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A language for metaphysics Anil Mitra Copyright, 2002 – 2023 Updated – November 1, 2023 Website since 1999 A
language for metaphysics introductionPresently, the language is incomplete (i) the vocabulary is near sufficient for the metaphysics of the way (ii) the grammar is an outline of principles and forms (iii) definitions are sparse (iv) comments and explanations stand to be improved and supplemented to provide basis for construction of a metaphysics. function and sourceThe aim is to provide a system (i) adequate to general metaphysics based on criteria of validity, precision, and comprehensiveness (where desired and possible), which shall include ‘rationality’ of the criteria (ii) for the way of being and its metaphysics (iii) from which to develop a database that is updateable and dynamic in allowing automated restructuring from alternate metaphysical perspectives, neutral and substance. The system has been constructed from sources in the history of ideas, experiment in forming a metaphysics that is well founded – ultimate, at least as a framework – and reflexive in having cross reference and consistency of the ideas (including self-reference of the system), application, and correction for internal and empirical consistency. The system initially derives from the metaphysics of the way and will feed back into further and related developments. The initial structure will begin with the subjective given, experience (and as if world, abstracted for precision, and move outward through meaning, knowledge, being, possibility, metaphysics (with value, cosmology, method, and world), and pathway. work neededimprove structure, add definitions and comments (only a few are provided so far), improve structure (i) in itself (ii) so as to be easily restructured from alternate perspectives (e.g., the main structure relative to being vs experience and sub-structures relative to materialism vs idealism or empiricism vs rationalism vs a unitary approach that, at least at root, does not recognize the distinction of the empirical and the rational modify to match the improved structure of the brief version, language for metaphysics-short alternate terminologythe languageexperience conscious awareness in all its forms this is the first conception of experience; the later will extend the concept to all awareness and the object to the primitive Givenness there is experience immediacy the medium of awareness rather than just immediacy to the world abstraction retaining in ‘experience of’ only whatever is capable of perfect correspondence depiction or representation it is not necessary but often desirable that what is retained is all of what is perfect naming structure experience of-the experience-the experienced, or concept-relation-object these are associations; ‘concept’ and ‘object’ are defined later experience is relational even pure experience is a relation (i) internal to the experiencer (ii) external relation is potential reflexivity self-reflexivity experience of experience there is experience of experience i.e., I am aware of my awareness, and the awareness of awareness is sometimes explicit, sometimes implicit, and sometimes, of course, zero self-reflexivity is a source of intentionality world entirety of existence with emphasis on how we experience it and what is important (identical to the universe if our understanding of the world of experience is objective) “the world as we find it” as if when we adjust and correct for subjectivity and illusion as best as we can, we often treat the residue as if it is real, even though subjectivity and illusion may remain there is a philosophy of as if which may argue (i) the world is as if (here we do not subscribe to this view) (ii) pragmatically we have no choice but to treat the world as ‘as if’ for the as if already includes our corrections and remaining doubts, but (iii) we will find significant areas where all doubt can be removed and other significant areas where doubt remains but is and ought not to be problematic formally, from subjectivity and illusion, experience of the world is ‘as if’ until established as objective till such objectivity as there may be is established, unnecessary ‘as ifs’ are omitted aspects of the world The following is an outline; a more complete description is in the later main concept ‘the world’ place of being retreat human situation narrative significance the real place of what the world is—what we are, i.e., the place of our identity i.e., of ‘our being’ (here, quotes indicate informal use as ‘being’ has not yet been defined) meaning of life experience as place of elaboration in development of the language meaning of meaning i.e., concept and linguistic meaning, taken up later this is the first entry on identity and is about how the ‘concept-object’ is the place of the identity of things—this entry has overlap with meaning; the second is a repetition of this entry and refers back here for content; the third is about the use of identity in the construction of the concepts of space and time of self and things experience as place of concept experience of subject first order of the world first vs second order subject or concept is useful and pragmatic but not a true distinction because concepts are in the world second order of a concept inner of self, body, or