[MD] The Quality of Freedom

[Ham Priday]

Arlo --


[Ham]
> The cognitive faculties of man, however, are not created
> by cell formation or social interraction.

[Arlo]
> Then what "creates" it? You say it "comes from Essence",
> and then seem to deny that it ever comes into existence,
> implying it seems that man's cognitive faculties have always
> existed, held in reserve by Essence, until such a time as
> it could place them into a biological body; a "soul"
> bestowed unto us by "God", no?
>
> To rephrase, then, you'd say that billions of years ago,
> while the Earth was just forming, man's "cognitive faculties"
> existed, as part of Essence, yes?

As part of Essence's potentiality, yes.  You see, Arlo, you are stuck in the 
time warp of causality and are continually trying to "rephrase" my ontogeny 
in temporal terms.  The sequence of events that humans experience is an 
intellectual construct.  Because we are predisposed to orient our thinking 
to this construct, you and I "know" that human beings evolved from the apes 
and developed analytical abilities millions of years later than their 
antecedents.

But we're not evaluating Darwinism here.  Cause and effect, before and 
after, now and then, have no relevance to Creation in the metaphysical 
sense.  I would suggest that you look at my recent post to Mark, which may 
help extend your perspective beyond the existential time frame.

Get back to me when you've put the history of the species behind you and are 
ready to discuss philosophy.

Regards,
Ham