Which came first: being or consciousness; things or ideas? These are not quite the same question although they are closely connected. Objective idealists, like Hegel, think that unconscious concepts preexisted particular things. Plato thought that the Idea of the Good timelessly preexists any particular good persons or things. Philosophical materialists regard Platonism as an inversion of reality. We abstract concepts from empirically observed particulars. Why does this matter? CS Lewis incorporates Platonism into his Christianity. In his
That Hideous Strength, ideal "Language" preceded particular languages. In
Operation Chaos, Poul Anderson imagines a multiverse where materialism is true in some universes but not in others. God and the Devil are manifest in Steve Matuchek's universe where magic works. Can everything exist in the multiverse?
Addendum: This post is telegrammic. To expand slightly: when philosophers say that concepts are real but unconscious, they contradict themselves and move towards materialism. It is "matter"/being that is, initially, unconscious. Marx succeeded Hegel. The other direction to move in from idealism is, with Lewis, towards theism. It is God that thinks the concepts.
4 comments:
Human thoughts are channeled towards certain conclusions by human nature -- that is to say, by the genetic history of the human species.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
But genetics can only incline us to think or act in certain ways. We can choose not to think/act in those ways.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: it's like pushing a boulder uphill. You can do it... but on average, it's not the way to bet.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree--but the possibility is there.
Ad astra! Sean
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