptation and stability and the experimental as expression of adapting and necessary to avoid decay, deal with competition and negotiate changing circumstances

A system of modes of being and knowing

Introduction

Consider a distinction according to the categories of nature, society, psyche and the universal or unknown. The following may be equivalent: physical, the living, the intuitive and the symbolic-cultural. The physical and the living cover the natural; the intuitive is in the sense of Kant and includes the unconscious and together with the symbolic covers psyche; the living includes the group or the social whose communication is intuitive-symbolic; and the universal and the unknown are implicit in intuition, symbol and culture

The modes

Also note that the physical and the living may be seen as ‘being-in-the-world.’ Therefore the following system of modes emerges

Natural—physical and biological

Action-idea

Intuition-symbol—tacit-immanent versus symbolic-cultural

Symbolic—representing versus communication or knowing versus relating

Symbolic—casual versus formal; the formal includes the empirical-rational

Common or established and or putative versus the experimental

The common is often established as a result of adaptation characterized by casual expression and the tacit; these forms arise organically from the origins and are conducive of stability

The experimental emphasizes the explicit and therefore the formal; and is established by trial and error

The distinction between the common and the experimental is not absolute and they dovetail and interact; there are continuities in content and significance; they are part of one-process; thus although the original establishment of the common was and remains

Some human modes, common and experimental

The animal

Primal holism—myth-legend, intuition and science

Religion / religion

Science / science

Secular humanism

In the following, terms in brackets note the archaic or religious counterparts of the secular or modern

Literature (sacred text;) drama (ritual,) music—and suspension of judgment  and promotion of flow; art—including drawing,  painting, and ornament and sculpture—and architecture (sacred form and space;) philosophy and metaphysics (scripture on the nature of world, society, institution and morals)

Specific cultures and their limits

Early religion, myth and science…

Insofar as these are flowing, limits are tacit

Religion

The classic religions have histories—e.g. of the people, cosmologies or views of the world—that may be pointed at awe or behavior or beauty rather than ‘neutral’ description, ethics or codes of behavior, myths or stories that weave the foregoing with inspiration

The obvious limits of religion concern the archaic cosmologies. However, in the origins the point to the cosmologies may have been to promote social bonding, attitude, and behavior—andor story—rather than description or representation. Thus Heaven and Hell and, more particularly, the rising from the dead tell metaphorically of the limitation of the secular notion of death—making explicit the implicit story always has the element of hypothesis. That such cosmologies become word has an undoubted political component including neutral or benign bonding. The religions of the hunter-gatherers are relatively moored in the environment; the religion of the agriculturalists who are revealed as the true uprooted nomads tends to lack mooring in context. There may be limitations to the explicit and implicit morals of religions due to issues of context and changing context. Clearly, religion has function and limit

The distinction—Religion versus religion. The religions are the actual religions. Here, Religion refers not to the object but to an ideal form—Religion as the negotiation of all being by all modes available to the individual and the group

Secular humanism, science and their limits

Primary sources of secular humanism lie in the ascent of science and the demise of religion as the source of a primary authority regarding the real… and in the search for a replacement of the religious or spiritual function in secular elements of culture—thought, science, literature, art, music, drama, and technology

Science is but one dimension of secular humanism; another dimension lies in the possibilities of the—human—psyche. With regard to the external world, however, science tends to define the limits of secular humanism. Even with regard to the psyche, science is thought to define two kinds of limit. First, the psyche is part of the natural world—everyone else’s psyche is part of the external world and therefore so is mine. And, second, while fiction may explore, for example, the subtleties of human feeling and relationship, here too there are limits that are thought to be defined by science, e.g., Freudian psychology. One may, of course, disagree with Freud as science but surely there are some limits to the psyche that result in limits to expression, feeling and behavior. ‘Fiction’ that does not respect—or seriously explore—such limits is experienced as inauthentic

