Journey in beingAnil Mitra

Preliminary

A journey in Ideas and Identity Ideas as the place of appreciation of being

—of our being, of the world… Ideas as the instrument of negotiation Incompleteness of ideas as expression of

possibilities and potentials of being Identity. Transformation of being—of

identity—completes realization

...in the finite and the infinite The finite, the here-now is important—in

itself and instrumentally In the finite there are Normal but not

ultimate limits The boundary between the finite and the

infinite is not absolute The Journey is in and bridges the finite and

the infinite or ultimate

A journey in being We are already in and remain in being… The outer reach of a journey in being

Possibility. What is possible for human being, for the individual?

The Good. What ends are desirable, aesthetic, ethical?

Feasibility. What is feasible? Paths. What ways may we conceive, choose?

Presentation version First emphasis—introduction and overview

for ‘Journey in being’ Secondary emphasis—ideas that enhance

and channel or derive from the journey Designed to be accompanied by narrative

andor notes Other versions and details

http://www.horizons-2000.org

Presentation

Outline of topics Audience and influence Introduction Ideas Journey Objections and counterarguments Further contributions to the History of ideas

The story begins… Audience and influence Introduction Ideas Journey Objections and counterarguments Further contributions to the History of ideas

Audience and influence

Who I would reach

The influence that I would have

Audience General—understanding and significance;

transformation of being and identity; state of the world, values, choice, action

Technical—the sciences; technology, art, history, religion; philosophy and its nature, metaphysics, theory of transformation; logic, mathematics; choice and change

Influence

What kind of influence do I want to have? The influence of resonance—not of copying

or repetition Listening, understanding, criticism, and

selective use

Next in the story… Audience and influence Introduction Ideas Journey Objections and counterarguments Further contributions to the History of ideas

IntroductionThe essential ideas

New ideas and contributionsIssues: understanding and reason

Introduction—outline Journey Being A new view of the world

Universal metaphysics / Metaphysics of immanence

An objection from science and common sense

The concept of the Normal A note on meaning. Important concepts

Journey In the immediate and the ultimate From this world to the ultimate

… Discovery in ideas

Contingent or Normal and necessary limits

Transformation in being—in identity

Being That which is or exists—whatever exists

has being When properly understood being is the

central concept of understanding and transformation… of a ‘new’ and ultimate view of the Universe

A new view of the world Metaphysics of immanence… or The

Universal metaphysics The one Law of the Universe is Logic The metaphysics is ultimate in breadth and

depth

A new view—continued

A potential problem of understanding There is an apparent clash with common—

limited—and scientific views of the Universe

However the truth of the view is demonstrated

The nature of ‘demonstration’ is clarified, grounded and advanced

The concept of the Normal The apparent clash with common views is

resolved via the concept of the ‘Normal’ This Normal world is required by the view This resolves the further concern that the

present view, though ultimate, is removed from the immediate

The narrative argument

It is convenient to defer some details of the arguments to a separate section

Therefore, the argument and its problems of reason are taken up in

The main discussion—Ideas and Journey Objections and counterarguments

A note on lexical meaning The world view or metaphysics is larger

than any other—this is demonstrated It is significantly new and larger than the

common views—day-to-day or technical Therefore, although the terms used are

common their meanings are significantly altered andor enhanced relative to previous use—this, too, is demonstrated

Some important concepts ISome terms with enhanced meaning—

important concepts are bold being, journey, existence, idea,

transformation, foundation, intuition, object, experience, concept, percept, reason, reference, abstraction, universe, possibility, actuality, necessity, logic, substance, determinism, metaphysics, philosophy, rationality

Some important concepts II … depth and breadth of understanding,

method, form, particular object, abstract object, grammar, meaning, mechanism, causation, human being, society, culture, institution, civilization, faith, religion, science, knowledge, ideational form, and dynamics of being

