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Epistemology is the way we can understand the world, the means we can use to gather knowledge on reality. Today science claims to be the champion of the knowledge of the world. But it is obviously incomplete: while it is very good in physics, it is average in medicine, and it is unable to apprehend ethics, the nature of consciousness, or the meaning of life. The purpose of General Epistemology is to correct this bias. But for this it does not question traditional science methods. Right on the contrary, it generalizes the worthy science methods to the «abstract» domains, which are the most relevant for us.
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General Epistemology wants to be a mean to (at last) realize the project of the Century of Enlightenment, or of great scientists like Einstein, or science fiction writer such as Jules Verne: an universal science, able to tackle the great interrogations of life, to find solutions to the great problems, not just creating bombs or washing machines. A curious science, an open science, in line with the expectations of citizens, not a petty science which denies the very existence of what it cannot explain.
General Epistemology is not an «alternative science», and it clearly places itself away of this kind of approach. It removes nothing to traditionnal sciences, right on the countrary it uses the classical methods already used in «exact sciences», such as mathematics or physics, and, through some indispensable adaptations, generalizes them to the «abstract» domains such as metaphysic, ethics, study of the consciousness or spirituality, in order to obtain an objective knowledge of these domains. Of course some limitations appear into this process, understandable or unexpected, but the most relevant result is that these domains are no longer an open field for «beliefs», «opinions», or cults. On the contrary we obtain a rich and human science, which comfort out hearts.
Dealing with «abstract» facts such as consciousness requires to check their metaphysical statute: how can consciousness exist, if it is not material? For this, we need to examine the metaphysical conceptions of classical science, which are based on matter. But this, curiously, leads to a completely different understanding of physics: matter, space, time are no longer some absolute «gods», but just an existence mode among others possible existence modes. This makes that General Epistemology does not just deals with ethics, it also has much to say in physics.
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I first published «General Epistemology» version 1 in the year 2000, on paper (ISBN:0-75960-349-9). This version 1 is still available on Amazon.com or with the original publisher: AuthorHouse (formerly 1stbooks) if they remember their contract.
The book «General Epistemology» has seven parts: 1st part: Logic - 2nd part: Epistemology - 3rd part: Metaphysic - 4th part: Physic - 5th part: Consciousness - 6th part: Society - 7th part: Life. Chapters are numbered from 1 to 69, independently of the part.
However online publishers just charge money to put our work on line, but without advertising it. So this version 1 remained confidential, and could not be evaluated as I wished. The few comments I got were positive however.
As a consequence of this situation, I decided to put my book on line. I took profit of this occasion to check it and update it (Yes, things go fast today) or simply to share the clarification of my ideas. Especially part 4 and 7 are extensively rewritten, to correct some serious errors (not from me, but from «popularization» newspapers I was referring to, who often «simplify» science)
The result of this rewriting is «General Epistemology version 2», in the process of publishing on this page, with a different chapter order. In order to avoid any confusion with the previous version, the chapters are now re-numbered with a roman figure as the part number, an hyphen and a chapter number in the part.
But I also took profit of this to make a simplified version: «Peculiar Epistemology version 2» (as a private lesson, it is more sympathetic than in the amphitheater) without the complex scientific justifications, but more understandable for the general public.
A new fact since the version 1 is the persecution of science by ideological lobying groups, such as the «climate deniers» morons, or some religious fundamentalists. Of course I defend science, even classical, against obscurantism and conspirationnist nutters.
here is the version «in Italian», for those who love simple things:
Presentation of «Peculiar Epistemology»
Index of «Peculiar Epistemology»
The following parts are not yet on line:
Here is the version «in Latin», for those who love complicated things:
(Chapter numbers do not match version 1)
Presentation of «General Epistemology»
FIRST PART: LOGIC
Basic recall: With logic, the consciousness states affirmations over objects, then do reasoning to deduct other statements about other objects.
I-2 Criticism of the mathematical Sets Theory
The axioms of the Sets Theory, far from being absolute basis, results from some given choices which already induce the results we expect to be demonstrated from the Sets Theory. So Aristotelian logic is only for objects clearly separated from each other, and also which properties can always be stated perfectly true or perfectly false.
