Stepping Forward

Stepping Forward

Last day we spoke about how equality and reciprocity are the foundation for this built up belief system. The next four are logic and/or reason, reality, wisdom; knowing what is right, and prudence; doing what is right. These six basic concepts go a long way in defining what is right, the good life, and similar concepts of life in a philosophy of life.

Wisdom includes truth, or perhaps truth should be in there specifically. As the system is being developed, additions are to be expected. Truth, correctness is critical in the process, as well as in the system.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs outlines what human needs are, although these have never been proven. The lower ones are self evident, and yet many philosophies ignore the lower ones, likely because most people do not struggle with these. They have "arrived" by the time they start to look at philosophy. And yet we need to understand that we humans are firstly animals, and even if we can mentally arise a basic animal, we still have animal needs that must biologically be met. This puts vegans out to lunch.

These first seven values reject religions, for the most part.  Equality of persons is not part of the three Western Asia Religions, and Eastern religions are also limiting. Western Modren Buddhism may be an exception, however, it too, has issues, with obsession with mediation. That may work fine with a monastery society, but not so well in a lay society. Religions promote inequality, male domination society. We also live in an overpopulated earth, we need also to deal with the reality of life today. Oh well.

I hold that these first seven points are mostly self evident, but more could be written about the need for these later.

To recap: equality, reciprocity, truth, logic and reason, reality, wisdom, prudence are the foundation for a philosophy of life.