We perceive things with our senses, sort then into categories and put names on them. In a community, people share these common words among themselves and we call it language. The things that are tangible or made of matter are categorized by traits. Good and bad doesn’t enter the picture at first since our observations are confined to the traits and what category of being the subject belongs to. That’s where we get the saying “whatever is, is”. The concept of good and evil doesn’t apply since objects are simply made of matter. There are also common words used to describe these things such as colors and lengths. The description of color “blue” isn’t good or bad in itself. It is simply a word that brings up a common understanding of the color in everyone’s minds. Actions that describe movement of objects are the same way. The words we use for actions do not contain good or bad. They are simply descriptions of actions such as running. When they are by themselves, objects, actions, and words that describe are harmless and inert when it comes to finding truth.

It is when these concepts are combined that judgment comes into play. Is it really blue? How fast is the car going? A car can be neither true or false but the things we say about them can be. The same goes for people. They exist and are valuable and no one can make any more or less of that truth. Once actions and descriptions are added and can be understood, we make determinations if the behavior is good or bad or if what is being said is true or false. When we get away from determining if descriptions are accurate and allow things to affect our own sense of being, we call it, “taking it personal”. To be objective means a person accepts the objects for what they are and only examine the actions or descriptions for accuracy and proper application.

Our passions will love descriptive language and the feelings that come with combining the concepts. It is similar to what traveling does to scenery. The old can become mundane and new combinations are exciting. It is in our nature to enjoy beautiful combinations of language and color using poetry and art. Individuals enjoy combining what’s in their own minds with the ideas of others and seeing what happens. Business works the same way. Success at going out and working the system with our own unique take and combinations is exciting. In everything there are correct combinations: colors in painting and design, grammar and understanding in poetry and writing. Ethics contain guidelines for the proper combinations of actions toward relationships and business. But these are guidelines only. Sometimes we get stalled by forgetting the joy of combinations and get stuck looking at guidelines only. This is what is meant by being legalistic. We exist to make these combinations and enjoy the fruit. When things work out poorly such as a bad business deal or painting, different combinations can be used the next time. It isn’t the objects, actions or descriptors that fail and need examined, most of the time it is the combinations. Those who live outside the mundane are apt to have more failures with combinations since they enjoy making them so well. Life contains cycles of mixing things up for fun and putting things back in order for necessity.

There is a man inside of me 

Each individual perceives things from their own unique perspective. In our minds these things are sorted out and expressed through language. We’re starting in the book “Categories” by Aristotle since it is on the foundation level for other studies. Most philosophy is written in view of the critics. The concepts are good for everyone but they can get lost in all the defensive language. Although it can be made complicated, I am going to try and present the concepts in as simple a form as possible so everyone can enjoy them. The goal is to become skillful at differentiating between sense and nonsense. It requires understanding what everyone understands commonly. This is where the concept of common sense comes from. The more a group of people have a grasp on it, the better they get along. Conflicts and abuses occur among people who refuse to question their own or their leadership’s view in the light of common sense.

When a person looks at a tree, the word “tree” comes to mind. Everyone in a community will have common words for common things. If someone calls a tree a house, the rest of the community would wonder about that person’s sanity. We associate subjects or tangible things with words. One way we do it is through image. A statue and a person can look like the same person and be called by the same name and yet due to their composition, they are actually two different things. Our minds find it easy to associate images, yet sometimes we have to differentiate the image from the actual. A word we use is “reality” for the real thing. It can be better or worse than the image. Material things come first and make impressions in our minds that we apply in conversations and thoughts. Some people are better than others at describing things but we all have a common sense that examines what is being said according to reality. This how we tell if things are exaggerated or the image matches the one in their minds.

Things that are of substance are categorized according to traits. If a person is known, there is no need to find more out through classifications. The name “mammal” will contain “humans” which will contain the individual. All mammals aren’t that particular person. But that person would be included when someone talks about mammals as a classification. We associate things in our mind through generalities that contain particulars. There is a correct application that everyone recognizes according to commonly applied traits. Something may or may not belong to the general subject when presented. Sometimes things are put into the wrong classification and others times they are correctly applied. A person differentiates according to the traits that qualify the item.

Some things are derived from a word to be classified. A horseman isn’t really a horse but a person who works with horses. This is done with a lot of words. A courageous person is derived from the word courage. So we associate things by images, groups and derivatives. When they are commonly applied and understood, people have a clear understanding of what others are actually talking about. This could be called the noun names. There are ways to describe actions and traits that affect images that we can explore. Grammar in any language seems to be based in philosophy doesn’t it? It is the vehicle to get to the bottom of truth and understanding.

There is a conversation 

Is that a star I see?

My mind is turning 

Some of these commentaries are inspired by the books I read. Presently a modern book I am reading is “Die Empty.” It is about getting the most out of life and work. If you haven’t guessed by now, I also keep a running study on the works of Aristotle that I slowly work my way through. My attitude is that if a person cannot explain it, they do not understand it. In the process of trying to explain these concepts, greater understanding reveals itself to all of us. In the last chapters of the last book in “Politics” by Aristotle, he focuses on the the best way to perpetuate a civil society and that is raising our children right.

