Empirical Reality or Objective Reality:

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Which Reality IS Real?
The philosophy of the slave vs the philosophy of the budding master.
Empirical Reality: Truth is what you can prove through perception.
Objective Reality: Truth is true whether you perceive it or not.
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Empirical Proof or Objective Reality?

Empirical Example: 1 + 1= 2

Objective Example: 1 + 1 = 3

Season's Greetings!

Merry Christmas!

(and for my Empirical Realism friends: Have a nice day at work!)

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Reality Is As It Appears

(A response to: theclueexpress and wolfydanny)

Is reality as it appears?
Or is it all just smoke and mirrors?
An elaborate con job.
Are humans the most intelligent being in the universe,
or just the most gullible;
fools who see only what they want and believe only what they see.

Is the human race the epitome of Thomas?
Who, doubting, only believed in what he could see and touch for himself?
Or have we been duped? Is there a hidden element behind a veil – untouchable, un-viewable and unknowable by what we perceive as reality, yet real non-the-less?

If so, how can we avoid being deceived by this universal “sleight of hand” that keeps our eyes glued to the reality of a physical plaything science calls the universe; while all the while, the master magician religion calls God, pulls the strings behind our backs?

Do we continue to be children, easily deceived by the glittering playthings of empirical reality or do we finally step back and say whoa, something’s not right here, and refuse to be further duped?

Do we examine that feeling that we have often gotten through-out the ages; that uncomfortable feeling that we learned a long time ago to wrap in another comfortable reality and call it religion?

That gut feeling, often entertained between waking and sleeping, that there is something we just aren’t getting; something missing; something about how everything we see is just so perfect, like a stage show rehearsed many times. That, somehow, we are the playthings or audience of the gods, ignorantly watching as life and the universal show goes on.

Certainly we try to describe it with science, but even with science there is a bit of faith involved because we just don’t quite get the whole picture. We can almost taste that final scientific equation that explains everything perfectly, but we just can't quite get it. But how can we? Until we say, no more, how can we get the full measure of the truth that can set us free and allow us to finally discover the man behind the curtain pulling the levers and learn the rules to become our own masters?

Does it really get us any closer to the truth to just close our eyes and say he doesn't exist? Are we inherently frightened of the dark as when we were children? This denial of God sounds like the reaction of a hurt and frighten child hiding under the blankets with his eyes tightly closed to expel an uncomfortable reality.

Empirical Realism is the religion of the slave who was conned a very long time ago by a "snake" in a “garden” and lost sight of who he is, or was before he was deceived, and duped into the servitude of a physical reality. We are still mesmerized by the apple.
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The Politics of Economy:

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Today the world's economy is falling to pieces. Whether you are in New York, Tokyo, Guangdong, Warsaw, Ar Riyad or Lagos you are going to feel the effect more or less.

The economy of the world makes me rich, I’m happy; lets kids in Tokyo watch animae all night long, they are happy; gives the worker in Guangdong money to send home to his family, he’s happy; allows the people of Warsaw to drink espresso in a beautiful city, they are happy; helps the mother’s of Ar Riyad buy expensive new designer Burkas and gives the kids of Lagos the chance to have shoes. Everyone is happy. Right? Hmm …

The earth looks like a garbage heap, the oceans look like a sewer. And the child’s shoes in Lagos DO NOT compare to the animae night clubs in Tokyo. Is it fair? Do you care? Can it continue? How will it end? If your brother has an ice cream cone and he won’t share with you, what do you do? What do we do?

Which is the Political Model for Economic Stability, Mutual Benefit and Co-Prosperity; Equitable to All Members of the Human Race as well as Non-Detrimental to the Earth?

1. The "Capitalist" Model
2. The "Marxist" Model
3. The "Islamic" Model
4. The “Socialist” Model
5. The “Tribal” Model
6. An “Unnamed” Model

I – What do I do? What do I get?
Me – Who takes care of me?
You – What do you do? What do you get; Who takes care of you?
They – What do they get; What do they do? What do I lose?
We – What do we get; What do we do?
Us – Who takes care of us? Do I suffer for the benefit of us?
Them – How does the earth benefit?


Situations:
There is a toothbrush in the bathroom; you walk in without a toothbrush. You need to brush your teeth. Do you use the toothbrush? Why? Why not?

You borrow the company car. It has half a tank of gas. You use it to do company business. You bring the car back. It is empty. Do you put gas in the car? Why? Why not?

You come home. You are hungry. There is a cookie on the table. Do you eat it? Why? Why not?

There is an empty house. You are homeless. Do you move in? Why? Why not?

There is a bicycle. You need to go a long distance. Do you take it? Why? Why not?

Your family is starving, there is food in the store. You have no money. What do you do?

You lost your job, your wife and children are waiting for you at home. What do you do?

Someone lost their wallet. It has no money in it. What do you do?
Someone lost their wallet. It has a lot money in it. What do you do?

If you were raised in any other Economic model above, would your answers be different for each model?

Are the ethics of each model different? Is any model better or worse, more or less selfish?

Which model do you want to live in?

Consider:
If you came from a family with two kids, everyone would get an equal share available at the dinner table - and eat well. Everyone would have clothes - and probably nice clothes.

On the other hand, if your family had eight kids, would any of the children starve? "Oh don't worry about Mikey there in the corner, we don't have enough food so we decided he should starve."

Probably, everyone in the family would be at the dinner table, sharing a bit less food and still have clothes to wear, though not the best.

Now think of that family on the world scale.

IF there were one billion people, we might live well, like the family of four; but as there are 7? billion and growing, we are more like the family of 10.

So, decide, which of your brothers or sisters sits in the corner and starves as we drain the ocean of tuna to eat our sashimi?

Which is impossible - sharing or starving?


A Few References:
Markets, Politics, and Globalization
The Coolie Speaks (Who are the modern "Coolies"? Hint: They live in and around Nagoya and speak Portuguese.)
Ecological Chemistry in Pollution Research and Sustainable Development There really is a connection. (That's why you shouldn't shit on the floor)
Alfonso Hernandez Valdez Bottom Line: Don't steal food from the store by yourself - bring a friend. In fact, bring a lot of friends.
The Politics of Economy Cooperation with China Don't Tease the Panda, cute yes, but it DOES bite!
Islamic Fundamentalism Since 1945

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