INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE
Understanding the nature of this world with our thoughts, having an understanding of all that is, Man and the Universe and the exact nature of truth and reality and wanting to explain it so other Men can understand it, this is for me the definition of philosophy.
We thus need to determine the context of what we are trying to explain because the philosophy of nature, and any philosophy in fact, is trying to determine a precise context, that of reality. To describe reality is more complicated than it may seem, as the mental, conceptual and linguistic thoughts of Men conditioned since his birth by his country, his parents, his relatives, his education and his work place, can largely influence his perceptions and the way he expresses them.
If we really wish to understand and describe the nature of reality and where and how Man is in relationship with this incredible intelligence which underlies atoms and galaxies, in a way that all Men can understand, we need as much as possible to establish a context which is beyond any regional, national, cultural, religious or political consideration. The premises to writing the Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting One’s Reason and of Seeking Truth in the Sciences of René Descartes that was to accept from the onset all the laws and the conventions governing the social context where he lived to elaborate this method, created a vision of logic and life that has been invalidated by the most recent discoveries in quantum physics. We would suggest a more universal approach.
We are living in a crucial and potentially catastrophic time period which threatens not only humanity but the very existence of this planet. There is enough nuclear armament on earth to destroy it numerous times. The violence of the religious fanatical extremism shown by the Christian churches in the Middle Age with the Inquisition and the current Islamic violent radicalism, the ceaseless wars in the name of patriotism, financial gain, territory, the supremacy of one nation, race or religion over another, all these devious ways that do not recognize the universality of all Men, creates suffering and destruction. Where there is a basic understanding of the essentially creative nature of human consciousness the futility of destruction and any form of imposed suffering is evident. We thus need a philosophy which is universal, and able to envision the end of wars and useless suffering. Albeit the limitations of language I will seek to establish this philosophy in a context which transcends regional, national, cultural, religious and political differences. Thus I hope all Men can understand and think about it.
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK