Let us start with this idea of the transitory nature
of the universe. Nothing is permanent, nothing
exist or last forever…then what is left?
Does mean that all life is an illusion? No, I
would say not. We exists and we are real.
“Cogito ergo sum” simply means I exist.
There are a lot of possibilities for what is next.
One possibility is we understand and accept the
transitory nature of the universe. Our motto becomes “this too shall pass” but where does
leave us as human beings? The Buddha might
say" work on your own salvation" but what does this
mean in practical terms? Therein lies what free will
we have as human beings. My individual salvation
has nothing to do with your individual salvation.
Perhaps it is enough to lower my mile time
from 4:58 to 4:50 to gain individual salvation.
Every single act we take can be a path to
our own salvation. Once again to our dictionary…
Salvation: preservation or deliverance from harm,
ruin, or loss.
Which means salvation can be medical or spiritual or
physical. It doesn’t have to be saved from eternal
damnation. It just means preservation or
deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss. Salvation can
also be in the form of, running was my salvation.
I find/found peace in trying to go from 4:58 to
4:50 or in climbing a mountain or achieving a goal such as learning a language. Can negative actions
also bring about salvation? Does negative instincts
such as anger or hate or greed, bring about salvation? No, for negative actions and instincts
can only harm or ruin or create loss for oneself or
others. Negative actions or instincts are not
able to save one, from anything. But Kropotkin,
you are talking about self help or religion, not
philosophy. The point is that there is no difference
between self help, religion or even philosophy. They
are simply different aspects of being human and
each one, self help, religion or philosophy and other
aspects of being human, are simply questions about
“What should I hope for” or “what should I do?”.
The Kantian/Kropotkin questions exist within
such disciplines as history or economics or sociology.
To ask such questions is to ask, “what can I know?”
Or “what values should I/we hold?”…
In the end there is no such thing as philosophy or
history or economics or religion or self help…
There are simply questions asking “what am I to do?”
Or asking “what should I/we hope for?”
The separation between such things as religion
and philosophy and self help and history doesn’t
really exist. The questions of existence
exist outside of such arbitrary disciplines of
history or physics or politics or geology. For when
all is said and done, all we have left is the Kantian/
Kropotkin questions. “what am I to do?” And other
such questions. That is how we end the tyranny
of ism’s and ideologies. The question of “what am
I to do?” doesn’t require an ism or ideology.
The question of “what am I to do?” Doesn’t need an
Ism or ideology or any prior childhood indoctrination
to answer. We can exist outside of Ism’s and
Ideologies. “What should I hope for?” is enough
of an question, so not to need any other
Ism or ideology for an answer.
Going from 4:58 to 4:50 is a possible
answer to the question, “what am I to do?”
Kropotkin