Stuff I Learned Yesterday

Or discovered, rather. Or in many cases confirmed. You may not exactly remember that fire is the phenomenon of combustion manifested in light, flame, and heat, but no one forgets being burned.

As it pertains to the vertical, one can learn a great deal without ever discovering anything. Come to think of it, this applies to every reality transcending matter: even a lifetime of learning may or may not result in the discovery of truth.

For example, the most learned feminist will, by definition, never discover human nature. Except in an inverse manner, in that the feminist must have an implicit awareness of human nature in order to be in rebellion against it.

By the way, in order for this psychodrama of rebellion to be successful, you and I must be enlisted into it. Truth requires the adherence of no one in order to be true, but the fragile lies of the left require everyone to be on board. Dissent provokes an unconscious reminder to their own denied truth, which is precisely why it "triggers" them.  

"White fragility"? The very concept is proof of the fragility of the leftist hivemind.  

If something triggers you, it is because of an unresolved unconscious emotional issue. The triggering puts you at a crossroads: introspection or acting out. Woke culture is the institutionalization of the latter. What they call activism the clinical psychologist calls acting-out. 

Anyway, I've been reading Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange's Reality (see sidebar), and a good working definition of reality is what is and what is capable of being discovered; it is not imagined, or projected, or conceptualized (except to the extent that concepts function as points of reference that are fungible to reality). Or in the words of the Aphorist, 

Nearly every idea is an overdrawn check that circulates until it is presented for payment.

The First Bank of Thomism always has sufficient funds to cover checks drawn on it, even the biggest, e.g., God. 

True, God is infinite while the funds are finite. But here God is analogous to the concept of money itself, as opposed to any particular sum. In other words, money -- i.e., value -- is backed by God. No God, no value, period. Rather, you just make it up -- as in the way a feminist "values" womanhood. Where the mere prostitute sells her womanhood for cash, the gender studies professor sells it for cash and tenure. 

To extend the banking analogy, the proofs of God allow us to open the account. They are more than adequate to function as collateral. We know in an indirect way that they are true, since we derive so much value from them and write so many checks. These checks would all bounce if not for the God reserve. 

Not only do they not bounce, they fund an explosion of wealth and productivity, very much like the bank that lends money to fund more investment and construction. This is precisely how the God account functions. Ultimately it built western civilization, from art to science to liberal democracy. Nor -- as anyone can see -- can our civilization perdure without this backing (which is again the backing of reality).

Back to the stuff I discovered yesterday about reality. For example, this:

when the soul knows necessary and universal principles, it becomes, in some real fashion, all intelligible reality. This truth presupposes the immateriality of the intellective faculty.  

"A lot to unpack" there, as they say. The first sentence specifies not whether but when we know necessary and universal principles.  

Wait -- is that debate over? Well, either it is or it isn't; if it is over, it is because we have plenty of God in the bank. If it isn't, it is because there is Nothing in the bank, in which case two things: 1) the debate is not over, and 2) can never be over. But this reduces to: there is nothing to debate; or to a debate about nothing,  AKA postmodernity.

The second part of the first sentence claims that the intellect is in some sense "all of intelligible reality." This looks like a rather large claim, but here again, it is either true or not true, simple as. 

Here's a thought: on what can all intelligent men agree, by virtue of being intelligent? 

Well? I suppose it depends on what we mean by "intelligence." 

Yes, Petey? It means that in knowing any truth, the intellect must in principle be capable of knowing any and all truth. For what is truth? Correct: intelligible being. And what is intelligence? Correct: the potential to know intelligible being. And who can put a limit to the intellect? The intellect? Yes, but only arbitrarily. 

Man is the microcosm. As such, he has essentially unlimited funds in a local branch of the Macrocosmic Savings & Loan. 

I would go even further and say that the Macrocosm is backed by the infinite funds of the nonlocal Metacosm, somewhat like vine to branch to fruit. Our knowledge is the fruit, but fruit doesn't just grow on trees, unless we're talking about an upside-down tree with its roots aloft and branches herebelow.

Necessary and Universal.  What are those? Oh, little things like the principle of non-contradiction, or of identity: that things either are or are not. In short, all knowledge reduces to the question of being: does this exist? Is this the case? Then it is true. 

Note that all philosophies derived from Kant enclose us in our own subjectivity. Thus, even if they were true, we could never know it. Existence detached from being is like a tree with no roots. No fruit for you!

