Saturday, November 27, 2010

Sense and Experience

Consider sense and experience. As material agents, we all experience life uniformly and distinctly. Take the following example. A student of music attends a concert of classical music with someone who has not necessarily studied classical music. Both individuals will enjoy the concert as a whole and experience the music for its overall goodness and enjoyment. However, the person with the trained ear will have a more fulsome experience since they will better appreciate specific aspects of the music and enjoy the concert as a whole. Whereas, the individual who is lacking a trained ear, may not experience the music in the same way. This does not necessarily mean that the mover is degraded or demoted in either case. Only the material senses seem to compete for a greater coherence of reality while the experience as a whole may be evident to anyone who hears music that is pleasant-sounding. Consider a gifted musician who can play the violin expertly to someone who might not possess the same gift. This does not mean that the potential is not present for either mover to possess such a gift or be magnified by such an experience. Matter and form seem to determine how we understand and interact with the universe, which is inherently experienced by the widespread egalitarian mover. Take the blood that flows inside all our veins. Some of us experience blood cots and die. This does not mean that we do not appreciate the life-giving value of blood in our veins and sense its vitality. It's only that matter with the allotment of time provide a means to individualize and interpret that experience in a distinct way. Trees breathe so do humans and sunlight and water give life to all the creatures on earth. But each experience is distinguished by a material prejudice, no matter if that experience can be objectively realized. Such as sunlight beading on a tree, that leads to photosynthesis, which is an objective reality. Thus, while the experience may be real as a dialectical truth, it can still be objectively deconstructed. Why? It seems a greater more glorious reality persists that is more logical and all-seeing. Why then should there be matter and form? What is the mover's purpose? Is it relegated to only form by which the trained ear contemplates music or the valiant soldier trounces the enemy. How is that accountable to an objectively known reality that may be predetermined. The mover is central to our question and matter provides some answers or a knowable set of talents that are also limited. I can visualize a demonic monster arising from the depths of the ocean to lay siege to a helpless city, but that does not make it materially true. Are these material apparitions limited in scope or are they hanging by the cusp of an infinite reality. The possibilities are endless. I think therefore I am but as I think am I not unthinking. It seems that the consideration of metaphysics often relegates us to the status of beasts. Let's hope otherwise.

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