[MD] Oneness, Dualism & Intellect

[pholden at davtv.com]

Quoting Ham Priday <hampday1 at verizon.net>:

> Hi Platt --
> 
> > In my mind beauty is associated with betterness,
> > ugly with worseness.
> 
> Mine too.  These are "positive" and "negative" values of the aesthetic kind.
> They are also subjective, which means they're the individual's emotional
> response to his/her objective reality.  Even if such values are communicated
> to others, they don't have much affect on society.  In other words, my
> values have little impact on society at large, and even less on the evolving
> universe.

Oh I wouldn't be too sure about that. One never knows one's effect on others,
or the universe for that matter since others are included in the universe. 

> [Ham, previously]:
> > I assume that "betterness" is the direction that evolution
> > moves.  Wouldn't betterness be achieved just as fast and
> > as certainly without us?  Or, is the phrase "moving forward"
> > in this statement intended to refer only to human progress?
> 
> [Platt]:
> > Yes, to human progress. Since humans are part of nature,
> > I consider their works part of natural evolution.
> 
> Here. of course, I disagree.  Subjectivity is not part of nature.
> Individuals are autonomous as far as the physical world is concerned.  Your
> choice of values may enhance your world perspective but not mine.  You'd
> have to be extremely persuasive to even begin to change someone else's world
> view.

I'm no teacher, but there have been teachers who have changed their student's
worldviews, sometimes dramatically. As for individuals not being part of
this world, you would need to be extremely persuasive indeed to convince others
of that view. 

> Your seven or eight decades as an observer of this universe is but a tiny
> fraction of its 14-billion-year evolution.  It's like a single frame in
> 2-hour motion picture.  Isn't it a bit short-sighted to conclude that
> evolution has stopped?  New species are still being discovered on this
> planet, new stars are being formed while others disappear into black holes,
> and our own sun is in the process of cooling off.  We may even find
> intelligent life blossoming on some other planet.

When someone observes a new species being created, or finds intelligent life
on another planet, please let me know in case I miss the news. :-)

Best regards,
Platt




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