I just checked out this thread again. I was not aware of these replies. I don't believe I have received any notifications, whereas I had been receiving them. I have been very busy, but I will try to respond soon.
Again, some may be interested in the (free) book that I have written about the mind-body problem. The following is the Introduction:
MIND-BODY PROBLEM: Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Throughout much of Western philosophical thought there has been an overt and/or underlying set of problems that...
We created our religions. Our religions reflect who we are. The problem is us. Religions are a cultural phenomenon. Our religions are important, but they are very non-optimal, because we have not yet learned how to live optimally. We need for our religions to improve. I call that...
I understand. We do not seem to be making progress on understanding each other, much less coming to agreement. I know that yours is probably the majority viewpoint, but it is not mine, for the reasons I keep giving. Because most people will agree with you, the odds are against my viewpoint...
What I am trying to convey is very difficult because I am speaking from an internal context that you and most others, I recognize, do not have. So your image of what I am talking about is different than my image of what I am talking about.
First, I am looking at a time frame from before...
The problem here is that you have a language that I do not use, and also a metaphoric world view that is problematic related to the mind-body problem. You are speaking of entities inside yourself that go around and do things. I do not believe that is as functional a worldview as the one that I...
The problem is that those words sound good, because they are what you are supposed to say, but the meaning of them is very unclear. Consequently, they have almost no effect on our behavior. We still quite easily engage in lack of empathy, hostility, fighting, punishment, and revenge. If that...
So if even 75% of the population signed up for these courses every year, what would be the result? I am talking about "readily available to everyone." I am talking about an important function in our lives, the sharing and comparing of ideas about daily life problems with people whom we know...
It is quite apparent to me that we have very different ideas in mind when we are using the same words. It might help if you would answer this. A person believes that it is good to discuss with others all of the basic ethical questions that come up in daily living, as a way of becoming a better...
Creativity is important, and enhances our lives. There, diversity and ambiguity of language helps.
Cooperation is important, and enhances our lives. There, agreement and precision of language is essential.
From FOR EVERYONE: Rational-Ethical Living | Basic Methods In This Book:
[It should be...
See, you are demonstrating what I have said. You have not been able to name a single example of a widely available, recognized alternative to our religions as places that we all know to go to study how to be good people. Everyone knows where to go to get food, to work out, to get one's teeth...
I agree that most people do not think this way, but if one takes a look at what actually is occurring, I believe that the evidence shows that this is the primary function of Religion. People do not go to their religious organizations in order to find out how the world is constructed and...
For thousands of years, all over this planet, the accepted set of readily available social institutions and activities the primary function of which has been the adult study of how to be good people (i.e., to have an optimal basic ethical philosophy) has been those that we have referred to as...
My perspective is not the past 100 years but the past 30,000 years or longer, and I believe we are just beginning to undergo our 3rd exponential change making us drastically different from the way we were before. I believe there is a way of understanding this that enables us to work to bring it...
I am trying to have my friend Arliss, who has read much of my stuff, is familiar with the Belief Manual, and is writing some related things having to do with modeling of beliefs, see what you have written above. There may be some similarity of thinking that will enable us to cross fertilize...
Because it is a movement within Religion, manifested within many of the specific religions, and is a reflection of what is happening within our species. We have always had Religion, using the term as I am using it, and it has been a very important function of our species. There is much good...