Thursday, December 26, 2024

Reasoning: The Solution

 In the previous posts in this series, I have detailed the rather substantial challenges we as humans face, both individually and collectively, which interfere with our ability to progress toward truth, and to live in a state of (relative) peace and prosperity.

Our very own biological, genetic nature sabotages us in this endeavor. Ironically working against its inherent purpose.

To be fair, progress in this regard is an uphill battle against a fundamental law of physics, specifically the second law of thermodynamics. In simple terms, the second law of thermodynamics says that a closed system (the universe, in this case), unless acted on by an external force, will inevitably move to a state of absolute disorder. As time progresses, living things die and decay, metals corrode, stone crumbles, stars burn out, matter and energy dissipate, until all is one vast, disordered sameness.

How then, do we combat this counter-current, this inexorable march toward absolute chaos? I introduced the answer In the fifth post of this series, "The Art of Reasoning".

I refer to it as an 'art' as I don't believe there is a specific, formulaic way to apply a prescriptive set of steps and arrive at the end goal. As the antithesis of chaos, it must necessarily be adaptive in nature. It requires an active and dynamic effort on our part, both individually and collectively.

Now, that isn't to say there aren't any basic tenets to guide the endeavor. There are guidelines and guardrails, which human wisdom has known and posited since the most ancient of days. Nearly every religious and philosophical system ever devised includes among its most basic of tenets the ideas represented - perhaps most universally today - by either 'the golden rule' ('do unto others as you would have others do to you') or the 'two great commandments' ('Love God' and 'Love thy neighbor as thyself').

The law of Maat in ancient Egypt, or the law of Tzedek in ancient Isreal are two prime examples of this. The same fundamental ideals also show up in Old Norse writings, early Hindu texts, Japanese warrior tradition...  Virtually every old civilization documents a very similar set of fundamental set of guidelines, a 'code of conduct'. The same themes are consistently represented, namely:

Truth - Be honest (or at the very least, don't lie)

Courage - Don't let you fear master you.

Hospitality - Treat guests well.

Work - Be industrious in helping to build your home and your community. Take Joy in Labor.

Fidelity - Be true to friends, and family, be celibate if single, and faithful to your partner if married.

Honor and Integrity - Keep your oaths. Ensure your family name is respected, that it retains a reputation of purity, honesty, integrity and commitment.

Kindness - Speak kind words often, and look for and act on opportunities to help and serve those around you.

Reciprocity - Return kindness for kindness.

Compassion - Be quick to forgive, slow to condemn. Do not overstep your boundaries of concern.

Remorse and Accountability - Allow yourself the expression of remorse. Acknowledge your faults and and errors, take responsibility for and do all in your power to correct your mistakes, and to undo any harm you may have caused.

Wisdom - Actively seek knowledge and cultivate wisdom.

Discipline - Be modest. Practice moderation and self-sacrifice.

Justice - Protect the innocent, the weak, and the helpless. Do not seek violence, but protect those who are unable to protect themselves.



Quite honestly, most of these tenets seem obvious, so sensible, that when one reads them, it seems almost absurd that any civilization would not choose to adhere to them. This underscores just how powerful the 'natural man' is, and why it is such an active, concerted effort to exercise the art of reasoning.

It is difficult just to keep ourselves aligned with these tenets. How can one even hope to keep a society aligned? No easy task to be certain. But one which is worthy of pursuing. And just as active pursuit of the above tenets can help keep an individual on the path of Reasoning, there are also tenets which can serve as guardrails for a society.


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