I must admit I can't hack university study - something of an admission
since I teach the stuff. I'm not good at thinking the way others want
me to. However, I still broadly agree knowledge is useful and not
having it generally dangerous. Much could be debated here. I'll
chicken out a bit and put forward 'double aspect theory'.
This claims that mental and physical systems are really both
properties of a deeper reality which itself is neither mental nor
physical. Its most famous advocate in the West was Baruch Spinoza
(1632 - 77). Mind and matter are aspects of the same thing - 'god'.
Mind and matter may be rather similar kinds of entities, one
transmitting and the other receiving (Hume). All talk of mind and
matter can be reduced (Russell) to 'events' which are not
instrinsically either. Vam could no doubt point to a much longer
'Eastern' history of all this than I am capable of. The scientific
account of the physical world is quite unlike the common sense
version.
Such considerations are all very well, but we live in a world that
does not respect knowledge much. This is a world of bent politicians
and all kinds of ways of influencing situations other than through
truth and open demonstration. Deception is everywhere, not least
amongst those claiming to tell us the truth. The species that
uniformly claims to want peace is always at war in history. One could
say we have a 'Barbarian Temperament', yet our history is so bad we
only now have the dawning glimmer that the 'Barbarians' were usually
more peaceful. poetic, artistic and decent than those who delivered
our history to us (Chaz was really good on this and I miss him in
here). As I write, Ponting (the greatest postwar Aussie batter) is
run out - I am easily distracted by trivia. Now Michael Clarke is run
out with a fluke - a decision only giveable through modern
technology. Test Match Special can set you free!
These cricket events are happening 'live as I write' (I do know to
most they are as interesting as something better wiped off the bottom
of a shoe - I imagine Gabby being so enthralled as to contemplate
suicide as preferable to reading on!) - I am genuinely lifted by this
obvious nonsense. My friend Vam might well lift a metaphorical glass
to celebrate his friend's delight, barely concealing how much sweeter
the future revenge over this motley crew of 'born abroad' "Englishmen"
will be in a later Indian Summer.
My point, not argued, is that we need some kind of 101 of living, not
philosophy. I would turn the technology of being able to stage events
to peace, to mobilise a peace that turns what is war to the trivia of
cricket, knitting - something that makes the swell of pride a residual
organ of an entertainment of a long lost history we can laugh at in
all seriousness. Even the human appendix is now known to have modern
use ('good bacteria' hide in there when we are ill). My 101 would
contain questions about how we can form polls of peace and plenty that
cannot be stolen by a few idiots with guns. In this sense, I feel
education is failing us as our young skip to school.
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