Monthly Archives: March 2016

Causes

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I had a conversation with someone the other day and he was reading an in depth philosophical that mentioned Aristotle’s teachings on the four causes. It is an interesting and important study. A site I like to use for study is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/contents.html.There is quite a bit of reference material on this site. The ancient teachings are explained objectively and in a way that is understandable. I tend to over-simplify things in an attempt to make an easy read so this is a good place to go for if you want to go a little more in depth.

The four causes have to do with acquiring knowledge, especially as it concerns studying natural things. By causes we mean views or questions. One thing we are accustomed to look at is the material cause. What is the object is made of? A tree is made of wood, people are made of flesh. Another thing to look at is its form. How is it shaped? Trees have branches people have arms and legs. “Where did it come from?” is another question. Trees come from seeds and people come from the womb of other people; this is the efficient cause. What is it’s purpose? Trees provide shelter and nutrition for animals; people pursue happiness. This is the final cause. This gives the four causes: the material, the formal, the efficient and the final. They don’t have to be in any particular order.

Aristotle’s contribution the other philosophies of his day was the addition of a final cause or to use a big word, a teleological explanation. This makes the claim that most things are produced under an idea. The closer it comes to the true intention of the idea the more it becomes Ideal. If a person has a work of art, it starts in their mind and they see a final product. Once they have the idea, they will get the materials out and make a form such as a painting. The closer the painting comes to their idea the better and the final outcome is good. The idea is the driving force. When studying nature we can say that a seed has the idea of a tree built into it. Once it acquires material from the soil and takes on a form, the idea is recognized. And then there is the ideal healthy and intelligent person.

He suggested only going in depth as far as necessary to gain the proper knowledge. When studying natural things there is no need to reach into the speculative realm of origins. In organic chemistry, rather than using conjecture to explain a theory of origins for an enzyme, it is more important to look at the organ that secretes it, what it’s function is, what the enzyme is made of and its chemical composition. The digression into conjecture before looking into reality is a waste of time and a distraction. In what way will the enzyme serve its best purpose? What is the ideal amount? Trying to trace psychological or physiological things back to apes is also a waste of time since we see the ideal, humans beget humans so we only need to start at a present life and examine what is amiss.

This approach works when examining a business, politics or any organization. What are they trying to accomplish and where did it start? These are the final and efficient causes. Then you look at the individuals and the structure of the organization which are the material and formal causes. Apply this to anything you want to accomplish. Look at the goal, where to start, what you need and how you will accomplish it. You see the pattern of the final, the efficient, the material and the formal. Sometimes we get stuck on the goal or the dream but never start. Sometimes we have a good plan but lack the resources. It is that way in artistic expression too. What is it you want out of life? What is it you want to know? They both follow a pattern of causes.

Political Climate Change

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It is hard to find leaders that live up to everyone’s expectations. In the business world, leaders are held to contracts that both the customer and the contractor have agreed upon. This keeps everyone honest. In the United States, rather than being run by fleeting personalities, we have ordained and established a constitution that limits the scope of each leader. The first obligation of an executive leader isn’t to the current whims of public opinion, but to the contract that the people have agreed upon. The presidency exists as the executive branch (execute = put into effect) to enforce the laws that were made according to the constitution. A person who is good at enforcement is a good president for the people. It is important to keep the areas of enforcement, law making and courts separate since combining any of the three will cause abuses to happen. Picture a world where a traffic officer can make up his own traffic laws as he goes and set penalties according to his own whims. Fortunately we have people who perform studies to determine local speed limits and courts where the particulars of each stop can be considered objectively.

Willing lawbreakers always say the same things. They are experts at reversing roles by presenting themselves as victims and those who have been violated and want their laws upheld as bullies. To them, the enforcement branch is overbearing and violating their rights unless it concerns confiscating goods from earners for distribution to themselves. They break our laws and then hide behind the skirts of a maternal society. Those in law enforcement that lack the will to do their jobs have a narrative too. To excuse their incompetence they say that our laws are wrong and need to be reformed. Our chief law enforcement officer is obligated to enforce the laws our congress passes. It appears to me that the current political climate is based in this struggle. People want what their representatives have passed into law enforced. They don’t care as much about the political leanings of the enforcer as long as they can be confident he will his job without wavering.

