Metaphysics of the coming age | 236 comments (236 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: "I'm entirely materialist" (none / 0)

What is impression, what is telling a story, what is a story?

My problem with such metaphors is that instead of being compelling for some insight, they are compelling for being antropomorphic, that is, referring to stuff we have 'innate sense of' and don't immediately think of something whose meaning could be philosophically (or metaphysically) complicated itself.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Jan 4th, 2008 at 08:08:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Fair enough... (4.00 / 2)

Some find such metaphors compelling, others do not. I think many approaches are required because any one approach by itself will always be deficient... it will leave something out for sure. In that sense, all approaches are akin to 'Art' because they are finite constructs which aim at shedding some light onto what is beyond them. Even our best scientific theories are artistic renditions as they address some aspects of reality while leaving others out.

In the classical Indian scheme, there are 6 complementary views... none of which paints the whole picture... these views are called:

Nyaya: Sets forth the rules and limits of thought/logic/language
Vaisheshika: Analysis (an ancient atomic theory is part of this approach)
Samkhya: An atheistic, dualistic approach which posits an essential difference between matter and mind
Yoga: Gnosis
Mimamsa: A theistic approach
Vedanta: Posits an essential non-duality

These are considered complementary approaches.

by sandalwood on Fri Jan 4th, 2008 at 11:10:08 AM EST
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Re: Fair enough... (none / 1)

Could you write about this? It would be new and interesting to many of us, and deserves its own diary and thread.

The Fates are kind.

by Gaianne on Fri Jan 4th, 2008 at 02:02:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fair enough... (none / 1)

Thank you for your interest... I will begin to think about this in a diary format.

by sandalwood on Fri Jan 4th, 2008 at 02:22:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Metaphysics of the coming age | 236 comments (236 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)