This is http://www.essayz.com/a9505161.htm         
Previous-Essay      <== This-Essay ==>     Following-Essay
Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words.
{Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.}
==========================================================
      %PLATONIC WORLD IDEAL FORMS OBJECTIVE REALITY+950516
%GOD GIVEN COSMIC REALITY HUMAN IDEALS VALUES GOALS 950516

     People  who are preoccupied with objective  realities
are  likely  to conceive a world of ideal forms  as  being
given  and real; quite apart from human conceptions of the
nature  of such ideal forms,  ideals and values.   To such
people ideal forms are likely to be regarded as being much
like objective forms---detached from humans.

     There are different ways in which humans may conceive
the nature of ideal forms; and different consequences flow
from  the  different  conceptions  of  their   alternative
natures.  The ideal forms may be:

     1.  Given  impersonally as are objective realities in
the conceptions of compulsive objectivists.

     2.  Given personally by God as spiritual realities in
the conceptions of theists who believe in a personal God.

     3.  Conceived   personally  by  creative  humans   in
reflexive relationships.

     4.  Conceived  technocratically by systematic  humans
in impersonal relationships.

     5.  Generated   without   human  controls   in   ways
mysterious to humans, but with consequences to humans.

     6.  Generated communally  within human communities in
ways which transcend human intentions and understanding.

     Each  way of conceiving the nature of ideal forms has
implications  for  how  people  conceive  the  nature   of
imperfect  realization of the ideal forms;  and how people
pass  judgement  upon the imperfect  realizations  of  the
ideal forms;  and how people responsible for imperfections
are treated.

     Some people may in a general way reject the notion of
ideal  forms;   yet make judgments when realities  do  not
measure  up  to  their conceptions of ideals  and  values.
They  may  function in terms of tacit forms of ideals  and
values  which are not explicitly  articulated---much  less
are  the  ideals  and  values  described  in  terms  of  a
philosophical overview of the nature of ideals and  values
in terms of which actual realities are viewed.

     Some  people  may  be tempted to believe  that  there
exists  independently of them a realm of ideal  forms  and
ideals; and that they know the nature of those ideal forms
and   ideals   without   error,   and   without  reflexive
interpretation  on their part.   How are they to know  for
sure that  they have in-errant knowledge?   Can such  self
confidence be free of the errors of pride?   How worthy of
respect  can such self confidence be?    How safe is it to
trust people who are so sure of themselves?

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
==========================================================