I-3 Aristotelian logic... And others
Objects with other sets of properties lead to other logics: graduated, fuzzy, non-dual, Yin-Yang dialectic...
This is a non-Aristotelian logic I discovered, which is very powerful. In a Yin-Yang dialectic, we introduce a notion of progressive harmonisation between the two terms, thus making two axes, one Yin-Yang horizontal, and one good/bad vertical. In numerous very concrete social, psychological... problems, (commented examples) this approach is able to remove many confusions, which generate conflicts and suffering.
I-5 Reasoning mistakes in quadripolar logic
Axis confusion©, undiscernment among reciprocal situations© or homonymous situations©, diagram construction mistakes and other errors lead to a variety of subtle problems in society, politics, ethics, spirituality... Understanding of quadripolar logic may quickly allay many sufferings.
I-6 Practical conclusions about quadripolar logic
Quadripolar logic, despite of being in another formal system, deserves the full statute of a whole logic, as well as Aristotelian logic, and its daily uses may be as important and numerous.
What does determine which logic is to be used? Each of them matches with different sets of properties of objects in reality, on which we can check if it is efficient or not, valid or not. In History, various cultures and tradition in the world developed various logics, but each of these gifts belongs to the whole mankind.
I-8 Is quadripolar logic rational?
All kinds of logics are equally rational and objective when correctly applied onto the matching objects for which they are valid. Beliefs, distortions and psychological limitations are not means to seek for reality neither for truth, they are not «logics». However notions of rationality or objectivity are questioned, so that we need to discuss their exact meaning. The psychological bias©. As a similar problem also occurs in the discussion on epistemology, the main part of this discussion is in the second part.
I-9 Conceptual buildings and reality
A transcendent reality cannot be completely appropriated with an unique conceptual system. Several systems, with different axioms or logics, are indispensable to give an approximate but comprehensive enough understanding of such a reality. Example: The notion of God, psychology, Buddhist studies.
The different logics all exhibit cases where we cannot state what will happen: paradoxes, actualising indeterminism©... Reality obeying to such systems must get some fix to however behave in a way or another.
Why such expressions as «It is logical» «war logic» «heart logic» are inaccurate or abusive.
Epistemology is the science of knowledge: how to acquire knowledge about the world. An epistemology is a method to explore and know reality, most often based on the notion of evidence. The basic type is scientific epistemology.
Classical scientific or physical epistemology: notions of evidence, reproducibility, testimony, testability, theory, role of institutions, peers referee...
II-2 Brief History of science.
Recall about different epochs in science history, from the low profile Galilee to the triumphing materialism. Research management today.
II-3 To repell the limits of science.
If science today, as a mean to know the world, triumphs in physics and techniques, it is however remarkably absent in immaterial domains such as spirituality, ethics, significance of life... to such an extend that many say that such domains «are not science»! How did an exact science may have restricted itself its scope to the material world? It is because the notion of reality has been confused with the notion of matter! We can pass over this deadlock, as we already do in mathematics. Attempt to use the same method on consciousness. To avoid such mistakes, need about a new generalized epistemology.
When classical scientific epistemology consider only material evidences, General Epistemology keeps with the same methods, but extends the notion of evidence to other domains, such as ethics and spirituality. This permits, to some extents, to generalize notions like science, objectivity and accuracy into such domains.
Notion of spiritual evidence. Reproducibility and testability in spiritual domain. A new epistemology is feasible, but it arises new questions, as the psychological bias cannot simply be eluded, as in physics: it have to be tackled or eliminated with entirely new methods. Peer referee.
II-5 Discussion on General epistemology©.
Even if a new spiritual epistemology does not allow us to simply answer to naïve questions such as «does God exist?» it does allow us to explore our human mind and to build a rational and non-arbitrary ethics. In facts such an epistemology does exist since centuries among Buddhist thinkers.
II-6 Rationality and rationalism.
Rationality is a pragmatic mind using efficient means to reach a goal, but still able of self-criticism and self-questioning. But rationalism is an ideology which cannot tolerate what is does not control. So it can be socially dangerous.
Opposition rational and material science versus spiritual irrational belief: unfolding with quadripolar logic. Pointing at two new terms: scientism, and exact spiritual science. Short glossary of words such as science, scientism, rational, rationalism...