It is important to remember there are other leaders who are up for election in the U.S. who’s express purpose is to make law. They are the ones who represent the desires of the people. Those who are good at crafting reasonable laws and working with others to get the bills the people want passed are the ones we should vote for. Here is a site for what is happening in that area throughout the U.S. https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Congress_elections,_2016. State legislatures are also up for election. The decisions made by them are closer to home. In Michigan we only vote for representatives during presidential elections. https://ballotpedia.org/Michigan_House_of_Representatives. It is good to be informed and also to rise above the hype. Strongly opinionated people come out of the woodwork and can be annoying at times. Conflict is always a test for everyone’s consideration and patience but exercising these areas will sharpen us up. Considering what other people think can help us clarify our own positions on things and broaden our perspectives.

Civilization

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It is a part of human nature to look for ways to get as much benefit as possible with the least amount of effort. This a good trait that motivates us to improve our quality of life. The trouble is that many use this as an excuse to plunder others. Rather than going through the trouble of learning, self discipline and innovation, it is easier to take what belongs to another. People have been struggling for centuries to find a way to form societies where those who are willing to pass through the fire can keep what they have earned and those who are unwilling can at least have their daily needs met. This is no easy task.

With primitive tribal systems, nature is the taskmaster. The tribe will starve if people aren’t willing to hunt and gather. Some tribes became warrior nations so they could easily plunder others if they were lacking anything. Most were nomadic so they could move on to better areas if nature wasn’t cooperating by supplying their needs. This required large areas, had little incentive for improvement and wrecked havoc on the surrounding civil societies. In Europe, there were Vikings, Mongols and others that hadn’t formed civil societies and were known for plundering others.

In a civil society, the goal is to allow people to use their talents and passions without having others pilfer what they have accomplished. The protections come about once the people have taken control. They assemble and agree upon laws. In order to have protection for private ownership and to have a say in governing, requirements have to be in place for citizenship. This is so violent or non-violent nomadic people who should be using their own resources to succeed, cannot come in and pilfer what the citizens have accomplished through their common sacrifices. There are always citizens who are down in their luck and may have lost everything. Most civil societies have programs in place to help them. Those interested in plunder will always characterize themselves as such. That is why nations have legal processes in place to make sure those who come in are non-violent and are not coming in for a life of plunder but one of productivity.

Much of what is going on today concerning immigration is more of a money making scheme by smugglers who act like travel agents. They make millions by convincing others they need to relocate. These same people make promises that the destination nations cannot keep. Yet the travelers are taught from their youth to resent the nations they are convinced to relocate to. The proper way to improve their lot is to stand up for themselves and ask for help from others. Unfortunately it is popular to call civil nations that try to help those who want become civil, colonialists. This rhetoric is used by those who benefit from these oppressive societies. But if a people find it difficult to establish a civil society, there is nothing wrong with asking assistance from the countries they want to copy. Everyone benefits when they stay put and become successful in the areas they are established.

Emulate or Confiscate

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Every person wants to live a good life with a certain degree of success in the areas they are passionate about. Self interest isn’t a diabolical motive. Rather than frustrating ourselves trying to navigate through politics, lets take time to look at common principles that we all can agree on. The best way to pursue happiness is through hard work and exhibiting good character. When a people of good character see others succeed, they will want to emulate what these successful people are doing with the hope of having the same degree of success. A good society will consist of people who are good at making voluntary deals with each other so all those involved can improve their lives. This is what it means to be just.

We naturally want to expedite the process of acquiring wealth and success. This is where things can go wrong. There are those who make a good living off inspiring others. They do it by pointing to the known principle of emulating good behaviors. This is the good side of helping others. But there is a diabolical side to inspiration, a shortcut side. It is based in envy and confiscation rather than good character and hard work. The leaders of these movements develop envy and entitlement in their followers rather than admiration and incentive. First they divide people into classes such as unbelievers and true believers, rich and the poor or black and white. After this, resentments are stoked through exaggerating the faults of the opposing classes. Finally, conclusions are drawn that others don’t deserve what they have and something must be done to confiscate it. This mindset forms the basis for every war.

The good news is that it doesn’t take political, community or religious leaders to cause us to work hard, exhibit good character and to have a degree of satisfaction in our lives. It is a personal choice. Every person is capable of making improvements within their own realm of influence with the time they possess. While the merchants of discord do their best to form resentments, those who have good character are enjoying their lives by emulating successful practices and being a good example to others.