Nonetheless, countless operations are impossible without the fulcrum of logic as a measurement of success. The human brain, with it's bi-valent logic of neurons firing on & off, 0 and 1 (like a computer) operates on a logic-based platform. But this is only half of the equation. Non-logical aspects of ascertaining truths will be examined in Section 3 (Epistemology), below.
2. Ontology: The Artful pursuit of investigating Realities and/or Illusions, Ontology may, as such, be more related to the right brain.
Regardless, Ontology is an especial domain of Religious Philosophy, which posits the fundamental existential questions about the human condition and the nature of existence, reality, etc. It's goal is, ostensibly, human transcendence of present imperfections. This is at least how Mystical Philosophy begins; once codified and solidified into rigid, unchanging dogma, however, the mystical experience distorts into rabidly unscientific methodology, which tends to injure the very transcendence it once sought out to effect. Conversely, any Religion that is an expression of Truth would entail ever-changing reformulations and re-revolutionising of Gestalts about the Universe. Such a Religion would be synonomous with Science (whose aim of "evolution" be synonomous with the religious ideal of "transcendence" of current imperfections) in it's methodology. Apart from some Eastern religions, like Taoism, and the Thelemic School to be discussed later, most everything passing for "Religion" (which means, "a binding together", as in of doctrine) falls far short of Scientific methodology, with predictably unfalsifiable theories. Aleister Crowley's motto for his Thelemic School was, "The Method of Science, the Aim of Religion", and such a balanced approach does this essay attempt in exploring these basic domains of Philo-Sophia.
3. Epistemology: The left brain arrives at Knowledge through Reason; the right brain, perhaps, via Experiment as based upon 'instinct' or other non-linear formulations.
Technically, "Knowledge" (epistemology, the study of Knowledge), as understood through this Philsopher's experiences, is only complete or near-complete when all Thought is annihilated; "Thought" being here defined as linear, bivalent if-then sensory processing via chiefly verbal or mathematical programs executed by the human brain. When the dualistic, logical modalities of thought are silenced, the organism's autonomic intelligence takes over: one just "does one's thing". Watch any Master tennis player serve, or a major league baseball player swing at a 90 mile-per-hour curveball ! Here is no thought. Thought is a slow, laborious, tautological process - very useful in low-intensity and slower events - like watching game-film and reading Ted Wiliiams' tips in preparation to go 'real-time' and hit again soon.
Western Philosophy has been over-inundated with ingenius literature concerning how to think; those rare expositors of do-ing Philosophy are generally considered to be "Existentialists". Much of Eastern Philosophy, in contradistinction to Aristotelian and Cartesian "thinking" philosophy, treats the "do-ing of Philosophy", and hence of Life. To the extent that either over-intellectualization (and attendant lack of attention to all non-logical modalities) or over-reliance on autonomic processes (one may face a novel situation and, if the linear thought processes aren't well developed, the autonomic, instinctual actions taken may be in error, based upon old information and experiential probability and prioritization calculations) predominate, does error therefore follow.
There are some who say that our attempts at "Knowledge" operate via thought (Descartes), others through sensory processing, including but not limited to thought (Locke, Hume). Actually, Hume denies that 'real' Knowledge is possible - due to logic's tautological nature and the imperfection of sense impressions - save for abstract "Knowledge", such as mathematics, which still does not necessarily translate to any existent real world thing/s. Still others insist that 'Knowledge' is only attained by shutting all these things off (Gnostics and Eastern Philosophy in general) from interupting the conscious mode of the brain. ('Interrupting', to these latter crew, since, for them, the Conscious brain's natural state is one of identity with the brain's Unconscious mode, save for when novel changes/necessity require an exteriorization of consciousness to respond to one's environment.) Julian Jaynes, a modern Psychologist and Philosopher, traces such exteriorization of consciousness to the very birth of conscious humanity, beginning sometime between the writing of the Iliad and the Odyssey only a few thousand years ago). I venture to say that all these epistemologies have their respective merits, and one ignores any conflicting schools thereof to their own potential risk of ignorance and lack of success in thinking or doing life processes.