Various ideologies arbitrarily bought up to the rank of scientific truth: scientistism, rationalism, materialism, atheism, amorality, race and genes, economic theories, positivism, sociobiology, behaviorism, reductionism... with as a bonus some New Age blunders.
But still recollect that all these are only deviations of still valuable groups...
Some themes, nevertheless within reach for classical material science, are not studied by it, with as a pretext that such matters are «not scientific». Such an (irrational) attitude is counterproductive, as it can lead to neglect interesting discoveries, or to obliterate important major facts and aspects of our lives, and contributes to the extension of really irrational ideas rather than really fighting them. It can even be found socially dangerous and reprehensible.
Examples: natural health systems, extraterrestrial life, ecology, mind and spirituality, traditional and religious knowledges, Near Death Experiments (NDE), reincarnation, spiritual powers, UFOs, rare phenomena, ethics, Quantum mechanics predictions...
Even if we are still awaiting for definitive demonstration, we may admit here all these facts as observational facts, in agreement with our general epistemology.
II-9 The epistemological fight.
The study of unexplained phenomena was regularly hampered by hoaxes, «skeptics», manipulations, etc.
Still more serious, in a domain where the thought itself can modify the results of the experiments, we need to take some specific cautions, like «shielding» the research against these parasitic influences, in a kind of «Faraday cage».
Parapsychology also has some specific dangers and ethics requirements.
III-1 Consequences of the two previous parts: Metaphysic.
Without taboos, we are free to speak about metaphysic. The existence of our material universe can only result from metaphysical facts, and not the contrary.
III-2 Imaginary numbers: To build an existing house with bricks which does not exist.
Recall about imaginary numbers and how they are used to build existing things with things that does not exist.
Even in mathematics, one can never demonstrate something in an absolute way. Everything exists only in relation with an indemonstrable basis, which often contains a paradox. Such a situation allows us for a creative freedom. Examples.
To generalize the previous chapter to our material universe, them to all universes, which can all be interpreted as a logical chain of causes and effects, able to generate a «space» and a «time» completely equivalent to ours.
III-5 Do matter and universe really exist?
The basic mistake of science is to define all that exist as what one can observe with sensory organs. So one cannot understand why this observable universe does «exist», why it is «concrete» when others should be «abstract». What does mean «matter» in the modern physic point of view. Criticism of naïve physic, of positivism. How do the sensory organs work, leading to the feeling of «concrete existence». Peculiarly nasty death delivery to the notion of absolute material existence.
A series of postulates. A consciousness existing in another «abstract» universe can be conscious as us and experience the same «concrete reality» as us, thus demonstrating that our universe is also a logical self-generated system no more «real» than another. Levels of reality. Stable existence of our universe.
III-7 Concrete test: and if we go and see?
Without any physical mean to test our hypothesis, we must try to find a mean to observe what may happen in other universes. Consciousness experiments may produce such a mean. A crazy and messy experiment. A wiser Tibetan experiment.
III-8 Generalizing: physical universes, psychical universes, conscious principle.
As well as physical universes can exist (recall) it can exist psychical universes. Nature of the conscious principle, without supposing something mysterious which explains all. Psychophysical universes©.
Parapsychological facts, if they exist, get a rational explanation through this theory, as well as being a valid proof of it. So it is scientifically correct to undertake an objective study of them. If we consider the consequences in terms of happiness and even of life, it is all the more humanly very important to study them. Such facts also make firm the existence of an immaterial conscious principle, against the scientistic reductionistic view.
Parapsychological facts, if they exist, get a rational explanation through this theory, as well as being a valid proof of it. So it is scientifically correct to undertake an objective study of them. If we consider the consequences in terms of happiness and even of life, it is all the more humanly very important to study them. Such facts also make firm the existence of an immaterial conscious principle, against the scientistic reductionistic view.
III-11 Does anybody have his own individual truth?
One can admit that various peoples may have different ways to perceive
and apprehend the world. Such differences can be shared among us all.
But we cannot admit that «everyone have his own truth»!
A good metaphysical system should allow to deduce the laws of physics. Why this part was rewritten, and which physics we speak about.
This presentation of quantum physics, the one taught in the faculties, does not pretend to be exhaustive, but rather at presenting in what quantum physics is different of our usual conception of material physics. Interferences between electrons, tunnel effect, Aspect experiment... all are much simpler to explain as logical self-generation process, without mystery or paradox.
