Order or Disorder - What to say?




"A philosopher is the blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that is not there."
                                                                                                                       – H.L. Mencken

The philosophical journey is really very tiring — maybe because we have to think a lot. Sometimes, I genuinely believe the above statement is true.

When you look at that quote and give it proper heed, it seems — or at least to me, it seemed — that it holds a deeper meaning, one that’s beautifully hidden behind frustration and darkness.

As a philosopher, you can't do anything but stay silent — unless you want to kill yourself in this quest. And as the journey continues, slowly I am settling. That doesn’t mean I am at peace — but okay.

As a philosopher, when you don’t get proper food, you are never satisfied.
Three questions still trouble me:

  1. Is it possible that even if there is a world outside your mind, it is totally unlike what you believe it to be?
  2. If the above is possible, do you have any way of proving to yourself that it’s not actually true?
  3. If you can’t prove that anything exists outside your own mind, is it all right to go on believing in the external world anyway?

Most of us live in this last question stage. We’re so preoccupied with what we have — or rather, what we’re told we have, and that it’s valuable.
But are these things true or false? Or just influenced by someone else?

This theory of dualism always makes me go mad.
Some philosophers even go ahead and talk about determinism.
Maybe they had no work except sitting and thinking endlessly.

But then, everything stumbles into one great wall: Logic.

And here, the real struggle begins — because to have a proper argument, we must think in the correct way.
Then check whether it’s valid or invalid, or whether it’s sound or unsound.
So many conditions. Then whether it's true or false. How is it proceeding?
And that means — wait — everything I did till now was invalid?

Don’t take it literally — I’m just saying that in a vague sense.

Sometimes I think Aristotle and Chrysippus were so troubled in their lives that they had to just sit down and invent logic to save themselves.
And with our taken-for-granted attitude, we never even think about this.

When I say our or we, I also include myself, okay? Otherwise you’ll say, “This fellow is mad.”

I don’t know what I’ve done in life that I have to deal with such emotionless people.
Here too, feelings have no place — only a fight goes on between mental act and verbal expression.

Sometimes I genuinely think a pet dog has a better life than we philosophers — because at least someone is there to think for them.

Since philosophers had a lot of time, they tried their best to make sure that no one would understand what they were saying.

Like syllogism — it just means making logical connections.

Whether in this pursuit of finding meaning and logic, maybe they missed out on something deeper?

Just a thought.

Okay, leave that thought right here.

And why did these philosophers never complete their work?

I say that because:
Empedocles had four substances.
Then Anaxagoras came in with multiple substances plus the idea of "seed".
Then he says Mind gives order to the world.
Then what is reality, bro?

It leaves me in isolation and every '-tion' word possible I can throw in here.

Then comes Democritus, with his ATOM, dividing knowledge into actual knowledge and sensual knowledge.

For me, it’s so stressful because now I’m wondering —
The degree I received... is it true or false?
Was I just wasting my time?

Democritus didn’t complete this line of thought either — he jumped into ethics, suddenly declaring that pleasure is not good, but peace in the soul is right.

Which basically means: We should die immediately.
Like, seriously?

Some of them experienced everything, and then they say this.
I know it makes a difference, but at least some kind of compassion could be shown to us. Or to me.

Then come the great Sophists.
They were skeptics. They went after success.
At least these people behaved like humans.
They talked about natural law and human customs.

Some were exceptions. Like:
Protagoras — total chaos.
Gorgias — “Nothing exists.”
Bro, at least ask your partner what he meant before writing that!

Only justification for anything was persuasion, not truth.
That’s the goal of discourse.

No one completes their works, and then they blame us!
“No work to do” — that’s why.
Never mind — they’re my family members now, so I can’t even complain.

Same problem Buddha was facing, now that he was teaching and all.
Someone convinced him to take family members — like his aunt and cousin.
And boom! The whole problem began there.

Someone should tell him —
“For the world, you are Buddha. For family, you’re still the same old guy.”
Same situation like me when I go home.

Oye, don’t think I talk too much — I get only one chance to write, that’s why!

Sometimes I think — what kept Buddha alive was his state of enlightenment,
or maybe his strong beliefs and convictions.
He also didn’t go into the caste system confusion.
Baap re!
Havoc — or as we like to call it — hell is here on Earth.

That’s why I say — don’t study.
Because if you do, you’ll never know what’s happening!

Sometimes, correct history clears your mind.

The origin of humans in India
from Negritos, then Proto-Australoids, then Mongoloids, then Dravidians,
then within that: Paleo-, True-, and Oriental Mediterranean, then Western Brachycephals
and within that: Alpinoids, Dinarics, Armenoids, Nordics.

And yes — people are migrating, but why such difficult names?

And that’s just about the tribes, okay?
Still, the Dalits haven’t even entered the scene yet!

Deep within, I know all this is part of a search for identity.
And maybe, in that quest, they find meaning.

Maybe they just want peace — after being displaced from their own land.

After all, “Happiness is the highest good” – Aristotle.

But I am not at peace.

Some thought that studying philosophy should be done in a core struggle environment.
No place for feeling to breathe — because the mind is busy thinking about sweat.

I’m not comparing, nor justifying —
just playing with words like the Sophists.
(I like them.)

My only realization is:
I am just a particle in the universe, trying to be a cause for some effect.

People are struggling — with meaning, life, creation, society, ethics, relativity.
I wonder — how did philosophers even have wives? Or whether they have or no?
And how did their wives handle them?

One thing that makes sense:
All philosophers are trying to find meaning
of themselves, of society, of the universe, and even beyond.

And yes — there is free will.

Science has advanced so much that some philosophical questions are already answered
and we know they’re correct because of valid and sound logical propositions.

So many things to argue upon —
but first, let me learn how to argue.

Through all this, my heart still longs to see my Creator
and to ask Him questions about me.

What do you think?

Every time I think about my purpose in life, tears flow —
because each moment is a choice.

Okay friends — not being sentimental.
Just saying…

Don’t stop thinking.

(All questions are welcome in the comment box)                                              -----Sch Rohan B SJ

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