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Gene wrote: but in the end, no matter what philosophy we get into we got to ask ourselves what we did with it. Otherwise it’s just a mental exercise.
What’s wrong with mental exercise? Thinking is a verb; thinking is acting. In fact, the revelators lament that so few actually think.
Free-will choice requires thinking about options before choosing. That’s a mental exercise which is actually doing something worthwhile. Laziness and procrastination due to the lack of desire to think is more of a problem, in my opinion. Without deep thought, one might run around helter-skelter doing things based only on emotions or feelings, or worse, act with thoughtless robotic reflexes. Philosophic thinking is the precursor to doing; without it you’re directionless, disoriented; you’re being hoisted by your own petard.
From the SURF perpetual calendar for February 9 date is this: “Man’s wisdom grows out of the trials and errors of human experience…..” (page 58.02) Paper 4:3.4) May we say philosophy is gathering wisdom?
I think so, the authors suggest it is an amalgamation of facts and values. But the Midwayers said this about wisdom, it has levels:
…The true child of universe insight looks for the living Spirit of Truth in every wise saying. The God-knowing individual is constantly elevating wisdom to the living-truth levels of divine attainment; the spiritually unprogressive soul is all the while dragging the living truth down to the dead levels of wisdom and to the domain of mere exalted knowledge…. (1949.6) 180:5.4
I like to think of philosophy, REAL philosophy, as living, like truth. Or at least dynamic.
Richard E Warren
I don’t think that philosophy actually unifies all of reality. Personality is the unifier, not philosophy. Philosophy is a mental construct used by the personality to unify experience. Philosophy coordinates and integrates the meaning of reality at the level, or circle, of the personality’s psychic functioning. Philosophy is a mental phenomenon, it’s a way of organizing thought in relationship to the personality’s experience on different levels of reality, it’s a way to give experience meaning within the arena of mind. That is why it is tied to wisdom. Philosophy is the search for wisdom which is the goal of human intellectual performance. Philosophy is concerned with mindal gravity; science is concerned with physical gravity; religion is concerned with spiritual gravity; personality is concerned with personality gravity. Philosophy coordinates, integrates and balances experience with science (material) and religion (spiritual) within the mind, then personality unifies it. Personality chooses how it wants to unify its experience, what gravity it would like to pull it . . . . more toward material, or more toward spiritual . . . . and those decisions move it along the psychic circles. Does that make sense?
Very much. And elegantly, succinctly expressed.
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Richard E Warren
Gene wrote: but in the end, no matter what philosophy we get into we got to ask ourselves what we did with it. Otherwise it’s just a mental exercise.What’s wrong with mental exercise? Thinking is a verb; thinking is acting. In fact, the revelators lament that so few actually think. Free-will choice requires thinking about options before choosing. That’s a mental exercise which is actually doing something worthwhile. Laziness and procrastination due to the lack of desire to think is more of a problem, in my opinion. Without deep thought, one might run around helter-skelter doing things based only on emotions or feelings, or worse, act with thoughtless robotic reflexes. Philosophic thinking is the precursor to doing; without it you’re directionless, disoriented; you’re being hoisted by your own petard.
Seems like you are both pointing to acting out your (hopefully well thought out) philosophy.
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Richard E Warren
And let’s not leave out cosmic philosophy and the cosmic mind. As I said earlier, philosophy requires utilization of mind ministries, and being a mindal function, is subject to mind gravity. All of this takes place within the larger arena of cosmic mind. Cosmic mind responds to mind gravity and is subjected to spirit dominance, or spirit gravity; but the two work harmoniously to advance the personality along the psychic circles.
The maximum function of the cosmic mind is at the point of greatest spirit-energy divergence. That means, the point where science (matter) and religion (spirit) are the farthest apart, which happens to be out here in the wily wilderness of the human mind, struggling to come to grips with its dual nature and those two divergent aspects of reality it is forced to live with. Philosophy is the work (doing, acting) that pulls this all together along the lines of mind gravity, the great equalizer and stabilizer of mind function. (It keeps us sane).
9:6.7 The greater the spirit-energy divergence, the greater the observable function of mind; the lesser the diversity of energy and spirit, the lesser the observable function of mind. Apparently, the maximum function of the cosmic mind is in the time universes of space. Here mind seems to function in a mid-zone between energy and spirit, but this is not true of the higher levels of mind; on Paradise, energy and spirit are essentially one.
