Mfers
> NOVEMBER TOPIC
> In order to bring a pragmatic element into the discussion, state how Lila has affected our
> lives from a personal perspective.
To me the key word in the topic is "pragmatic". Answering using the more
common definition of pragmatic, " concerned with actual practice,
everyday affairs, etc. not with theory or speculation; practical." The
practical effect of Zen and Lila on my experience was that by the end of
Lila I began to seriously ask about the proposed philosophy, "Is it
true?" Then "How do I go about finding out?" Since 1991 some portion of
my "everyday affairs" have been given over to investigating these and
the ennumerable related questions. So from a practical point of view
they changed my experience by introducing me to philosophy in general
and the threads of empiricism and pragmatism specifically.
But the most basic question of pragmatism still remains for the MoQ.
James' early essay " Pragmatism and Radical Empiricism" asks it this
way. "Grant an idea or belief to be true," it says, "what concrete
difference will its being true make in any one's actual life? What
experiences [may] be different from those which would obtain if the
belief were false? How will the truth be realized? What, in short, is
the truth's cash-value in experiential terms?" The moment pragmatism
asks this question, it sees the answer: True ideas are those that we can
assimilate, validate, corroborate, and verify. False ideas are those
that we cannot."
With reguard to the MoQ that "assimulating, validating, corroborating,
and verifing" process is underway but just like the current US election
we're still counting the ballots, the electorial college has not voted,
and even when they do the question of governing authority may be still
be open for a long time.
Or maybe not.
3WD
MOQ.org - http://www.moq.org
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Aug 17 2002 - 16:03:28 BST