*~ And finally, my own answers to the survey. I again included an introduction which should explain everything. As does everything, my answers have changed slightly in the course of only four months. The only aspect of my personal philosophy that remains constant is my notion of "Life," which is explained towards the end of this final e-mail. Enjoy. Remember, I'm just some kid with a computer. ~*
Conclusion to Survey:
As I was answering my survey, I realized that, if one answered the questions fully, several of the questions will have already been answered, which makes this easier. I also want to say that there is no right or wrong answer. You do not have to write in essay form or have perfect paragraphs. Just relax and write what you know. My answers contain loopholes the size of North Dakota (whose capital is Bismark), so don't be afraid. Also, if you believe something by faith alone, please state it. If you don't know where you stand on an issue, don't be afraid to say that you don't know enough about it to make a sound judgment or that you simply haven't really though about it. There's no shame in that, "at least [you] know that [you] don't know" (Socrates). Knowing that you don't know is much better than thinking you know and not knowing that you don't. Follow? O.K. To ease the pain of this survey, I implanted a couple of mediocre jokes and witty statements to keep you awake. If this series of incredibly long e-mails is getting to you, feel free to delete them. They will be marked by long lengths, single word subjects followed by a colon, and a "From:RTlogos777@yahoo.com." I will take no offense. If you choose to answer the questions, please cut and paste only the questions. The little bit before the questions - "Yeah Right! LITTLE BIT!!!" - needs not take up K's. So, here are MY answers. Cut them apart if you want. If you can, please e-mail me. This whole thing is about learning from others so I encourage criticism. See most of you on the 18th!!! "Take this, brother, may it serve you well." -The Beatles "Revolution 9" The Beatles
Self:
How do you know that you exist?
DesCartes' only real contribution to philosophy, his cogito (I think therefore I am) proves that I exist. By way of Cartesian Dualism (the mind is separate from the body: a corpse has no mind) the limits of the body (fatigue, inability to pass through walls and travel through time) far outweigh the limits of the mind. Also, the power of moral choice and learning separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Therefore, the mind is the greatest thing a person has. The mind is the closest element of an infinite being (infinite being: pure truth, pure wisdom, pure power - pure "being" to put it simply) that humans have, meaning that from the mind comes that which is closest to the truth. Because that which is closest to the truth is being exercised when thinking, that which is thinking must necessarily exist. Read DesCartes' Meditations Book 1 and 2 if you want to learn more on this or if you want to learn how to make really good rugala.
What is your telos (end/ultimate goal) or Why are you here?
A human's telos is to achieve balance in all respects. The Greeks had it right, "everything in proportion, nothing in excess." The infinite being is perfectly balanced. However, because we are finite beings (finite beings: we may choose, decide, feel emotions, etc. then we mortally die), we may never achieve perfect balance (although it is believed that Buddha reached this "Nirvana," not the alternative rock band). So, our telos is to, at the very least, attempt to reach perfect balance. It is when we are not balanced, or working towards balance, that we hurt ourselves and others. Hurting others only hurts oneself and is, therefore, illogical. The most basic human instinct is to survive. Every person's telos is to reach the closest point of perfect balance possible.
What is your essence? When your superego (what you've been taught/conditioned to do and believe) is stripped away, what are you at your basic level?
In essence, again to borrow from DesCartes, I am a thinking thing (res cogitons). I am nothing if not thinking, for what is a corpse's worth compared to a live man's? My thinking will live on after I'm dead (see questions on Afterlife for reference) but my body will not. I am, in essence, a thing that thinks. I assure you that Colin's answer will be far more Neo-Platonist than mine. . . and, since Colin and I are the same person, I agree whole heartedly.
What are the demands put on a person, given his/her telos? What does one have to do to fulfill one's telos?
As explained before, one must keep all aspects of one's life in balanced in order to fulfill one's telos.
Do other people exist?
Yes, by knowing that others think - through communication - they must necessarily exist independent from me. I am independently existing from everyone else and the same must be true for others with regards to me.
What is their telos?
To attempt to achieve balance.
What is their essence?
They, too are thinking things.
What is your relationship with them?
Everyone exists so as to help everyone else achieve the closest degree of balance possible.
What is the relationship's telos?
The relationship's telos is to have all people involved in the relationship achieve the closest degree of balance possible.
God
Does God exist?
