This work therefore
emphasises that the proper order in the study" The standard view in
biology that all life emerged from a primordial soup
on the Earth is far less likely than a tornado blowing through a junk yard
and assembling a Boeing 747." .............Chandra Wickramasinghe
The KNOWN
& The UNKNOWN
"There are more things
in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." ......William Shakespeare
2.1.1 OVERVIEW OF THE APPLICATION OF CONCEPTS
: & USAGE IN THIS WORK
"A good definition should entirely circumscribe what it defines,
and it alone."....... Andre Comte-Sponville
This section goes into the fundamentals of what are the building
blocks and elements of the concepts, thoughts and experiences
that are behind the construction of this work. Several have been
defined here, for the specific purpose of this work. Definitions are
crucial for any intellect based construct, discourse or expression
of ideas. It is only when an attempt is made to define a concept
that we can have some sort of coherent inter-relationship of
concepts, and any prose or language based construct is shaky
without any well defined concepts. The only domain that does
not require definitions is poetry.
"Existence is beyond
the power of words to define:
Terms may be used,
But are none of them absolute"........Witter Bryner
In all of analysis and /or descriptions using words and the concepts
behind them as tools, it should never be lost sight of that these are
always dealing with or representing 'parts' of a 'whole'. For example,
if the 'Self' is considered as a 'whole', then 'Will', 'Mind', 'Brain',
'Reason', 'Instinct', 'Emotions' etc are parts of the 'Self'.
Only the 'Spirit' and its carrying essence 'Soul' are both part of the
'Self' as well as
'beyond Self'.
In all analysis and descriptions, statements are made about assumed
parts of a whole, and how they relate to the whole and how they
inter-relate amongst themselves. It must be kept in mind always that
no statement is definitive, only tentative, as each individual is not only
uniquely constituted but also has to develop a unique understanding
about one's own self and its relation to Nature ....a larger whole.
"For a short
while, our mothers bodies are the boundaries and personal
geography which are all that we know of the world. Once we no longer
live beneath our mother's heart, it's the earth with which we form the
same dependent relationship.".....Louise Erdrich ( Chippewa )
"Those who
contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of
strength that will endure as long as life lasts."...Rachel Carson
The thrust of this work is therefore an analysis of the Self in as many
ways as possible, but with coherence. But since, sometimes the many
ways may lead the reader to confusion, the fundamental division and
distinction of the physical and non-physical should be referred to as the
primary analysis entry point. For example, the 'Will' although is a
combination of both the physical and the non- physical, if it comes to a
situation where the 'Will' needs to be classified, then it must be taken
as an aspect of the non-physical, that is, as a force rather than as a
process or function. The sub-conscious is clearly classified here as an
attribute of the physical, whereas the supra-conscious is classified here
as an attribute of the non-physical, and the conscious as the
convergence of both physical as well as non-physical.
But some aspects are clear cut : for example, base emotions
as part of the physical, although sometimes higher emotions are
initiated by the non-physical.
There also has to be an aesthetic or abstract element in the way a split
has been made and applied: a given situation may account well for one
kind of analytic split, and yet another situation may call for a very
different sort of split. And ultimately any analysis is only good if it
leads to integration of the Self and a creative synthesis that results in
meaningful expression. Thus synthesis is greatly dependent upon
correct and well directed analysis. The successful analysis of the Self
and a developed ability to synthesize leads to the most useful
outcome of the struggle : the integration into oneself the ideas
and expressed experiences of others. To learn from the experiences
as well as the mistakes of others means that one does not fall into
the traps and errors others have fallen into or succumbed to.
" Human beings, who
are almost unique in having the ability to
learn from the experiences of others, are also remarkable for
their apparent disinclination to do so"...........Douglas Adams
Here a distinction has to be made between what one learns from the
account of others through the direction of one's Will, versus that which
one has been made to learn through the bringing up and education
process. The first kind of learning is genuine and the latter kind is of
an entrapping kind. The latter kind is the kind that has to be first
'unlearned' in order to transcend its negative or trapping effects.
Since words, concepts and beliefs tend to create a secondary
reality of their own, it becomes critically important to treat them
as tools that are applied with a purpose, or else they become
traps of a virtual reality.
Therefore the acquired concepts and beliefs from society and
culture are treated here as potential traps of a virtual reality
created by that culture.
It is
indispensable for a self-explorer to realise this.