Time, elusive and mysterious for materialism, can be explained very easily and straightforwardly as the running of the logical self-generation process, perceived as the time passing by. Relativity and time, arrow of time and entropy, temporal loops, time and History of the universe.
Similarily, space does not appears as existing by itself, but as the structure (in the meaning of the Sets Theory) of the sets of the nibs. Thus, what the physicists call the properties of space are in facts only constants of the logical self-generation process. Thus space appears as an emerging property, like the notions of pressure in statistical thermodynamics. A simulation to prove it.
IV-5 The relativistic space-time
This chapter reasons step by step: Relativistic effects as a perspective perception of the abstract Minkowski space. Placement of nibs in space, first, in a classical interpretation, then after the logical self-generation process. How the nibs generate space. Interpretation in Special Relativity, then in General relativity (gravitationnal field).
IV-6 Anthropic principle, logical feedback and creation
Weak (random) anthropic principle, strong (creationist) anthropic principle. Another interpretation, the logical feedback, can strongly influence the evolution of life, giving the appearance of a creation. But it may too be a major cause for some laws of physics.
IV-7 Causes of the laws of physics
Laws of conservation. Gravitation. Heisenberg uncertainties and fuzzy space at small scale. Properties of vacuum. Some laws of physics result from logical contrains, others were created during casual events (during the Big Bang).
If photons are only energy exchanges between two nibs, then there is no need to suppose «something» which moves along their trajectory. If so, then the fields too can be interpreted as the influence of a great number of nibs, instead of being mysterious entities existing by themselves. Physicists however proceed in the reverse way: photons are just perturbations of the field. The two points of vies are in facts non dual. This discussion leads to a general demonstration of all the universes being quantum, including consciousness universes, from the mathematical impossibility to solve the general case of differential equations with continuous functions.
IV-9 Can we create laws of physics?
The theory of the logical self-generation predicts that new laws of physics can appear when the existant laws lead to a logical indetermination. This was actually observed in the RHIC experiment at Brookhaven. So, the appearance of laws of physics does not come from mysterious causes, but only from the prevailing physical conditions when it happens. Example of the appearance of the three generations of particles.
We can go further: consciousness can provoke such an indetermination at the level of neurons. Example of the free will, which must necessarily violate the laws of physics.
(not published yet) Some «classical» reflections on expansion of the universe, dark matter and the formation of galaxies.
FIFTH PART: CONSCIOUSNESSThe purpose of this part is not to be concerned with psychological problems. And purpose of psychology is not to macerate into these problems, but to solve them, what is the very first thing to do if we really want to do something with our lives. 41 Relationship between consciousness and brain. Nowadays science tries to explain consciousness as a data handling process through neurones of the brain. Example: perceiving a red traffic light, data processing in the brain, reflex action. Such a view explains many things, but not how neither why such actions become consciousness experiences. The conscious principle. Its existence mode, as seen in chapter 27. Its origin, and the astonishing consequences of such an hypothesis: consciousness, once started, can never stop, not with sleep neither with death. Possible evidences: the Bardo Thödol. The NDE. How is consciousness connected to the sensory paths? And to the muscle paths? Need for an interaction between mind and matter. Working of memory, material or psychic memory. How is consciousness connected to only one body? How do a consciousness may find a new body after death. (Abortion). Traditional notion of karma. Use of this notion in our theory. Karma is with consciousness what physical laws are to matter, or logic to mathematics, both of three describing the way reality appears in its domain. Despite deterministic laws, indeterminisms appears in both cases. What is the cause of the «instinct»: the karma or the genes? Have a modest profile, as it is really difficult to know! Let us however have a look at a curious and poetical example of hardly Darwinian instinct... This reality without absolute existence however does not lead to nihilism, but on the contrary to an overwhelming creative freedom. Discussion about consciousness ratio of animals, according to out theory. Traditional descriptions of «spirits of nature». Their possible mode of being. Their influence. Deterring consequences of their destruction. Ground management preserving life of nature. How to speak to them. Two or three interesting but hackneyed concepts. Their justifying in the theory. Neurological experiments. The Christian inspiration. Interpretation of Free Will in our theory, how to generate it, how to get experimental evidences of it. Free will and freedom. 49 Does our thought creates the world? Despite apparent objectiveness of our physical universe, various conditions makes that the kind of life we may experience in it largely depends upon our mind. At the level of a civilization, life conditions so depend of thoughts of its members, who so create «their reality», between quote marks. Advantages and disadvantages. What our civilization will give us back. Faith shows even more powerful to modify psychical reality. This is
