Hi Mark --
[Ham, previously]:
The truth of the matter is that what is not experienceable
to human beings is indefinable. Therefore, attempts to define
ultimate Reality as a qualitative abstraction, such as Being,
Consciousness, Energy, Value, or Goodness are no more
valid than equating it to a known physical entity.
Nicholas of Cusa in the 15th century came up with the
principle of the 'Not-other', which is arguably the best
working definition possible for metaphysical reality.
[Mark]:
I am not sure what you mean by experienceable. There are
many things that we cannot experience, yet have a concept for.
We cannot experience a complete vacuum, but we can define it.
We cannot experience life ever after, but we can define it.
We have the ability to extrapolate to that which we cannot
experience. Like: "It feels like this, only 10 times as strong",
or, "Bosons exist according to the math, but they have no mass".
Just because we cannot experience something, doesn't mean
that we can't create the experience for it.
In terms of validity, your statement above should contain the words
"less valid" instead of "more valid". In my opinion.
A perfect vacuum is definable as the absence of air pressure. It's
experienceable in terms of partial vacuums, such as the suction developed by
a vacuum cleaner. We can conceptualize "life ever after", but we can only
define the concept because we cannot experience nothingnes. An
"extrapolation" is not a definition. In short, we disagree that defining a
concept is the same (or as valid) as defining an experienced physical
entity.
Cusa's First Principle defines the "concept" of the 'Not-other', not the
experience, so it's not a "valid" definition. But in metaphysics it's the
concept that we are after, and Cusa has given us a "handle" with which to
deal with what is otherwise ineffable; namely, the Absolute Source. It
works for me in the same way as does Meister Eckhart's 'IS-ness'.
Thanks, Mark.
Ham
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