concepts of concepts the inner vs outer is useful and pragmatic but not a true distinction because self, body, and concepts are in the world outer of the world icon a concept that is intrinsically depictive i.e., the concept corresponds to the object structurally rather than formally sign a concept or token thereof that has no intrinsic depictive quality thus, as a concept, a sign is empty symbol associated icon and sign simple word vocabulary compound syntax relata the experience with or without intention object the experienced real as if fictional illusory object (redefined) thus, the object must be more than object-in-itself (i) because the as if show that the concept (conception) is essential and on reflection even the real requires the icon for recognition (ii) ‘object-in-itself’ is a conception and therefore the first definition above must be modified— the experienced as identified by the experience or concept psychology detail under dimensions of experience structure of experience dimensions of experience ideal universe and world as field of experiential being individuals are centers of intense focal experience in transaction with one another and the field and merging as one in the limitless ultimate dimensions of experience are axes of variety and place and means of transformation elements from the real metaphysics, there are no true elements—the void or any being or fragment may function as an element (a fragment is a being) on the field view, unit experiences and their compounds may serve as pragmatic elements for the dimensions of experience; historical examples are Leibnizian monads and Whitehead’s actual occasions pragmatic axes attitude-pure experience-action one-dimension, pure experience itself, with three directionalities—active and passive—world to being or attitude, null or pure experience, and being to world or action (note being includes self); this is contra some accounts that see the axes as independent; here, attitude and action are essentially experiential attitude pure action inner – outer axis though there is a distinction, it is relative, and the demarcation is blurred self with body world bound – free continuum bound perception autonomous motor control bound feeling relatively bound to world as object perception of spatiotemporal form with change and formation, the result of perceptual intuition in the sense of Immanuel Kant, which is both inner (feeling of place and action, intuition of time, recall and memory) and outer (symbolic, formal, speculative, and real representation of the inner) free conception (higher) conscious motor control free feeling and emotion relatively free includes concept formation body – inner – feeling with degrees of freedom world – outer – iconic and symbolic concepts and conceptual intuition or capacity for concept formation (emotion is a join of conception and free and primitive feeling) spatiotemporal concepts of spacetime, past – present – future, will and sense of purpose related concepts of science, philosophy, and the transcendent aesthetic syntheses of forms and properties that speak to the being synthesis expansive operation of mind—perception, thought, concept formation, feeling and emotion come together in realism regarding the world range of function there is a distribution of degrees of relative binding and freedom (i) which is expected as a result of variation in genetics and environmental effect (ii) given that variety in a population is functional, the measure of the range (e.g., standard deviation) may be functional (iii) extremes may be dysfunctional but the boundary between function, hyperfunction, and dysfunction is blurred (iv) genetic abnormalities may also contribute to the range of binding and freedom hyperfunction examples—higher conceptual ability, greater imagination, powerful and waking dreams, interaction between dream and waking states neutral examples—occasional hallucination, dreams dysfunction examples—intrusive hallucination, delusion, frozen thought intensity continuum it is functional for some experience to be intense in the sense of imperative to action (of which non-action is a case), and for other experience to be of low intensity; for this is the root of reflection and foresight the reflective and the imperative interact— reflective perception thought foresight imperative fear pain joy range of function there is a distribution of degrees of intensity (i) which is expected as a result of variation in genetics and environmental effect (ii) given that variety in a population is functional, the measure of the range (e.g., standard deviation) may be functional (iii) extremes may be dysfunctional but the boundary between function, hyperfunction, and dysfunction is blurred (iv) genetic abnormalities may also contribute to the range of intensity hyperfunction examples—degrees of greater reflective intensity and lesser imperative intensity higher conceptual ability, greater imagination, powerful and waking dreams, interaction between dream and waking states dysfunction examples—excessive degrees of greater reflective intensity and lesser imperative intensity interaction of the continua the topic is complex and at present is treated superficially there are two types of interaction (i) conceptual, in which the concepts overlap, e.g., the reflective and the free (ii) ‘real’, in which the