Tuesday, 22 May 2012

EVIDENCE

IN MATTERS PHILOSOPHICAL I HAVE NOT FOUND INSPIRATION OR SATISFACTION IN STUDYING THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY OR THE VARIOUS FAMOUS PHILOSOPHERS OF PAST CENTURIES AND THEIR THOUGHT, EITHER SECULAR OR RELIGIOUS, SYSTEMATIC OR MYSTICAL.  MORE I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE AVAILABILITY OF EVIDENCE IN EMERGING SCIENCE, ESPECIALLY BIOLOGY AND PARTICULARLY GENETICS — AND MOST CENTRALLY, MOLECULAR GENETICS, INCLUDING THE MOST RECENT ADVANCES THAT REACH TOWARD PERSONALITY GENETICS.  


EVIDENCE.  EVIDENCE FOR EVERYTHING WE BELIEVE.  EVIDENCE THAT OVERWHELMS BELIEF WHILE YET ALLOWING IT.  THE ONLY BELIEF THAT CAN SAFELY AND PERMANENTLY REMAIN WITH US TO THE END OF HUMAN DAYS, THAT CAN BE PATIENTLY ADDED TO AND BUILT INTO A NEW EMERGING USEFULNESS, IS BELIEF BASED IN EVIDENCE.  


FAITH, WHICH IS BELIEF NOT BASED IN EVIDENCE, EXISTS IN HUMAN THOUGHT BECAUSE FOR MOST OF OUR DAYS WE HAD FOUND NO SYSTEMATIC WAY TO ANSWER VITAL QUESTIONS AND FAITH ALLOWED US TO COOPERATE IN ORDER TO SURVIVE IN THE FACE OF REGRETTABLE IGNORANCE UNTIL A TIME WHEN GREATER UNDERSTANDING COULD BEGIN TO PENETRATE THE DARKNESS.  THE FACT OF THE PERSISTENCE OF FAITH IN CONFRONTING A SCIENCE WHICH HAS BECOME A BEACON OF UNRIVALLED POWER TO ILLUMINATE THIS DARKNESS IS A TESTAMENT TO THE TRUTH OF ITS POWER, THAT SCIENCE RIVALS AND REPLACES ENTRENCHED MODES OF THOUGHT AND ACTION AND ALLEGIANCE AND ALLIANCE —  AND YES, POWER AND PRIVILEGE.

Wednesday, 2 May 2012

GETTING, GOING

GETTING ALONG WITH OTHERS IS DIFFERENT THAN GOING ALONG WITH OTHERS.