At every point in this great divergent wilderness adventure of living mind, whenever we move forward and upward along the universe gravity lines, we have to readjust our philosophy to suit the new territory. And as spirit gravity has power over mind gravity, the trajectory should always be circling ever upward and inward.
I don’t think it was an accident that the two papers on Rodan were included in TUB. They are a portrayal of what a good philosopher should be doing when his trajectory is being pulled upward and inward along the psychic circles of personality realization. Rodan came to Jesus in order to readjust his philosophy after his discovery of a new revelation, Jesus’ gospel. He had a need to rethink, reorient and redirect his thoughts, having come to a new point in his psychic journey. He struggled to realign his thinking with the mental balancing power of mind gravity. He needed a new cosmic philosophy having discovered new cosmic insights. We’re given two whole papers that reveal how he did this.
160:0.1 Rodan was now earnestly engaged in the task of harmonizing his philosophy of life with Jesus’ new religious teachings, and he had come to Magadan hoping that the Master would talk these problems over with him.
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Rodan was ready, willing, and brilliant, wasn’t he?!
Speaking of Cosmic Philosophy, the author’s used those two words together six times, with some marvelously insightful quotes about it:
…For example: The human mind would ordinarily crave to approach the cosmic philosophy portrayed in these revelations by proceeding from the simple and the finite to the complex and the infinite, from human origins to divine destinies. But that path does not lead to spiritual wisdom. Such a procedure is the easiest path to a certain form of genetic knowledge, but at best it can only reveal man’s origin; it reveals little or nothing about his divine destiny. 19:1:5 [#1]…The Seventh Sphere of the Life Carriers is dedicated to the unrevealed domains of evolutionary creature life as it is related to the cosmic philosophy of the expanding factualization of the Supreme Being. 36:2:20 [#2].…The schools of cosmic philosophy here conduct their graduation exercises, and here also do the mortals of the realm receive planetary recognition for achievements of high social service and for other outstanding attainments. 55:1:4 [#2].…Mortal man is passing through a great age of expanding horizons and enlarging concepts on Urantia, and his cosmic philosophy must accelerate in evolution to keep pace with the expansion of the intellectual arena of human thought. As the cosmic consciousness of mortal man expands, he perceives the interrelatedness of all that he finds in his material science, intellectual philosophy, and spiritual insight. Still, with all this belief in the unity of the cosmos, man perceives the diversity of all existence. In spite of all concepts concerning the immutability of Deity, man perceives that he lives in a universe of constant change and experiential growth. Regardless of the realization of the survival of spiritual values, man has ever to reckon with the mathematics and premathematics of force, energy, and power. 104:3:2 [#3]…Man can find the love of God without facts, and man can discover the laws of God without love, but man can never begin to appreciate the infinite symmetry, the supernal harmony, the exquisite repleteness of the all-inclusive nature of the First Source and Center until he has found divine law and divine love and has experientially unified these in his own evolving cosmic philosophy. 111:6:6
.So, how do you think Cosmic Philosophy compares with Superphilosophy?
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Richard E Warren
Rick Warren wrote: So, how do you think Cosmic Philosophy compares with Superphilosophy?
I think the material mind is capable of beginning the process of developing a cosmic philosophy, which is nothing more than experiencing a cosmic consciousness of the interrelatedness of things, meanings and values. Cosmic consciousness is an experiential type of consciousness related to the growth of the Supreme.
Superphilosophy is only attainable on morontia levels of thought and experience, which cannot be attained by the material mind. However, I believe we can begin to get glimpses of it with growth of soul consciousness. Superconsciousness is the goal of the soul.
That’s my current thinking on the question, but subject to change with the hopeful growth of new ideas.
Hi Rick,
I have been following the very thoughtful ideas in this thread with interest. More than a few helpful insights have been expressed. Your question about the difference between cosmic philosophy and super-philosophy is intriguing, because it asks after the possibility of a higher perspective than the philosophical. In a general sense, everyone has a philosophy about reality, a worldview, since it is impossible to think without this.
