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"Concepts, in fact, are outside each other, like
objects in space; and they have the same stability as such
objects, on which they have been modeled.
Taken together, they constitute an "intelligible world" that resembles the
world of solids in its essential characters, but
whose elements are lighter, more diaphanous,
easier for the intellect to deal with than the image
of concrete things: they are not, indeed, the perception itself of things, but
the representation of the act by which the intellect is fixed on them. They
are, therefore, not images, but symbols. Our logic is the
complete set of rules that must be followed in
using symbols." - Henri Bergson
"Some concepts are
implicit in every perception, and are the base of all other concepts. These are
the axiomatic concepts: existence,
identity, consciousness. To
perceive a thing is to
perceive that it
exists. To
perceive a thing is to
perceive that it is
something. To perceive a
thing is to perceive that
one is conscious. Axiomatic concepts cannot be
defined in terms of other concepts because they are logically prior to all other concepts. No proof can be
offered for these, nor is any needed: it is
self-contradictory to deny them, for
they must be accepted and used in every such denial as they are
self-evident." - Michael Miller
Concept is defined as :
Something formed
in the mind; a thought or
notion.
An abstract
or general idea inferred or derived from specific
instances or occurrences.
Perception,
metaphor and concept are entwined like
vines enwrapping each
other.
The process of
conceptualization is an activity of mental grasping, of
interpreting
perceptions.
It is a cognitive process using
thought to comprehend the
incomprehensible,
attempting to tame the incomprehensible into
comprehension.
The quality
of a concept has to do with the knowledge and
understanding of what is
conceived, entailing configurations of relationships, meanings, all flavored, highlighted,
enhanced with metaphoric
imagery and symbol.
There are two basic kinds of concepts = theoretical and empirical.
A theoretical concept is an
abstraction, a speculative
notion, a mental model we create in order to grasp
something intangible.
To abstract means to draw or derive from.
A theoretical concept comes about when we
abstract a comprehensive configuration of thought
from that which is incomprehensible.
A theoretical concept usually takes a
metaphoric form referring back to
"something" not available to the seven senses, having
no concrete tangible existence in and of itself.
By accepting these
concepts as having an existence we come to
believe them to be something they are not.
You can be patriotic, but
you cannot see, touch, or taste patriotism.
It is the same with
all theoretical concepts.
Empirical concepts
relate to tangible activities of the sensory domain,
which you've seen or performed yourself: cooking, sewing,
soldiering,
schooling.
We
see, touch,
smell and taste
when involved with cooking.
Soldiering calls for physical action,
involving seeing and touching, as does schooling, and sewing.
Theoretical concepts can work in tandem with empirical concepts.
The theoretical concept of
patriotism causes people in
America to think of the
"American Way of Life,"
which creates images and
emotions of all kinds of tangible activities:
sports, entertainment,
work, eating habits, parades, etcetera, which
give Americans a sense of united fellowship they
believe is uniquely theirs - which it isn't.
All nations inculcate a sense of
patriotism in their
citizens."As a final effort, the singer rendered some verses which
described a vision of Britain being annihilated by America, and Ireland
bursting her bonds. A carefully prepared crisis was reached in the last line of
the last verse, where the singer threw out her arms and cried, "The
star-spangled banner." Instantly a great cheer swelled from the throats of the
assemblage of the masses. There was a heavy rumble of booted feet thumping the
floor. Eyes gleamed with sudden fire, and calloused hands waved frantically in
the air." - Stephen Crane, from Maggie: A Girl of the Streets
In
Germany when Adolph Hitler
ruled, millions of Germans were just as patriotic as the
majority of Americans are now, thinking Adolph Hitler would lead their
nation to greatness.
Their concept of
patriotism was also based on the
above tangible activities of the "German Way of Life,"
activities very similar to our own social habits,
hobbies, pursuits of pleasure, and confirmation of fellowship.
What
went wrong in Germany?
Anyone sincerely
committed to self-knowledge in all its
complexity will never be
manipulated by the deceitful
patriotic
propaganda and religious rhetoric those in power so skillfully put to use.
Theoretical concepts have the potential to deeply
influence the mind, usually without our being
aware of it, thus having effects which are
all too often detrimental to humanity.
Just as subnuclear particles, which we
can't see, touch,
smell or taste,
can be manipulated and
controlled by scientists using mathematical equations and
technological
expertise, to the extent that they can
create something as terrible as an
H-bomb,
theoretical concepts like
patriotism and God, also not available to sensory perception, can be
manipulated by presidents,
politicians, tyrants,
military
commanders, public relations
experts, to convince people to use such
weapons as the
H-bomb against
other people.
In
other words, through the misuse of empirical concepts the mind can technologically create tools of destruction, and by the misuse of
theoretical concepts establish reasons to put them to
use.
As mass media verifies daily, this
destructive potential of the
mind's conceptual ability is activated continually
on a global scale. |
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This web site is not a commercial web site and
is presented for educational purposes only.
This website defines a new religious
ideology to which its author adheres. The author feels that the falsification
of reality outside personal experience has created a populace unable to discern
propaganda from reality and that this has been done purposefully by an
international corporate cartel through their agents who wish to foist a corrupt
version of reality on the human race. Religious intolerance occurs when any
group refuses to tolerate religious practices, religious beliefs or persons due
to their religious ideology. This web site marks the founding of the religion
aptly named The Truth of the Way of Life - a rational religion based on reason
which requires no leap of faith, accepts no tithes, has no supreme leader, no
church buildings and in which each and every individual is encouraged to
develop a personal relation with God through the pursuit of the knowledge of
reality in the hope of curing the spiritual corruption that has enveloped the
human spirit. The tenets of The Truth of the Way of Life are spelled out in
detail on this web site by the author. Violent acts against individuals due to
their religious beliefs in America is considered a “hate
crime.”
This web site in no way condones violence. To the contrary
the intent here is to reduce the violence that is already occurring due to the
international corporate cartels desire to control the human race. The
international corporate cartel already controls the world central banking
system, mass media worldwide, the industrial military entertainment complex of
America and is responsible for the collapse of morals, the elevation of
self-centered behavior and the destruction of global ecosystems. Civilization
is based on cooperation. Cooperation does not occur at the point of a
gun.
American social mores and values have declined precipitously over
the last century as the corrupt international cartel has garnered more and more
power. This power rests in the ability to deceive the populace in general
through mass media by pressing emotional buttons which have been preprogrammed
into the population through prior mass media psychological operations. The
results have been the destruction of the family and the destruction of social
structures that do not adhere to the corrupt international elites vision of a
perfect world. Through distraction and coercion the direction of thought of the
bulk of the population has been directed toward solutions proposed by the
corrupt international elite that further consolidates their power and which
further their purposes.
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their writings, showed the capacity for intelligent, reasonable, rational,
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