4. Ethical (Social) Philosophy: Every individual has their own unique Genetic Code/Experiences, embedded phylogentically and bio-historically via DNA and unconscious memetic processes. The phylogenetic DNA is virtually identical for a woman or a man or a fruit fly; but the understanding/perspectives engendered thereby (unconsciously and consciously alike) of such "data" (memes) is different for every individual. This might appear to be "common sense", but it is *not* common sense, as yet, for 6.4 plus billion such unique individuals, sharing the characteristics of Crocodile (the brain stem/"Reptillian" brain), Chimpanzee (cerebellum and cerebrum sans the Neo-Cortex/the "Mammalian brain"), and Homo Sapien Sapien (cerebral cortex/newest activated areas of the cerebrum, or "Human brain"). We walk around with all 3 different brains. Individual and mass psychology, and their interactions evidence behavior of all three brain 'totems'. To repress the "savage beast" in wo-man, like Judeo-Christist-Islamic philosophy holds, tends to make only a more savage, destructive beast when that which must eventually come to the forefront surfaces. To give suck to every whim of the Beast in wo-man is equally fatuous, for the higher cerebral ("human") capabilities that may direct, order, and enjoy the beastly passions are thereby largely ignored. The ideal, to this Philosopher, is to establish the highest brain centers (cerebral cortex and perhaps other centres not yet known) as the Conductor of the orchestra, with the Mammalian brain (the rest of the cerebrum, and the cerebellum) and Reptilian brain (brain stem and spinal cord) working with them as integrated circuitry.
Three different types of creatures exist within us, spanning millions of years of our phylo-genteic heritage. For Nations, states, even families to co-exist without exterminating each other, "social" philosophies (i.e. , "ethics" treating relations between Self and Other) have developed so as to allow Humans to better live in this world of billions of individual "Others". (Recall here the way different epistemologies have developed to address different aspects of this Self-Other dichotmoy; cf. also the work of Freud on "Pleasure" vs. "Reality" dichotomies). This attempt at taking wo-man's social environment into account has developed into "Ethics", which are usually summed up by Repression (Freud's solution; I didn't say to accept his solution!), Armed Force (The Ethics of "Might makes Right"), or moralities (if-then statements to govern behavior, as proscribed by institutional, religious, political, etc., Others; generally dogmatic, i.e. refusing to admit of change, and hence preserving of the status quo).
Now we are in the realm of Political Philosophy, since the Ethics of Armed Force to compel one or more people or Peoples to obey one's will has produced a world where the inidividual's life is governed - to varying degrees - by States. (Even the famous "Socrates" and Nietzsche couldn't ignore such political concerns - both served as soldiers in their leaders' army).
Other Ethical Philosophers have countered the above primitivite Ethical solutions with their own primitive mirages, be they "Marxism" or "Anarchism". The latter says "Do whatever you want", which, if everyone could do so without interfering with their neighbour's will, would be a perfect solution. (Thelema, which we shall examine shortly, says "Do what thou wilt", whereby "wilt" means doing only that which the individual is best suited for by genetic and volitional make-up; conversely, the Anarchist holds their every impulsive whim to be their will, and ends up, individually and socially, creating cognitive dissonance, warfare, and economic crises as par for the course. Anarchy, be it political, eocnomical, or psychological, produces eventual Civil War. In the State, the elite hoarders of Knowledge, and the Bankers who manipulate the politicians, create war economies to keep the masses from realizing that the "irrational exhuberance" of anarchic market economies must inevitably bankrupt the State- i.e. , the taxpayers - while the Elite economists like Mr. Greenspan are free to de-value or inflate the pieces as they please.
Likewise, rigidly planned economies have fared even more miserably than anarchic capitalist economies, for rigid planning presupposes that what is needed and wanted by the masses is known, and that changes in these needs and wants will not happen rapidly.
Moreover, Marxism, in addition to over-rigidly planned economies, tries to force individuals to be Slaves to the Will of the "Elite" leaders, whom, like Judeo-Christist-Islamist Priests, tell their flock what is "best for them". The Marxists then inflame civil war between classes and races by encouraging "Do whatever you want" in countries that they have not yet conquered, pandering to impulses rather than fortifying the individual's own genius and volition.