aspects of experience interact, e.g., the inter-diffusion and inter-action among thought, emotion, and feeling (the inter-diffusion shows the boundaries between the categories to be blurred, e.g., all thought is associated with some feeling, which conditions the thought, but need not dominate it) form and property form that which requires extension property intensive attribute, primary or secondary symbol and feeling feeling and symbol may occur together; yet symbol and feeling may be dissociated—adaptive in some contexts, dissociative in others symbol associated with form feeling associated with quality form and formation eternal forms abstractions; have being but omit dynamics; their pragmatic approximations have dynamics pragmatic forms are associated with formation and dynamics; in which space and time or spacetime are immanent personality a person’s patterns of behavior, cognition, emotion, self-conception, and interpersonal interaction the ‘definition’ above is does not fix a precise notion; yet we have an intuitive notion of ‘personality’ such that it has definiteness and significant differences from one person to another, and such that we recognize and may theorize, at least roughly, a variety of kinds perhaps the phrase ‘patterns of behavior’ ought to be replaced by ‘dominant patterns of behavior’; there is a question of whether multiple significant patterns are empirically known to exist (and are explainable or predictable from theories of personality and personality formation) it is overdetermined as patterns of behavior include interpersonal and world interaction the patterns tend to be relatively stable over time but change over a person’s lifetime sudden changes are possible theory i.e., theories about personality currently, detail is omitted; examples are limited structure and dynamics factor psychoanalytic typology elements i.e., elements of structure and dynamics range the concept of range range in terms of the elements kinds of personality exceptional personality, kinds disorders, kinds formation biological influence environmental influence meaning the full heading for this concept is ‘meaning and knowledge’ meaning has been rejected on the notion of meaning as an abstract object, but this follows from one ‘meaning of meaning’; however, a concept can be rejected (or accepted) only on a notion of it; here, the notion of meaning is different from the vague and abstract one; and the present notion of meaning will render meaning as real concept meaning a concept and its possible and intended objects definition of intention is deferred to the concept of knowledge, just below linguistic meaning a symbol and its possible and intended objects language the defining requirement of language is to adequately describe objects … (and to communicate descriptions), for the universe its elements are objects (questions describe potential objects), and objects include the real and the fictional explicit description (and knowledge) of the universe is necessarily recursive for the descriptions (and knowledge) are part of the universe; thus, a limit of language—which can be suppressed, of course, via implicit description – ‘in using language, the world describes itself’ or, properly, but with implied recursion, ‘a part of the world describes the world’ for ease of representation, language is linear and discrete; there is always some divorce from context, especially for written language; these define further limits some of these limits are overcome with art; but being itself requires no overcoming it is pragmatically effective to identify simple objects via words (and the lexicon defines a standard collection of simple objects) and leave open the specification of complex and compound objects via word combinations, for which, grammar defines (our knowledge, pragmatic or ideal) what combinations are (correspond to) the real or, in the case of fiction, the as if real grammar and vocabulary encode meaning—though the main elements of language may be grammar and vocabulary, the distinction is fluid: words and grammar contain elements of one another though sentence structure varies among languages, the variance has arbitrariness relative to meaning many languages encode some sentence structure in words some languages encode all or most sentence structure in words if a word designates a simple object and a sentence a definite object, it is valid to inquire into the distinction between word and sentence; the distinction is somewhat arbitrary; it depends on the subject predicate distinction, which assumes an ontology; here ‘definite object’ stands for a subject and a predicate; and the ontology is one in which ‘man’ or ‘run’ do not refer to definite things (even though they do so under abstraction, i.e., universalization), but ‘The man ran’ is regarded as referring to a definite object though there is arbitrariness to its (concrete) notion, (i) the sentence is a pragmatic linguistic concept in that it is (arrived at) as efficient in use (ii) the sentence reflects subject-predicate ontology, while not universal, is particularly useful in everyday life (hence its pragmatic character) (iii) the sentence’s subject-predicate ontology lends it to a clear theory of meaning and the sentence and the predicate logical calculi vocabulary the distinction between the lexicon and the particles is described