Human Image, World Image

Metaphysics. I define it like this: that which is beyond the reach of physics, chemistry, or biology because it is about the interpretation of the world – being, reality – as a whole, about who we are and our place in it. It is about our essential relation to other people, nature, the community, and God. What does it all mean? What do particular beings mean? What is reality itself?

 

We all have a metaphysical worldview. You will sometimes hear people say that they have no metaphysics. Well, they are mistaken. Their metaphysics is implicit in what they take for granted about the world. It is so deeply rooted in their everyday lives they are blind to it in the way some people can’t see what is right in front of their nose.

 

Phillip Sherrard. Our picture of ourselves as human beings is part of this. We far too often treat the world and each other with contempt and violence because we have a certain picture of the world. And we have that picture of the world because we have a certain picture of ourselves. That this picture of ourselves is false needs no other demonstration than to look at the fruits of that picture (You know the tree by its fruits. The most profound epistemological principle ever uttered.) To change the way we treat the world and each other – indeed ourselves – we must strive to replace the rotten pictures of ourselves and the world.