Thank you, Jamie, for this heartfelt reflection. I deeply appreciate the kind of struggles you have faced, and the courage with which you are attempting to grow
toward the good. I share your intuition regarding the “true form of the soul’s expression” and would be inclined to frame that in terms of the language of Aristotelean virtue.
As the Elephant Sun God essay suggests, I am moving toward a language system that embraces the spirit and an ultimate morality (while maintain a grounded naturalist
ontology). Indeed, I have always embraced these notions, but my focus was on the big picture of science and how to accurately construe scientific knowledge such that deeply humanistic constructs could co-exist in commensurate language games. The problem of
psychology reflected the fact that this was an insoluble conundrum based on old metaphysical systems—at least in the US/Western Intellectual tradition, which is my socio-historical contextual location. I am now feeling that synthesis more fully.
On that point, I am currently working on an essay,
Behavior, Spirit, and Morality: Toward a Theory of Knowledge and Wisdom for the 21st Century, that outlines a metamodern grand narrative that would potentially resolve the 20th Century’s dichotomizing tensions between the sciences
and the humanities in a way that shines the light on the nature of the human that will enable us to educate our spiritual essences with our best understanding of the natural-human world such that humanity writ large avoids the impending catastrophic global
civilization collapse that is on the horizon and instead results in a Garden-like flourishing across the scale that ranges from the individual to the global socio-ecology.
It is an outline of a vision that I sense a number of “seers” are starting to see. For example, I strongly
recommend this recent podcast with Zak Stein.
Best,
Gregg
From: tree of knowledge system discussion <[log in to unmask]>
On Behalf Of Jamie Dunbaugh
Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2019 10:57 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: The soul's truth to be expressed.
This essay is amazing Gregg. I just had a thought that might be relevant:
I've argued earlier that cultural evolution proceeds directionally towards pragmatic "truth", and much of those ideas are based in Gregg's TOK system.
I recently heard an interesting claim, in more esoteric philosophy, that the soul's primary desire is to express itself. And as I'm always trying to relate the subjective to the cultural and intersubjective, the following dawned on me:
As culture and tech evolve towards "truth", the soul's truth is set free to be expressed by the broadening of possibilities towards the infinite as the physical world grows increasingly complex, and as our mental models grow more complex,
as transistors shrink, and the web grows, as roads are built, etc.etc.
Evolution, biological and cultural, and every soul's journey, can thus be seen as a thawing of limitations, a liberation of possibilities towards the infinite, an ongoing revelation of what is within all of us and what is truly within the
world itself, happening at every moment, right now, in relation to ourselves, like a blooming flower in the case of enlightenment.
Related to my own spiritual struggle I had a thought: to beware the darkness within, or hidden self within, as it all will come to light, and every interlocutor is a reflection of you, and thus potentially the face of God.
Who a person is at any given moment, relating to the world at that moment, also exists in potential with all other situations, and how that person relates to all possibilities seems to be the measure of the person. A fully developed (enlightened)
person hits the mark in all situations.
A person might seem an innocent victim in THAT situation, but as I thought about myself and friends (wondering how they'd be if they were rich or powerful, and thinking that their situation is clearly the result of their character) I noticed
that everything is always in its right place and there must exist a perfect moral order. Indeed, I think anyone who honestly considers it must find it unbearable to think the world is truly unjust.
My hyper-intellectualism / imagination has made it difficult for me to have faith in myself, and I've built up a huge, fear-based intellectual grip on myself that I'm now trying to dissolve or let go of. Putting on a show for too long outside
domain of genuine love can perhaps allow... problematic things to grow inside, only to bloom later unless you do something about it. It has instilled a fear of God, in particular of humiliation.
Jamie
On Mon, Jul 29, 2019, 11:18 AM Henriques, Gregg - henriqgx <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hi All,
Please see the following “open letter” essay on the state of humanity in the 21st Century.
https://www.gregghenriques.com/uploads/2/4/3/6/24368778/elephant_sun_god-open_letter.pdf
I will be putting this up on my Psychology Today Blog soon, but figured I would share first on the list serves I am on. If you find it to be valuable, please share liberally with others.
Best,
Gregg
___________________________________________
Gregg Henriques, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Graduate Psychology
216 Johnston Hall
MSC 7401
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
(540) 568-7857 (phone)
(540) 568-4747 (fax)
Be that which enhances dignity and well-being with integrity.Check out my Theory of Knowledge blog at Psychology Today at:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/theory-knowledge
Check out my webpage at:
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