############################Hi List,
Several years ago I came across the attached book by E. F. Schumacher called A Guide for the Perplexed. Written in 1977, he provides a synopsis of the levels of being grounded in the Great Chain of Being that very nicely lays out the basic way to think about the four dimensions on the ToK. I am returning to it now because I am writing a chapter on developing a coherent naturalistic ontology and am noting how the ToK revives the Great Chain of Being with new clarity.
I strongly recommend the chapter (and the book) for folks who would like to get a basic overview of the world in a way that is consistent with the ToK.
Also, please shoot me recommendations of books you see that provide a similar big picture ontology as follows:
Matter Inanimate Object-Field
Life Animate Organism-Ecology
Mind Mental Animal-Environment
Culture Human Person-Society
Aristotle’s scales of nature, the first four levels of the Great Chain of Being (Lovejoy, Schumacher, Wilber), Nicholai Hartmann’s Ontology, and Cahoone’s Orders of Nature. It is also largely present in E O Wilson’s Consilience.
In contrast, Big History, Rolston’s The Three Big Bangs, Carroll’s the Big Picture, Chaisson’s Cosmic Evolution/Epochs of Evolution all miss the mind-animal-feeling/consciousness/mental evolution block.
In addition, ONLY the ToK connects the problem of psychology with this big picture metaphysics/ontology and affords us a metatheoretical synthesis. Thus, Enlightenment 2.0 revives the Great Chain via solving the metaphysical/metatheoretical problem of psychology.
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 the Unified Theory Of Knowledge homepage at:
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