below; the distinction is somewhat blurred—sometimes, “particles can be considered part of the lexicon, especially if they have a more clearly defined meaning; additionally, some words that are typically considered part of the lexicon can also function as particles in certain contexts” (ChatGPT) lexicon terms designating simple objects in greater detail—standard but open collection of terms designating what are seen as simple objects, somewhat fixed by lexica (dictionaries), convention, and use—but, for living natural language, necessarily open, and invariably possessed of some indefiniteness lexical elements kinds of terms essential to construction of sentences as noted below there is an arbitrariness to the notion of ‘sentence’ though standard grammar recognizes nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs (it is standard to recognize particles as separate from the lexicon because they function, at least superficially, as linguistic devices rather than as ontological), and a range of kinds of these, which correspond to an ontology, the list may begin with only what is essential to the ontology—the subject-predicate ontology in which a complete object is an ordinary object (name) and predicate (description); it should be clear that the ontology, though pragmatic, is limited and that the terms ‘subject’ and ‘object’ are being overloaded subject-predicate form subject the ordinary object that a sentence is ‘about’ predicate description of the subject (‘aboutness’) on abstraction tense and place may be explicit or suppressed—existence, in the sense later, has both tense and place free and tensed and placed use being is of all things, but what lies outside things also has being—therefore, being encodes nonbeing Concept-object form concept experience of object the experienced As if impossible possible necessary real Precise by abstraction abstract object the ultimate in abstraction leads to being (as being), regarding which the ‘is’ of being and the ‘is’ of predication are identical pragmatic particles indicate grammatical relationships between words and phrases phrases group of words that function somewhat as a word, but not as a sentence phrases clearly straddle the word-grammar divide for their construction ‘must’ be grammatical (‘clearly’ because words and the grammatical constructions straddle the divide though not as obviously as phrases do) examples—‘the ball’ is a simple phrase ‘the red and fast spinning ball’ is a complex one grammar—subject-predicate sentence word combination that defines a definite object (‘makes complete sense’) if a word designates a simple object and a sentence a definite object, it is valid to inquire into the distinction between word and sentence; the distinction is somewhat arbitrary; it depends on the subject predicate distinction, which assumes an ontology; here ‘definite object’ stands for a subject and a predicate; and the ontology is one in which ‘man’ or ‘run’ do not refer to definite things (even though they do so under abstraction, i.e., universalization), but ‘The man ran’ is regarded as referring to a definite object though there is arbitrariness to its notion, (i) the sentence is a pragmatic linguistic concept in that it is (arrived at) as efficient in use (ii) the sentence reflects subject-predicate ontology, while not universal, is particularly useful in everyday life (hence its pragmatic character) (iii) the sentence’s subject-predicate ontology lend it to a clear theory of meaning and the sentence and the predicate logical calculi Clause group of words that (typically can) function as a sentence or part of a larger (compound) sentence independent Clause clause that may function as a sentence dependent Clause clause that cannot function as a sentence example—in “I will eat lunch if I am hungry”, “I will eat lunch” is independent and “if I am hungry” is dependent; dependent clauses typically begin with a ‘subordinating conjunction’ such as ‘if’, ‘because’, or ‘when’ grammar—concept-object includes subject-predicate grammar as a special instance abstract-concrete continuum concrete subject-predicate limits of concrete language (from earlier) because expression (description) is part of the universe, it is necessarily recursive for ease of representation, concrete language is linear and discrete there is almost always some divorce from context, especially for written language abstract vocabulary subordinate to grammar; grammar of being; ‘to be’ is not necessarily to be manifest; allows abrupt change of meaning of ‘to be’ in transition from the manifest to the void limit of explicit description overcome by implicit description—“in using language, the world describes itself”; recursion is implied “a part of the world describes itself” abstract language need not be linear or discrete (pragmatically we seem to be beings in a cosmos marked by discreteness but, ultimately, we are limitless) divorce from context may be overcome by ‘thick text’ and story-telling, art Art general form linguistic issues of directness vs reach, emotive form, persuasion, storytelling speech written language medium media linguistic form knowledge meaning realized—a meaning and its actual objects this entry is on the intension of the concept of knowledge—that is on what knowledge is; concepts relating to problems of knowledge are entered later, under