The discussions surrounding the Q phenomena caused me to really think about what any exchange of messages represent. I decided to revisit the Greeks, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, especially their views regarding reality. I have created Agnes as an amalgamation of every old wise person I’ve known, with emphasis on the Ancient Mother motif. Through Agnes, I offer a new, I think, venue: a sort of blog within the blog, where a character narrates the story given them from whomever offers either a private story via email to Agnes (which she will provide soon).
Q or No Q, TEOTWAWKI delayed or imminent, this is a time and a place for the Socratic method, the Platonic method, the Aristotelian method and any other method that relies upon a logical progression from facts or observation to conclusion or idea. I hope to generate some interesting anecdotes on real life events and issues which will help inform and educate a generation of public school victims. School reform ideas will be the third Fireside Chat, unless a better one pops up from you. I know several retired schoolteachers from the old school who will advise Agnes. And perhaps, we can talk to young people here to help us really see what the issues are and not just what the talking heads want us to see.
Personally, I like Socrates’s student Plato. He compares what is with what was supposed to be. The difference in their approach is simple: Socrates uses questions to explore unseen clues. It is at its simplest, “looking at it another way” to discover what we already know Questions lead to the Truth, says Socrates. Plato suggested Truth has two versions and that reality has two versions of truth: the Ideal and the Phenomena. This is what you might consider the dual nature of truth: the event and the memory. If Plato did not introduce the idea of cognitive dissonance after observing how one’s perception can be modified to accept alternative versions of “truth”, he should have at least recognized it.
Simply, the first version is the idea or ideal. These are Truths which are self-evident requiring no proof because there really is no hard proof. The principles for many ideas and ideals are permanent, eternal and spiritual. “Liberty and Justice for All” is a slogan representing an Ideal.
The second is phenomena, or what we call reality, which is a manifestation of the ideal. Phenomena is the world we perceive associated with matter, time, and space. You might say that Agnes is the ideal ancient wise woman: Each contribution to her Fireside Chats a glimpse at the phenomena offered by one or more human story and perspective, with Agnes either narrating or simply letting the “guest” tell their story. With Agnes serving as Gatekeeper, keeping out riffraff prior to Admin approving the posts, it should be fairly easy to manage while I plant garden and get some fences mended.
Hopefully, EC will consult with me again now that he sees it isn’t completely “Womany.” If not, I’m sure he will sneak in somewhere to join the fun. If I can’t generate a good shitfest or a quality discussion in Five Fireside chats with Agnes, then Agnes will fade away, sit in the corner and read her tattered old Bible. I hope Agnes stands as straight as this Mountain Magnolia stood when my father asked if he could take her picture. She agreed, saying, “I will not look at the camera and I will not smile.” Her family has blessed my using it, but I have not decided if Agnes will always be at the Fireside. It could be one of you.
I believe, as I hope you do, that perspectives from people I do not agree with are vital to the debate and I force myself to consider them. Please consider that idea: the person you most disagree with is the one person whose right to speak you must protect. I suppose I’ve wizened a bit from my own tragedies the past few years. But, in the end, folks, an idea is just one single person’s conceptual frame unless it can be fleshed out and take form others recognize. I can explain all day long what I hope to do with Agnes, but until she stands up and starts talking, I can’t explain it any more.
I hope to see you Fireside.
This is a mind-blowing minute, if you have one.
Cosmological – pertaining to the branch of philosophy dealing with the elements and laws and especially the characteristics of the universe such as space and time and causality; “cosmologic philosophy”; “a cosmological argument is an argument that the universe demands the admission of an adequate external cause which is God”
I, for one, am looking forward to your “Fireside Chats”. Largely because I enjoy passionate “discussions”. 😉
Am I the only one who mixes up Socrates with Sophocles?
I don’t confuse them, but I do wonder if they realized time was going backward.
Reality is such a slippery thing.
People resist changing when they are told a thing. Yet, when asked questions, their answers can lead them back to the same reality they may otherwise resist. They “own” their answers.
Looking forward to the chats.
Shitstorms are fun! Can’t wait! I know how to start one. It will have to wait, for now.
Sounds great. If any of it can reach the the captive denizens of public schools You will have a place in the Spiritual Hall of Fame because You put forth the effort to get it out there where it can blossom instead of ending up in good but idle dreams bin.
I built this defense with my own hands. I carried the rock and wheeled the dirt. I placed the cannons to defend my position. I neglected other important things deeming this to be the most important. I own the moral high ground. I sit alone, the approach is dangerous, too difficult for most. What was important once, time has made into nothing. I had no doubt and now I’m just the fool on the hill. I had gold, I had status, but I had no doubt. Now I have nothing. Agnes, she held her hand out to me. She saw the path I was on and she tried to rescue me. She loved me, I could tell. I had no doubt, I had no doubt. I see it now. She said she would hold her smiles until I returned. I saw her picture today. She had no smile, it broke my heart. They told me that she likes to sit in the warmth of the fire and rock in her chair. She was a teacher they said, she liked the Greek scholars they said. I’m going there now, it’s late, I know. Wish me luck.
N-body simulations are used to study processes of non-linear structure formation such as galaxy filaments and galaxy halos from the influence of dark matter. -wiki
Dear Agnes [Agnes, St.1 | ˈaɡnəs |
(died c. 304), Roman martyr. The patron saint of virgins, her emblem is a lamb (Latin agnus). Feast day, January 21.]
I look forward to your wisdom and No-body stimulations.
I admit your video did trigger me with body simulations from an old video buzzing around my head…