The limits of science

Therefore, it is important to explore the limits of science. The first kind of limit to science is the ultimate limit. Are there any areas of knowledge that are ultimately off bounds to science? It is important that the science of the future may be methodologically and conceptually different from the science of today, e.g., while there are commonalities among physical and biological science, there are also differences of method. It seems reasonable to think that if something is definitely knowable it should be knowable scientifically even though the ‘science’ by which it is known and it method and its expression may be yet un-thought. Perhaps, one day, formal science and mathematics may equal human intuition even though the work of Gödel suggests that there are limits to formal systems. In any case, formal thought and formal systems are not a substitute for living experience

A second kind of limit concerns the limits of current science. It is clear that psychology and sociology are far from complete—and it is not clear that they will ever approach the definiteness of the natural sciences. The contours of biology may be thought to be complete but they are probably not complete relative to all possible life forms—as revealed by the Universal metaphysics. It is not at all clear that modern biology is at all adequate as a science of the possible transformations of Identity. Modern physics defines its own limits. Its laws are known to be inadequate beyond a certain threshold of energy-extension-duration. Recently there is again doubt regarding the application of the firmest model of cosmology—the inflationary big-bang theory—within the cosmos; beyond the cosmos… theory and experiment are inadequate to suggest whether there is a beyond and, if there is, what it is like—there is speculation about bubble universes. However, Universal metaphysics reveals that there is an infinite beyond with regard to remote time and place and the most intimate time-space—that of the very small. Although Universal metaphysics reveals that there is an infinite and unending variety—there are no fictions except Logical fictions—it does not tell us the relation of these nearby and distant worlds to this world

These limits of science, therefore, indicate extreme limits to secular humanism. There is of course enormous room within the secular and the feeling aspect of the spirit; but this room is still limited. There is therefore room for an ideational form, whose name may be religion or science or otherwise, whose contours or limits are those of the Universal metaphysics

The future of the ideational form

‘Religion,’ ‘science,’ ‘secular humanism’… versus unnamed ideational form

Action

Political, economic…

Metaphysics and world view

Tacit and formal views

A tacit view is one that immanent in individual andor group behavior. It may be intuitive or even tacitly embodied, i.e., the physiology of the organism may predispose the individual to certain behaviors. ‘Animal faith’ is a form of tacit view. By extension of the concept of knowledge, the tacit may reach down to the elements of being. A tacit view may be immanent in an institution, e.g., the form of language or the form of group decision, i.e., politics. A formal view is one expressed in symbols

A view may have tacit and formal aspects; these aspects may be coherent or at odds

The common and the experimental may cut across the tacit-formal distinction; however there is some—if not significant—alignment of the tacit with the common and the formal with the experimental

Formal truth emphasizes (1) concepts, analysis, and principles, (2) science and the empirical, (3) the essential unity in experience of the conceptual and the empirical, (4) technical and detailed developments

About world views

holism vs. atomism

all: abstract vs. detail

all: sense-intuition ↔ concept

tacit-immanent ↔ symbolic-representational (… and formal)

action ↔ idea; incomplete separation; living-in or being-in versus views-of or representing the world; ambition-change vs. acceptance-flow: not a real choice… both are part of the world. World—as it is / appears. Representing is advance and regression

Incorporate the following concepts

view-metaphysics, rational-empirical (sense), context-limits, idea-action, experimental-established (common), all-part, abstract-detail, tacit-formal

modes of being and knowing, natural, physical, living, feeling, reference, intuition, symbolic-cultural vs. tacit-immanent, common human-formal

There is a point of view of the mental / symbolic as definitive versus immanent. At root all is immanent but there are areas of more or less definitiveness

common modes, modes, religion, Religion, the religions, science, the sciences, Science, formal-symbolic, language, grammar, logic, Logic, mathematics, secular humanism, philosophy, literature, art, painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, technology, the technologies: material, psycho-social—politics and group, economics, culture and knowledge, law; formal-symbolic—computation, artificial intelligence and robotics

Analysis of some common views and their limits: summary

It is seen that there are serious limits revealed by the human modes themselves and  the Universal metaphysics

These limits apply to the common and much of the experimental; to much of the tacit and the formal; to the modern, the historical, and the archaic

And there is infinite room for discovery and journey

The problem of possibility and limits

 (1) Consider, first, conceptual or theoretical limits. (2) Limits are not just conceptual—perceived limits are culturally defined and have material, political and economic aspects… the perceptions of conceptual limits and, for example, of economic limits interact