far away from science, but we still are able to live with, and to take
profit of it. |
SIXTH PART: SOCIETYDestruction of the «material reality» notion seemingly creates a great vacuum, as nothing that make our lives does no longer seem to have a meaning. In reality, far from being a catastrophe, it is an unlimited freedom which is so granted to us, as absolutely nothing constrains us in a predefined meaning of our life. 52 A scientific basement for ethics Steps in a reasoning to base a scientific ethics: after use of Cartesian doubt, we place a basemen, and them meet various conditions. 53 Moral codes, law and law codes. Non Aristotelian ethics. Natural law. Non-Aristotelian law codes. Attempt to apply our ethics basis: Human rights, reproduction, love and sex, «abnormal» sex, pornography/prudishness, euthanasia, eugenics, drug, violence, «acceptance of evil» The need for change in a society and the existence of reluctance to bettering the society do that sometimes it is necessary to criticize the society and eventually to oppose it. However this is a tricky exercise, which can in various ways lead to unexpected results opposite of what we were looking for. 56 The spiritual judo: to «accept» evil in order do destroy it A more adequated spiritual attitude lead to an easier victory on evil than with technical, political, medical... methods. The usual attitude of submission or revolt against evil is tricky: in the long term, we get more links with it (explanations in term of self generation process, or of karma) as «admitting it in one's heart» may be powerful enough to forbid any external situation to actually make us suffer. Between «bourgeois old fashioned style» and the punk refusal of all rules, as sad and limiting each other, the emergence of universal basis of aesthetic, which are traduced in different ways depending on culture. A method to awake or heal our taste and sensitiveness to situations and vibrations. Such a sensitiveness is a reliable basis for our happiness. A vibrations scale. A scientific savoir faire, with as a basis the need, to be happy, to offer each others pleasure and recognition, in a society where beauty and poetry freely contribute to everyone's happiness... Ecology, body cleanliness, slang words, leading a discussion in a useful and pleasant way, to be really involved in a situation, to be together... An economical system based on satisfying needs, and not on a personal profit. Various «enterprises» structures, in a fractal network organization. Management combining utopia and pragmatism. Comparison with communism and capitalism. Situation of ecology among other ideas. A realistic ground management. Some technical recalls. Utopia and pragmatism. Nature manifesting some amount of cruelty, one cannot naïvely take it as a model, despite the various teachings we can receive from it. Relationship between natural and human violence, need to solve both. What may you do if you had to choose between crushing an ethnic purifier or a cockroach? A method useful in both cases. Advantage of being vegetarian. Recall on methods, as well in dietetic as in psychology, to become vegetarian... and keep vegetarian! Spirituality can be a science, as well as physic, even if methodology problems are more numerous. In peculiar, one cannot, as in physic, elude the psychological bias. One must suppress it. This is the purpose or many mind transforming techniques which does not have any equivalent in physic. . Need to at first safeguard the various spiritual traditions, before building an universal spiritual science. Motivations for spiritual practice. Need for the society to undertake study of spirituality, at least to efficiently fight at sects, fanaticism, and ideological viruses©. Along this study, we were feeling a stronger and stronger impression
that a God had tuned everything into this universe, despite the fact
that all evidences of the need of His existence and of the manifestation
of His power were vanishing. Hey hey hey... |
SEVENTH PART: LIFEOur theory on consciousness make reincarnation perfectly possible. However the only evidences available are recollections of former lives. With caution and method, it may be possible to gather enough such testimonies to obtain a scientific proof of such an hypothesis. Description of this consciousness experience. Concern about objectivity of perceptions. History of UFOs and of ufological theories. The Bertrand Méheust's thesis. The «new ufology». Abduction. Persecution mania. 68 and 69 on «alien abduction» Starting from here, I am completely rewriting this part, as the field evolved since the nearby 10 years I wrote this. |
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