Partial, incomplete, and evolving intellects would be helpless in the master universe, would be unable to form the first rational thought pattern, were it not for the innate ability of all mind, high or low, to form a universe frame in which to think. (115:1.1)
Philosophy determines the universe frame in which the individual (philosopher) locates, orients, and understands his personal existence. The existential ground of the philosopher determines the nature of the things, meanings, and values of personal experience, because existence necessarily precedes and underlies experience. The question of existence – being – at the root of philosophy is always a metaphysical one. Metaphysics is the effort to identify differing levels of reality. Aristotle called it “first philosophy” with good reason: Philosophy cannot begin before establishing the nature of existence and the levels of being. Unfortunately, neither human reason nor logic can satisfactorily answer metaphysical questions. Instead, philosophy is forced to begin with unprovable axiomatic assumptions about what is real, which leads to different variations of materialism, skepticism, and idealism. Only revelation can resolve this existential confusion by authoritatively validating certain insights into the reality.
“Mota is a supermaterial reality sensitivity which is beginning to compensate incomplete growth, having for its substance knowledge-reason and for its essence faith-insight. Mota is a superphilosophical reconciliation of divergent reality perception which is nonattainable by material personalities…” (103:6.7)
“Metaphysics has proved a failure; mota, man cannot perceive. Revelation is the only technique which can compensate for the absence of the truth sensitivity of mota in a material world.” (103:6.8)
“The highest attainable philosophy of mortal man must be logically based on the reason of science, the faith of religion, and the truth insight afforded by revelation.” (103:6.15)
The written word of epochal revelation can compensate for the absence of the super-philosophical reality perception of mota. As I understand it, cosmic philosophy attempts to harmonize the scientific facts of the outer world of the universe created, controlled, and upheld by God with the inner world of religious truths arising from the personal realization of God’s infinite spiritual love. Another way of looking at this is as the joining of the immanence of God with the transcendence of God.
If the superphilosophical reality sensitivity of mota is unavailable to us, is there, nevertheless, some relationship between morontia mota and the inherent insights of the cosmic mind?
“These scientific, moral, and spiritual insights, these cosmic responses, are innate in the cosmic mind, which endows all will creatures.” (16:6.9)
“In the local universe mind bestowals, these three insights of the cosmic mind constitute the a priori assumptions which make it possible for man to function as a rational and self-conscious personality in the realms of science, philosophy, and religion.” (16:6.10)
In particular, I wonder how mota might be related to the unification of these three cosmic insights into objective reality?
“Aside from these three inalienables of human consciousness, all human experience is really subjective except that intuitive realization of validity attaches to the unification of these three universe reality responses of cosmic recognition.” (16:9.1)
…Another way of looking at this is as the joining of the immanence of God with the transcendence of God.
Thanks George, for that and many other thought jewels in your reply. Very elevating for me.
You asked: In particular, I wonder how mota might be related to the unification of these three cosmic insights into objective reality?
It’s only speculation, but if mota is akin to revelation, then it should function as we are told, a bridge between physicality and spirituality.
Others might offer more/different.
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Richard E Warren
…For example: The human mind would ordinarily crave to approach the cosmic philosophy portrayed in these revelations by proceeding from the simple and the finite to the complex and the infinite, from human origins to divine destinies. But that path does not lead to spiritual wisdom. Such a procedure is the easiest path to a certain form of genetic knowledge, but at best it can only reveal man’s origin; it reveals little or nothing about his divine destiny. 19:1:5 [#1] .
Rick I noticed this UB quote which you used in relation to “cosmic philosophy” in that it implies there can be a genetic link specifically regarding “from human origins” which I have found can be “genetic knowledge” which may be partially inherent in individuals.
I have always been intrigued with the UB’s presentation of “germ plasm” and its link to a very specific subject, in that a persons genetic code can take on some specifics from inherited abilities or talents which may have manifested themselves in their ancestor’s which may show up in various future generations. I have taken this a little further in understanding my own personal philosophies, interests and abilities which have manifested themselves, yet having found a genetic link which might explain my various abilities to understand differing philosophies and associating them with experience, it has changed my outlook regarding the use of knowledge in that wisdom may be somewhat inherent as long as it way developed in philosophy of ideas.
