What does it mean to be the apple of my eye?
We are made of a patchwork of passions and pride
Lets look at the relationship between philosophy, religion and science. It is best to clear the semantics first since the meanings of words can become blurred in the process of winning arguments. Science is a collection of conclusions based on the scientific method. The scientific method is the process of using strict criteria for experiments to get repeatable results with tangible things. Philosophy is the study of hows and whys, or the intangible things; this would include questions of existence, why things are and where they should be heading. Religion is the branch of philosophy that deals with questions about a higher power or the driving force behind it all.
Philosophy supersedes science. The scientific method is one philosophical approach to studying objects and theories. Philosophy is also the way we determine the use of scientific facts and theories that we discover. For instance, Hitler felt his desire to clear the human gene pool of Slavic and Jewish genes was scientific. We don’t throw out genetic science because his philosophical application was diabolical. It is a little know fact that many tried to do so after the war. Our philosophies determine the use of science in the same way our philosophies influences how we drive a vehicle. The mechanics always stay the same but using it wrong can have damaging effects. It is common today, as in those times, to try and equate one’s philosophy with science in order to appear credible.
A person’s philosophy can lean toward naturalism with the goal of harmony in the earth’s ecosystems. It can have a negative view of man and want to use science to minimize his effect on the earth. One humanistic approach could put man in the forefront as the earth’s steward. Another might go further and say the earth exists to give happiness to mankind and should only be preserved for that means. Each philosophy has an extreme application and can become detrimental to mankind and unjust. Each one will claim to have a solid scientific basis.
Religion comes out of one’s philosophies about authority and a higher power. We see this throughout history. Even if someone considers the higher power a loving creator of everything, they may or may not value other humans more. A humanist may have destructive philosophies as well as we said earlier. This is an area of broad applications because it can be used wrongly in the same way as science can be used for diabolical means. A person can have a strong faith in God yet be a good scientist. In the same way an Atheist can be a good scientist. It is how they apply the science for the good of man that is important. An organized religion will have a mixture of good and bad philosophies. As we mature, we learn to sort them out. A person who wants to discredit another philosophy will always showcase the worst cases. An Atheist will point to religious wars while a Deist will point to communist deaths and the French Revolution as examples of godlessness. But in the end, they will all have certain philosophies, good and bad and will claim to hold the only true science and true belief in the existence or absence of a higher power.
Everyone has a sense of justice within themselves. The fact that everyone shares the desire for equality and respect hints toward the existence of some kind of common spirit that we all share. This is called natural law and it can be corrupted by circumstance and abuses. When we say someone has lost his way, that is what we are referring to. We use this natural sense when confronting religious dogma and off base philosophies. That is why many make the claim that they don’t follow any man or organized group. It means simply that they will not be compliant to those who violate natural justice. Justice means equality in transactions whether they are emotional or material. We call a person with this courage and drive someone with good character.
I ascribe to a personal Christian view of higher authority because it makes more sense when applied to unknowns. Concerning origins, single cells are too complex to have come into existence by a chance static and protein encounter. Something intelligent had to organize the molecules to do those complex things. The idea of a loving God who values human life is also a solid basis for good philosophy toward fellow humans. I hate when it is presented with meanness and dogma. Most organized groups, in order to increase loyalty, require their members to agree on certain dogma and statements. Some leaders are interested in manipulation and enriching themselves by making dependents. I like the flexibility of being my own person concerning religious beliefs since I am the only one in the end who will answer for them. I have a lot of respect and interest in other people’s philosophical beliefs. I won’t change someone’s life stories and ridicule them. Neither will I be that way toward their beliefs. The only time I would challenge someone is if their beliefs violate natural rights and justice. At times I have beliefs that need challenged too and when the challenge comes from from people who are respectful and have good character, I listen closely.
Lets take a stroll through a surreal world
The world is whirring in my head
The love and respect people have for each other is what makes a country great. A way we preserve this is to make a pact among ourselves. The pact that covers a large group or a country is called a constitution. This is similar to the pact called marriage that two people make. The purpose of a constitution is to keep the love alive. When a person says they love their country, they are referring to their fellow citizens. In the same way a ring is a symbol of marriage, a flag is a symbol of the relationship between citizens of a country. This is why it is respected and honored; it symbolizes respect and honor for fellow citizens.
