I can see that the dichotomy between inwards and outwards exist to some extent. However, the panorama of this may be a little more complex, — Jack Cummins
The only mental event that comes to mind that is an example of strong emergence is the idea*. The conscious mind** can experience and create an idea. An AI is a mindless thing, so it does not have access to ideas. — MoK
… thinking is defined as a process in which we work on known ideas with the aim of creating a new idea — MoK
cognitive behavior in which ideas, images, mental representations, or other hypothetical elements of thought are experienced or manipulated. In this sense, thinking includes imagining, remembering, problem solving, daydreaming, free association, concept formation, and many other processes.
. It probably represents a far 'softer' form of thinking than in Western philosophy. — Jack Cummins
Verse 44
Your name or your body,
What is dearer?
Your body or your wealth,
What is worthier?
Gain or loss,
What is worse?
Greed is costly.
Assembled fortunes are lost.
Those who are content suffer no disgrace.
Those who know when to halt are unharmed.
They last long.
Verse 46
When the Way governs the world,
The proud stallions drag dung carriages.
When the Way is lost to the world,
War horses are bred outside the city.
There is no greater crime than desire.
There is no greater disaster than discontent.
There is no greater misfortune than greed.
Therefore:
To have enough of enough is always enough.
The ‘original anthropology’ the OP refers to was associated with spiritual movements. For that matter, the original ‘therapeutae’, from whence comes the word ‘therapy’, was a severely ascetic religious sect concentrated around Egypt and Judea. They were highly ascetic: they renounced wealth, lived celibately, ate only the simplest foods, devoted themselves to study of the Torah and allegorical interpretation, and practiced prayer and meditation. — Wayfarer
jerking off about their spiritual journeys. — Tom Storm
There may be many people who live very good, yet largely unexamined, lives. — Janus
There is a Taoist monastic tradition; the lifestyle is similar to Buddhist monks in broad outline, obviously with a different set of traditions. They embrace celibacy, etc. Hermetic life is also part of the tradition, obviously with Lao Tzu himself.
The role of the daoshi priests would be "esoteric practice" though, no? — Count Timothy von Icarus
That might be because this topic is philosophy of religion. — Wayfarer
I think there is a puritanical elitist element in the idea that modern self-help programs are merely watered down caricatures of the ancient "true" practices. I mean, if these programs really do help people to live better, more fulfilled and useful lives, then what is the problem? Is it because they don't really renounce this life in favour of gaining Karmic benefit or entrance to heaven? Is the most important thing we can do in this life to deny its value in favour of an afterlife, an afterlife which can never be known to be more than a conjecture at best, and a fantasy at worst? There seems to be a certain snobbishness, a certain classism, at play in these kinds of attitudes. — Janus
What is the mind to you? The mind, to me, is a substance with the ability to experience and cause. The mind cannot be certainly an emergent thing, given my definition of it. — MoK
The mind is that which thinks, feels, perceives, imagines, remembers, and wills. It covers the totality of mental phenomena, including both conscious processes, through which an individual is aware of external and internal circumstances, and unconscious processes, which can influence an individual without intention or awareness.
The only mental event that comes to mind that is an example of strong emergence is the idea that is created by the conscious mind. — MoK
But I’m not worried about human replacement, just the regular old level of risk of letting humans amplify their actions without taking enough time to understand the consequences. — apokrisis
That would be exactly the "off the top of the head" reply I would expect from a real human expert on the issue. Or at least an expert wanting to be nice and fair and not too pejorative. What you would get if you paid some consultant wanting to cover all the bases and avoid getting sued. — apokrisis
The randomness introduced by quantum mechanical processes means that the Earth itself didn't even form in the vast majority of hypothetical timelines, nevermind all the variables and choices that led to my specific birth, or the coincidence that I was among the matter that formed a rare habitable planet in the first place. — Dogbert
If you think about all the ways in which the universe could have unfolded, the percentage of those timelines in which my consciousness was elevated from commonplace matter into sapience is practically zero. — Dogbert
Questions about abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, or welfare aren't merely about administrative effectiveness; they rest on moral judgments about the value of life, autonomy, and justice. Even framing them as ‘policy’ decisions already reflects a moral stance. — Tom Storm
How does your 'individualist' approach impact upon issues like abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, welfare for poor people, etc. — Tom Storm
I'm not sure I understand those quotes. If they're just saying that we make our choices based on our own conscience then we are bound to admit that that includes Pol Pot and doesn't get us very far in deciding what is right or wrong in society. — Tom Storm
I remember an answer which when quite young I was prompted to make to a valued adviser, who was wont to importune me with the dear old doctrines of the church. On my saying, What have I to do with the sacredness of traditions, if I live wholly from within? my friend suggested,--"But these impulses may be from below, not from above." I replied, "They do not seem to me to be such; but if I am the Devil's child, I will live then from the Devil." No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature.
agree. Different people have different opinions about what is right and what is wrong. Which opinion is actually right and which opinion is actually wrong? How do we know? — Truth Seeker
What I call good is not humankindness and responsible conduct, but just being good at what is done by your own intrinsic virtuosities. Goodness, as I understand it, certainly does not mean humankindness and responsible conduct! It is just fully allowing the uncontrived condition of the inborn nature and allotment of life to play itself out. What I call sharp hearing is not hearkening to others, but rather hearkening to oneself, nothing more.
No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature. Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my constitution, the only wrong what is against it. A man is to carry himself in the presence of all opposition, as if every thing were titular and ephemeral but he.
How do we decide what should be legal and what should be illegal? — Truth Seeker
C.G. Jung once said that the world only exists when you consciously perceive it. In that theory, only what I see truly exists. What I do not see, or what I am not aware of, therefore does not exist. — Jan
They intersect in the field of social ontology, which SEP says can be considered as a branch of metaphysics and which is, I suppose, a philosophy of sociology. — Jamal
Metaphysica of sociology. As in, what is a society (or subpart) composed of. — Hanover
It's interesting because it's not the standard "language is use," but it's trying to explain the ontology of marriage (or any social event) itself, making it modern day analytic metaphysics far removed from the Cartesian type. — Hanover
Okay, then educate me. How do you understand Taoist wisdom. — L'éléphant
I'm interested in hearing about your experience with applying philosophy to your daily life. — Astorre
I disagree with the above passage. Sainthood comes to mind when I read that passage. If you surrender yourself to the way of the universe, you become Tao, a passive observer of the universe. But we are here on Earth -- living and interacting. If you want wisdom to mean a passive observer, then you should make that clear. — L'éléphant
If I will still a mod I'd merge it, this topic sprouts endless threads. — Wayfarer
I agree with your definition, even though I have used some different words. Do you know of any theory that backs up this definition? — Pieter R van Wyk
I don't share your sentiment. One who does not work hard on learning at all is uneducated and could not be wise. — L'éléphant
In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.
Less and less is done
Until non-action is achieved.
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.
The world is ruled by letting things take their course.
It cannot be ruled by interfering.
So "uneducated" to me means no formal schooling and/or no instruction from the wise people. — L'éléphant
Every so often I meet someone who is simply wise, who shows a capacity for moral discernment and prudent decision making more typical of someone mature with a lot of experience. My suspicion is that some wisdom is innate, or at least can be cultivated early. — Tom Storm
I like ↪T Clark ‘s description. — Mikie
Come and See — javi2541997