THE
SIMPLIFIED PHILOSOPHICAL CONTEXT OF "INTERESTING TIMES"
(The Election Campaign and Market Crisis of October, 2008)
(The Election Campaign and Market Crisis of October, 2008)
*
* *
Election
Frenzy
Common
sense is tragically neglected
these days. So too is traditional American Pragmatism. William James
described it as a tough-minded
"slowness to believe."
This old skepticism can still be found around a rather "silent" center between ideological extremes. They currently condition election rhetoric with clashing verbalizations of those beguiling beliefs.
Old-fashioned common sense is lost in the noisy fray. It entails "holistic" usage of all the mental "faculties" (verbal and non-verbal) introduced at the close of Book 6 in Plato's foundational REPUBLIC. He called the "highest" ones "reason and understanding."
These higher faculties function as a conductor of experience. They evidently resonate naturally at a physiological level that is essentially non-verbal. Personal experience has suggested that they do "silently" orchestrate all cognition (including impressions from language usage). It has become obvious nonetheless that humans can think without articulate language (like an animal can).
Higher reason and understanding spontaneously generate non-verbal intuition in the process. Such primordial "savvy" is often dismissed, however, as too vague for conscious consideration; absent fortification by language "spelling it out." (Discarded feelings and ineffable "hunches," for example.)
The "lower" faculties are "conjecture and belief." These are the verbal ones. Ideally they "spell out" and thereby refine the higher faculties--holistically--in the form of verbal opinion. (Its expression is the special province of language.)
Yet conjecture and belief tend to drown out higher reason and understanding--with torrents of divisive words. (These are the big attention-getters.)
That is just what happens currently as candidates confuse voters with too many words (often with little "substance" behind them). A hungry public gobbles up the noisy rhetoric as supposedly defining the only "real" meanings for life. Aspiring citizens thereby neglect the commonly-sensible sources of meaning found among our more ephemeral faculties of "pure" reason and understanding.
This old skepticism can still be found around a rather "silent" center between ideological extremes. They currently condition election rhetoric with clashing verbalizations of those beguiling beliefs.
Old-fashioned common sense is lost in the noisy fray. It entails "holistic" usage of all the mental "faculties" (verbal and non-verbal) introduced at the close of Book 6 in Plato's foundational REPUBLIC. He called the "highest" ones "reason and understanding."
These higher faculties function as a conductor of experience. They evidently resonate naturally at a physiological level that is essentially non-verbal. Personal experience has suggested that they do "silently" orchestrate all cognition (including impressions from language usage). It has become obvious nonetheless that humans can think without articulate language (like an animal can).
Higher reason and understanding spontaneously generate non-verbal intuition in the process. Such primordial "savvy" is often dismissed, however, as too vague for conscious consideration; absent fortification by language "spelling it out." (Discarded feelings and ineffable "hunches," for example.)
The "lower" faculties are "conjecture and belief." These are the verbal ones. Ideally they "spell out" and thereby refine the higher faculties--holistically--in the form of verbal opinion. (Its expression is the special province of language.)
Yet conjecture and belief tend to drown out higher reason and understanding--with torrents of divisive words. (These are the big attention-getters.)
That is just what happens currently as candidates confuse voters with too many words (often with little "substance" behind them). A hungry public gobbles up the noisy rhetoric as supposedly defining the only "real" meanings for life. Aspiring citizens thereby neglect the commonly-sensible sources of meaning found among our more ephemeral faculties of "pure" reason and understanding.
* * *
Yet
Plato relegated words to a function as mere "shadows of reality" (as preparations
for understanding its simple complexity). Consult
his accompanying"Allegory of the Cave" (Book 7). The
upshot is that childish preoccupation with noisy words literally
confines humanity in a darkened dungeon--amid shadowy projections--a
step removed from "source" reality.
* * *
That
brings us back to the main theme of this website. It outlines
a practical methodology for getting outside this "cave" (as Plato
advised) in order to reach immediate
reality beyond.
For this purpose one's whole mind must be activated consciously. Escape from the cave thus requires an adult combination of all (verbal and non-verbal) faculties: as a matter of holistic common sense. They merge naturally into a grand "Gestalt" capable of fully appreciating everyday immediacy. (With sensible feeling and vision.)
Surviving the big escape calls simply for a continuity of rational thinking refined (using holistic common sense constantly). That enables one to look right-at raw reality--through and beyond the "protective screen" of language.
Of course it remains important thence to really learn the use of language (concisely). Notably it enables one to glean archetypal suggestions for living from global mythology. (Especially the symbolic suggestions ((like linguistic, philosophical and religious riddles.))
All such cognition is still referred naturally for coordination to the highest physiological level. It is there processed--by our innate faculties of "pure" reason and understanding--into refined "animal" savvy for basic survival. Folks fail though to fully use these essentially non-verbal functions of the natural mind (when these are preempted by excessive language usage).