Review of limits

Summary

Conclusions

Positivism versus agnosticism regarding limits. Conclusion

Is there knowledge beyond the limits of common culture? Humean analysis—openness of the question on the common account—of course such knowledge is possible on that account but, further, it may be available today to anyone who is willing to analyze fact and meaning

All endeavor

Part 3.           Journey

Concepts for the Journey

See Journey

Function

In this part we explore realizations in ideas and in being and identity. We use the standard outline the development

Here, we will not provide details of the developments that may be found in the essays. Instead, we gather together the main concepts, problems, truths (results) and implications, kinds of demonstration and argument, objections and counterarguments

These elements of the narrative will be organized into two classes—the common or human and the formal or conceptual

The conceptual developments in Ideas have attained a significant degree of maturity—relative to the original insight that made the ultimates possible—and include not only metaphysics but also ultimate developments in the understanding of Objects, Logic, Meaning, Method, Mind, Cosmology, Journey, and the Human World. It is clear that these developments merely scratch the surface of the immense detail that they may found

The transformational developments of Being and identity have ultimate potential but are necessarily in process. The foundation for this potential has been laid. A tentative minimal system of experiments has been set and is being explored. A formal approach to transformation, the Dynamics of Being, has been formulated. It is recognized, of course, that no formal delineation of realization is possible but such a delineation is not a part of the dynamics or any program based in it. Rather, the dynamic process is not laid out in advance but learns and builds upon what has been accomplished so far. Thus the dynamics may be seen as an approach that is similar to discovery in general but is tailored to the needs of transformation and based in the Universal metaphysics

Introduction

The journey is one of transformation. The areas of transformation are those of Ideas and of Being and identity. Transformations in ideas are sometimes thought of as ‘virtual’ but are very much real. An ideational transformation is a transformation in being and identity and such transformation may be significant. Ideational transformation by itself is regarded as incomplete. Thus conceptual foundations are incomplete relative to the possibilities of being. This assertion is related to the thought that no formulation completely lists or generates all possibilities of being. Additionally, the experience of a state of being is, in the sense of transformation, greater than the conception of that state of being. Note, though, that the experience is an idea. Additionally ideas are significant and in conceiving and instrumental in effecting transformations. The incompleteness of the pure ideas implies, however, that there is an essential part of the journey that is pure transformation without preconception

…it is a journey within and into the infinite beyond of common or normal limits

Main concepts

idea, being, identity, transformation

Commentary

The idea is an incomplete mode of transformation that is completed by transformation in being and identity. However, ideas are essential because as the place of the appreciation of being. Ideas are instrumental in transformation in being and identity; however this instrumental character is incomplete—what completeness there may be requires supplement of ideas by ‘pure’ action and experiment

Some topics

Origin and doubt—a foundation in-process

Why ideas are taken up first

Significance of ideas

Contribution to the history of ideas

Ideas

intuition, foundationalism, being, object, experience, reference, understanding—verstand, meaning, empirical, idea—vernunft, rational, demonstration, proof, all, universe, difference, mode of difference, part, domain, form, immanence, normal

duration and extension fall under mode of difference

Note that in Kantianism, verstand—understanding—is ‘thinking the object of sensual intuition,’ the source of concepts; vernunft—the ideas of pure reason—are the ideas of pure metaphysics, regulative in that they point to general objects, but traditionally  thought to be outside experience and therefore impossible to know

Approach to concepts

Careful analysis and formulation of use—to be in-process, in-extension, in the careful reflection of common things, in unforced relation… seeing the universe in the most elementary concept—the concept itself

Universe / metaphysics

The sense of ‘metaphysics’ used here is roughly that in philosophy which is roughly the study of being as being or the study of existence. This sense defines a family and is narrowly interpreted as pure Theory of being. However, the boundary between the pure theory and the variety of being is thin and in a broader sense metaphysics is cosmology or the study of the Universe

‘Universe’ is capitalized to emphasize the meaning here—all that exists without distinction made according to temporal or any other dimension

Theories

Theory of being

Substance theory. I—motivation: simplicity, explanation, worldliness. II—includes determinism. III—is untenable

Problems