This is why the left is equal parts cynicism and credulity. Cynicism is too easy. Think of the sneer on Bill Maher's ugly face, forever. Credulity is much too difficult. Have you seen a Jen Psaki press conference? Imagine being as dumb as her, and then realize that the press must be even dumber. The credulity of the press is ordered to the incredible Biden administration, which is in turn ordered to....

Yes, the left is overdrawn again. And yes, they're printing money as fast as they can. But inflation isn't just a monetary problem. Rather, it must be the reflection of an intellectual and ultimately spiritual problem -- a loss of contact with reality and real value.  

Put it this way: the left is usually bankrupt in every way except monetarily. The return of stagflation means they've run out of other people's money again.   

Stuff I Learned Yesterday

Or discovered, rather. Or in many cases confirmed. You may not exactly remember that fire is the phenomenon of combustion manifested in light, flame, and heat, but no one forgets being burned.

As it pertains to the vertical, one can learn a great deal without ever discovering anything. Come to think of it, this applies to every reality transcending matter: even a lifetime of learning may or may not result in the discovery of truth.

For example, the most learned feminist will, by definition, never discover human nature. Except in an inverse manner, in that the feminist must have an implicit awareness of human nature in order to be in rebellion against it.

By the way, in order for this psychodrama of rebellion to be successful, you and I must be enlisted into it. Truth requires the adherence of no one in order to be true, but the fragile lies of the left require everyone to be on board. Dissent provokes an unconscious reminder to their own denied truth, which is precisely why it "triggers" them.  

"White fragility"? The very concept is proof of the fragility of the leftist hivemind.  

If something triggers you, it is because of an unresolved unconscious emotional issue. The triggering puts you at a crossroads: introspection or acting out. Woke culture is the institutionalization of the latter. What they call activism the clinical psychologist calls acting-out. 

Anyway, I've been reading Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange's Reality (see sidebar), and a good working definition of reality is what is and what is capable of being discovered; it is not imagined, or projected, or conceptualized (except to the extent that concepts function as points of reference that are fungible to reality). Or in the words of the Aphorist, 

Nearly every idea is an overdrawn check that circulates until it is presented for payment.

The First Bank of Thomism always has sufficient funds to cover checks drawn on it, even the biggest, e.g., God. 

True, God is infinite while the funds are finite. But here God is analogous to the concept of money itself, as opposed to any particular sum. In other words, money -- i.e., value -- is backed by God. No God, no value, period. Rather, you just make it up -- as in the way a feminist "values" womanhood. Where the mere prostitute sells her womanhood for cash, the gender studies professor sells it for cash and tenure. 

To extend the banking analogy, the proofs of God allow us to open the account. They are more than adequate to function as collateral. We know in an indirect way that they are true, since we derive so much value from them and write so many checks. These checks would all bounce if not for the God reserve. 

Not only do they not bounce, they fund an explosion of wealth and productivity, very much like the bank that lends money to fund more investment and construction. This is precisely how the God account functions. Ultimately it built western civilization, from art to science to liberal democracy. Nor -- as anyone can see -- can our civilization perdure without this backing (which is again the backing of reality).

Back to the stuff I discovered yesterday about reality. For example, this:

when the soul knows necessary and universal principles, it becomes, in some real fashion, all intelligible reality. This truth presupposes the immateriality of the intellective faculty.  

"A lot to unpack" there, as they say. The first sentence specifies not whether but when we know necessary and universal principles.  

Wait -- is that debate over? Well, either it is or it isn't; if it is over, it is because we have plenty of God in the bank. If it isn't, it is because there is Nothing in the bank, in which case two things: 1) the debate is not over, and 2) can never be over. But this reduces to: there is nothing to debate; or to a debate about nothing,  AKA postmodernity.

The second part of the first sentence claims that the intellect is in some sense "all of intelligible reality." This looks like a rather large claim, but here again, it is either true or not true, simple as. 

Here's a thought: on what can all intelligent men agree, by virtue of being intelligent? 

Well? I suppose it depends on what we mean by "intelligence." 

Yes, Petey? It means that in knowing any truth, the intellect must in principle be capable of knowing any and all truth. For what is truth? Correct: intelligible being. And what is intelligence? Correct: the potential to know intelligible being. And who can put a limit to the intellect? The intellect? Yes, but only arbitrarily. 

Man is the microcosm. As such, he has essentially unlimited funds in a local branch of the Macrocosmic Savings & Loan. 