" I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's"
.............William Blake
And now for a more formal approach :
2.1.2 Ontology: The subject of ontology is the study of the categories of
things that exist or may exist in some domain.
Ontology is the attempt to say what entities exist. It is one's list
of entities or concepts about entities, while one's metaphysics is
an explanatory theory about the nature of those entities.
More generally : ontology is a catalog of the type of things that are assumed to
exist in a domain of interest D from the perspective of a person P who uses a
language L for the purpose of study of domain D. The catch with this is that
if domain D is the domain of existential reality, then person P is also part of
the domain D, and therefore person P, in order to study D, will first of all
have to study P, i.e., P itself, otherwise it will be misleading to study D.
"The ultimate mystery is one's own self."....Sammy Davis Jr
( Unfortunately, modern science's failure to comprehend nature and reality
has its roots in this paradox, but an even bigger joke is that this is
not even acknowledged in science, and yet it claims to study reality
objectively, i.e., supposedly independent of the person who studies it !
The gist of this story is that if scientists admit and acknowledge
that the domain D of their study has been not reality, but the
objectified physical universe only, their problems would become
easier, and the rest of the world would stand a chance to
breathe a fresh gasp of air. )
This work therefore
emphasises that the proper order in the study
of Reality must initiate with a thorough study and knowing of
one's own self, one's own nature, one's own motivations, goals,
predilections and purposes, without which any study of Reality
is not only misleading
but also meaningless.
"There is an old difficulty here, that of the metaphysician who
describes reality but cannot include himself "(?)...Iris Murdoch
Ontology, in its wider sense, or one's list of entities, is therefore
not an objective, scientific study. The ontology of science is the
list of entities that can be objectified by general consensus. The
ontological domain of science is thus limited to the physical,
objectifiable universe.
The ontology of monism or religious monotheism is a singular
entity that represents everything. All beings, living, non-living,
etc are only manifestations ( not even sub-entities ) of this
singular entity.
Religions that are not strictly monist, identify the manifestations
as sub-entities that interplay.
It should be clearly understood here, that the process of giving form,
conception, terminology and/or definitions to ANY entity is a mental
phenomenon arising from experience, and/ or created, and/or
acquired from society and culture.
"Radical simply means "grasping things at the root."......Angela Davis
The whole question and
process by which an Entity is formulated
( given form ) and assigned conceptual attributes is at stake here.
Unless one goes into deep self analysis regarding the core process
and roots of the conceptualisation process by which entities are
assigned form and attributes and how these relate to oneself,
a meaningful
understanding of reality is not possible.
"There is no reality
except the one contained within us. That is why so
many people live such an unreal life. They take the images outside
them for reality and never allow the world within to assert itself."
...............Hermann Hesse
First and foremost should be
the study and analysis of the
list of entities that one has acquired from society and culture,
and the relevance of these for oneself. Then it is also vital for
these to be analysed for their attached attributes and core
assumptions associated. Finally, it should at some stage
become necessary to empty oneself of all ontologies to
start afresh.
2.1.3 PHYSICAL and METAPHYSICAL ( BEYOND
PHYSICAL or NON-PHYSICAL )
ENTITIES:
"What is an
artist? A provincial who finds himself somewhere between
a physical reality and a metaphysical one. It's this in-between . . . this
frontier country between the tangible world and the intangible one --
which is really the realm of the artist".........Federico
Fellini
Physical objects ( that have sensory attributes) are the simplest
entities, and in the scientific domain are the only entities.
But if one assumes that there are entities that are non-physical
(metaphysical), then their ( the entities ) domain becomes
beyond the scientific domain, and it is here that the concept
of Personal Validity assumes significance.
The point is that metaphysical entities cannot be scientifically
investigated, but only at a personal level, valid for a specific
person. Metaphysical entities have no general validity. A meta-
physical entity can only be referred to in context of a particular
being, or a group of beings sharing a common idea and/or
culture and/or ideal and/or purpose and/or space.
It should also be clearly understood that non-physical entities
cannot be brought into the domain of general consensus,
utmost special consensus, under exceptional conditions.
Failure to grasp this elementary aspect of one's mental process
leads to confusion and even worse - deception.
"I wish to
emphasize that there is a necessity not to espouse a truth
because
it is safe. Being driven to a set
of assumptions because one is afraid of
another set and their consequences is the most
passionate and nonobjective
kind of philosophy. Too many intellectuals and scientists (almost unconsciously)
use basic assumptions as defenses against
their fears of other assumptions
and their consequences. Until we can train ourselves
to be dispassionate and
accept both the assumptions and
the results of making them without
arrogance, without pride, without
misplaced enthusiasm, without fear,
without panic, without anger, hence
without emotional involvement in the
results or in the theories, we cannot advance this inner science of Man
very far."
