Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Dualism, Monism


Quote of the day:
“So few members of the public show up to speak on agenda items that decisions often pass on consent...and are never discussed.”
--Reporter Alison St. John, talking about San Diego County Board of Supervisors meetings, at kpbs.org

The first place I started thinking about dualism was in graduate school. It’s too bad it came that late. I think this ought to be taught to kids in elementary school.

Two reasons. First, it’s a simple idea to grasp. Second, this idea underlies how we are usually taught to see the world, so being aware of it is essential to the development of critical thinking and a full spiritual life.

Dualism means the world is divided in two, as in yes/no, up/down, right/left, right/wrong, here/there, good/evil, man/woman, light/dark, alive/dead, fast/slow, begin/end, winner/loser, rich/poor, body/spirit, dude/nondude and so on.

We don’t see dualism. Yet it is implicit and embedded in virtually every culture and family.

It underlies every disagreement, conflict and war. It also underlies continuing and profound ignorance. All we need to do is divide things into the proper categories, and then we don’t have to think anymore.

We think dualistically because it is easy, and because it seems logical. After all, there is either being or nothingness. Right? And some things are right, while others are wrong. Right?

RIGHT?? HELLO! RIGHT???

No, wrong.

Just kidding.

Philosophically speaking, nothingness is inherent in being and vice-versa. That is, there is no being unless there is simultaneous and co-located nothingness. One cannot exist without its self-contained opposite, at the same instant and in the same place.

Same for right and wrong. It doesn’t mean that right and wrong don’t exist. Rather it is about how they exist.

A strong case can be made that the power of what Jesus taught came from his insight into this. Later, Paul may have been the one to “dualize,” especially dividing flesh and spirit and heaven and hell.

All this came up for me because of an article I read that was written by an atheist. Unlike most such articles (and those of fervent or fundamentalist believers), it is not simply an exercise in ridiculing or belittling.

With evangelical religion being so present in the political life of our nation and the world over the last several years, it’s natural that an equally dualistic backlash develops.  It is rare to come across a thoughtful response.

I encourage you to read this for some interesting thoughts on why dualistic, rules-based religion has been so important to so many in our culture.

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