The bulk of our mental capacity falls thereby into dormancy.
For this purpose one's whole mind must be activated consciously. Escape from the cave thus requires an adult combination of all (verbal and non-verbal) faculties: as a matter of holistic common sense. They merge naturally into a grand "Gestalt" capable of fully appreciating everyday immediacy. (With sensible feeling and vision.)
Surviving the big escape calls simply for a continuity of rational thinking refined (using holistic common sense constantly). That enables one to look right-at raw reality--through and beyond the "protective screen" of language.
Of course it remains important thence to really learn the use of language (concisely). Notably it enables one to glean archetypal suggestions for living from global mythology. (Especially the symbolic suggestions ((like linguistic, philosophical and religious riddles.))
All such cognition is still referred naturally for coordination to the highest physiological level. It is there processed--by our innate faculties of "pure" reason and understanding--into refined "animal" savvy for basic survival. Folks fail though to fully use these essentially non-verbal functions of the natural mind (when these are preempted by excessive language usage).
The bulk of our mental capacity falls thereby into dormancy.
* * *
Consider
again, for example, how most aspiring citizens these days are still
hung up on (preparatory) language. It frankly confuses everyone when
common sense is indeed deflated by the noisy verbal distraction.
Tricky language tempts people to attempt thinking, exclusively, step by deductive step from words circling back to words--around a crazy carousel--spinning off into cul de sacs of bewilderment. They incidentally pick raw reality to "artificial" pieces in the process. (Shadowy "trees" obfuscating the universal forest.)
Yes, using language is work! (Indeed an all-consuming "forbidden fruit" tending to demolish our natural bliss.)
Aspiring citizens literally take too seriously the words streaming from our lower faculties of conjecture and belief. In effect they thereby "dissect" the world (rather like a frog in biology class). The incomplete "parts" are then labeled: as a matter of analytic disintegration.
Putting the world back together requires rational activation of one's whole mind. It takes focused self-control to think accordingly--with and beyond words.
Of course doing this does demand difficult "withdrawal"--from a typically life-long addiction--to the dominating distractions of language. (Especially the noisy habit of talking too much: to oneself as well as others.) Handling the habit frankly hurts--along a "razor's edge" of the nervous system. (Rather like "cold turkey.")
Transcendental meditation is then needed to suspend one's "internal conversation"--long enough for the rest of the mind to kick in. The strain shifts toward increasing bliss when consuming "chatter" is thereby quieted.
Tricky language tempts people to attempt thinking, exclusively, step by deductive step from words circling back to words--around a crazy carousel--spinning off into cul de sacs of bewilderment. They incidentally pick raw reality to "artificial" pieces in the process. (Shadowy "trees" obfuscating the universal forest.)
Yes, using language is work! (Indeed an all-consuming "forbidden fruit" tending to demolish our natural bliss.)
Aspiring citizens literally take too seriously the words streaming from our lower faculties of conjecture and belief. In effect they thereby "dissect" the world (rather like a frog in biology class). The incomplete "parts" are then labeled: as a matter of analytic disintegration.
Putting the world back together requires rational activation of one's whole mind. It takes focused self-control to think accordingly--with and beyond words.
Of course doing this does demand difficult "withdrawal"--from a typically life-long addiction--to the dominating distractions of language. (Especially the noisy habit of talking too much: to oneself as well as others.) Handling the habit frankly hurts--along a "razor's edge" of the nervous system. (Rather like "cold turkey.")
Transcendental meditation is then needed to suspend one's "internal conversation"--long enough for the rest of the mind to kick in. The strain shifts toward increasing bliss when consuming "chatter" is thereby quieted.
* * *
In any
event, nature's gift of tricky language must be restrained--poised in
balance--between verbal and non-verbal functions of the mind. For
full-blown common sense also involves intuitive induction--directly
from raw experience (basically beyond words).
The whole horrifying adventure of life demands integrating the individual mind--from animal savvy to civilization--and well as hell beyond bewilderment by divisive words like good and evil . . .
The whole horrifying adventure of life demands integrating the individual mind--from animal savvy to civilization--and well as hell beyond bewilderment by divisive words like good and evil . . .
* * *
Market
Frenzy
Promises
of Pragmatism are heard among economists these days. They ponder the immediate
crisis. The old argument about free markets versus governmental
intervention becomes relatively irrelevant at this "brink."
Thus an endangered economy has evidently necessitated the post-ideological thinking recommended throughout this website.
The old ideological argument diverted attention away from an immediate issue: Markets cannot be fully free until the needed ethics are developed to administer financial institutions rationally.
Thus an endangered economy has evidently necessitated the post-ideological thinking recommended throughout this website.