Next in the story… Audience and influence Introduction Ideas Journey Objections and counterarguments Further contributions to the History of ideas

Ideas…Are essential to appreciating and

negotiating the world

...A significant part of the journey

Ideas—outline Intuition Metaphysics Objects Cosmology Normal worlds Method Contributions to the history of ideas

Intuition Introduction Being Existence Intuition and Object Experience, concept and reference

Intuition I How we experience the world, e.g. in terms

of space and time and cause and properties, occurs outside experience

Why we see in certain terms—space and time, red versus blue and so on—may be explained by adaptation

That we see in such terms has been labeled ‘Intuition’

Intuition II This sense of Intuition was used by

Immanuel Kant (philosopher, 1724-1804) In this sense, Intuition is the ability to

perceive and concerns subjective experience of and is ‘bound’ to things

Reasoning regarding things involves free images and symbols

Intuition III Here the meaning of Intuition is extended to

cover perception and reasoning Conception—having mental content—is

perception and reasoning. Then: Intuition is the ‘faculty of conception’ or, in

modern terms, ‘the ability to have conceptions’

Intuition IV Perception—the empirical side of Intuition

—is perfect for the simple objects being, all being, and absence of being

The reasoning or thought side of Intuition has been held perfect for logic. However, logic itself is experimental

A new concept ‘Logic’ will be found to be perfect logic—non-empty and powerful

Unity of Intuition I Thus far Intuition is the dual that is roughly

perception and reason Perception is bound to the Object; reason is

free and occurs via recollection as icons and symbols

Alternately expressed, reason is remotely or loosely bound—even pure experience has a remote and a potential Object

Unity of Intuition II The origin of—the capacity—reason is in

perception Though Normally bound, even perception

has freedom—this freedom lies in the nature of being

Perception and reason constitute an original unity

This unity also lies within Experience

Intuition and metaphysics The necessary aspects of Intuition—perfect

perception of the simple objects and Logic are the two pillars of an ultimate metaphysics… that lies within intuition

This metaphysics is foundation for the depth and variety of being and, with particular disciplines—e.g. the sciences, understanding of specific areas of being

Metaphysics Necessary Objects

Existence or being, ‘all,’ ‘part,’ ‘absence’

Universe Domain Void The Universal metaphysics or Metaphysics

of immanence

Metaphysics—conclusions I

The universe is all being. Therefore… There is exactly one Universe The Universe contains all Objects, all Law,

all Form, all kinds, all Creators… the Universe itself can have no creator

The Actual and the Possible are identical

…these and the following conclusions are a representative sample

Metaphysics—conclusions II

Domain One part of the universe can create another A limited God makes actual and

explanatory sense This, however, gives little support to any

predefined God of this cosmos

Metaphysics—conclusions III

The Void The concept of the Void is fundamental in

showing the nature of the Universe (all being) which is its complement

The concepts of Universe, Domain and the Void are instrumental in developing a ‘Universal metaphysics’ or ‘Metaphysics of immanence’ which is now taken up

The Fundamental principle The Fundamental principle of the ‘Universal

metaphysics’ states that The only restriction on actual states is that of Logic—the capitalization is explained later

This principle is the central and foundational theorem of the metaphysics

We now demonstrate the Fundamental principle

Fundamental principle—proof I The Universe is all being Therefore the Universe exists and contains

all Entities and other Objects—Laws, Forms…

The Void is the complement of the Universe relative to itself

Therefore the Void exists and contains no Entities, Laws, or Forms…

…Proof II If from the Void a state whose description

involved no contradiction, no violation of logic, could not manifest—that would constitute a law of the void

Therefore the only restriction on actual states is that of logic

This defines ideal logic—Logic, non-empty since it is approximated by the logics

…Proof—Objections I Because of its significance, it is essential to

criticize the Fundamental principle… by (1) Criticism of the given proof and, if it is

wanting, provision of alternate proof. (2) Questioning the principle itself… whether the principle and its consequences violate what we already know—science, common sense…