Yes, St. Aquinas' first proof of five, the unmoved mover, cosmological proof, does aptly prove the existence of God and I adhere to this element of his philosophy. Unmoved mover: Everything that is in motion has been "moved" by a "mover." Everything that exists has been "moved" and is in motion. This line of "movers" cannot, logically, continue infinitely. There, necessarily, must have been an unmoved mover. This unmoved mover is God.
What is God's telos if God has one?
God, an infinite being, has one telos: having God's creations attain the greatest possible balance. Only through this does the series of "moving" - creating all things - have any relevance. Because we were moved by, and are not in essence, God, we have an element of God in each of us. However, we, for the same reason, do not have the same faculty of rationale as does God, leading us to our flaws. When God's telos for people is achieved, all is well. When we are not balanced, we go against God's essence and stray from our telos, hurting us and others - given that the telos of people's relationships is to have all involved achieve balance.
What is the nature of God, all things remaining equal (keep people out of it, just God by himself)?
God's nature is to be balanced. Moderation in all things achieves the best results here on Earth. God, who created everything, has left a mark of his hand in all that he created. This mark resembles God. Our need to achieve balance resembles God and is, though not the only one, a mark of his hand in us. Therefore, God's essence contains balance. Seeing as how balance is our telos, balance is the basic mark in us from God. This leads us to believe that God is comprised of, along with other elements which will go unmentioned, balance.
How, if at all, is God connected to people?
Referring back to the idea of God's mark in everyone, God loves all. Because people may love each other and because God created us and has left his mark in us, God is comprised of love. Love is balanced as is God. God's connection to us is his love.
What is God's role in people's lives?
God's role is to spur people on to balanced lives. God does not force us. We have the freedom of choice. We may choose to, or not to, move towards balance. Through creating the universe balanced, God spurs us on. If we do not move towards balance, we find ourselves hurt in some way.
Religion
Define religion.
Religion is a combination of logic and faith. Faith has no factual basis. Religion offers finite beings a window into the knowledge of the infinite being, God. However, because we are finite beings and cannot comprehend an infinite being's motives or even thought pattern, people have compiled ideas from logic, tradition, history, observation, and faith to create religion.
What is religion's telos?
Religion's telos is to provide people with a window into the knowledge of the infinite being, God.
Is religion necessary?
Yes. One of the strongest inherent needs of humans is to feel affection from others or, if not affection, the mere presence of others. Humans need other humans. Followers of a religion have an unsaid bond between them. They belong no matter what race, economic status, gender, etc. Religion offers the link to other people which all people need. In that sense, religion is needed. Moreover, people need guidance in terms of morality. Religion provides that. Finally, religious people have great bake sales.
What dictates, if applicable, the validity of a religion?
Each religion, given that it attempts to achieve balance within each individual and a relationship between it's followers and God, is valid. A religion is invalid if it's teachings lead to imbalance (i.e. Satanism).
What should be the demands of a religion over it's followers?
A religion ought to state points on morality, which must lead to balance, and offer a venue through which one may build a relationship with God.
What is God's role in religion?
God, because of his love, affirms a religion through his presence. However, the religion must be valid (validity being defined in a previous answer). God leads each religion towards balance and communion with him through that balance.
What is religion's role in dealing with one's self? Is it the be all and end all of one's actions?
Religion's role in dealing with it's followers' selves is, again, to assist them in achieving their optimum level of balance.
Is one religion perfectly valid?
Based purely on logic, no religion is PERFECTLY valid. However, based on faith and morality, an educated answer may be given. I am adequately versed in many religions given that I was almost going to major in Religious Studies here at Fordham, and, by what I know - and I'm not going to lie to you, I don't know as much as many people out there - I believe Catholicism and Judaism are the most valid. That's what I believe and you're not going to change it, so don't mail me about this. Thirteen years of Catholic education, five of them being under the ever so threatening Jesuits and their minions, eighteen years of being a Catholic, and five years of getting my hands on every book I could written by a Doctor of the Church as well as the Church's philosophers, can argue to the bitter end the validity of Catholicism, so don't even try. . . However, I do believe that other religions are valid in their own right, as Catholicism is valid in it's own right. I'm just biased, that's all. + RT + =)
Why does religion exist?
Religion exists to explain the infinite being that created us which we may never, without faith, comprehend because we are finite forms. . . and stuff.
Afterlife
Define the afterlife. Explain.
It's pretty much after life =) HA! HA! "Sign him! He's TOO FUNNY!!!" Because there is a mark of God's hand in each of us, and God is infinite, through this mark, we are joined with God necessarily and, are living only to move into complete communion with God. The afterlife is this complete communion with God.
What, if any, is the role of God?