method the range of knowledge content is entered later, under system of the world criteria i.e., criteria for knowledge to be knowledge; ‘justified true belief’ is an example of a criterion (not a conception of knowledge) intention recall that an object is ‘the experienced as identified by the experience or concept’, then intention is the— aspect of knowledge or meaning for which the object as experienced is itself experienced or conceived kinds i.e., kinds of knowledge there is a number of classifications, some with seven or more kinds; one common one classifies knowledge kinds as factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive; fundamentally, however, we might recognize just the two kinds and other kinds as cases of the two that may it be useful to recognize propositional fact, concept, theory, ‘knowledge that’; since cognition is in the world, these include the metacognitive nonpropositional includes some aspects of tacit knowledge, ‘know how’, and tacit aspects of the metacognitive in some developments, existence and being are different, with existence sometimes broader and being sometimes richer, here it is effective to define them as identical, and to retain both terms; it is effective to define being such that it is simple and transparent and to contain the richness of existence rather than to have the richness as its essence Existence existent a concept-real object pair, colloquially the real object of the pair plural: existents existence property in virtue of which existents are existents trivial, yet fundamental a being an existent ‘that which is’ in any situational sense, neutral or other, of the ‘is’ (the verb to be) that which is terse alternative but equivalent definition, especially useful if development begins with being and beings plural: beings is form of verb to be, but ‘is’ is to be used in a generalized sense (lower case may be used when the use is clear from the context)—we usually think of physical being as existing in space and time; however, our measures of space and time are most likely approximations to something deeper and there may be measures other than space and time; examples, which I am neither promoting nor denying, might be mental and spiritual; that is, there is a manifold of ‘situation’ which is, perhaps, immanent in being; then a generalized sense of ‘is’ shall refer to existing over any collection of situations, which may be single or multiple, discrete or connected or continuous or combinations thereof, and shall not refer to further qualifiers such as gender or number and so on being existence property in virtue of which beings are beings here, contra-Heidegger, richness of beings and the world is framed by being rather than of being as being, approach to questions of richness and existenz; however, in a non-axiomatic treatment, it is inevitable that ‘being’ will do double duty per Heidegger, ‘what is the being of beings’ is fundamental (is it in spacetime etc.), and it must have something to do with people since only people ask the question, and the fundamental thing that is being, Heidegger calls ‘Dasein’ on the other hand, given the real metaphysics, the fundamental thing that is being, is ‘higher’ than human being significance of being foundation contrasubstance depth superficiality of, from the concept of being, but not merely trivial breadth variety, frame for richness, place of discovery, ever open for limited beings beings the material under ‘beings’ serves as a catalog of beings focus here is the object of the concept ‘beings’ and the system of beings - the aim is to show and specify the inclusivity of being with sufficient abstraction, being is a being Experience existence Concepts concepts are causative in two ways (i) the conception precipitates action – this is not understood to be classical physical causation (even if there is an underlying physical mechanism of the precipitation) (ii) the concept is itself physically immanent in the brain; however, the configuration of the brain is not the concept nonbeings As if objects fictional objects since the objects are not beings, they are not physically causative, but the concept may precipitate action Logical objects anything that is a true (i.e., not as if) reference of a concept of a possible being examples—entities, states, processes, relationships, concrete and abstract objects, experiences and concepts, universals (e.g., redness), tropes (e.g., the redness of a red ball) Mereological objects Whole part null part note that allowing a null part leads to contradiction on some but not all systems of mereological axioms Physical mereology the universe, cosmoses (super cosmoses, cosmological structures), worlds, elements, the void, inter mereological interactions, e.g., transients from the void being as being chain of being suggests a Christian hierarchy that is not useful here a recognized medieval Christian and modern concept, placed here as suggestive rather than definitive reality hierarchy nonexistent, fictitious, as if, possible, probable, actual, contingent, conditionally necessary, and absolutely necessary hierarchy of abstraction concrete symbolic pure abstract hierarchy of form god and other necessary beings from elementary beings (particles or fields as far as real) to elementary living beings through animals and human beings, to higher beings (higher