I would go even further and say that the Macrocosm is backed by the infinite funds of the nonlocal Metacosm, somewhat like vine to branch to fruit. Our knowledge is the fruit, but fruit doesn't just grow on trees, unless we're talking about an upside-down tree with its roots aloft and branches herebelow.

Necessary and Universal.  What are those? Oh, little things like the principle of non-contradiction, or of identity: that things either are or are not. In short, all knowledge reduces to the question of being: does this exist? Is this the case? Then it is true. 

Note that all philosophies derived from Kant enclose us in our own subjectivity. Thus, even if they were true, we could never know it. Existence detached from being is like a tree with no roots. No fruit for you!

This is why the left is equal parts cynicism and credulity. Cynicism is too easy. Think of the sneer on Bill Maher's ugly face, forever. Credulity is much too difficult. Have you seen a Jen Psaki press conference? Imagine being as dumb as her, and then realize that the press must be even dumber. The credulity of the press is ordered to the incredible Biden administration, which is in turn ordered to....

Yes, the left is overdrawn again. And yes, they're printing money as fast as they can. But inflation isn't just a monetary problem. Rather, it must be the reflection of an intellectual and ultimately spiritual problem -- a loss of contact with reality and real value.  

Put it this way: the left is usually bankrupt in every way except monetarily. The return of stagflation means they've run out of other people's money again.   

Zing! Went the Strings of My Head

The most subversive book in our time would be a collection of old proverbs. --Davila

In that case, the last thing I want to do is subvert our decaying system and its degenerate elites, so here are some new proverbs:

Critical race theorist: someone who not only can't specify the null hypothesis of Critical Race Theory, but has no idea what you're talking about. 

The white man's burden: if we don't play the role of Satan, their whole universe collapses. 

In the analysis of social problems, all roads lead to IQ differences, but the roads have been barricaded. 

Man is free because he his rational. Unless he is only rational. 

Everything bears witness to God. At least under cross-examination. 

Safe spaces. Because the truth hurts.

The cosmic area rug is a tapestry woven of mystery and intelligibility. Which reduces to a mysterious Intelligence. 

We are created from nothing, and a vestige of this nothingness persists like a retrovirus. Ideologies are born when this nothingness mates with stupidity.  

Ideology encloses mystery in intelligibility, thereby eclipsing Intelligence.

Awareness of necessity is the first freedom. The Absolute is necessary being. This realization is eternity clothed in finitude.  

If God weren't perfect there would be no imperfection. 

In the vertical hierarchy, the last of a higher kind touches the first of a lower. The meeting point of natural selection and supernatural election. 

What is the "glue" that binds the hierarchy? There is a truth above and a grace below. The rest is on you. 

A border of the hierarchy appears as a horizon. The ship of thought disappears beneath it unless you shift dimensions from plane to sphere. Material brain and immaterial soul. 

Or, part and whole. The soul is ordered to the latter, which is why endless adventure is the proper end of our adventuring. 

The purpose of the Incarnation is our salvation. From what? From sin. Now, man is equal parts intellect, will, and sentiment. What is intellectual sin, and how does the Incarnation rectify it? What is the intellectual problem to which he is the solution? Ask Adam but watch the serpent. 

Gross abuse of a corpse is a felony in all 50 states. It must not be a federal crime, so that's how Biden's handlers get away with it.

Those buzz-killing Puritans landed here in 1620. Four centuries of prudery and meddling has reduced them to their essence: wokeness. The left is puritanism with the humor.  

Zing! Went the Strings of My Head

The most subversive book in our time would be a collection of old proverbs. --Davila

In that case, the last thing I want to do is subvert our decaying system and its degenerate elites, so here are some new proverbs:

Critical race theorist: someone who not only can't specify the null hypothesis of Critical Race Theory, but has no idea what you're talking about. 

The white man's burden: if we don't play the role of Satan, their whole universe collapses. 

In the analysis of social problems, all roads lead to IQ differences, but the roads have been barricaded. 

Man is free because he his rational. Unless he is only rational. 

Everything bears witness to God. At least under cross-examination. 

Safe spaces. Because the truth hurts.

The cosmic area rug is a tapestry woven of mystery and intelligibility. Which reduces to a mysterious Intelligence. 

We are created from nothing, and a vestige of this nothingness persists like a retrovirus. Ideologies are born when this nothingness mates with stupidity.  

Ideology encloses mystery in intelligibility, thereby eclipsing Intelligence.

