Rosicrucian Beacon Magazine - 2012-09 - AMORC

More documents

Recommendations

Info

y Alexander F Skutchhilosophy BEGINS with wonder. Tounderstand what it is, we must go back to itsorigins. First among the things of wonder isthe world itself. How did it begin? Of what isit made? How is it governed? Even childrenask their parents these fundamental questions.Western philosophy today evolved from the genius ofthe ancient Greeks. They established and outlined it. Theirideas were such that until modern times no Europeanthinker made any advances of outstanding originality. Theearliest Greek philosophers flourished in the prosperousIonian cities on the Eastern shore of the Aegean Sea,in Asia Minor. They were largely interested in physicalproblems. Above all they sought to discover some singlesubstance of whose modifications all the multiplicity ofthings is composed.Wonder, or curiosity, is one of the fundamentalattributes of the human mind, which has made us whatwe are. But even more deeply rooted and insistent is thedesire to lead a good and satisfying life, our yearning forhappiness. The penetrating intellects of the Greek thinkerssoon perceived the intimate connection between their30The Rosicrucian Beacon -- September 2012
desire to know and their yearning for happiness. We donot live in a vacuum, but in a world which has definitemodes of procedure, known as the ‘laws of nature’.Moreover, we also have definite characteristics. We haveour human nature, which is largely inherited, but subjectto modification by social and individual effort. This mustalso be taken into account by anyone who earnestly desiresa good and happy life. Only by understanding ourselvesand the world can we intelligently pursue our highest goalsand set happiness on a firm foundation.The great systems of Greek philosophy sprang fromthe intimate union of two fundamental and interrelatedhuman interests: the thirst for knowledge and the yearningfor happiness and fulfilment. Essentially there were threedivisions to Greek thinking: logic, physics, and ethics.• Logic is the study of pure thought, independentof any objects.• Physics is the study of how things happen in theworld of material objects.• Ethics is the study of how things ought tohappen in the world of human beings.With such a vast field, the cultivation ofphilosophy became a large undertaking, fit toengross one’s best faculties for a whole lifetime.Some thinkers placed more emphasis on onedivision of philosophy than on another. Socrates(c.469-399 BCE), one of the pioneers, was scarcelyinterested in physics; but in his later years he seemsto have devoted most of his time to impressing on hiscontemporaries the need for expert knowledge, and abetter understanding of the terms associated with theleading of a good life.Three faces of philosophy: From the back, Socrates, his disciple Plato, andPlato’s pupil, Aristotle.Although the philosopher ardently desires true knowledge, he above allyearns for ‘wisdom’, which is the application of truth to life.His disciple Plato (429-347 BCE) was far moreconcerned with logical, moral and political problemsthan with physics and cosmological speculation. Aristotle(384-322 BCE), who was Plato’s pupil, is outstanding forthe breadth of his interests and the scope of his writings.He wrote treatises on logic, physics (including longworks on zoology), aesthetics, ethics, politics or the art ofgovernment, and even metaphysics or the discussion ofTo understand what philosophy is, we mustdistinguish it from science and religion.what lies beyond the world of phenomena, especially ofGod. The great Stoic system is also remarkable for its vastelaboration in many fields.The second important centre of philosophical inquiryin ancient times was northern India, where thinkers noless acute than the Greeks, turned their attention to muchthe same problems and reached different conclusions. TheNyaya school of philosophical speculation is based ontexts known as the Nyaya Sutras, which were written byAksapada Gautama from around the 2 nd century BCE.The Indians developed a logic comparable to that ofAristotle; in the Vaiseshika, a metaphysical philosophyclosely allied to the Nyaya school of thought, an atomictheory developed which has some resemblance to that ofLeucippus and Democritus. But the avowed end of the sixclassical systems of Indian philosophy (Vedic systems) isthe release from suffering and the attainment of enduringhappiness. Their logic, their physical and cosmologicalspeculations, their prescribed disciplines, were means tothis supreme end.In China, the third ancient centre of philosophicalactivity, the correct conduct of life or the attainment ofcommunal harmony appears to have claimed relatively fargreater attention than understanding of cosmic order. ThisThe Rosicrucian Beacon -- September 201231
Page 3 and 4: Published quarterly by theEnglish G
Page 5 and 6: and majesty of a higher state, and
Page 7 and 8: The sacred is revealed as a human a
Page 9 and 10: “...the pineal gland... is a very
Page 11 and 12: I found it very peaceful sitting th
Page 13 and 14: Míletus held a trading concession
Page 15 and 16: ‘universal ether’. History tell
Page 17 and 18: y Ralph M Lewis, FRCan WE EVER be c
Page 19 and 20: The Right ChoiceA little thought wi
Page 21 and 22: context, the act of transforming me
Page 24 and 25: the spirit, and changes them into o
Page 26 and 27: Figure 8: An 18 th century engravin
Page 28 and 29: tried to understand and embrace the
Page 30 and 31: Kiva Kachina Dance by Ray Naha: The
Page 34 and 35: The term ‘Socratic Dialogue’ re
Page 36 and 37: Does anything really exist outside
Page 38 and 39: The idealised Hanging Gardens of Ba
Page 40 and 41: which within itself contained the s
Page 42 and 43: calming environment. They were oase
Page 44 and 45: Andreas Vesalius illustrated by Ste
Page 46 and 47: Roland Northoverm I THIS FLESH, the

Rosicrucian Beacon Magazine - 2012-09 - AMORC

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?