Rational Weltanschauung

Discussion in 'General Philosophy' started by Hermann, Mar 4, 2001.

  1. Hermann Registered Senior Member

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    The situation is quite simple: Roughly have of the world population are materialists and the other half are dualists - there is nothing in between.

    Materialism is the belief, that there is just one material world and also nonmaterial elements (energy, fields, ideas, etc.) can only exist in connection with matter. There are many names for materialism ranging from atheism to transtopianism, but they all fulfill this basic definition.

    Dualism is the belief, that there is an independent spiritual world besides the material one. To this party belong all religious groups. The problem is here, that the weltanschauung (world outlook) of most religions is not longer believable, because they are based on religious tradition and ignore scientific facts.

    The big question is now, whether materialism is the only way to go or whether there is also a believable belief (weltanschauung) within dualism.

    By my homepage (http://www.users.bigpond.com/hermann.raith) I try to answer this question.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2005
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  3. mreuven Registered Member

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    Only thing I can not quite agree is that there are only two viewpoints - materialism and dualism into which mankind is divided. There is the majority who doesn't care about anything. But that is only a technical point.
    But before we dualists want to persuade others of our ideas we must first decide what we have to offer to them. I would sure like to hear some more ideas from different people. The field is wide open. I myself am trying all the time to order my own thoughts about this. Wouldn't it be possible to be something in-betweeen?
     
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  5. Bobby Lee member Registered Senior Member

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    Ideals on Materializm and Dual

    The Parable CAIN AND ABLE, decided by each if 'I am my brothers keeper"? I don't know, what is more important to society as a whole? A group of people who are judged on those who pride themselves on there material worth or Wealth serving there own best interests, or the one who makes sure everyone has what they need to live and be productive in a physical world ran by our spiritual emotions called the consciences?

    Just a Thought

    Bob
     
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  7. mreuven Registered Member

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    Re: Ideals on Materializm and Dual

    Interesting thought, Bob. I'm going to think about this direction of thought, but I don't think too quickly and momentarily I dont have very much access to computers, till my own reaches me again. But I will reply. Meanwhile I hope there are some more ideas in these directions, which will help me to contemplate
     
  8. Bobby Lee member Registered Senior Member

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    Religion-Bible Story's

    Dualism and Materialism;
    I have know all my life that the Bible is a book written as a guild for men to keep themselves out of Dutch with themselves and others?
    It is a book of physics on the scientific world we live in! If you don't believe me how about the parable "What Goes Around Comes Around? If you don't believe its science than throw a rock up in the air and see if it doesn't come down and hit you in the head? Context and interpretation count for a lot. Its not so much the literal sense as the COMMON SENSE that is the fundamental function of the Spirit that brings about fundamental change and growth? Its a Manual among other things for avoiding pitfalls common to men! The stories must be read with this intent by a individual that has got sense to know what he is really reading?


    Bob
     
  9. Hermann Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    180
    mreuven,

    I agree with you, that there is a large group of people, who don't care at all, but if they would start thinking they would go into one of these two directions. Having a mixture of both seems to be possible only by a split mind using materialism for daily life and keeping dualistic ideas or religion as some kind of risk insurance. But consequently you have to decide for one or the other. The terms materialism and dualism seems to be much more sharp than atheism and theism. Some people call Buddhists atheists, but they are certainly no materialists.


    Bob,

    Asking what is the best for society is certainly an important question. This does not depend on materialism or dualism and religious people do probably not more for the society than atheists. I agree also that the bible could be a good manual for avoiding pitfalls. But independent of all this there is an interest for a proper philosophy of life (weltanschauung), where the bible does not provide a believable answer.
     
  10. mreuven Registered Member

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  11. Hermann Registered Senior Member

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    180
    mreuven,

    I understand your point. If you are religious (or dualist in general), you have not to demonstrate this to others and often it would also not be useful. Some people would even deny their belief when asked. On the other hand there are also strict materialists, who still like rituals by churches for weddings or burials.

    The question is not what you demonstrate to others, but what you believe for yourself. Here I still think that materialism and dualism are extremes and would be mutually exclusive. Many people my not examine their mind carefully enough in order to know whether they are materialists or dualists. Nevertheless anyone who thinks that materialism is not all - he/she is by definition a dualist.
     
  12. Hermann Registered Senior Member

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    180
  13. Hermann Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    180
    Hello,
    I am back again. When I started this thread more than 3 years ago I was still living in Germany. Now I am living in Australia and therefore my website has been shifted to:
    http://www.users.bigpond.com/hermann.raith
    I am fully aware, that the materialistic world view (weltanschauung) is a rational one and it finds a wide consensus among scientists. But I just wanted to point out, that even by considering all the scientific knowledge of today, there is still room for a dualistic world view, which is also a rational one and seems to be much more satisfying at least in my opinion.
    It is always an individual decision, whether someone wants to believe in materialism or whether he would prefer a dualistic world view, if it could be equally rational.
    My main questions are now:
    Is there a really strong argument, why the world view described at my website could not be true?
    Is there another dualistic rational world view, which could be even more satisfying?
     

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