[MD] Being-Aware

[Ham Priday]

To all MoQers --


We each have our own view of reality, and you folks diligently strive to fit 
it to Pirsig's hierarchy of levels and patterns.  Unfortunately, in making 
this accommodation, we all get bogged down in sophisticated terms and 
paradigms that not only attempt to do Pirsig "one better" but are 
incomprehensible to the average participant.  (I plead guilty to the same 
mistake.)

Noting the confusion, a few of us have moved toward presenting our ideas 
with the fundamentals in mind.  Recently I've been trying to to this with 
Bo, Marsha, Ron, Joe. and some others here, with some productive results. 
The worst that can happen with this approach is that someone rejects the 
fundamental principle out of hand, which aborts the discussion.  When this 
happens, I simply accept the inevitable and move on to the next person who 
shows some willingness to explore an alternative view.

So, at the risk of being simplistic, I'd like to wind back the "levels 
scheme" of reality and start afresh in the simplest and most universal 
language.  I suggest that you all consider existence as "Being-Aware".  You 
may disagree with this concept; but before you do, let me try to show why it 
is as close to fundamental truth as any philosophical postulate.

First, being and becoming are defined by most dictionaries as "the state or 
quality of having or coming into existence."  That makes it fundamental by 
definition.  We can't have existence without being, and we can't exist 
without becoming.  Does anyone here deny this fact?

Secondly, at least from the individual perspective, it is inconceivable that 
you can know that anything exists without having an awareness of it. 
"Awareness" is defined as the realization, perception, or apprehension of 
what we know.  Since we know that being exists only because we are aware of 
it, each cognizant individual is fundamentally a being-aware.   Or, to put 
it another way, being in existence takes the form of a sensible (cognizant, 
knowing) agent or entity who becomes aware of being, the locus of which is 
his/her self and its knowledge of a diversity of other beings.

Finally, whether your personal philosophy accepts the "metaphysical reality" 
of this dualism or not, existence consists of at least one cognizant subject 
(self) aware of an objective otherness (being).  However we may hypothesize 
Reality, and whatever we  think may have occurred before (or after) 
awareness, fundamentally Existence = Being-Aware.

Now, because it establishes a fundamental precept, I would appreciate your 
comments and/or objections to this analysis.  It seems to me that if we can 
accept Being-Aware as an irrefutable principle of existence, we will have a 
universal platform on which to construct a metaphysical theory of ultimate 
reality, whether it is essentialism, existentialism, nihilism, idealism, or 
qualityism.

Respectfully yours,
Ham