"Self and Spirit" returns to the subject of the self and its world, but this time in order to consider their relation in greater depth. The reasons are given as to why dualistic philosophies are necessary, and why monistic thought is essentially destructive. Claims made for the benefits of initiation are criticised, and instead a view of life, death and resurrection inherent in the soul is developed.
In "Foundations of Free Will," three compatible meanings for free will are found from the writings of classic philosophers. Freedom is shown to be closely identified with reason. Consequences for and against moral responsibility are considered, leading to modern arguments for free will which are independent of those of antiquity.
In "The One and the Many," I present arguments against monistic accounts of religion, such as would merge the individual person with a God who does not create anything, but absorbs the reality of other beings for which it has no explanation, including what is real for common sense. The Christian idea of free will is defended on a basis of existence itself, rather than on dualistic religious
teachings. In a chapter called "Ignotum per Ignotius", the absurdity of seeking the mind as though it were absent, as Augustine points out is discussed. We know that we have consciousness, but that does not mean knowing what consciousness is, although we would have to do so if monistic thinking was correct.
Besides the above books, there are two others which appear to be unrelated: "The Order of the Ages: the Hidden laws of World history," and "Person, Soul and Identity: Philosophy and the Real Self." In reality they are related, as each balances the other. "The Order of the Ages," is a study of the cosmic process, and of the conditions which produce change. It appears that nothing can escape these conditions, and that every natural change consumes energies and pre-existent order in an inescapable way. This invites the objection that if this were the whole story, there would by now be nothing left in nature with the capacity for change.
A possible answer to this problem is the subject of the other book "Person, Soul and Identity," where the true motor principle of nature is not to be found in anything visibly moving, which is only a matter of shared momentum, with no power of origination, but in the essential nature of the soul, which is the source of self-motion. Everything depends on the extent to which the motive potential of souls is realized, and that holds the balance between the optimistic and pessimistic views of the world.
These books are written from the point of view of traditional wisdom, which has a central place in them, even though modern insights are included among them, and not tradition for its own sake. In a world where wisdom is disregarded in favour of power, this point of view keeps all of its relevance, and those who agree or disagree with this are free to share their own conclusions. |