God's role is to maintain balance.
Define, if applicable, heaven and hell.
Heaven is complete communion with God. Hell is complete severance from God.
What is in heaven or hell?
Heaven is being completely immersed in God. God is heaven. Hell is being completely severed from God. Nothing is in hell.
What is the origin of heaven and hell?
There is no real origin of heaven. God has no origin. As for hell, there is no origin of nothing. Unless, one would argue that nothing was created by God, which is fine. I'll buy that and two in one shampoo/conditioner.
How does one enter heaven or hell?
One enters heaven by achieving one's optimum level of balance. One enters hell by choosing to live life moving away from balance.
General:
You've heard, "human nature is to survive," and "human nature is to self-destruct." Which one is it? Are they both partially true?
The only reason that people say that "human nature is to self-destruct" is because people kill others in order to survive. This is a relatively easy question. People are innately good. Because parents care for their children even before birth and, because birthing is, obviously, the basic animal purpose of humans, people are innately good. And, the only instances in which people have been violent - discounting the mentally impaired - is when they feel threatened. Therefore, people's basic human nature is to survive and, if needed, to survive through killing another.
Discuss the issue of church and state. Where does the authority lie?
No matter what state one is in, that person is a believer. However, in order to live in a state, the laws must be followed. There must be a happy medium, and it was reached during the French Revolution, read about it, my fingers are getting tired.
What is the importance of the liberal arts (consider english to painting)?
Although people's practical needs are satisfied by science, people's aesthetic needs are satisfied by the liberal arts. People are just as emotional as they are cerebral. Both the emotional aspect and the cerebral aspect of people must be satisfied and, although those architects are pretty good at geometry, the libral arts are satisfy people's soft side, you know, man?
What is the basic human need?
Physically, the basic human needs are food, shelter, and water, but you knew that. Emotionally, the basic human need is knowing that other people care. Spiritually, the basic human need is knowing that there is an afterlife. Philosophically, the basic human need is to make surveys for which people will have the most amount of hatred. And I'm not going to prove any of these.
What is the role of the mind (logic to emotions)?
The role of the mind is to rationalize the outer world and balance the entire person. The mind does nothing but think, so these, necessarily, must be it's roles.
Optional:
Summarize your philosophy towards life. Be as general or as in depth as you please, but always remain concise.
"Life" according to RT:
The main reason why I KNOW that this philosophy is valid - in terms of my own life - is that if one of the 4 elements of the "life" is absent, the other three may not stand alone. All 4 must be brought into play in order for it to work.
The ideal life consists of the following things which must all be present lest the others fall, much like our lovely government here in these United States.
1. God: God created everything. Because of this, I am thankful and worship God. Without God, I would not exist and, for that, I am eternally grateful. God must always come first.
2. Self: One must be at ease with one's self in order to live. Only through truly loving one's self unconditionally can one gain the capacity of giving love. The "Anonymous" Programs express this in great depth. Underneath Self are two sub-categories
a) philosophy: One must have a philosophy on which one must stand firm. This philosophy, must be original although borrowing ideas is acceptable given that the "why's" are answered. The philosophy must know the answer to every "why" conceivable to be perfect. One's philosophy is never perfect and grows everyday. The better one's philosophy is, the less it changes.
b) progression: If one finds something that negates one's beliefs, one must progress through either assimilation or re-evaluation. Progression also entails acting upon one's philosophy.
3. Coalescence: People need people, just like that Barbara Streisand tune. People need people so as to help others, as well as themselves through learning from others, achieve a greater degree of balance, the human's telos.
4. Balance: People must be balanced. Balance is both an element of and a necessity for my ideal "life." Everything in proportion, nothing in excess.
When I sent out this survey, most people replied by answering the questions, as was asked. Colin, however, decided to write a sonnet and I would be in remiss of my Triumverate duties if I did not include it here. Thank you, Colin.
Merlyn's Sonnet
". . . and know thyself," le bon Socrate had said
"or someone like him," yawned Prometheans
one thousand metric miles saw Kung-xi's tread
unflinching, glist'ning frogs forgot sore fins
unmoved we ran, unseen we understood
unfeeling died but with it died a dove. . .
"Fall Reason and arise now something Good:
from ancient grudge break stride in modern love."
spin wheels and hit the road, like none before
between the eyes of heaven strike while hot
eat green, drink red and dream away your poor
for e-zine friends will quicken life to naught
I came, I was, I took what I could give
Create, walk, run, yeah, everyone, love, live
~Colin~ 9 May 1999