As an example, in furthering my own understanding of ancestral heritage, I found by chance, while reading the second volume of H. P. Blavatsky’s, “The Secret Doctrine” — “The synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy”, published in 1888, my given name within its text. This was a surprise in that my name is somewhat rare but what puzzled me more was that the narration presented as this persons presentation was without origin or explanation as to who this person was. Nevertheless I became intrigued to find the origin and could only find that this person was a student of Friedrich Max Müller, who was mentioned in the narration. Not having given it much thought at that time, I did recently do some additional research on this person finding out that Max Müller was my great grandfather. My fathers mother was his daughter, and along with the vague information that I was able to remember being told and finding out from relatives various associated information that it was true. Not to mention that the picture presented in Wiki had an uncanny resemblance to my father. Now I mention this because Max Müller was a “philologist and Orientalist” and later became a professor on these subjects. Now, this would seem that my interests and possible abilities are also inherent from “genetic knowledge” and explained as “gene plasm” in the UB.
Therefore, we indicate in this topic that we need to teach philosophy to students, which would definitely develop students potential regarding thinking, but it would also indicate that some may be more inclined to understanding these teaching even not having been taught through schooling.
The UB indicates that germ plasm has played a part in the history of Urantia and would also validate why the blending of various races into a more single races is predominantly preferred.
(745.5) 66:4.15 It should be explained in this connection that, at the time the one hundred Andonites contributed their human germ plasm to the members of the Prince’s staff, the Life Carriers introduced into their mortal bodies the complement of the system circuits; and thus were they enabled to live on concurrently with the staff, century after century, in defiance of physical death.
(857.1) 77:2.4 Since the one hundred corporeal members of the Prince’s staff carried germ plasm of the Andonic human strains, it would naturally be expected that, if they engaged in sexual reproduction, their progeny would altogether resemble the offspring of other Andonite parents. But when the sixty rebels of the staff, the followers of Nod, actually engaged in sexual reproduction, their children proved to be far superior in almost every way to both the Andonite and the Sangik peoples. This unexpected excellence characterized not only physical and intellectual qualities but also spiritual capacities.
So the use of “cosmic philosophy” in the UB may be implied differently than what one might associate with other terms like “cosmic mind”? Where I’m not sure that “Superphilosophy” can be associated to “cosmic philosophy” but would be defined better as just a “higher” versus “super” form of “philosophy”? That is unless you are assuming that the “super” is associated to and comes from the superconscious mind?
(1141.4) 103:9.6 When theology masters religion, religion dies; it becomes a doctrine instead of a life. The mission of theology is merely to facilitate the self-consciousness of personal spiritual experience. Theology constitutes the religious effort to define, clarify, expound, and justify the experiential claims of religion, which, in the last analysis, can be validated only by living faith. In the higher philosophy of the universe, wisdom, like reason, becomes allied to faith. Reason, wisdom, and faith are man’s highest human attainments. Reason introduces man to the world of facts, to things; wisdom introduces him to a world of truth, to relationships; faith initiates him into a world of divinity, spiritual experience.
(1141.5) 103:9.7 Faith most willingly carries reason along as far as reason can go and then goes on with wisdom to the full philosophic limit; and then it dares to launch out upon the limitless and never-ending universe journey in the sole company of TRUTH.
(1141.6) 103:9.8 Science (knowledge) is founded on the inherent (adjutant spirit) assumption that reason is valid, that the universe can be comprehended. Philosophy (co-ordinate comprehension) is founded on the inherent (spirit of wisdom) assumption that wisdom is valid, that the material universe can be co-ordinated with the spiritual. Religion (the truth of personal spiritual experience) is founded on the inherent (Thought Adjuster) assumption that faith is valid, that God can be known and attained.
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Interesting story and hypothesis MidiChlorian,
No doubt genes have an influence on our being. How much in each arena–body, mind, spirit–must be highly variable with diverse experiential triggers. And recently the new science of epigenomics revealed we change our DNA (germ plasm=DNA, right?) as we live. And those changes are transmissible. How much ‘genetic memory’ exists, if it exists at all, might explain presumed ‘past life memories’. So much we don’t know yet.
Yes, cosmic philosophy, one would think, is associated with the level of cosmic mind. I do wonder if superphilosophy might just be a phrase the authors coined to indicate the beginner’s level on Mansonia, like the counterparts of the 28 “illustrations of human philosophy”.
