How Things Work – A Brief History of Reality
Book I – Dualism (Connecting the Dots of Our Modern Dilemma)
Be A Part of the Conversation!
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
“Is this the curse of modernity, to live in a world without judgment, without perspective, no context for understanding or distinguishing what is real and what is imagined, what is manipulated and what is by chance beautiful, what is shadow and what is flesh?” – Terry Tempest Williams
SPECIAL EDITION – “Connecting the Dots of Our Modern Dilemma”
PREFACE
Welcome Everybody!
Congratulations to those of you who have made it this far; your diligence is about to pay off! At this point you may be asking yourself what this is all about. This Special Edition Newsletter was written specifically to answer that question. This week I will explain why we have been talking about these seemingly meaningless ancient ideas and how they pertain to our current dilemma. In addition, I will clearly explain why I wrote this book, what the essential argument is, and how I plan to prosecute that argument in future newsletters. The next step in our consideration involves directly connecting the dots of our past realities to the experience of our current reality. Our journey is not a quick or simple one; our journey is a path for the diligent.
“There are two fatal errors that keep great projects from coming to life:
1) Not finishing
2) Not starting”– Gautama Buddha
You have started a new journey; however, you are just at the beginning of a much larger, much deeper, consideration; now the question is, “Do I want to continue and finish the journey?” Hopefully, this Special Edition Newsletter will answer that question.
In the ancient days of the Shaolin Temple those seeking instruction would come to the gates of the monastery hoping to be admitted. However, none were ever admitted immediately. Instead, they were forced to wait one year in the rain, wind, snow and bitter heat with no resources or assistance. Those remaining at the end of the year were admitted into the temple. Once admitted, their first year as initiates consisted of sweeping the floors and courtyards every day for 365 days. Only then would they begin their actual training. Most were only young boys or teenagers. Was this an act of cruelty?
“The Shaolin were specifically seeking only wise students with the diligence and discipline necessary for successfully completing their training.”
No. The priests and monks knew that very few had the will and diligence needed to endure the years of physical, mental, and spiritual discipline necessary for the successful achievement of their goal. Those who were not ready or capable were spared the long years of strenuous training eventually leading only to inevitable failure. In addition, those not completely committed to the training would likely quit prematurely, leaving with enough knowledge and understanding to be dangerous, but not effective. It was in everyone’s interest to make sure that only those with the competency and dedication to learn, master, and implement the teachings were given the opportunity to continue. The Shaolin were specifically seeking only wise students with the diligence and discipline necessary for successfully completing their training.
The wise student hears of the Tao and practices it diligently.
The average student hears of the Tao and gives it thought now and again.
The foolish student hears of the Tao and laughs aloud.
If there were no laughter, the Tao would not be what it is.Lau Tzu – Tao Te Ching # 41
Not everyone has the diligence to engage and master difficult and deeply complex concepts or ideas. Many simply laugh at them. I am not writing for the masses; I am writing for the diligent. Only someone who is diligent would get this far.
Like the young initiates in their first year of training toward Shaolin mastery, you have been sweeping the floor and corners of your mind in preparation for new ideas and considerations regarding the nature of our reality. Although it is true that initiates swept the floor because the floor needed sweeping, it also served as a discipline that allowed them to detach themselves from their previous ways of thinking, acting, and even being. It conditioned and prepared them for a new transition, the next step in their training.
“…you are now more prepared to think and understand in a way that makes the critical arguments about to be explored more easily accessible and comprehensible.”
Hopefully, you are now more prepared to think and understand in a way that makes the critical arguments about to be explored more easily accessible and comprehensible. From here on, everything we have considered in the past newsletters will be directly connected to something influencing our reality right now, in the present.
“Both sides are seeking the truth, and both sides think they have found it.”
Like Descartes and Einstein, my approach to solving the challenge of dualism stems from viewing opposites as complementary as opposed to incompatible; two sides of the same coin. It is not a matter of who is wrong and who is right; at the very heart of most matters, at some level, BOTH SIDES ARE RIGHT! Both sides are seeking the truth, and both sides think they have found it. Therefore, my intention has nothing to do with who is wrong, who is right, or promoting any specific side or belief; it is to demonstrate the connection beyond their apparent duality by recognizing the common truth that ultimately binds them together.