than we see on Earth), to local ‘gods’, and on to peak being (the hierarchy of form and of experience overlap experiential hierarchy sentience through agency—feeling, sensation, inner (proprioception), outer (perception), recall, conception (‘higher’), emotion (pleasure, pain, suffering, enjoyment of experience, identity—self and shared, foresight, value, imperative, will, agency), and limitless or peak being, god peak being possibility an object—a concept object pair—is possible if its existence is possible (this would be circular but for the definitions of logical and real possibility below) problem of negative existentials (resolved by the theory of meaning used in the way of being) impossibility necessity conceptual possibility a being is conceptually possible if nothing in its concept rules out its existence or being logical possibility conceptual possibility it is understood that, for full conceptual possibility to be known, the power of conception should be limitless logical necessity deductive, absolute logic constraint on concepts in themselves for realizability it is understood that conditions in the world or universe for realizability are over and above the logical propositional logic since there is more than one formulation, what ought to be written is ‘propositional logics’ first order logic higher order logics extended logics modal logic deviant logics many value paraconsistent dialetheia symbol in the form of a contradiction, which has or may have a real object generalization of dialetheia allowable symbol diction disallowable symbol contrareal set theory metaphysics inductive logics scientific method form formation science law real possibility physical human economic …and more real impossibility real necessity greatest possibility most inclusive paradox apparent paradoxes are false or merely apparent; all paradoxes are relative to some system of understanding; there are no ultimate paradoxes limitlessness limitlessness is not paradoxical limitlessness the topics of value (ethics, axiology) shall fall under metaphysics; the meta-topic of method and foundation is, after all, a topic at the same level as metaphysics and shall also fall under metaphysics metaphysics knowledge of the real the intension (logic) the abstract metaphysics fundamental principle the ultimate range of being entered under identity the first entry on identity, earlier, is about how the ‘concept-object’ is the place of the identity of things—it has overlap with meaning; this entry is a repetition of the first and refers there for content; the third, below, is about the use of identity in the construction of the concepts of space and time variety individual limits real but not absolute birth gateway to realization death gateway to the ultimate realization ways pathway intelligence enjoyment imperative yoga reason peak being dissolution the real metaphysics dynamic join of abstract metaphysics and pragmatic knowledge framework for received metaphysics (knowledge) and its problems tradition received knowledge, what is valid in it pragmatic knowledge an ultimate value realization of the ultimate in and from the immediate corresponding perfection of the real metaphysics real metaphysics as knowledge method concept formation, free imagination recombination fact inference deduction certain, necessary induction likely best fit projection heuristic hypothesis … and more demonstration general logic argument validity soundness reason yoga rationality the real two seeming levels of truth for limited being this world the ultimate value ethics aesthetics cosmology knowledge of the real extension of metaphysics (science) general cosmology logic concept formation possible worlds substance material object ideal subject being neutral, not a true substance preferred, inclusive, no prejudgment field of experiential being relation change the first entry on identity, earlier, is about how the ‘concept-object’ is the place of the identity of things—it has overlap with meaning; the second entry is a repetition of the first and refers there for content; this is the third entry and is about the use of identity in the construction of the concepts of space and time difference sameness this is a second take on this material which has been also entered earlier situation duration-extension-being space-time-matter argument for no further parameters of situation duration (time) extension (space) spacetimebeing dynamic cosmology of form i.e., cosmology of form and formation form relative stability due to near symmetry perfect symmetry is frozen dynamic form static form study of symmetry origins transients from the void or other formed systems selection for relative stability and near symmetry evolution variation and selection variation initial neutrality to stable form selection for relative stability of near symmetry forms, the interaction with change determinism with residual indeterminism determinism as approximation mechanism causation physical cosmology our cosmos general speculative evolutionary biology variation and selection paradigms cosmology suggests paradigms which, with others, are that are incorporated to dimensions of being dimensions of being intrinsic and instrumental modes or ways of description pure of being, relatively fixed experiential being in form and formation of worlds on the way to the