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Richard E Warren
I’m pretty sure that mota is morontia wisdom (45:7.6), which, if it were possible, would be attainable by superphilosophy. Superphilosophy would require thinking with the superadjutant mind with the form of superthinking also known as worship. (143:7.7) Probably, the only way to access mota is via the morontia soul. Actually, it would require thinking at the soul level of consciousness, with the supermind, then reaching beyond that point to where the soul abuts the superconscious level, and there one might actually get a tiny glimpse of mota. I think only very high flying souls (if they exist) have hopes of getting the flavor of mota in this life, and even then, I’m not sure how it would apply to the physical level of existence. I think morontia wisdom would be unconscious on the material level, but could still influence behavior as fruits of the spirit. I’m inclined to think that the mind function fostered by the soul mentioned in the next quote is the technique used for this.
111:3.4 The soul partakes of the qualities of both the human mind and the divine spirit but persistently evolves toward augmentation of spirit control and divine dominance through the fostering of a mind function whose meanings seek to co-ordinate with true spirit value.
As for cosmic consciousness, the thought level at which cosmic philosophy might be accomplished, I think we begin to approach this at our current level of mind. Cosmic consciousness grows from the humble origin of human mind all the way up to spirit mind and beyond. It is an experiential phenomenon, which means it is evolutionary. The only way the morontia soul can grow is by contact with the cosmic mind. The material mind of man is the cosmic loom on which morontia fabrics are woven. This growth, or evolution, occurs within the psychic circles, which are also known as cosmic circles. (110:6.16)
I wrote a chapter on cosmic consciousness and how it relates to the three cosmic intuitions, but it needs tweaking. If I get around to doing the tweaks, I’ll share it. Right now I’m not all that motivated to mess with it though.
Bonita wrote:
“I wrote a chapter on cosmic consciousness and how it relates to the three cosmic intuitions,”
I’m sure all of us are keen to reflect on your reflections!
“Right now I’m not all that motivated to mess with it though.”
Ok, so what would it take to tickle that motivation?
with anticipation,
Nigel
No doubt genes have an influence on our being. How much in each arena–body, mind, spirit–must be highly variable with diverse experiential triggers. And recently the new science of epigenomics revealed we change our DNA (germ plasm=DNA, right?) as we live. And those changes are transmissible. How much ‘genetic memory’ exists, if it exists at all, might explain presumed ‘past life memories’. So much we don’t know yet.
Rick, you stated that “(germ plasm=DNA, right?” — The answer is not necessarily true; in that the overall structure is “biopolymers” where this has three essential components (DNA, RNA, and Proteins) and that, DNA makes RNA, RNA make Proteins.
“Germ plasm or polar plasm is a zone found in the cytoplasm of the egg cells of some organisms, which contains determinants that will give rise to the germ cell lineage. As the zygote undergoes mitotic divisions the germ plasm is ultimately restricted to a few cells of the embryo. These germ cells then migrate to the gonads.”
Where one might think that from the notation above that in the question what came first “the chicken or the egg?” it would be neither, in that there is a clue presented in the UB regarding the creating of the first primary midwayer, which when following the narration, will take one to the creation of the “egg cells” and the “sperm cells” and then back to the marriage of these to create chromosomes which are the mid-point of the creation process. Therefore, the study of “germ plasm” is a complex ology which was first documented by the German biologist August Weismann (1834–1914). And would be the primary beginnings of the “epigenomics” as you mentioned above, and would not actually be a new science, but just now more provable.
Thanks for the in-depth answer Midichlorian. Suffice it to say, we are both referring to the seeds of life.
Now, back to philosophy. An astute reader on Facebook wrote this, in part:
…Religions used to ignite philosophical thought and discussion before they became a business. There is no time for philosophical thought when your primary concerns are bread winning, recruitment, and being the “one true” system of beliefs on the planet. I do think philosophy is under-going a rebirth of sorts as people become so weary of this war torn, money grubbing mess of a system we’re living in. Religion has been around long enough that if it were the solution, the problems should already have been solved. There is a great hunger these days and I think the only way to feed it is by having public discussions like these.
I agree with her that interest is growing in things ethereal. It was inevitable that we, as a planet, should develop such interest, once we have achieved a certain degree of material success and security. People innately (and usually unconsciously) realize there is more to existence than things material, tangible, and temporal. But I submit it takes security in the material realm to create the interest, time, and energy for exploration of the intangibles of life, ideals, values, and faith. How often did the authors mention the need for leisure, slack time?
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Richard E Warren
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