“…generally most rational arguments represent a good-faith belief, or point of view, by both sides of the argument.”
Believing that one side is always completely right while believing the other side is always completely wrong is not rational; it reflects an unbalanced perspective and approach regarding the truth of reality. Recognizing that both sides reflect a possible image of reality from their own unique perspective offers a stronger foundation that provides greater opportunity for a more balanced world. While there are limited times and circumstances where this simple logic may not apply, generally most rational arguments represent a good-faith belief, or point of view, by both sides of the argument. No rational person would argue for a point of view that they knowingly believed was wrong and would only make things worse!
The ultimate consequence of two sides seeing their side as completely right and the other side as completely wrong is war and destruction. However, the ultimate consequence of two sides recognizing the truth in each other’s views and moving to a new understanding is transcendence. I would argue that we are on the verge of either transcendence or destruction; I am advocating for transcendence.
“How did we get here and what is the next step moving forward?”
However, before that can occur, there has to be a firm understanding of what the opposing arguments are, why they were made in the first place, how they have directly affected our current perspective of reality, and what principle of truth originated each of the “opposing” arguments. All of this must be recognized and understood if we are to truly consider the most important question of our time: “How did we get here and what is the next step moving forward?”
To a great extent, the most serious issues dividing us today revolve around, or can be traced back to, our preconceived ideas and misunderstandings related to Science and Religion. It is the inevitable result of Descartes’ mind-body paradox.
CONSIDERATION #18: Connecting the Dots of Our Modern Dilemma
The fall of Rome was essentially the fall of Western Civilization. As the expansive bridges collapsed and the sophisticated aqueduct systems crumbled, Europe fell into the Dark Ages. The Roman Empire had risen largely due to the knowledge and understanding they had inherited from the early Greeks. That knowledge, along with the physics and metaphysics that supported it, disappeared with the once great civilizations that had spawned it. Although Rome was definitely not a perfect government by our standards, it initiated and sustained the longest period of relatively peaceful technological and economic advancement in recorded history at that time, forever influencing the Western World.
“The legacy of the ancient Romans… exerted a significant influence on succeeding cultures and is still felt around the world in the present day. Roman inventions or innovations were so effective that they either continued in use or were later rediscovered to serve as models in virtually every aspect of human society from the mundane to the sublime. These aspects include but are not limited to:
• Government
• Law
• Technology and engineering
• Cultural transmission and adaptation
• Public servants
• Commerce and customer service
• Cuisine and fast-food
• Dog breeding, training, and collars
• Military & religious organization
• Language & leisure activities”
Joshua J. Mark – Legacy of the Ancient Romans
World History Encyclopedia: September 15, 2020
The most obvious question becomes, “Why, and how, did such a dynamic and powerful civilization fall so completely into ruin and oblivion?” While most historians would agree that the three most likely reasons for Rome’s collapse were corruption, Barbarians, and Christianity, these generic responses provide little understanding of the complete story. How did corruption, Barbarians, and Christianity lead to the downfall of Rome? History.com provides a concise, but more inclusive explanation regarding the details of their influence by considering the eight main reasons for the fall of Rome. Ask yourself if anything in the following synopsis sounds familiar to you.
1. Invasions by Barbarian tribes
The most straightforward theory for Western Rome’s collapse pins the fall on a string of military losses sustained against outside forces… Finally, in 476, the Germanic leader Odoacer staged a revolt and deposed the Emperor Romulus Augustulus. From then on, no Roman emperor would ever again rule from a post in Italy, leading many to cite 476 as the year the Western Empire suffered its deathblow.
2. Economic troubles and over-reliance on slave labor
Even as Rome was under attack from outside forces, it was also crumbling from within thanks to a severe financial crisis… overspending had significantly lightened imperial coffers, and oppressive taxation and inflation had widened the gap between rich and poor. In the hope of avoiding the taxman, many members of the wealthy classes had even fled to the countryside and set up independent fiefdoms. At the same time, the empire was rocked by a labor deficit… expansion ground to a halt in the second century, Rome’s supply of slaves and other war treasures began to dry up… With its economy faltering and its commercial and agricultural production in decline, the Empire began to lose its grip on Europe.