.....Dr John C Lilly, Programming & Metaprogramming....
2.1.4 THIS WORK'S ONTOLOGY :
A real 'entity' is that which is experienced or has some
basis in personal experience. An 'as if entity' is only a
concept or belief about an entity. Thus an 'electron' is
properly speaking an 'as if entity', whereas a rock is an
'entity' ( a physical entity ). An 'electron' is an
analytically 'derived entity' of a physical whole.
Metaphysical entities are, in their conceptualisation only
'as if entities' but in the realm of direct experience
become real entities.
2.1.4.1 THE DOMAIN & ITS ENTITIES
" We have learned the
answers, all the answers:
It is the questions that we do not know."...Archibald MacLeish
Since experienced Reality is primary, i.e., it is the only Reality a being knows
and everything else, ( all entities ) is derived from experience, it follows that
the experience of a being is the focus and domain of study. The Self as a
totality of all experiences as well as the essence of being is the primary
entity in this work. And since the experience of a being, as well as the
essence of being are inseparably bound and connected with the interactive
environment, this interactive environment then is also very much part of
the domain of study, and exploration.
In this work's ontology therefore, the primary entity that is being studied is
the Self. So the core assumption is that the Self is a distinct and
primary entity whose experience is a constituent of current
Reality, and whose essence or core is a constituent of
ultimate Reality.
The Domain of study is the Self, and its interactive environment,
the person doing it is the Self and the list of Entities in this domain are :
1) The Entity of the Known self : the set of concepts and beliefs that one holds,
that are to be dealt with and put to test for their usefulness in the arena of one's
personal experiences, one's interactions as well as one's expressions. It is clarified
here that the domain of Personal Validity is that set of beliefs that apply to the
self in its isolation ( non-interactive ), and the domain of General Validity is the
set of beliefs that are valid in the interactive mode ( the self in its interactions
with other beings ) Both the 'operational domains' are thus part of the Entity of
the Known Self. So both the 'operational domains' are basically sub-domains of
the ' Self and its interactive environment' as the parent domain. In this domain
it is the balanced and harmonious development and ordering of the various
elements that poses the first and foremost challenge for every being. The limits
to which a being can go to depends upon the quality and efficiency of this to be
self - developed order. The ideal of the known self thus symbolises a
constructive order, cohesive
consolidation and integrity.
2) The Entity of the Unknown self : is that part of the domain where there is
the greatest potential for exploration, but that which is beyond concepts and
beliefs, its manifestation sought under critical but testing conditions. This is
that hidden entity which carries and thus represents the essence and core of the
being, and therefore is representative of the real potential of the being, but whose
manifestation must be sought in the critical expressions, decisions and actions of
the being, or else this potential is wasted.
Any manifestation of the unknown self is interpreted by the known self and firstly
becomes part of the domain of Personal Validity, and only after that it can this
expression of knowing become Generally valid or in the domain of General
Validity, if at all.
The unknown is therefore not only the beyond - physical or metaphysical but also
that potent part of the physical that has yet to be explored or manifest, for
example the Brain's potential for intelligence and creative expression.
The concept of the unknown is a potent symbol for the freedom
to explore.
The unknown thus symbolizes this potential for exporation and creativity - the
making of an open space for the creative to manifest, and the known serves as
the means to do so. It is the proper handling and ordering of the known that
creates possibilities for
the manifestation of the unknown.
3) The Entity of the World as one's interactive environment ( Nature):
The Planet Earth and its ecosystem is a crucial interactive entity for the self, (being
a part of it), and in this work, Nature is considered as the mother entity towards
which a being owes the highest responsibility. This ability to respond can only
become effective if the integration of the self has been attempted and achieved
to some extent, and when the two operational domains are in harmony and
complimentary.
"It has taken
scientists until the last half of the 20th century to prove what we
have known all along...we are all related. Not just human beings, but four-legged
and winged brothers and sisters, as well as those who crawl.We, too, are related
to, and part of our Mother, the Earth (Kukna), and everything on her. When we
say she is our mother, we do not say this in some symbolic sense, but with the
knowledge that we came from her and will return to her.".