Awareness of necessity is the first freedom. The Absolute is necessary being. This realization is eternity clothed in finitude.  

If God weren't perfect there would be no imperfection. 

In the vertical hierarchy, the last of a higher kind touches the first of a lower. The meeting point of natural selection and supernatural election. 

What is the "glue" that binds the hierarchy? There is a truth above and a grace below. The rest is on you. 

A border of the hierarchy appears as a horizon. The ship of thought disappears beneath it unless you shift dimensions from plane to sphere. Material brain and immaterial soul. 

Or, part and whole. The soul is ordered to the latter, which is why endless adventure is the proper end of our adventuring. 

The purpose of the Incarnation is our salvation. From what? From sin. Now, man is equal parts intellect, will, and sentiment. What is intellectual sin, and how does the Incarnation rectify it? What is the intellectual problem to which he is the solution? Ask Adam but watch the serpent. 

Gross abuse of a corpse is a felony in all 50 states. It must not be a federal crime, so that's how Biden's handlers get away with it.

Those buzz-killing Puritans landed here in 1620. Four centuries of prudery and meddling has reduced them to their essence: wokeness. The left is puritanism with the humor.  

Fresh New Sayings

Just some random thoughts that aspire to be aphorisms. If I had more time I could make them more concentrated and pointy.

Two things interest me: universality and certitude. Make that one thing.

There are limits to knowledge. Which is not to say there is no knowledge of the Limitless. 

If reality is what exists independently of the mind, then we are sealed in ignorance. Conversely, if reality can be known, it is because the immaterial knowing subject is no less real than what it knows.

Sight is to touch as reason is to faith. Do you hear me? 

Science is not equipped to answer the question of how science is possible. Limited to strictly scientific categories, neither science nor scientist are possible, and certainly not important. 

Cynicism its the tribute narcissism pays to credulity.  

Between intellect and reality is ether nothing or everything. 

The most certain truths completely escape language, for example, experience. Boredom is the incapacity to be shocked by its presence.

The intellect sheds light on reality, as reality transmits light to the intellect. Thankfully, God sheds darkness on the intellect, without which we could never know what can't be known. Faith allows us to see into this darkness, or at least bump into things.

Certitude and truth are two sides of the same reality. When certitude is joined with falsehood, it is polite to yell fire in the hole! 

Progressive wisdom begins with fear of the mob. 

Being becomes knowledge that knowledge may return to being. 

Believing the truth surpasses knowledge of its countless models. 

Doing good presupposes seeing things as there are. Seeing things as they aren't is Satan's portal.  

The left makes things so complicated. Why not just outlaw irony, perspective, and common sense?

As all reasonable people know, man is free because he is rational. If he isn't rational then he isn't free, and if he isn't free he isn't rational. Tell me again: how is it that man lacks free will?

Science is the discovery of necessity. It can't prove the existence of freedom because it presupposes it.

Sending every young adult to college will not raise IQ one iota, but that's not the point. Rather, it will contribute mightily to our collective stupidity.  

Anti-gun legislation is weaponized defenselessness.  

The most important things are not means to an end, but for their own sake. There's a name for useless people trying desperately to make themselves useful: Democrats. 

Fresh New Sayings

Just some random thoughts that aspire to be aphorisms. If I had more time I could make them more concentrated and pointy.

Two things interest me: universality and certitude. Make that one thing.

There are limits to knowledge. Which is not to say there is no knowledge of the Limitless. 

If reality is what exists independently of the mind, then we are sealed in ignorance. Conversely, if reality can be known, it is because the immaterial knowing subject is no less real than what it knows.

Sight is to touch as reason is to faith. Do you hear me? 

Science is not equipped to answer the question of how science is possible. Limited to strictly scientific categories, neither science nor scientist are possible, and certainly not important. 

Cynicism its the tribute narcissism pays to credulity.  

Between intellect and reality is ether nothing or everything. 

The most certain truths completely escape language, for example, experience. Boredom is the incapacity to be shocked by its presence.

The intellect sheds light on reality, as reality transmits light to the intellect. Thankfully, God sheds darkness on the intellect, without which we could never know what can't be known. Faith allows us to see into this darkness, or at least bump into things.

Certitude and truth are two sides of the same reality. When certitude is joined with falsehood, it is polite to yell fire in the hole! 

Progressive wisdom begins with fear of the mob. 

Being becomes knowledge that knowledge may return to being. 

Believing the truth surpasses knowledge of its countless models. 