3. The rise of the Eastern Empire
The fate of Western Rome was partially sealed in the late third century, when the Emperor Diocletian divided the Empire into two halves… The division made the empire more easily governable in the short term, but over time the two halves drifted apart… The Western political structure would finally disintegrate in the fifth century but the Eastern Empire endured in some form for another thousand years before being overwhelmed by the Ottoman Empire in the 1400s.
4. Overexpansion and military overspending
At its height, the Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Euphrates River in the Middle East, but its grandeur may have also been its downfall. With such a vast territory to govern, the empire faced an administrative and logistical nightmare... As more and more funds were funneled into the military upkeep of the empire, technological advancement slowed and Rome’s civil infrastructure fell into disrepair.
5. Government corruption and political instability
If Rome’s sheer size made it difficult to govern, ineffective and inconsistent leadership only served to magnify the problem… The political rot also extended to the Roman Senate, which failed to temper the excesses of the emperors due to its own widespread corruption and incompetence. As the situation worsened, civic pride waned and many Roman citizens lost trust in their leadership.
6. The arrival of the Huns and the migration of the Barbarian tribes
The Barbarian attacks on Rome partially stemmed from a mass migration caused by the Huns’ invasion of Europe in the late fourth century. When these Eurasian warriors rampaged through northern Europe, they drove many Germanic tribes to the borders of the Roman Empire. The Romans grudgingly allowed members of the Visigoth tribe to cross south of the Danube and into the safety of Roman territory… With the Western Empire weakened, Germanic tribes like the Vandals and the Saxons were able to surge across its borders and occupy Britain, Spain and North Africa.
7. Christianity and the loss of traditional values
The decline of Rome dovetailed with the spread of Christianity, and some have argued that the rise of a new faith helped contribute to the empire’s fall. The Edict of Milan legalized Christianity in 313, and it later became the state religion in 380. These decrees ended centuries of persecution, but they may have also eroded the traditional Roman values system… Meanwhile, popes and other church leaders took an increased role in political affairs, further complicating governance… While the spread of Christianity may have played a small role in curbing Roman civic virtue, most scholars now argue that its influence paled in comparison to military, economic and administrative factors.
8. Weakening of the Roman legions
For most of its history, Rome’s military was the envy of the ancient world. But during the decline, the makeup of the once mighty legions began to change. Unable to recruit enough soldiers from the Roman citizenry, emperors like Diocletian and Constantine began hiring foreign mercenaries to prop up their armies… While these Germanic soldiers of fortune proved to be fierce warriors, they also had little or no loyalty to the empire, and their power-hungry officers often turned against their Roman employers. In fact, many of the barbarians who sacked the city of Rome and brought down the Western Empire had earned their military stripes while serving in the Roman legions.
Evan Andrews: 8 Reasons Why Rome Fell (History.com – January. 29, 2019)
These are the signs of a declining civilization. Just as Rome was not built in a day, it did not fall in a day. The long road of corruption and decline took place over a long period. So, what is the answer as to how the power, glory, and influence of Rome fell and disappeared from the world? Little by little, over a long period of time.
The next question becomes, “What happens after a great civilization falls?” The first thing that happens is the stability and security it once provided quickly devolves into chaos and anarchy. Then various potential replacements battle each other in an attempt to fill the power vacuum left by the fallen power authority. Finally, all cultural remnants and influences from the once iconic civilization begin to fade from history and memory; perhaps enduring as a long, lost ancient myth. All of this occurred in Western Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire.
“The term, Dark Ages, refers to the idea that Europe was enveloped in darkness due to a lack of cultural advancement. Many held this belief because there was little evidence to prove otherwise in the Western European world. After the Western European Roman Empire rule, feudalism emerged, and the Catholic Church gained power. People were also quite fearful and superstitious about all of life and authority. Advancement of culture, science, and mathematics seemingly halted with the change of power. The Renaissance period, which followed the Middle Ages, tells us more about the Dark Ages than the actual time period itself. Renaissance thinkers revived interest in Greek and Roman philosophy, considering them to be greater thinkers than the European thinker of the Dark Ages.”