.... Turtle Clanmother, Thunder Mountain Lenapé Nation
"I am not an Athenian
or a Greek, but a citizen of the world." .....Socrates
4) The Entities of other Beings as part of the interactive environment :
these become the crucial entities that the self encounters as the highest
interactive challenge, both to learn from as well as to clash with.
"Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf"...Native American Proverb
"Respect means
listening until everyone has been heard and understood,
only then is there a possibility of "Balance and Harmony" the goal of
Indian Spirituality." ........Dave Chief, Grandfather of Red Dog
2.1.4.2 THE GENERAL GOAL
The general goal is to enhance the depth and variety of one's thoughts and
experiences, to develop the ability to meaningfully co-relate these with
one's held beliefs and their applicability, to promote creative expression
and interaction and thus to enhance the efficiency of one's
existence to its potential limits.
2.1.5 SUB ENTITIES of the Known Self
as TOOLS
"Man is a tool-making animal"....Benjamin Franklin
In the overall domain of study of the self and its interactive
environment, the two sub-domains are those of Personal Validity
and of General Validity. These sub-domains are to be understood as
distinct operational domains. Thus the set of valid entities or "as if
entities" in one domain are bound to be different from the set that
is valid for the other domain.
For example, if I say that the mountains represent for me an entity
that is more than just a physical entity, then this entity is valid only
in the Personal domain and not in the general domain, i.e., I cannot
expect others to agree with me on this. Alternately, E=mc^2 is
an established relationship between conversion of energy and
mass, and so if I want to design a nuclear device, I cannot say that
I don't accept the validity of this relationship.
Thus in these respective domains a set of entities as well as "as if
entities" must have an valid integrity that is distinct in the two sets.
Since all entities and their icons and forms "as if entities" are given
form and expressed in symbols or language, these "as if entities"
are properly speaking, linguistic and conceptual tools.
"The
'language' that constitutes reality has here an open creative
fringe where poets and critics take some
part in inventing new
concepts. The critic as philosopher and metaphysician approaches,
indeed tends to become, the artist who is making
the language"
....Iris Murdoch
One set of linguistic tools in which Personal Validity is the central concept
is presented in this work and in short summarised here as :
Assumptions, Beliefs,
Programs and Concepts are the building
blocks or materials of the structure of the Mind, whereas the
process tools that work on these are the analytic ( rational ) and
the synthesis ( creative ) processes, whereas the valuation and
control is derived from the reward and punishment systems, as
well as to and from
sources unknown.
2.1.6 CONCEPTS :
Anything and everything that we
know or can know is defined or becomes defined
in terms of what can be called concepts, which are generalisations from sensed
observations. These combine with the experienced or derived valuation to form
a "truth" termed as belief. These combine and organise to form a structure of
inter-related concepts, beliefs, analogies, models and patterns of responses
and behavior. This structure and its operation thereof is termed here as
the Mind of a Being.
Concept: A general idea derived from specific instances, a thought or notion.
A concept in technical terms is an meta-operating pattern of sensory data, that
is, a static arrangement or order of sensory data or in other words sensory
data related arrangement having an underlying order or
reflecting an underlying order.
PROGRAM : A fixed pattern or set of patterns of behavior or responses as
part of the operating system or Mind of a being.
METAPROGRAM : a higher order of program that has not just been
learned or acquired from society, but generated internally. These may be
generated by linear processing of programs ( rational, analytic ) or non-
linear type of processing ( creative, intuitive or synthesis).
" To avoid the
necessity of repeating learning to learn, symbols, metaphors,
models each time, I symbolize the underlying idea in these operations as
metaprogramming." ...... Dr John C Lilly
2.1.7 ASSUMPTIONS
"Primitive man is no
more logical or illogical that we are. His presuppositions
are not the same as ours, and that is what distinguishes him from us. His
thinking and conduct are based on assumptions other than our own.
In explaining things in his way he is just like ourselves : he does not
examine his assumptions.".........Jung
Assumption : A statement or concept taken as true without proof.
In this work, assumptions are of
two kinds - consciously created, acquired or
realised assumptions, and the other are sub-consciously operating programs
but not realised as such,
also stated here as underlying assumptions.
(A sub consciously operating pattern has value attachments that are not
realised consciously and therefore influences our thought processes in
unpredictable and uncontrollable ways, putting a limit on the potential of
our hardware and software capabilities. In this work therefore I have
included all inbuilt patterns that are active, as " underlying operating
assumptions ", to be realised in a developing and growing structure
(mind) and if need be - to be transcended.)