Doing good presupposes seeing things as there are. Seeing things as they aren't is Satan's portal.  

The left makes things so complicated. Why not just outlaw irony, perspective, and common sense?

As all reasonable people know, man is free because he is rational. If he isn't rational then he isn't free, and if he isn't free he isn't rational. Tell me again: how is it that man lacks free will?

Science is the discovery of necessity. It can't prove the existence of freedom because it presupposes it.

Sending every young adult to college will not raise IQ one iota, but that's not the point. Rather, it will contribute mightily to our collective stupidity.  

Anti-gun legislation is weaponized defenselessness.  

The most important things are not means to an end, but for their own sake. There's a name for useless people trying desperately to make themselves useful: Democrats. 

Freeform Aphorizing

Theology for Dummies, AKA atheism.

Wokeness is the ruling class high on estrogen.  

Some people think they are able to manage their lives without the state -- like a host in no need of parasites. 

The desire to reimagine the police is a consequence of imagining them. In other words, delusions are cured by more of them.

For the left, it's an easy choice between St. George and Uncle Tim. Nothing triggers them like a black person who doesn't speak like a retarded child or behave like a raging psychopath.

If less than 6% of the population commits more than 50% of crime, we need to reimagine statistics. 

Disparate impact will not be eliminated until there is equality of outcome between the gifted and stupid.

Standards are barriers to equality. In order to equalize slam dunks we need to either lower the basket or eliminate it entirely. 

Equity is achievable, but only with more inequality between citizens and elites.

You know you're privileged when your insanity not only costs you nothing but assures a lucrative career in journalism, academia, or politics.  

Imaginary oppression is license to oppress. In Christianity, the holy one was an innocent victim. For the left, the victim is the innocent and holy one. 

Social justice is just the left's appeal to your heart on behalf of its fist.

We are guided by continuous feedback from reality. The left used to just ignore the messages, now they shoot the messenger.

Progressive attacks on free speech are an autoimmune disorder of the soul.

Wisdom puts limits on mere knowledge. Without it we are limited by the arbitrary limits of our own ideology.

Ideology is reality enclosed in thought. Reality is the transformation of uncontainable being to thought and knowledge.

The primordial revelation consists of: 1) the intelligible object, 2) the intelligent subject, and 3) the flow between them. Which presumes an even more primordial link between intelligences, or between Subject and subjects. 

Is comes from nature, ought from God, must from the state. State compulsion to do what we oughtn't, or to pretend nature is what it isn't, is justification for revolution. 

In the absence of freedom there is no meaning. Doctrines that deny free will aren't even meaningless. 

Freeform Aphorizing

Theology for Dummies, AKA atheism.

Wokeness is the ruling class high on estrogen.  

Some people think they are able to manage their lives without the state -- like a host in no need of parasites. 

The desire to reimagine the police is a consequence of imagining them. In other words, delusions are cured by more of them.

For the left, it's an easy choice between St. George and Uncle Tim. Nothing triggers them like a black person who doesn't speak like a retarded child or behave like a raging psychopath.

If less than 6% of the population commits more than 50% of crime, we need to reimagine statistics. 

Disparate impact will not be eliminated until there is equality of outcome between the gifted and stupid.

Standards are barriers to equality. In order to equalize slam dunks we need to either lower the basket or eliminate it entirely. 

Equity is achievable, but only with more inequality between citizens and elites.

You know you're privileged when your insanity not only costs you nothing but assures a lucrative career in journalism, academia, or politics.  

Imaginary oppression is license to oppress. In Christianity, the holy one was an innocent victim. For the left, the victim is the innocent and holy one. 

Social justice is just the left's appeal to your heart on behalf of its fist.

We are guided by continuous feedback from reality. The left used to just ignore the messages, now they shoot the messenger.

Progressive attacks on free speech are an autoimmune disorder of the soul.

Wisdom puts limits on mere knowledge. Without it we are limited by the arbitrary limits of our own ideology.

Ideology is reality enclosed in thought. Reality is the transformation of uncontainable being to thought and knowledge.

The primordial revelation consists of: 1) the intelligible object, 2) the intelligent subject, and 3) the flow between them. Which presumes an even more primordial link between intelligences, or between Subject and subjects. 

Is comes from nature, ought from God, must from the state. State compulsion to do what we oughtn't, or to pretend nature is what it isn't, is justification for revolution. 

In the absence of freedom there is no meaning. Doctrines that deny free will aren't even meaningless.