Rachel Becker – The Dark Ages (Study.com October 11, 2021)
As the feudal lords of Europe battled to become the future monarchs of their conquests, the last vestige of the Roman Empire seized the opportunity to fill the power vacuum left by its previous benefactor, and systematically become the dominant power structure throughout Medieval Europe. The Church’s power during this period was essentially unquestionable. However, the rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman texts, ironically recovered from Islamic sources, initiated changes leading to the Renaissance and the beginning of the Church’s decline in Europe. The Renaissance reinfused the European scholars and elite with rediscovered knowledge found in the original physics and metaphysics of the ancient philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle; unleashing a new age of science, art, and technology that would directly lead to the “Age of Reason” and the foundation of the modern world.
“The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic ‘rebirth’ following the Middle Ages. Generally described as taking place from the 14th century to the 17th century, the Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature and art. Some of the greatest thinkers, authors, statesmen, scientists and artists in human history thrived during this era, while global exploration opened up new lands and cultures to European commerce. The Renaissance is credited with bridging the gap between the Middle Ages and modern-day civilization.”
Renaissance – History.com (2022)
This brings us to Descartes. Perhaps, Descartes’ greatest achievement is that he transcended the classical philosophy of the past by reincarnating the essence of its physics and metaphysics into both the theology of a transitioning power structure (the Catholic Church) and the emerging new power structure replacing it, modern science. Descartes represents the beginning of a process that establishes a new manifestation of classical Western Civilization, transcending Platonic and Aristotelian physics and metaphysics and becoming the model of Western Reality for the next four centuries.
This movement led to the birth of a new nation, the United States of America, which became the embodiment of a New Cartesian-Western Civilization and the major influence in the new modern world. Although never fully reaching its abstract possibility, it has resulted in the greatest advancement in human rights, individual liberty, religious freedom, economic wealth, science, and technology than any other influence in human history. However, the new West is now on the verge of collapse; Descartes’ mind-body dualism has finally become a crisis that can no longer be contained.
“Our actions are likely to determine whether 2500 years of Western Civilization and culture, including all the valuable lessons learned along the way, will be destroyed and disappear…”
Like Descartes, we find ourselves caught between the wisdom and limitations of our past, the social politics and certainty of our present, and the possibility and potential of transcending our future. Our actions are likely to determine whether 2500 years of Western Civilization and culture, including all the valuable lessons learned along the way, will be destroyed and disappear; plunging the world into a new Dark Age. Or the beginning for a new promise of an even greater possibility and reality. It is impossible to transcend the mind-body paradox without first understanding the illusion of incompatibility between Science and Religion.
POSTSCRIPT
If you are an American, or even if you are not, you have been impacted by the philosophy of the Enlightenment, or Age of Reason, in more ways than you probably know. The papertrail of ideas from Continental Europe’s Enlightenment philosophers to the New World shows a great influence in altering the perception of the inhabitants there. Many began to see the possibility of a different world, not just “philosophically,” but “physically” in the “real” world:
“Thus, the Enlightenment became critical, reforming, and eventually revolutionary. Locke and Jeremy Bentham in England, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot, and Condorcet in France, and Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson in colonial America all contributed to an evolving critique of the arbitrary, authoritarian state and to sketching the outline of a higher form of social organization, based on natural rights and functioning as a political democracy. Such powerful ideas found expression as reform in England and as revolution in France and America.”
Brian Duignan: Enlightenment – European History (Brittanica.com)
From this philosophical movement the abstract possibility of a New Nation, implementing its “enlightened” ideas into the New World, began to foment. A world that would be founded on the importance of Religious Freedom and the Pursuit of Science and Progress. However, the greatest obstacle to achieving the new Age of Reason would come from the emotional aspect of human nature. Next Week we will begin to consider the incredible difficulty of implementing an abstract reality into the physical world.
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