The old ideological argument diverted attention away from an immediate issue: Markets cannot be fully free until the needed ethics are developed to administer financial institutions rationally.
* * *
That
requires education.
Its natural foundation was introduced in Book 9 of Plato's REPUBLIC: A
"just" person can maximize pleasure ("happiness") as a matter of
enlightened self-interest.
(And common sense.)
Too many secular and religious educators neglect though that simple incentive. Instead they regale students with reams of confusing and often conflicting principles, typically about right and wrong; altogether tending to obscure the principal "pursuit of happiness" (through justice).
In default of more coherent guidance people engage in alluring "secondary" pursuits. These include childish greed for money and power--typically taken unfairly at the expense of others--whose angry response will sooner or later punish the unduly selfish and tyrannical.
The primary pleasures of self-esteem are lost in the fray. Common sense wanes.
Too many secular and religious educators neglect though that simple incentive. Instead they regale students with reams of confusing and often conflicting principles, typically about right and wrong; altogether tending to obscure the principal "pursuit of happiness" (through justice).
In default of more coherent guidance people engage in alluring "secondary" pursuits. These include childish greed for money and power--typically taken unfairly at the expense of others--whose angry response will sooner or later punish the unduly selfish and tyrannical.
The primary pleasures of self-esteem are lost in the fray. Common sense wanes.
* * *
In
search of greater coherency, therefore, let us commence with that old
belief in limited institutional government. It approaches
the immediate need for self-government
among the people. That challenges each individual
to simply grow up primarily (regardless of whatever else is
"secondarily" achieved in life).
Fully resplendent adulthood entails learning painfully enough basic justice--about getting along with others--to pragmatically maximize personal happiness (with minimal reprisals from anyone unfairly slighted in the process).
Thence when more mature financiers, notably, learn to observe rationally their own self-interest (to "max out") less regulation will be required to keep them in line.
Jefferson wisely emphasized thus the dynamic "pursuit of happiness" in our mighty DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. Both point pragmatically toward a functioning
Fully resplendent adulthood entails learning painfully enough basic justice--about getting along with others--to pragmatically maximize personal happiness (with minimal reprisals from anyone unfairly slighted in the process).
Thence when more mature financiers, notably, learn to observe rationally their own self-interest (to "max out") less regulation will be required to keep them in line.
Jefferson wisely emphasized thus the dynamic "pursuit of happiness" in our mighty DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. Both point pragmatically toward a functioning
New
Republic . . .
* * *
Jim
McCord
From old Stone County, Missouri
(Show Me)
From old Stone County, Missouri
(Show Me)
* * *
Epilogue
(October 19, 2008)
Another
campaign development exemplifies how the abuse of language deflates
common sense. Today General Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama for
President. Opponent John McCain's "negativity" was cited among reasons
for the endorsement.
General Powell alluded notably to a childish accusation that Obama consorts with "terrorists;" like Bill Ayers. He was a bomber during Obama's early boyhood. Ayers is now evidently a peaceful citizen and educator. (Whatever happened to "Christian forgiveness"?)
Joe "the plumber" provides another current example. While explaining his tax plan to Joe recently, Obama used the phrase, "spread the wealth around." Maybe that was an unfortunate choice of words. In fact nonetheless, the rich are getting richer these days--at the immediate expense of everyone else.
McCain jumped on the phrase like a junebug. It supposedly supports "socialism." That "ideological" word is over-loaded enough to become practically meaningless these days (especially). McCain's distortion of it sounds like the "emotional" arguments judicially excluded from consideration by juries.
These "evidentiary" exclusions reflect centuries of pragmatic effort to make jury trials more just. The lesson might well extend to the reams of rhetorical nonsense which demagogues currently expect gullible voters to believe. In such ways an immature polity dodges
General Powell alluded notably to a childish accusation that Obama consorts with "terrorists;" like Bill Ayers. He was a bomber during Obama's early boyhood. Ayers is now evidently a peaceful citizen and educator. (Whatever happened to "Christian forgiveness"?)
Joe "the plumber" provides another current example. While explaining his tax plan to Joe recently, Obama used the phrase, "spread the wealth around." Maybe that was an unfortunate choice of words. In fact nonetheless, the rich are getting richer these days--at the immediate expense of everyone else.
McCain jumped on the phrase like a junebug. It supposedly supports "socialism." That "ideological" word is over-loaded enough to become practically meaningless these days (especially). McCain's distortion of it sounds like the "emotional" arguments judicially excluded from consideration by juries.
These "evidentiary" exclusions reflect centuries of pragmatic effort to make jury trials more just. The lesson might well extend to the reams of rhetorical nonsense which demagogues currently expect gullible voters to believe. In such ways an immature polity dodges
the
obvious . . .
* * *
McCord
McCord
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© 2008
JimMcCord.com
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JimMcCord.com
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