And so ... "man is the measure" of reality at the personal scale? Reality ultimately must obey what a particular man might happen to want? And that somehow one's personal proclivities and preferences along this line determine what happens in the real world on a universal scale? Is that what you're saying?
If so, I'd reply: Man can conceive of the universe any which-way he wants to. But the REAL universe goes on, irrespective of man's imaginings — at least those that do not conform to the REAL universe, which God created in the Beginning. His LOGOS rules — then, now, and forever.
Man is part and participant of/in the real ["objective"] universe. As such, he never determines it. In short, human rhetoric does not change actual Reality. That maneuver works only in human dreams....
Then again you wrote:
The idea of an immortal soul, a whole being that "feels" and "sees" and exists transcendentally on another conscious plane, is intriguing. To me, it's like dark matter—a convenient postulate that could answer a lot of questions, but no one knows what it is or how to detect it and recognize it.Very intriguing way to put the matter, my friend!
Thank you so very much for writing, dear kosta!
THANKS FOR THE PING.
That's right. What is a solid to us is not a solid to a neutrino. That's why we are a measure of our reality; we can be aware of other realities but we cannot participate in them. Pretending to be a neutrino and trying to fly through a rock will be most disappointing. We can't be something other than what our natures make us to be.
A human being can only be a whole and if that whole includes a soul and a body then anything other than that combination is not a human being. As human beings we can only exist and live and function in human reality, or so it seems.
Man is part and participant of/in the real ["objective"] universe. As such, he never determines it. In short, human rhetoric does not change actual Reality. That maneuver works only in human dreams....
Thank you oh so very much for all of your insights, dearest sister in Christ!
And so ... "man is the measure" of reality at the personal scale?
Man is a measure of his own reality. No one else can measure his reality. Just as a woman is a measure of woman's reality and man (male) is of his because they are distinct realities. After all, each person is a measure of his or her reality by virtue of how they are.
And that somehow one's personal proclivities and preferences along this line determine what happens in the real world on a universal scale? Is that what you're saying?
Each person will try to create conditions that best suit his or her physical and psychological makeup, how each experiences and deal with the world. For example, overweight people may prefer stretchable clothes; non-smokers may wish to create a smoke-free environment; disabled individuals may wish to see more wheel chair ramps, etc. Along with these desires they also create a set of values that reflect their reality.
Very few people attempt to change or influence things they cannot influence, such as earthquakes or hurricanes; heat waves; tidal waves, etc. At best they can hope to come up with technology that will give them some time to escape or seek shelter. The reality of Nature is simply accepted as such and man can do no more than hope he will manage to escape the natural (impersonal) wrath of the physical world.
If so, I'd reply: Man can conceive of the universe any which-way he wants to. But the REAL universe goes on, irrespective of man's imaginings
I agree.
Man is part and participant of/in the real ["objective"] universe. As such, he never determines it. In short, human rhetoric does not change actual Reality
Again, that is correct. However, that does not mean that man does not measure or change the world (within means) according to human standards, according to his measure.