Mr the 12 great questions of philosophy

THE 12 GREAT QUESTIONS OF PHILOSOPHY

Almost since the beginning of thought, humanity has sought to understand the universe and its own existence. From the Vedas of India in the East and the Greeks in the West, mankind has asked thousands of question about the nature of life. However, we can group all the questions in 12 categories, the 12 Great Perennial Questions of Philosophy.

Wehave sought to explain existence through myths, superstitions, and religions on one hand; and through science and philosophy on the other. Religion proffers answers to many of these questions, but based on alleged “divine revelation” as interpreted by ecclesiastical “authorities”, and expressed in dogmatic and often irrational belief systems. (Definition of belief: any idea held to be true despitethe absence of evidence: see the Psycanics exposition of the nature of “Truth”.) Science and philosophy eschew belief and faith, and seek to answer these questions by reason and logic: and mysticism answers them through personal experience. The Psycanics cosmology offers answers to the vast majority of these questions.

Philosophy can be considered the search for the answers to these 12issues:

1. What is the nature of the universe? Where does it come from, and how did it come to exist? Is there a First Cause? Of what is it made? What is its purpose? What is the cause of change? What is the process of change? Is it evolving or devolving, or neither? Does it function by itself or would it degenerate into entropy and chaos without some kind of intelligent control?

2. Isthere a Supreme Being? If so, what is Her nature? Did S/He create the universe (Creator / First Cause)? Does She continue to control it personally and if so, at what level and to what degree? Where is She? Is it possible for a human to have a relationship with the Deity, and if so, what kind? If so, why do we not have it now, and how is that relationship achieved? Does S/He intervene in theaffairs of man? Is the Deity Good? Given that that which causes or allows Bad things is Bad, and that by definition the Deity is omnipotent: if She is Good, how can evil exist? (See #7 on Good and Bad).

3. What is the role of human beings in the universe? Are humans the highest fruit of the universe or are we just insignificant specks in the vastness—or something in between? Does the spiritof man descend into matter from higher spiritual realms, or has it evolved from matter? Is the universe conscious or unconscious of man? If it is conscious, is it warm and friendly to him, or cold and indifferent, or even hostile? Given all the real estate in the universe (hundreds of millions of galaxies, billions of stars and planets) can humanity be alone? Would the Creator create the cosmosand populate it with only one intelligent species?

4. What determines the life and fate of each individual? Is wo/man a creator and mover of hir life, or does s/he live at the effect of forces over which s/he has little control? Does free will exist or are our lives determined by outside factors—and if so, what are those factors? Is there a Higher Power that intervenes in our lives; or iseverything pre-determined from the beginning of time; or is life just random, full of coincidence and accident? Why do bad things happen to good people, and good things to bad people?

5. What is mind? What is thought? Is thought real? Where do ideas come from? Are there laws that control thought? Which is superior: mind or matter? Has matter evolved mind, or has mind created matter? Canmatter affect thought; can thought affect matter? Does thought have any importance--does it make any difference in our lives--or is it just fantasy?--or is life predetermined and it makes no difference what we think?

6. What is reality? What is illusion? What is Truth? Is there a universal Truth, true for all men forever, or is Truth relative or individual? How can we identify Truth? What...