one of the Kantian/Kropotkin questions is:
How does one gain “inner peace”?
that they are many, many possible means of human pursuit is
clear… for example, many have suggested that the answer to the
question, What am I to do? has to do with seeking pleasure or perhaps
avoiding pain or as the Buddha suggests, trying to eliminate suffering…
or as the founding fathers suggested, seeking “happiness” whatever the
hell happiness is…
does one gain “inner peace” via these possible methods or does
one gain “inner peace” by another means?
I would suggest that finding “inner peace” by those society’s goal
is a failure… for example, does a wealthy man have “inner peace”?
I have known many a wealthy person and believe me, they do not
have anything resembling “inner peace”…
I would suggest that the search for the modern ism’s and ideologies
requirements of wealth and fame and titles and promotions, do
nothing for one to gain “inner peace”…
but asking to gain “inner peace” as a goal, avoids the real question
which is this, is “inner peace” really “what I am suppose to do?”
is that really what “I am supposed to do?”…
are the questions of existence really answered by seeking “inner peace?”
at this point in my life, I have contentment… is that enough?
did I do anything extraordinary to achieve “contentment?”
no, not at all… I simply accepted that which is… I am old…
and at some point in time, sooner then later, I shall die…
I have accepted the things that the Buddha said caused suffering,
sickness, old age and death…and by accepting them, they haunt
me no more…
did I need to search the universe to reach this level of understanding?
Nope, I simply accepted…nothing more……
am I happy? I have no idea… but I don’t think happiness
is really what life is all about anyway…
why am I a philosopher?
because I challenge the basic assumptions of modern America…
the search for, as our founding fathers put it, “the pursuit of life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness” isn’t what should motivate us…
nor should this search for the modern “rewards” be the point…
the modern rewards one might seek is fame, wealth, titles, promotions…
But Kropotkin, if you remove or eliminate these things, what else is there?
what else should we be engaged with if not the pursuit of wealth or fame,
or titles or promotions?
the Kantian question: “What am I to do?”
try as one might, you can cannot escape this existential question of
existence…
“what should I hope for?”
is there a god or heaven or hell or angels or sin?
no Virginia, there is no evidence of any kind that
there is a god or heaven or hell or angels or sin…
why rely on unproven statements…
But Kropotkin, all statements are unproven…
the Kantian question: “What can we know?”
How can I know the “truth?”
what truth is, is found in our diverse and varied understanding of
the world… what “truth” there is, is different because our
viewpoints are different…… “What can I know?” is different then “what can
you know?” because we have diverse and different viewpoints……
my truth is different then your truth……
because my viewpoint is different then your viewpoint…
So, What am I to do?"…….
But Kropotkin, you are offering your “truths” as the “truth”…
no, no I am not… I am simply offering you one possible truth…
But Kropotkin, you are contradicting yourself……
good…
for the truth is only found in the contradictions of life…
Kropotkin, you make no sense…
and so what?
life doesn’t make sense… that is the real truth of existence…
I offer up no answers… I only offer up questions…
Kropotkin