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archibald wrote:
Of course, by 'god' we don't mean a supernatural, controlling entity, we mean something which might be called a 'drive' or a psychological force. Perhaps those aren't even the right words. But something that effectively acts in many of the same ways (perhaps not all) as a god, or indeed, in some ways, as a religion, as something...dare I say...revered, possibly even sacred (in a secular sense). Possibly even worshipped, no matter how controversial that may sound (and I'm sure it will, to some, it does even to me).
felltoearth wrote:I agree. There is no need to call your highest ideal a god. It’s an ideal, simple as that.
“The highest ideal that a person holds - either consciously or subconsciously - that is their god”
Discuss.
archibald wrote:“The highest ideal that a person holds - either consciously or subconsciously - that is their god”
archibald wrote:There is no need to call it a god. And because of the baggage associated with that word, it might be counter-productive, or even arguably wrong.
Rachel Bronwyn wrote:The definition of "god" is not "ones highest ideal".
Ones highest ideal could certainly have the attributes of a god and be one. It isn't necessarily though.
felltoearth wrote:I think as you are finding, this is a difficult question to answer mainly because the concept of god is incoherent, and inconsistent from person to person.
Hermit wrote:archibald wrote:“The highest ideal that a person holds - either consciously or subconsciously - that is their god”
No, it's not. The highest ideal that a person holds is their highest ideal.
Can you point out a practical use for this simile? Until you convince me that there is one, it flies exactly, as Douglas Adams quipped, like a brick doesn't.
Also, what is the subconscious? Is it the missing link between the conscious and the unconscious? Once you've explained that to me, please prove to me that since I do not consciously hold my highest ideal to be my god, I do so subconsciously.archibald wrote:There is no need to call it a god. And because of the baggage associated with that word, it might be counter-productive, or even arguably wrong.
Cool. That's settled then. We shall now leave the simile in the colloquial sphere, which is exactly where it belongs, and turn to more important matters. I, for one, shall head for the bathroom and brush my teeth. Very, very important. I do that at least twice a day. Religiously.
archibald wrote:felltoearth wrote:I think as you are finding, this is a difficult question to answer mainly because the concept of god is incoherent, and inconsistent from person to person.
It is a difficult (though imo interesting) question, partly as you say because there is variegation, but variegation does not (I'm thinking) imply incoherence. Lots of things are variegated and complex. Arguably all human thinking and behaviour in fact.
Thommo wrote:It's meaningless to me as well. By "god" someone means a divine, intelligent, conscious agent, with powers unimaginably far beyond those of mortal man that is an object of worship.
Thommo wrote:So if we talk about some value (and there isn't necessarily a highest one at all, maybe my desire for oxygen? For the right temperature? Those are the things that if absent would give me the most rapid and immediate directive to act.), thought, feeling, philosophy or other mental structure (and again, we're playing fast and loose here, those are words we assign to form categories that are just representations, not the things themselves) then it corresponds with not a single one of the key defining features of a god.
Thommo wrote:So why call it a god? Why not a tax return, an interesting piece of musical theatre, that feeling you get when you wake up 13 minutes before the alarm goes off and you try and decide whether you'll feel better or worse if you go back to sleep?
archibald wrote:I don't understand the question. Why not call it god? Or if you like the nearest equivalent thing to god?
Thommo wrote:... and what you actually want to talk about is what people's highest ideal is.
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