Gallery 9

Self-Delusion, Metaphysics & The Foundation of Knowledge

by Daniel J. Shepard


Send the weblink for this article to a friend00


How does one correct self-delusion if in fact one is self-delusional? One corrects self-delusion through the process of examining the base, the foundation, which acts as the point of origination of one’s self-induced delusional action. Understanding the foundation of action lies at the very heart of metaphysics itself.

Foundations establish a footing for social action. When irrationality establishes an equal footing with rationality any one entity within society, be it an individual or group of individuals, can formulate an argument to justify any actions.

However, for those who wish to immerse themselves in the phenomenological reductionism of Husserl, rationality provides the only alternative to irrationality and as such the only arguments, which remain standing, are:

  1. Rationality of faith
  2. Rationality of observation
  3. Rationality of reason


Through these three forms of rationality, metaphysics, being what it is, has little choice but to recognize the only alternative to present day perceptions


Aristotelian/Hegelian perceptions:

  1. Rationality of faith: God dominates humanity.
  2. Rationality of observation: The whole dominates the universe.
  3. Rationality of reason: ‘Being’ dominates ‘being’.


evolves into:

Non-Cartesian powered by Cartesian perceptions:

  1. Rationality of faith: God dominates humanity/humanity dominates God
  2. Rationality of observation: The whole dominates the universe/the universe dominates the whole.
  3. Rationality of reason: ‘Being’ dominates ‘being’/‘being’ dominates ‘Being’


Such a perspective of reductionism does not imply true domination in the sense of ‘conquering’ but rather implies the sub-elements of the whole play a critical role in determining what the whole itself ‘is’. The sub-elements of the whole impact the ‘can become’, as opposed to the ‘will become’ through the very act of ‘true’ free will as opposed to a ‘facade’ of free will. In short, potentiality becomes a critical element of the whole through the existence of free will itself.








Copyright © 2000
The World Embracing Hope Foundation
All rights reserved





Visit the Author's Website

www.panentheism.com