Each person has their own passions. The things they are interested in, long for, and care about vary widely. We should never despise others if they have a different view. We are fellow citizens after all, under a pact, with the same goal to acquire happiness and fulfill our dreams. But since hatred, division and violence easily arouse passions, things that get the most hits make the most advertising money. This is a paradox of our information age. What a group of people care about shouldn’t be forced on others with shame and legislation. If we have a high regard for our fellow citizens, we will also have confidence they can work things out among themselves.
A constitutional government uses authority to protect the constitution from corruption and protect the citizens from attacks from inside and outside forces. All forms of government are susceptible to corruption from those who want to force their passions on others. It doesn’t make a difference if it is a monarchy or a democracy, in the end popular opinion keeps tyrants in power. Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. It doesn’t have to be sincere and the subject can be driven by bad motives. A demagogue is someone who uses rhetoric to incite a mob or a community. This can lead to passion rule rather than constitutional rule. When personalities become loved and respected over and above the citizens of a country, tyranny results. Again, the form of government doesn’t matter. A despot is one who came in under the pretense of being a common citizen with a job to do who becomes obsessed with making a name for himself at the expense of the good of his country. Demagogues use rhetoric to vet one group against another. They also consider constitutions an obstacle to their will. Forming factions is what they specialize in but they will call it organizing to make it seem less harsh.They will despise patriotism, flags or any symbol of the love citizens have for each other.
When a country has a kind of love and respect for each other that is working to fulfill their dreams, they will want to export this to other countries. This used to be called colonialism. Sometimes the common people of these countries who want to have this common love of country will have to be defended. When a country sends money and ideas, part of the bargain is that they are to be respected and can freely come and go to check on their investments. Since a demagogue owes his existence to vetting groups against another, anyone who has this love of country and those who desire to help others to share in these principles will be despised. When wealth isn’t being shared responsibly and results aren’t demanded, the sharing only enables tyrants. This causes uprisings and immigration problems since people will want to live where love and respect exists among citizens along with the safeguard of having an enforced constitution that seals it.
When two share a deep passion
The purpose of having authority is to preserve creativity in others. When we apply this to governing, the priority is to find the best way to protect a community from upheavals within and being taken over by those outside. Contentment is achieved internally when the people have sufficient wealth and honor. It is hard to equalize these within a country since everyone has varying levels of passions and ambition. Ideally, a country will have a strong middle class; those who have sufficient supply and are well respected. If these are a majority, there is little likelihood for a revolution regardless the type of government they choose. Having good treaties and a strong military make it less likely an invasion will occur from outside. Treaties should be beneficial to both parties for trade and protection. To make any social structure work, the participants must have good character, but our passions can lead us astray. This is where we get the word tyranny. A tyrant is someone who does well at making himself appear to have concern for the public good but uses authority to enrich himself, gain notoriety, and fulfill his own desires. Opposing parties always try to characterize each other as such.
Any time a person or a group is given authority, the potential exists for them to do either good or bad. People can have good success and yet have poor character. Sometimes we associate squandering with successful athletes and successful business people who have lost the ability to control their passions. An unsuccessful person can also have poor character by resigning themselves to failure and giving themselves to vices. Success and failure can be dependent on circumstances as well as performance and outcome isn’t always an indication of character. An ideal leader will have both good performance and good character so they can be stable through success or failure. A person can start out with good motives then later succumb to the lure of vices. Since this commonly happens with normal people, the best way to insure it doesn’t is to limit the scope of powers to those we give authority to. This is why constitutions are written by the people where powers are divided and limited. The goal is to have good leaders and yet limit their powers so they don’t become corrupt.
When we have the best and the brightest in office as with a aristocracy or monarchy, the temptation is for them to become arrogant or focused on securing their own empire. With a democracy, demagogues who seek notoriety use rhetorical skills to impose their will on the whole by inciting the passions of a majority. Most dictators start out as demagogues. Everyone wants a strong lasting democracy where everyone has a say and enjoys freedom. Once corruption takes hold, it is hard to swing things back internally since tyrants do things to preserve what they have and have the power to do so. We will look at some of these things in the next post.
I love to see you glowing
“Hello,” she said and then they smiled
The Rational Element 