There is another Ethical System called "Thelema", which is Greek for "Will", in the sense of the natural fulfillment of one's own inherent Genius, as opposed to the passing, impulsive, and oft-artificial wants and whims of the undeveloped mind. Thelema is an actual School, in the sense of "Plato's Academy", with examinations in the myriad disciplines, East and West, of "doing philosophy". Thelema, however, insists no less that one Master the logical processes as well. Examinations in Kant, Hume, Berkely, etc. , are also part of it's Curriculum.
The Ethical System of Thelema dispenses with the Self-Other quandaries by positing that every individual is a unique perspective and existent being, whose evolution entails learning their own genetic and volitional tendencies, Mastering them, and doing such. One's Will is likened to the orbit of a Star; if the Will be known and done, the orbit be adhered to, and harmony reins in cosmic relations. If the Will be perverted or thwarted, then is internal and external warfare, misery, inefficiency. Plato said much the same thing in the "Republic" when he defined Justice as every individual in the State doing that which nature has most suited them to do. Rather than saying, "Do what you want", or "Do what we want", Thelema says, "Do what thou wilt."
Crowley integrated the Western (Logical) Philosophical and Eastern (Experiential) Philosophies. Thelemic Academies exist via correspondence with Teachers unknown to the masses, whereby the local and non-local, thought and instinct, Science and Yoga, disciplines are taught. Thelema therefore does not limit itself to any labels - all philosophies are considered fair game for examination, experimentation, and integration. Like the Greeks, Thelema also champions the formulae of "wine, woman (or man, if ye wilt), and song", believing that, like William Blake, "The Road to the Palace of Wisdom leads through the Path of Excess". This last fact, which is but a question of methodology, distinguishes Thelema from most Eastern philosophies.
5. Linguistic Philosophy: The Science and Arte of Communication. Language evolved to enable two or more beings to exchange information with each other, in such a way so as to express their silent, innermost thoughts, feelings, etc. - in addition to, originally of course, serving as a way to warn the Other of danger. To desire to help the Other is natural insofar as one enjoys their company. There is no such thing as altruism, nor are human beings inherently 'evil'. We must leave behind such primitive linguistic straitjackets and conceptualize 'Beyond Good and Evil', as Nietzsche beckoned of Us some 120 years ago.
The fact that neurons firing 120,000 operations per second, inside our brains, produces the images, concepts, etc. , that turns thoughts into words is a gaudy obstacle to establishign effective Communication. The most rhapsodic writer in the world is routinely wanting for just the right word to describe experiences she or he know to be nary impossible to really get across via a verbal medium. Therefore has Art proper, and the Philsophy of Art proper thereof, also thrived as an alternative way of communicating thoughts, feelings, and Knowledge. Mathematics, as well, has served such aims. Music - which stimulates all four main brain waves - is another such communicative medium. Body language, and possibly telepathic communication are 2 other ways in which it is possible to conceive of information being exchanged with the Other. Yet verbal communication seems to be the most popular medium for Philosophers, and as such, has a corrsponding need of being upgraded to fit human Communicative needs. This is the special domain of Linguistic Philosophy, which, starting with Wittgenstein, Korzybski, and Bertrand Russell, has been perhaps the most influential, specialized branch of philosophy in modern times, featuring, today, the likes of Noam Chomsky and Jacques Derrida.
6. Psychology: Related to Epistemology and Ontology (Ontology, the study of "reality"), but with especial emphasis on examining, understanding, re-producing, and changing human behavior so as to effect "fully healthy functioning", a pre-requisite to venturing succesful epistemoligical and ontological formulations.
7. Mathematical Philosophy: An essential component of Logic, mathematical philsophy also deals with the issues inherent in the concept of infinities, which Logic cannot, of itself, solve. Also, geometry, which is mathematics applied to spatial conditions, has differeing schools of thought, some treating of depth (non-Euclidean), and some of theoretical two-dimensional space (Euclidean). Moreover, there exist hyperspatial (beyond 4 Dimensions) and Fratal Dimensional (the infinite set of numbers "in between" any 2 numbers). Mathematical philsophy also deals with "irrational numbers", and non-local constructs. Perhaps the ultimate marriage of Scientific and Religious modalities, mathematics investigates the real and imaginary, the concrete and the abstract alike.
Such is a brief description of the most general fundamentals of Philo-Sophia, the Love of Wisdom.
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