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Journey in being
Anil 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
Introduction
The essential ideas
New ideas and contributions
Issues: 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
Some important concepts I
Some 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, 17241804)
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
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, nonempty 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 (empiriclogic) ‘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
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 modern economics and
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
understandings of immediate and ultimate
truth may impinge upon one another
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 religionmyth, 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
Next in the story…
Audience and influence
Introduction
Ideas
Journey
Objections and counterarguments
Further contributions to the History of
ideas
Journey
Transformation 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
counterarguments
Response 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 ideas
Significant 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