limitless ultimate pragmatic relatively changeable due evolution or change in knowledge and culture; chosen from a western material perspective as balance to the perspective on the pure dimension, but easily altered to perspectives from being and experience metaquestions what choice, selected or conceived, of dimensions and elements is most effective and according to what criteria how are these to be selected or conceived nature ground physical living experiential paradigms these paradigms are suggested by natural science and philosophy indeterminism variation and selection mechanism determinism with and without residual indeterminism causation society form resulting from interactive cooperation, which may be intelligent born of nature, which is found more flexible than once thought to be, which leads to conceptions of transcendence, limitlessness, and the universal structure social groups institutions change culture power economic-political-ethical-legal local through global geo-economics-and-politics thought on the topic(s) philosophy of political economy (with ethics and law) emphasizes ideal target (institutions to benefit) and arrangement of political and economic action example—the individual is the target; but to benefit the individual, accommodation is made for a range of institutions prefers rational analysis based in values that are rational so far as possible; but note that ‘rational’ does not exclude value or emotion—as understood here, it includes them—and it is not logically necessary to mention value or emotion, even though the explicit mention is useful not primarily about naming and classifying different arrangements but, rather, about ideal forms of arrangements (e.g., liberal democracy over plain democracy) there is overlap between the philosophy and the science; particularly, the science is subject to rational analysis and the philosophy to science (i.e., the distinction is blurred at the boundaries) law encoded prescription and restriction of behavior in liberal societies primarily compelled by psychology of the individual in relation to the whole, which includes human as social being and ethics secondarily compelled by force reasons prescription and restriction ethics order safety social economic other non-liberal element imposition by the few on the many authority the foregoing features numbers ethics of law give and take between autonomy and essentiality of the individual and the pragmatic needs and encodings of society science of political economy emphasizes (i) how to achieve ends (ii) a range of sub-issues capable of scientific and data analyses secularism transsecularism cultivating awareness and realization in experiential being paradigms from the social and ethical realm; the following are tentative themes (and also incorporated under themes in the manual) sustainability vs growth political-economics and ethics in wealth distribution theoretical or conceptual ethics, morals, and their relation to choice, decisions and action, for individuals through the universe charisma and institution in power populism vs liberal democracy in stable and effective governance power and history secularism and transsecularism in history and ultimate being. universal-ultimate immersive cultivating awareness and realization in experiential being instrumental science and technology in the world civilizing the universe paradigms of form and formation ultimate, proximate, certain, probable, spontaneous, absolute, variation and selection, emergence (of kind, of complexity), mechanism, robustness, apparent design, necessary design paradigms of thought general logic, explanation and prediction, creativity, criticism method topic—method and foundation for knowledge and action (for the way of being) discovery and validation method is content means and criteria meta-issues how are the means and criteria arrived at; what are the criteria of the criteria and what is their source, e.g., metaphysics, science, epistemology, value note that from reflexivity, the meta-issues are implicit in means and criteria general logic unification of method, process, and content under knowledge as being, with abstraction unification of fact and inference under abstraction unification of certainty and necessity with likelihood search in dual space of concepts and objects hypothesis construction that it applies to all phases of discovery evaluation reflexivity meta-analysis vertical systemic analysis horizontal, parallel foundation begin where we are problems of epistemology (see problems of knowledge below) knowledge the concept, theories of knowledge was seen as meaning realized, but here the concept concerns what it the state of knowing is correspondence knowledge corresponds to objects coherence knowledge as coherence pragmatism knowledge as behavioral knowledge as instrumental problems (of knowledge) illusion truth justification kinds of knowledge i.e., of propositional knowledge; for non-propositional knowledge, see discussion of knowledge under meaning fact theory ways primal religion ultimate search, rational-emotive search under all degrees of certainty and uncertainty, all aspects of being employed in realization of ultimate being religions note the crucial distinction between religion and the religions abrahamic buddhism hinduism brahman secularism secular humanism spirituality modern