The structure of a man is the basis of the direction of the world. And what hope can mankind have for that direction unless we properly know the exact composition of a man?
The point of such a topic should intimidate us, but too often we simply think of those things we actually do know and understand about "man" and move on, as if the few chance aspects we have happened to notice of his composition are capable of handling the worldwide implications that occur when we live. For we invariably live in the light of our assumptions.
The composition of a man is the most fundamental consideration, (beyond time, space, history, the future, all the elements, and even gravitation's effect in the heavens) and deserves full attention before any other course is plotted or subject entertained.
Yet to examine this subject, we are engaged in self reflection. And that is no better than a rock sitting still and cold at the bottom of a stream with no cognition. Indeed there is no difference between a river's rock and a self aware man. They are both together pointless. A chasing after the wind. Why?
The unavoidable problem with the subject of man, is the man himself. The only irrefutable issue and unanswerable conundrum about man, is the man himself. This was the notion of G.K. Chesterton when he reasoned, "the only unanswerable thing about Christianity, is Christians." Chesterton aimed his critique at the man himself, and not the body abroad. This unusual gesture (as most would complain about "other men making the rest of us look bad") brings the issue beyond the problem of a simple man-to-man comparison.
The central problem is simple. We are the problem with our self knowledge. To know thyself is a ruse; a fictitious scandal; a charlatan's errand. All who know themselves, do not know themselves. They know only those attitudes and behaviors and valances behind which they have learned to discuss and manage and caress their experiences of life which results in a view of reality without insides that they hardly manage to make stand.
Though to the extent that they do make it stand, it leans and droops along the contours of their own body, and it is in this way man is said to have "known" himself.
"Look!" he exclaims. "I can see the shape of God so clearly!" as he pushes himself into that floppy, worthless and shifting skin he sewed together only the night before in a stupor of arrogant and flighty excitement. "I have found him...see?"
But God stands aloft and scorns the proud. He holds them in derision. He embraces the humble - makes His home with them! - and those who refuse him, he humbles. There is so little pride in God's person, to look for it would be as insignificant as an unmasked man attempting to measure the content of breathable oxygen trapped in the particles of dust on the moon. His ways are unsearchable by us! Because we are so self interested and self protective and self confirming that we have utterly abandoned the personality of the very person we embody in the earth.
So what is a man? To answer this there must be an epicore of existence by which we compare those patterns of behaviors and attitudes and apprehensions. To look in ourselves for these is the mistake of all of philosophical, religious, and political reflection for the whole history of man since the dawn of sin in the person of Adam (man).
Philosophical- Man reflects on himself, to know himself, to predict himself, to control himself, to change himself, to remain himself, to be more himself than he actually is
Religious- Man reflects on god, to know god, to predict god, to control god, to change god, to let god remain, so that man may become god instead of know Him
Political- man reflects on other men, to know other men, to predict other men, to control other men, to change other men, to let men remain, to make them more "other" than men were meant to be
The fundamental resignation of each of these approaches is the very start of the chain of downward events in man and the world - "Man reflects." And instead, to counter this, the reflection demanded at the start is the self reflection of God himself. And that self reflection is penned for us in moses' own hand as the capitol of God's creation and mastery of the whole creation.
For "He made man in His OWN IMAGE, male and female He created man."
Mankind itself is in that sense, God reflecting to himself. And this starting point would lead to man without a valance.
The point of such a topic should intimidate us, but too often we simply think of those things we actually do know and understand about "man" and move on, as if the few chance aspects we have happened to notice of his composition are capable of handling the worldwide implications that occur when we live. For we invariably live in the light of our assumptions.
The composition of a man is the most fundamental consideration, (beyond time, space, history, the future, all the elements, and even gravitation's effect in the heavens) and deserves full attention before any other course is plotted or subject entertained.
Yet to examine this subject, we are engaged in self reflection. And that is no better than a rock sitting still and cold at the bottom of a stream with no cognition. Indeed there is no difference between a river's rock and a self aware man. They are both together pointless. A chasing after the wind. Why?
The unavoidable problem with the subject of man, is the man himself. The only irrefutable issue and unanswerable conundrum about man, is the man himself. This was the notion of G.K. Chesterton when he reasoned, "the only unanswerable thing about Christianity, is Christians." Chesterton aimed his critique at the man himself, and not the body abroad. This unusual gesture (as most would complain about "other men making the rest of us look bad") brings the issue beyond the problem of a simple man-to-man comparison.
The central problem is simple. We are the problem with our self knowledge. To know thyself is a ruse; a fictitious scandal; a charlatan's errand. All who know themselves, do not know themselves. They know only those attitudes and behaviors and valances behind which they have learned to discuss and manage and caress their experiences of life which results in a view of reality without insides that they hardly manage to make stand.
Though to the extent that they do make it stand, it leans and droops along the contours of their own body, and it is in this way man is said to have "known" himself.
"Look!" he exclaims. "I can see the shape of God so clearly!" as he pushes himself into that floppy, worthless and shifting skin he sewed together only the night before in a stupor of arrogant and flighty excitement. "I have found him...see?"
But God stands aloft and scorns the proud. He holds them in derision. He embraces the humble - makes His home with them! - and those who refuse him, he humbles. There is so little pride in God's person, to look for it would be as insignificant as an unmasked man attempting to measure the content of breathable oxygen trapped in the particles of dust on the moon. His ways are unsearchable by us! Because we are so self interested and self protective and self confirming that we have utterly abandoned the personality of the very person we embody in the earth.
So what is a man? To answer this there must be an epicore of existence by which we compare those patterns of behaviors and attitudes and apprehensions. To look in ourselves for these is the mistake of all of philosophical, religious, and political reflection for the whole history of man since the dawn of sin in the person of Adam (man).
Philosophical- Man reflects on himself, to know himself, to predict himself, to control himself, to change himself, to remain himself, to be more himself than he actually is
Religious- Man reflects on god, to know god, to predict god, to control god, to change god, to let god remain, so that man may become god instead of know Him
Political- man reflects on other men, to know other men, to predict other men, to control other men, to change other men, to let men remain, to make them more "other" than men were meant to be
The fundamental resignation of each of these approaches is the very start of the chain of downward events in man and the world - "Man reflects." And instead, to counter this, the reflection demanded at the start is the self reflection of God himself. And that self reflection is penned for us in moses' own hand as the capitol of God's creation and mastery of the whole creation.
For "He made man in His OWN IMAGE, male and female He created man."
Mankind itself is in that sense, God reflecting to himself. And this starting point would lead to man without a valance.
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