7/30/2019 An Invitation to Others

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In this final part of this first post on the subject of apologetics I want to

continue providing a general context for the future discussion which takes

place. Much of apologetics in any field of thought derives from the

experience each of us has of what seems like a fundamental discrepancy

between what each of us thinks and what some other person thinks. Insome ways, the gulf often seems unbridgeable. This is so in most fields

of life whether one is a practical realist or one holds similar or the same

general positions, Christian, Muslim, Bahai, or one of, as I say above, a

multitude of other positions or topics.

It should be possible to maintain ones own norms as functional and

native to the process of ones own thinking and experience without

justifying or requiring arbitrary absolutes. Many norms in life can not be

conclusively derived from the human sciences, are not amenable tologically imperative proof. It should be possible to uphold ones own

norms, ones own categorical imperatives without calling down fire from

heaven on those who do not agree with ones position. Our ends should

not be confused with complete objective reality, truth, a "this is all there

is" position. Ends are at least partly functional and relative to our own

lives, even if they are seen by us as pure, true and absolute. One might

think of reality as a central fact and as white light broken up as in the

prism of human life and thought, its spectrum of values, values which are

derivative aspects of the same reality.

In the process, we should try and avoid bigotry, bias, and arbitrary

orthodoxy; but this is not always possible for the millions who hold

orthodox positions, believe certain dogmas and do, in fact, possess all

sorts of biases. We all have some bias, some positions, some prejudices,

some views, some dogmas, if you like, and they can serve for us as a

tolerant assertion of preference. They need not act as an intolerant

insistence on agreement or a finality to truth.

Anyway, that's all for now. It's back to the winter winds of Tasmania,about 3 kms from the Bass Straight on the Tamar River. The geography

of place is so much simpler than that of the philosophy and the

intellectual and spiritual geography we are concerned with here, although

even physical geography has its complexities. Whom the gods would

destroy they often make simple and simpler and simpler. I look forward

to a dialogue with someone, anyone. This is just a start or, as Churchill

once said, it is not the beginning or the end, but the end of the beginning.

Although I know from experience at the ripe old age of 64 that the above

words will often be the beginning of the end and will evoke from manyno response at all. That is okay.

7/30/2019 An Invitation to Others

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Here in far-off Tasmania--the last stop before Antarctica, if one wants to

get there by boat through some other route than off the end of South

America or by flying from some point on the planet. Your email will be

gratefully received. -Ron Price, Tasmania.___________________