Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy
"Self-ignorance is a form of self-destruction."
The ultimate definition of any tradition or ideology - religious or not - lies in the orthodoxy (set of beliefs) and the orthopraxy (set of practices) of that ideology.
An ideology that consists of only orthodoxy is philosophy at best, but an ideology that consists of only orthopraxy is simply dogma empty of purpose. But what if the causa prima, the first cause of the universe, is not "Let there be light," but instead, much more simply, "Choose"?
Choose to be aware. Possessing the intelligence to see does not mean that one will have the wisdom to open one's eyes, to be willing to see ourselves as a part of an infinite series of connections and links that through the engines of causation and whim tie us together into a single unseen machine.
Choose to commit ourselves. We can choose to be the smith's hammer, or we can choose to be the smith. There is no responsibility in the hammer, only existence. For the smith, there is however the implicit responsibility of one who carries at his side a power that can force itself upon its world.
Choose to act. For action to be meaningful, there must be intent. Without commitment, action is only accident.
There will always be those who claim truth and morality to be absolute things. Almost invariably, these same people will claim to know what these correct formulations of truth and morality are. The unspoken fear is that without an absolute dogma adjudicating right and wrong, there can be no right - only wrong.
But truth and morality are always predicated upon definition and perspective. What terrifies the standard bearers of absolute truth is not subjectivity, but responsibility. Without the gavel of eternal, immutable and divine truth, only the commitment and responsibility of each individual can create justice.
And, for some, that is truly a terror that few would willingly embrace.
The ultimate definition of any tradition or ideology - religious or not - lies in the orthodoxy (set of beliefs) and the orthopraxy (set of practices) of that ideology.
An ideology that consists of only orthodoxy is philosophy at best, but an ideology that consists of only orthopraxy is simply dogma empty of purpose. But what if the causa prima, the first cause of the universe, is not "Let there be light," but instead, much more simply, "Choose"?
Choose to be aware. Possessing the intelligence to see does not mean that one will have the wisdom to open one's eyes, to be willing to see ourselves as a part of an infinite series of connections and links that through the engines of causation and whim tie us together into a single unseen machine.
Choose to commit ourselves. We can choose to be the smith's hammer, or we can choose to be the smith. There is no responsibility in the hammer, only existence. For the smith, there is however the implicit responsibility of one who carries at his side a power that can force itself upon its world.
Choose to act. For action to be meaningful, there must be intent. Without commitment, action is only accident.
There will always be those who claim truth and morality to be absolute things. Almost invariably, these same people will claim to know what these correct formulations of truth and morality are. The unspoken fear is that without an absolute dogma adjudicating right and wrong, there can be no right - only wrong.
But truth and morality are always predicated upon definition and perspective. What terrifies the standard bearers of absolute truth is not subjectivity, but responsibility. Without the gavel of eternal, immutable and divine truth, only the commitment and responsibility of each individual can create justice.
And, for some, that is truly a terror that few would willingly embrace.