Forming good habits and education are critical for a good society to continue. He pushed for public education to teach the basics to the youth and to keep the social fabric common. Young children need to learn good habits of thought. He advised against having children watched by slaves or people who are dependent so they don’t pick up their bad habits. In addition to practical teaching concerning reading and writing, they should also learn gymnastics and music. That way the body stays in shape and the children learn how to amuse themselves in constructive ways. He said that education is to youth what a rattle is to an infant: It should keep them amused and out of trouble.

A lot of time was spent describing the proper music and instruments for youth with the idea of steering them away from vulgarity. He says that many times we judge musicians and consider them vulgar, but it is really the listeners who are that way. Many professionals have to leave the enjoyment aspect of music and become corrupted in order to give the crowds what they want. Sounds similar to today. The point is that music should be encouraged for youth so they can use it for enjoyment as they age. Music itself is good for the discipline aspect and for enjoyment.

This is how Politics ends, discussing how best to raise the next generation. Having this as a focus is key to having a lasting and strong nation. If a nation raises their youth to be militant, other nations shouldn’t have to pay for it. Any effort on our part should be spent helping these countries out of their destructive cycles and ideologies. When we discuss rights, what produces the best future for our own families within our own civil society should be at the forefront. We form civil governments for this end. The pursuit of happiness leaves behind a generation who can do the same. When a country raises it’s youth to value freedom, work hard, and be considerate of others, they have a right to enjoy the fruit. No one should feel guilty about it. This is justice in its truest form.

The next book I am going through is Posterior Analytics. It takes quite a bit of thought to present in simple form, but it is worth a try. I hope you are up to the challenge too..

I’ve been spending quite a bit of time doing math lately. Specifically of the problem solving type. Since this site is about rational things, lets take a look at mathematical probabilities. It is an interesting subject…well maybe for a geek like me. What is fascinating is the way certain rules always work. It points to a higher organization that we know little about. We just observe how it happens. I promise to keep this basic.

When you flip a coin, the odds are 1:1 that it will turn up heads. It doesn’t matter how many times it is flipped, the odds always stay the same. You can flip the coin three times and get tails but that doesn’t change the odds when you flip the fourth time. This is called gamblers odds. But the odd thing about it (forgive the pun) is if you get three heads in a row, it may seem you are beating the odds, however, the more you flip the coin, the closer it will go back to 1:1. Over twenty flips for instance, you will most likely have ten heads. Having certain results overall doesn’t change the odds for each single flip though.

Insurance companies use probabilities to set their rates. The ratio of claims will stay consistent over a large group and these translate into the odds for a single claim for you. They bet on those odds to make money and due to how reliable probabilities are, they can use close margins.

When you go to the casino, you might win a few, but the longer you play, the closer you will get to the probability that the casino management has calculated ahead of time. This is how they make enough money for the lavish surroundings. Your odds at that particular game is the same each time you play. That doesn’t change. You might win a few times, but the more you play, the closer you will get back to whatever was figured ahead of time by the management. They know the margins and can reliably charge an amount in relation to how many times the game is played so they always come out on top. So as with any entertainment, the experience may be fun, but it can’t be looked at as a money maker.

If I could 

What does it mean to be free? There are those who feel that sharing wealth makes everyone free. But that is simplistic and just addresses one area. Wealth in a free country is a fruit that is earned. In a despotic country it is a gift from a benevolent government. There are more aspects to freedom than money. A person who is truly free has the ability to make his own choices. Yet there are those who make bad choices and end up controlled by their appetites. What it gets down to is that freedom is having the ability to govern oneself and enjoy the resulting fruit. Unfortunately, sometimes we make bad choices. There are times when some people need the assistance of a third party to govern their actions. This should be the exception and not the rule.

A despotic leader will make the claim that the vast majority of people aren’t capable of governing themselves. They exaggerate crisis and make themselves out to be a savior. A despot will specialize in characterizations in order to form a contrast; presenting themselves as a champion of virtue. The principles concerning freedom verses despotism apply to our relationships with friends, businesses and government. We can be hard on ourselves and lack the ability to be free to express ourselves due to inner inhibitions from past hurt or fears. The past can have despotic rule over our present if we allow it to.

We all have our own passions and appetites that give us enjoyment while we travel through moments of time. They are there for our benefit. But at the same time there is a governing part within each of us that sets limits so we can meet our own needs, personal goals and enjoy our leisure. Choice means that a person has retained the ability to govern their own passions. There is no choice in slavery. It is what happens when one person asserts authority over another individual. In our personal relationships, we cede some control over choices in order to achieve common goals. The further an authority is from an individual, the less the personal interests of an individual can be considered and the more general it becomes. Bureaucracies are formed in an attempt to address these particulars. Ideally, people are free when they govern themselves, make agreements among themselves and pursue their own dreams. That is what the concept of limited government means. In our close personal relationships we use the word trust. Trust means there is a certain confidence in a person’s ability to govern themselves so they are free to make their own choices with their passions. Limited government and trust in the people are synonymous.