The View

The View

Before the dualistic view of Plato, the preSocratics were looking for a MONAD, the substance at the base of all existence. A substance that emanated from Being. Each preSocratic had different ideas of it: Thales -- archē, the substance that emanates from Being; Anaximander -- apieron, the Boundless or that which has no limits; Heraclitus--logos, the word which gathers together; and Parmenides--alethia, the uncovering, the revealing of true reality. 

These substances they speak of are not like wood or cloth. These are thoughts with a lot of implications. Thoughts that explored their new view that the physical world has characteristics inherent to itself, coming out of an unseen Boundless by the process of uncovering which could be identified. They applied this view and these processes to examine the world around them, like stars and principles of geometry. They developed a new attitude that nature can be controlled, so they developed tools like telescopes and formulas that enabled them to better navigate the seas. The seas are no longer ruled by Poseidon from within.

With the monad, the ONE becomes the basis of a view and also the beginning of philosophical systems, which are more complete systematic views. Without the elements of those systems, what tools do you have to view? The sun merely warms your back as an experience.

The elements of a philosophical system are as follows:

1. Cosmology: how did the whole thing get here?

2. Cosmogony: how did we get here?

3. Metaphysics: its own question of time and the essence of things

4. Axiology: value system

5. Epistemology: knowable system

Re: 1. Cosmology

Physics tell us about the big bang...

The point from the view of the preSocratic, is, we as particular people and also the whole thing emanated from something they called Being. What is our reality about, how did it all come to be? A way of viewing creates our reality. Reality is not just something that we view, it is something that we experience.

Re: 2. Cosmogony

How did our people get here? Could be a cultural question, as in immigrating from Europe? Could it be a political history about our governing system? Or philosophically in the context of Darwin, through evolution from lower forms of life?

Re: 3. Metaphysics

1. Essence 

Does the thought of essence (usi'a) exclude the need to justify? explain? Some people find usia to be offensive as a concept, perhaps because it might tip-toe by without this explanation. Perhaps the process of alethia, uncovering, is looking for this essence.

2.Time 

It is interesting that time is a question of metaphysics. That is something that we take for granted as well, our view of time. That time might have another view is almost  impossible to imagine, we are so used a particular perspective. 

However we see it changing. Things have speeded up. We want instantaneous answers from Google, instantaneous connections to people. Our personal the vital signs are measured in seconds. 

The corporation has a short term agenda and no long term view. This view of time is getting us into trouble. We don't look at the long term consequences of what we do, even though we teach children consequences.

How does time get its definitional hold over reality? It is an element of a contract. It peers into the future for manipulation of markets and money. Did prehistoric man live so much in the present that time did not exist for him? He had no systems, he just was?

Re: 4. Axiology, value system

This seems to be a crucially human question as opposed to a question of things or Nature because it goes to the question of how we treat each other and how we find and acquire things necessary to survive. It is people who value something. What do we value and what value do we give to this or that? 

Ethics, or what ought-to-be in human conduct, is a branch of axiology. It is the another rendition of the verb to be, involved in teleology, the end-in-view, as are goals.

Re: 5. Epistemology

Knowledge is the collected understanding of a discipline, the body of knowledge, the ideas of knowledge. This is Plato's baby because he invented the Idea. Logos (ology), the gathering together in the word (words). 

When the preSocratics began their inquires they had needs to meet like crossing the seas, and approaching strangers for trade, strangers who had different points of view. From there we have come here. What is our view, our reality? 

In the USA it might be argued that our value systems are negligible. Certainly they are not culturally agreed upon, we are full of conflict and polarization. Philosophy is subterranean, if active at all. What is evident is our technology, which is based on epistemology, a knowledge-based system. Each gadget is rationally conceived, built, and claims to fill a need, respond to a need. If our view is primarily technological, it is limited. Or you might say we have no way of viewing at all.