…Proof—Objections II Science and common sense are addressed

via the idea of the Normal A Normal state or world is one, such as our

world, in which only a limited number of states is feasibly or normally accessible

The Fundamental principle requires the existence of Normal worlds

…Proof—Objections III An objection to the given proof of existence

of the Void. Whereas complements of ‘proper’ sub-domains exist, it does not follow that the complement of the Universe itself exists

An alternate proof is given next Slide Objections and counterarguments has

alternate demonstrations

An alternate proof There is no distinction between existence

and non-existence of the Void Therefore the Void may be taken to exist This in turn implies existence of the Void Details of proof are in notes to the

Objections and counterarguments slides

An objection from physics Objection. The quantum mechanical

‘vacuum’ is a place of vast energy and activity. Therefore the Void cannot be the absence of being

Counterargument. Quantum theory is local. It is not the Law of the Universe. Science allows this possibility which is here demonstrated

…Proof—Objections IV Objection. The variety of being in the

Universe is defined by Logic. However, as noted, Logic is a defined concept. Therefore, ‘Logic as Law’ shows nothing

Counterargument. Logic as Law derives from logic as Law which is not empty. The problem of Logic is not that it is empty but of the degree of infinity of variety permitted

…Proof—comments I Identification of Logic and Metaphysics has

been considered by Gottlob Frege (logician, 1848-1925) and Ludwig Wittgenstein (philosopher, 1888-1951)… and of Metaphysics and Intuition by Kant

Here, powerful forms of these concepts culminate in the identity of the rational Intuition, Logic, and Metaphysics

…Proof—comments II It has been noted that the Fundamental

principle is the keystone of the powerful ‘Universal metaphysics’

Among various objections to the principle and its demonstration is the fact that ‘so much appears to come from so little’

See slide Objections and counterarguments for responses

The Universal metaphysics I Introduction Fundamental principle of the Universal

metaphysics On Logic A cosmological variety The Normal The edge of the Normal

The Universal metaphysics II Substance, determinism and explanation The Universal metaphysics is ultimate in

depth and breadth Completion of the rational (empiric-logic)

‘Method’ Form Limits

Objects Concept and Object

Necessary and Contingent or Normal Objects Particular and Abstract Objects A system of Objects The fundamental concept of the metaphysics

Logic, Grammar and Meaning

Cosmology The concept of cosmology Variety Process—mechanism, causation Space, time and being Mind Local / physical cosmology Principles of thought and action

Cosmology—variety I The Fundamental principle underlies the

cosmological variety Because the only restriction on Actual

states of the Universe is that of Logic, the only fictions are the Logical fictions

Subject to Logic, all of literature has an Object

Cosmology—variety II Given interpretation as conceptual, then

subject to Logic, all emotions, all works of art, all music must have Objects

What is actual is necessary. This—our—cosmos is necessary. Every individual is necessary; and their identities are necessary

Cosmology—variety III The Universe must pass through both Void

and manifest states, i.e. there must be occasions of ‘something’ and of ‘nothing’ This resolves what has been called the fundamental problem of metaphysics (why there is something rather than nothing)… and is seen to imply that the fundamental problem is ‘What exists?’

Cosmology—variety IV Examples. Karma. Annihilation / creation of

manifest phases of the Universe. Subject to Logic, every actual Object recurs infinitely, ‘rising from the dead’ is actual in countless cosmological systems, Normal identities merge in Identity; limited gods are necessary. Comment. The examples remove absurdity but no support is given to occurrence in this cosmos

Ideational form I Science and religion are examples of

ideational form in that they provide a picture of the world or, at least, the base for a partial picture

The mesh of economics and the modern ideational forms, e.g. secular humanism, is such that a return to a religious paradigm of the past is difficult to imagine

Ideational form II The difficulty—but not impossibility—is

compounded in view of the immense improvement of the political and economic status of the common individual

