Eric
Graewingholt
My midterm grade was a B
On track B
The Universe in a Nutshell Finished
The Blank Slate Finished
The Electric Meme Finished
My Wicked, Wicked Ways Finished
Twilight of the Idols Finished
Ramana Maharshi Finished
Meetings With Remarkable Men Finished
Rational Mysticism Finished
Looking at Philosophy Finished
Human, All too Human Page 142
13014 .....The
4th Dimension and Black Holes.....
I feel that I deserve a B in the
class even though I posted one time, hopefully that fact that I completed the
final on the A track will make up for it. The main reason I truly only posted
one time was made up of multiple factors. First I’m taking 6 units in summer
school right now and working a full time job. Second is the fact that I was
hopping the message board would be more debate orientated. I posted an
interesting idea and only one ignoramus replied, and didn’t even debate just
fact just said it hasn’t be proven so it’s not possible.
Ramana believes that happiness is
the very nature of self; happiness and the Self are not different. While
Nietzsche says maintaining cheerfulness in the midst of a gloomy affair,
fraught with immeasurable responsibility, is no small feat; and yet what is
needed more than cheerfulness? Nothing succeeds if prankishness has no part in
it. So in fact happiness can’t be achieved unless there is ill-behaved on
peoples parts. Which cause a paradox for Ramana, because happiness is only
obtained when some one else is not happy. Nietzsche reject the way in
traditional morality is founded on rationality, and the way in which it
attempts to universalize a code of conduct. He would criticized Ramana blind
acceptance of social customs, prejudice, and responsibility. The process of
taking responsibility for oneself by self-creation and that although there morals
start from this common point. He argues that an absolute morality forces values
on everyone in a society which advance the interests only of one group of
people and which for the remainder are life rejected. So Ramana believes all
can be happy while Nietzsche says only some can be happy.
Errol Flynn lived life to obtain
pleaser even though Ramana Maharshi chose the same path. They both had
different aspects on how to obtain it. Errol Flynn led an incredible life,
doing things that most people would only dream about. He was more open to the
world, experiencing good with the bad. While Ramana Maharshi was more isolated
and had a philosophy, where if you don’t take risks and chances you will never
fail, but at the same time you will never truly succeed. Errol Flynn was more
honest in a way that if every one took risks in life, the good with the bad.
One could live a more fulfilling life, where as Ramana never truly accomplish
anything. If the world where to take the same out look on life as Ramana then nothing
would ever been accomplish.
At age sixteen, Ramana Maharshi
heard somebody mention Arunachala. Although he didn't know what the word meant
he became greatly excited. Arunachala is the name of a holy hill associated
with the god Shiva. At about the same time he came across a copy of Sekkilar's
Periyapuranam, a book that describes the lives of Shaivite saints, and became
fascinated by it. In the middle of 1896, at age sixteen, he was suddenly
overcome by the feeling that he was about to die. He lay down on the floor,
made his body stiff, and held his breath. "My body is dead now," he
said to himself, "but I am still alive." In a flood of spiritual
awareness he realized he was spirit, not his body. Ramana Maharshi left his
home, his family, and all he knew. He felt drawn to Arunachula. Here he lived
for the rest of his life. His only possessions were a piece of cloth to cover
himself, and a walking stick.
Ken Wilber denies any possibility of
universal truth, and insists that all experiences are mediated by culture and
personality. Ken Wilber trained as a biochemist and his regard for science is
one of the several virtues. John Horgan grants him, though he also perceives a
sort of mystic self-absorption: "I'm enlightened; you're not." Ken
Wilber hastened to disabuse John Horgan of various myths about enlightenment.
Ken Wilber believed that enlightenment "was all going to be fun and
games." But enlightenment does not make you permanently happy, let alone
ecstatic. Instead, it is a state that incorporates all human emotions and
qualities: love and hate, desire and fear, wisdom and ignorance. The problem is
also that no scientist believes the stuff of the mind is non-material and
different from the stuff of the body. Dualism is simply not an option. As Ken
Wilber should think that culture stuff that is removed from and different from
mind and body stuff.
Ken Wilber’s philosophy is the
same as Huston Smith’s in the aspects that are share a theologies of their
time, but besides that fact there are complete opposites.
Experiences make possible by
psychedelic drugs can be similar or identical to the experience described by
the mystics of all ages, cultures, and religions. Drugs have shown upon the similarity
between drug-induced and spontaneous mystical experiences mystical state of
consciousness was defined as a basis for measurement of the phenomena of the
psychedelic drug experiences. In the mystical experience there are certain
fundamental characteristics that are universal and not restricted to any
particular religion or culture. Whether or not the mystical experience is
"religious" depends upon one's definition of religion and was not the
problem investigated. The traits in common, defined the universal phenomena of
the mystical experience, whether considered "religious" or not.
The critical element here is the
recognition that LSD and other psychedelics function more or less as amplifiers
of the psyche. In the dosages used in human experimentation, the classical
psychedelics, such as LSD, do not have any specific pharmacological effects.