transsecularism morality good evil truth utilitarianism tolerance practice yoga meditation intrinsic instrumental retreat action prayer pathways in received ways this list is incomplete—it is a beginning eightfold way in Buddhism and Yoga mysticism Christian for the way of being principles i.e., of ways design path programs shared path templates everyday-immediate dedication the immediate and the ultimate as one affirmation tat tvam asi yoga-reason the world and the ultimate self world the ultimate universal-ultimate retreat renewal authentic life ‘being real’ resources return the world, afresh into the world being-in-the-world cycle of life birth gateway to realization death gateway to the ultimate narration universal narrative the future prospect eternal return the world the remarks below show that ‘the world’ as conceived here lie between subjectivity and objectivity (i) in contrast to the idea of the universe, the world admits how we experience it as part of what it is (ii) on the objective side, we are at least pragmatically certain of some knowledge but not all—especially at the boundaries and forefront, e.g., in political reality (because of its complexity and the issues of perspective and interpretation) and in science (for example, the issue of the reality status of the fundamental entities of physics) (iii) also on the objective side, questions such as that of solipsism (under which what is experienced as the world is nothing but conscious imagery), whose value is not so much that it is a serious position but that it invites us to consider and improve upon issues of the meaning and object of ‘the real’ therefore, perhaps we ought to begin with ‘experience’ from a foundational perspective; however, from a grounding perspective, it seems better to begin with the world and defer foundation in such a manner that is sufficient to issues of both foundation and ground. the world entirety of existence with emphasis on how we experience it and what is important (identical to the universe if our understanding of the world of experience is objective) “the world as we find it” as if the issue of ‘as if’ has been addressed under experience > world place of being here, ‘being’ is used informally the immediate possibility secular transsecular limits necessity contingency real absolute the ultimate realization aim of being retreat phase of reflection and reaffirmation temporary, for a retreat is not to avoid the world but to know and function better in the world and in truth human situation the individual birth death birth and death are among some concepts that occur more than once history foresight destiny acceptance seeking search human endeavor knowledge appearance illusion no foundation foundation relative regress absolute no apriorism process final the real worldview projections agency intention action retreat narrative narrative lends to our experience of the world and thus to the world itself (which is over and above narrative as part of the world) Metanarrative aim audience narrative aim design flow readability impact planning reading reflection study experience writing publication structure prologue non-uniqueness of optimal point of entry even from pedagogical, metaphysical, and epistemic perspectives taken separately themes reference internal and external cross-linking index glossary vocabulary grammar epilogue universal narrative summation revision historical thread System of the world (encyclopedia) the term ‘encyclopedia’ refers to an explicit and developed system of human knowledge that—has structure, first, as an interconnected system, which derives from unity and structures of the world, both hierarchic and horizontal, and second, derived from a principled view of knowledge as knowledge that—is reasonably complete at sufficiently high levels and does not exclude knowledge at the forefront that—is written with expertise as a system of articles of foundations, fundamentals, and essentials from items i and iii, there will be articles at different levels of generality; articles at different levels may have parent-child relationships – and children may have sibling relationships; focus on everyday fact or news will not be a priority the principled view will most likely not be unique, but modern database technology will allow rearrangement according to alternate principles the contents may be arranged (if text) or linked (if electronic) according to multiple principles—alphabetic for convenience as well as according to the principles and for the latter, there may be systematic tables of contents modern database technology will make update efficient for which—the primary principle of arrangement shall be real metaphysics for which—the sub-concepts will be those relevant to the concept and outline rendering of ‘encyclopedia’ source—system of knowledge; the system and the outline below should be revised together ground humanism philosophy knowledge reason tradition religion …and the given world science sciences general abstract symbolic systems metaphysics method physical life psychological social abstract concrete methods artifact …and the created world art established history use elements fields recent artificial intelligence technology of language, mind, and being developing—technology for advanced civilization and being being and the universe transformation of being |