BELIEF : Something accepted as true ; an opinion ; a conviction ; especially
a tenet or body of tenets . In this work a belief is defined as a concept or
an assumption or a operating program assigned a definitive value.
VALUE: worth, importance, usefulness, goodness. In this work
value is equated with usefulness, i.e., value is that quality of a being that
determines the control and direction of one's experiences, emotions,
and choices or decisions made thereof.
2.1.8 Assumptions , Beliefs & Concepts :
" Every human beings
that reach adulthood are programmed biocomputers,
none of us can escape our reality as programmable entities. All that we are
or become is a result of our programs - nothing
more, nothing less -by
which I mean that the basic substratum under all our metaprograms are
our programs."- Dr John C Lilly
All of our conceptions and constuctions thereof have at the base or
substratum, concepts learned or acquired from the interactive culture
of the beings in our close interactive environment.
Any new concept that one develops is therefore in terms of existing
concepts. Concepts therefore are circular, i.e., one is defined in terms
of others. Which means that concepts represent assumed or
"as if" entities.
Putting this differently, if you come to think about it carefully, everything
that we know has basically at the core of it, ultimately an assumption,
because everything is understood in relationship to or in terms of something
else. A concept is distinguished by its relation to other concepts, and by no
other way. No concept can exist absolutely without any relation or analogy to
other concepts and every conception also has a counterconcept. One can also
conclude from this that everything conceived, has, at a base level or its
substrate, operating assumptions and at a gross level everything is an
analogy or a collage of analogies, i.e. - models or paradigms.
" The genuine
knowledge originates in direct experience"....Mao Zedong
The Universe, the Self , the Mind , God and even the laws of Science
( Which as we now know are true only under certain conditions or limits )
are descriptions or models of entities derived from experience and its
consequent assumptions and beliefs, taken to be true without proof.
Proofs are nothing else except agreed upon generalistions.
So when we speak of "proof" it actually means corroboration, that is,
supported by or agreed upon by at least one more being.
"Literature is without proofs. By which it must be understood that it
cannot prove, not only what it says, but even that it is worth the
trouble of saying it"......Roland Barthes
"Absence of proof is not proof of absence".....Michael Crichton
"The new always happens against the overwhelming odds of statistical laws
and their probability .... the new therefore always appears in the guise of a
miracle"........................Hannah Arendt
What is the "Unknown" ? Does it exist ?
It exists as a yet to be. It exists as a realisable potential. It is
the vast space of possibilities available to us as human beings.
It exists as a symbol of all that is mysterious and yet challenging.
It is that space that beckons and entices the human imagination,
intellect and deepest emotions.
It symbolises the capability and capacity to which a living human
being can go to. Thus there is a personal "Unknown space" limited
to an individual living being, as there is a much larger "Unknown
space" for the human species as a whole. It is distinguished from
the concept of the "Unknowable" in that the "Unknowable" is
beyond human capacity to fathom. The "Unknown" unravels in the
development of mankind and becomes known to those beings who
dare to venture into it. This space of the "Unknown" then expands
by every creative action and expression of a living being.
To venture into the "Unknown" requires a first step - to concieve
or assume or imagine something beyond the known.
After or alongwith an unusual experience, assumptions are the starting point
of all experimentation, logic, religion and science, the first stage of the
conscious formative process.
And now for a mind twister : Only the unknown is not an assumption and
that is something we know nothing about, although the unknown is where
all assumptions come from.
2.1.10 Assumptions to Concepts and Beliefs
Assumptions are the first formulation by the mind of a new experience.
"What happens is
that your wretched memory remembers the words
and forgets what's behind them".....Augusto Roa Bastos
It is not as if conceptualisation and beliefs derived from experiences and
assumptions are undesirable.
On the contrary, concepts and beliefs are the tools and materials with which
the structure of our minds is built, in order to function & interact with the
world around us & in order to survive. Concepts and beliefs are the building
blocks of our minds that are crucial not only for our basic functionality
but also to provide fulfillment and stability to our rational & emotional
structures - an essential requirement for survival.
The problems arise when concepts and beliefs instead of being used only
as tools and materials are used instead for everything - as substitutes of
experience or as control programs. We start believing that the very concepts
and beliefs that provide clarity and meaning to us are absolute, rather than
just one of the many ways of understanding ourselves and
the world around us.
2.1.11 THE SANCTUARY OF THE KNOWN
"It is what we think
we know already that prevents us from learning".
