Virtue

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I’ve been reading Aristotle’s Ethics lately. In it, he spends considerable time defining what it means to be virtuous. His investigations consider how one’s feelings or actions determine how one measures up virtue-wise, the general rule being the exercise of moderation in one’s behavior, avoiding excess on the one hand but acting when action is called for, providing it’s the right action to the right person to the right extent at the right time with the right motive in the right way.

As I think about it, it seems to me excessive behaviors are not something I might be accused of but perhaps I am a bit lax when it comes to social action. Even so, I wonder if I want the label. Assuming virtuosity as a personal trait seems a bit pretentious. I guess, though, there’s nothing wrong in having pride in one’s good behavior, but I have to wonder how capable I am of getting all the ‘rights’ right.

The Importance of Pluralism

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As Christianity took hold in Rome following the dream that inspired Constantine to declare it acceptable, lawful and primary within the empire, church fathers imposed their political will.  Christian orthodoxy became the law of the land, all unorthodox believers subject to extreme punishment or death.  Huge numbers were forcibly baptized, making them subject to the will of the Church.  The results of this oppression suppressed free thought and led to the destruction of the learned texts and knowledgeable thought of the previous 500 years.  As these dark ages persisted literacy disappeared and western civilization reverted, learning replaced by mythical thinking. 

How are things different now?  Strong armed political will push a narrative aimed toward personal enrichment for a few without regard to the majority.  200 years of intellectual progress opened myriad ideas producing unprecedented cultural and technological innovation in a truly pluralistic society is being attacked.  The xenophobic fears of a populous looking backwards are in danger of finding themselves living in the kind of closed society that history informs us has been the demise of many earlier civilizations. 

The Demise of Closed Societies

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The historical significance of an open society; encouraging immigration, acceptance of cultural and religious differences has produced over the centuries multi-cultural populations sharing diverse ideas that result in a more productive society; room and time for people to excel at what they do best.

Even so, there are those among us, a conservative population, comfortable with their neighbors of similar ethnicity, religious beliefs and culture, where the status quo is an undeniable rule. Immigrant populations are discouraged, disallowed to participate, denied an initial hand-up and isolated rather than given the means to assimilate, which is what they desire.

It should be remembered that over the course of history closed societies are destined for collapse.

Social Darwinism

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After Charles Darwin’s, “On the Origin of the Species” was published in 1859, thinkers saw the need to reconcile the idea of life evolving, human from animal, with the conventional understanding of mankind as God’s creation, superior and soul-bearing destined for life ever after.

As popular thinking slowly grasped the notion that survival in a changing world required adaptation, that only the fittest organisms would survive and thrive, unfair advantage was taken. Within the social milieu of the late 19th century western world, evolutionary thinking justified rampant social inequalities, unequal wealth distribution, as properly rewarding the most fit.

Such a philosophic stance produced an uneven playing field favoring ‘robber barons’ who undermined and swallowed up competition. Any sense of moral empathy for the harsh working conditions of the common laborer became subordinated to the pursuit of wealth despite the dictates of the Christian Church. Individualism became the rule; acquire what one could despite societal needs.

Within two decades, it became apparent that singular selfishness will lose out to a shared cooperative existence and that empathy, innate in the human animal, will produce stability. Morality and ethics are necessary components for mankind to realize life’s primary goal: a degree of happiness.

Not sure if the lessons are being learned.

Plato’s Republic

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Plato’s Republic is a dialectical exercise in defining the ideal society.

A Guardian class consisting of the best and most fit physically and mentally is to be selected at a very young age to receive an education through a carefully ordered curriculum that will instill those qualities most favorable to preservation of the state. These Guardians will learn to put the state first above all other considerations, will distain personal gain while living in communal groups without material advantage. the best of these Guardians will be chosen to lead as philosopher kings, ensuring justice for all in this Ideal State.

What could go wrong?

It was argued among the dialecticians that human nature, being what it is, drawn to personal gain, when beyond observation of the populous, will be compelled to forego the practice of justice to gain material advantage. Who will dominate: the just, being good and wise, satisfied with the status quo or the unjust, the bad and ignorant who seek personal gain?

Morality emerges as a potential control factor. (Plato’s)Socrates identifies the soul existing in all people containing the Good as presented in the perfection of the Forms from which the imperfections of the material world are but flawed copies.

Plato’s allegory of the cave relates mankind’s lack of understanding: prisoners chained facing a dark wall, unable to turn, experience only shadows of reality. Not until they are allowed to turn can they see the beauty and complexity of the world. Such is the state of man.

Plasticity as Philosophical Concept

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I’ve been reading about the philosophy of Plasticity, which deals with one’s capacity for change. This thinking investigates the potential for profound personal formation and adaptability in various contexts, including personal identity and social inclusion.

Whereas the idea of ‘reinventing yourself’ through cosmetics or dress and maybe exploration of new venues of social participation might be thought of as involving a mental flexibility Plasticity is the ability to overturn an essential understanding of the natural world and to replace that understanding with thinking that transcends materiality and moves into a realm that may embrace the metaphysical.

What, then, may one reasonably imagine?

Predicating Christianity

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I’ve been reading how Plato and like thinkers derived, through dialectical thinking the existence of metaphysical forms, ideals that exist of which everything on earth are but imperfect copies.

(Plato’s) Socrates compares the ‘unbegotten’ immortal soul to a charioteer in a chariot with two-winged horses that when perfect soars upward, ordering the world, whereas the imperfect soul, loses its wings, drops in its upward flight, settles on the ground as an earthly creature.

From the earliest times, great minds have found meaning beyond the material world, which is not to discount other great minds that have found, through empirical observation, sufficient explanation for existence in natural philosophy.

Meno’s Paradox

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I’ve been reading a treatise Plato wrote about an exchange between Socrates and Menos regarding the nature of virtue. Socrates wants Menos to define virtue, what it is in essence. All Menos can do is give examples of actions and behaviors that could be labeled virtuous.

Socrates admits he, himself, doesn’t know what virtue is, much to the exasperation of Menos. (who may have suggested): if an inquiry cannot produce new knowledge, but only recapitulate what is already known, new knowledge is impossible.

To which Socrates (might have countered): that the answer is with the ‘immortal soul’ within each of us that has always existed and experienced all things. Tapping the ‘immortal soul’ will reveal the learning we desire simply by ‘recollecting’.

Twisted logic, maybe, but the problem of what constitutes virtue is a good one.

Osmosis

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I’ve been thinking about osmosis as being, on the one hand, a fact of science and as an imaginative concept on the other. The reality of osmosis as apparent in the loss of air in car tires over time demonstrates the movement of a tangible material (air) through an otherwise impermeable material (rubber).

Which, I guess, demonstrates the movement of subatomic particles in space and confirms that on the molecular level nothing is ‘solid’ but rather transitional, in flux and changeable.

Which brings to mind our inherent impermanence as bodies in space. Such perspective, when thought about ought to temper the inclination to react too strongly to the political events of the day.

An Open Society

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The history of humankind records periods of time when openness to multicultural interactions and beneficial trade opportunities sped the development of civilization. Intellectual exchange produced new ideas that led to economic stability that freed up time for the revelation of personal skill sets that provided a more functional society. Cities grew; living standards improved.

History informs us of other periods of time, of isolationism, when strong leaders were unwilling to participate in open exchange, were content in their belief that autonomous existence was safer, superior to competition imposed by multicultural exchange. Such a mindset, though, was unprepared to flex when the need for innovation to overcome extended drought, for instance, are fend off enemy incursions when alliances weren’t available for support.

The old trope that ignoring history means repeating mistakes of the past seems to be happening again.