They increase the energetic niveau in the psyche and the body, which leads to
manifestation of otherwise hidden psychological processes. A person who has
taken LSD does not have an "LSD experience," but takes a journey into
deep recesses of his or her own psyche. When this substance is given in the
same dosage and under comparable circumstances to a large number of
individuals, each of them will have a different experience reflecting the
specificities of his or her psyche. This approach is a powerful method of
therapy and self-exploration that’s aimed at release of pent-up emotions and
blocked physical energies. Phenomena originating on the perinatal and transpersonal
levels of the psyche include sequences of psychological death and rebirth,
encounters with archetypal beings, visits to mythological realms of various
cultures, past incarnation memories, extrasensory perception, episodes of
out-of-body states, experiences of cosmic consciousness research. These have to
be considered to be natural and normal manifestations of the deeper dynamics of
the human psyche. Grof has developed great awe and respect for these substances
and their enormous positive, as well as negative potential. They are powerful
tools and like any tool they can be used skillfully, ineptly, and
destructively. In out-of-body experiences, experimental subjects often
witnessed and accurately described remote events occurring in locations that
were outside of the range of their senses. None of these happenings were
considered possible in the context of traditional materialistic science and
yet, in psychedelic sessions, they were observed on a daily basis.
Probably the most influential of
Kant's works in ethics is his Groundwork of Metaphysics of Morals. His
basically philosophy preaches a balance between finitude and infinitude.
Ultimate truth in that sense is simply existing between the two extremes and
allowing life to take course, or in essence accepting the reality that is now.
On one hand we have the finite, which refers the tangible aspects of reality
disregarding any notions of either a higher power, or forces that cannot be
scientifically explained. The infinite is just the opposite, giving no merit to
our tangible reality and insisting that this "physical" existence is
purely an illusion. Finding the path in between is accepting the finite as well
as the infinite without collapsing into either one completely. In a sense this
assumes that one does not have first have experience or knowledge of either
extremes but has the intellectual capacity to accept both.
Both men lived extraordinary lives
with all the things they accomplished. While Gurdjieff would be a priest, Errol
Flynn would have been a racecar driver. Gurdjieff was an extraordinary man, a
master in the truest sense. As a young man, Gurdjieff persistently pursued
questions of philosophy and became certain that answers lay within ancient ways
of life. He taught that in order to become harmonious, we must develop new
talents through “work on oneself.” He presented his teachings and ideas in
three forms, writings, music, and movements. Which correspond to our intellect,
emotions, and physical body. While Errol Flynn’s life defined a male standard
and forever set his mark on movie masculinity. In fact created a collection of
manly virtues that even today is what our dreams are made out of. Everything in
this life was for the pursuit of pleaser, all his wild adventures. His endless
quest for the next glorious women, or Flynn uncontrolled desire for the next
drug induced high. They are quite different because Flynn made his impact on
the world by who he was, while Gurdieff made his impact by what he was. Yet
both men are quite similar in the aspect of the actuality, that they had a
profound effect on a immeasurable amount of people’s lives.
Twilight of the idols is defined
by is a begging or end, referring to the setting/rising of the sun, of a false
god. Nietzsche wants the title to be understood as the end of the fake
Christian God.
Nietzsche sees God or religion as
something that is trying to improve men, by giving them a sense of morality.
Yet when humans are incense improved by this morals in fact it only makes them
weakened, they are made less harmful, and through the depressive effect of
fear, through pain, through wounds, and through hunger they become sickly
beasts. The church ruined man, weakened him, but it claimed to have improved
him. Man with free will and no morals; is true to him self and his own actions.
While the church is just a means of controls to bring down the common man.
Philosophy by definition is an investigation
of the nature, causes, or principles of reality, knowledge, or values, based on
logical reasoning rather than empirical methods. After read mind-numbing page
after page. I finally came to the conclusion the word philosophy no longer
holds the same meaning as the Webster’s dictionary. Philosophy has theories
about every thing involving man. Ideas that some of the most remarkable
philosophers of our time have derived are extremely mind-altering. It seams
impossible to the common man some one could produce a thought so impeccable
that it could change the outlook on the world. Philosophy truly is the most
in-depth science I have very studded. I feel as though I had absolutely no clue
as to how things in general work. Now I understand much more, but at the same I
know much less.
According to Nietzsche the
churches at all times have wanted to improve men. This is called morality.
Under the same word, however, the most contradictory tendencies are hidden.
Both the taming of the beast, man, and the breeding of a particular kind of man
have been called improvement. To call the taming of an animal its improvement
sounds almost like a joke to our ears. It is no different with the tamed man
whom the priest has improved. Nietzsche sees this improvement as a method of
enslaving man. Taking away the notions of free will, and giving they a mapped
out way to live, so the notion of self is lost. Today we no longer have any
pity for the concept of free will: we know what it really is. The worst of all
theologians' tricks, aimed at making man responsible in their thoughts, and
dependent upon them.
The most general formula on which
every religion and morality is founded is: Do this and that, refrain from this
and that - then you will be happy! Otherwise. One heaves a sigh of relief at
leaving the Christian atmosphere of disease and dungeons for this healthier,
higher, and wider world. Nietzsche’s world with out religion would be a simple
one. With people know longer held back by the sense of their responsible. Man
in his true form making choices with out consequence. These ideas that where
implanted in the mind of the mass to control them. Humans would have a sense of
freedom the way a wild beast held in captivity feels when it’s finally
released.