.....Claude Bernard
The value and importance that we start attributing to well operating beliefs
( stable operating patterns ) and programs reaches such proportions that any
experiences or situations contrary to these beliefs are rejected or suppressed
without even an assessment of their indicative value : for we have built a
house, a structure of concepts and beliefs, in which to live and survive and in
which we feel safe and secure, and once this has been accomplished to a
degree of comfort, anything outside it is perceived to be potentially
dangerous and detrimental to our very existence.
To protect this hard earned stability and survival requirements, we almost
hold the supporting beliefs as sacred, and their counters or opposing beliefs
as something to be attacked or defended against.
We invariably and almost un-noticed by ourselves have built the temple of
THE KNOWN that must be defended from the demons of THE UNKNOWN .
" The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds."
...John F Kennedy
2.1.12 THE KNOWN AND THE UNKNOWN
" All poetry is a
journey into the unknown. " .....Vladimir Mayakovsky
We feel more and more comfortable with the known , and more and more
uncomfortable with the unknown . The unknown becomes a threat , and
the known becomes a source of stability and strength .
Why would we want to endanger the structure or state of mind that we
have so laboriously built ? Why let anything disrupt this shell in which we
feel secure? Why leave the world of the familiar to venture into
the unfamiliar ?
So we worship and defend the known and try to slam shut the doors to
the unknown . So we seek "agreement" and try to convince our peers about
our beliefs to further support and strengthen our structure and to further
convince ourselves about how superior is our system of thought.
This trait "evolves" from a personal to a cultural trait, fuelled by "agreement ",
to a point that when we come across a culture whose world view is radically
different than ours, we must destroy it or "convince" it to agree with us so that
it may not do the same to us . Little do we realise that the very known that we
worship (or overvalue ) eventually becomes the death warrant of our growth.
2.1.13 The Limits of the Known
" When the
present is intolerable, the unknown harbours no risks. "
......Wole Soyinka
The most important
lesson from history is that the " knowns " of a certain
culture ( or individual ) have a limited potential, value and utility which
eventually exhausts or burns out or at best becomes stable or static,
which explains why a culture rarely learns from its mistakes or wrong
doings, and keeps repeating them until its own survival is threatened,
but by then they are
incapable of correcting their course.
"People of privilege
will always risk their complete destruction rather than
surrender any material part of their advantage.".....John Kenneth Galbraith
And it follows from this that a culture that operates only from the " knowns"
will eventually degenerate, or at best stagnate. The other most important
lesson from history is that in a particular culture or society, certain key
individuals were the catalysts that changed the course of stagnation
and degeneration by challenging and even sometimes demolishing
the "knowns" of that society.
How and why ? Because they saw something other than what was generally
known and taught, and therefore realised that the existing known had its
own particular limitations which could be overcome. So they provided a
description of what they saw and this description which was apparently
a better one ( for society seemed to benefit from it , else it would never
be accepted ) became part of the new known by replacing or adding
to the old known.
Many of the old knowns that got demolished were mythical beliefs, based
upon phenomena that had no satisfactory cause-effect explanations.
As better explanations replaced the less satisfactory ones, distinct cultures
developed their own systems of beliefs, resulting in mythical beliefs
consolidating under monotheism's of various kinds and the rational
beliefs, based upon physical cause-effect relationships, consolidating
under Science.
The concept of god became part of the known. And similarly so did science :
an even more real known : a known that is presumed to be forever valid and
immune to the demon of the unknown. And so we now have two apparently
permanent knowns - God and Science (take your pick or better still,
take both) - to insulate us from the demons of the unknown.
And technology : the bright child of science, making life more and more
comfortable and easy, will forever keep us in touch with the known , make
sure we do not forget all that is known and also keep us constantly
entertained as well. (The neo concept of edutainment).
"Our technology
has already outstripped our ability to control it."
.................Gen. Omar Bradley
Until.... the time comes when the knowns can no longer account for conditions
that become more and more troubling or untenable, but by then it is
almost always too late....
" The
policemen were only representing history's henchmen ...civilization's
fear of nature, men's fear of women, power's fear of powerlessness.
Man's
subliminal urge to destroy what he could neither subdue ( Science ) ,
nor deify ( Religion )."
.................Arundhati Roy
With some explanation of the basic building blocks that constitute the
structure of our minds and its operations, the next article lists most of the
assumptions made in the process of constructing this work.
NEXT PAGE 05 : 2.2 Assumptions made in this Work