The future of the ‘ideational form’ may be difficult to anticipate but Universal metaphysics emphasizes the practical necessity of its future evolution

Ideational form III This evolution will be likely though flexibly

tied to the evolution of political-economics; truth requires reason but its spread is interwoven with political-economics

The world is not divided into two ‘spheres,’ the sacred and the ideal or ideational and the mundane that includes the political and the economic

Death I As a result of the scientific world view and the

advent of secular humanism one dominant modern Normal view of death is that it is absolute: individual consciousness begins with birth and ends with death

The Metaphysics shows, however, the merging of individual identities in Identity. Thus the Normal view of death is a relative one

Death II In life, this world is, roughly, finite; in life,

the Universe may be experienced as infinite In death, therefore, it is as if the infinity of

the Universes collapses to the individual; alternatively, in death the ‘finite’ individual becomes the infinity of the Universe

Normal worlds I Introduction and scope Human world: individual and society

Human being Social world Civilization The state of civilization Faith

Normal worlds II Common and experimental endeavor A system of modes of being and knowing Human modes and their limits

The animal. Primal holism—early religion-myth, and science. Religion / ideal Religion | Secular humanism | Science / ideal Science

The future of the ideational form—in which economics and politics are likely to be as significant as reason

Method Intuition and Object Faithfulness—its meaning and range The One and the Many—The Universal

metaphysics The One and the Many—Normal and Local

studies Action Perfection

Method—comments The foundation of ‘the method’ and content

of metaphysics is found in the analysis of Intuition

Details are in the notes of the previous slide

Contributions to ideas I

Contributions to the following topics are distributed among the previous slides:

Intuition, Metaphysics, Logic, Theory of Objects, and Cosmology

The possibilities of Human and Animal Being

Human knowledge

Contributions to ideas II Potential contributions to logic, science…

Secondary contributions

Secondary contributions are those that are side interests or offshoots that may once have been thought to be primary

For secondary contributions see the slide Contributions to the history of ideas

Next in the story… Audience and influence Introduction Ideas Journey Objections and counterarguments Further contributions to the History of ideas

JourneyTransformation in being and identity

Journey—introduction Ideas are an essential part of the journey

Ideas are essential to appreciation of the world and the journey

Ideas are essential to understanding and negotiating the world

As journey in being, ideas are incomplete Transformation in being and identity

completes the journey

Journey—outline A principle of the journey—its necessity Concept and character of the journey Transformation and theory The transformations

A principle of the journey

Necessity of the journey for completeness of being:

Without the journey, without action, without transformation, being is incomplete, a shadow…

Journey: concept and character Journey

The way from the immediate, from limits to the ultimate—transformation in ideas and identity

Transformation is essential and includes ideas and being-identity

Origin and evolution Individual. Shared. Emergence of focus, ambition

and goals

Transformation and theory Dynamics of being Catalytic states and modes of

transformation Development of the dynamic

Concerns of the dynamics Negotiating the feasible Exploring what is desirable… Incremental andor large scale change Exploring the means of change—physical,

psychological, social, technological

The transformations A minimal system The journey so far Assessment; the way ahead

Study

The future

Next in the story… Audience and influence Introduction Ideas Journey Objections and counterarguments Further contributions to the History of ideas

Objections and counterargumentsResponse to objections is crucial, not only to the argument, but to

understanding and method

Objections / counterarguments The foundational fallacy Experience and existence Being The Void The fundamental principle Non-rational objections

Final thoughts of the story… Audience and influence Introduction Ideas Journey Objections and counterarguments Further contributions to the History of ideas

Some further contributions to the

history of ideasSignificant ideas that are secondary

to the main development

Some areas of contribution Philosophy and metaphysics Problems of metaphysics Significant problems—some new—resolved

in the development The idea of method A system of human knowledge

Author

Anil Mitra

The End