SPRICHT DIE SEELE NICHT MEHR

[Guest guest]

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shankar p. at chennai

 

SPRICHT DIE SEELE NICHT MEHR

 

It is quite often felt that philosophy and science are always at

odds. Nothing could be farther from the truth. If one agrees that

science tries to arrive at the truth, then it becomes obvious

philosophy is also a science. As a matter of fact philosophy could

be even termed as the science of all sciences. As the river waters

ultimately merge into the sea, all the other sciences at the higher

level merge into philosophy.

In his excellent and highly analytical book "The Logic of Scientific

discovery" Karl Popper has this to say:

"The empirical basis of objective science has nothing absolute about

it….. This pair of opposites subjective-absolute and objective-

relative seems to contain one of the most profound epistemological

truths, which can be gathered from the study of nature. Whoever

wants the absolute must get subjectivity - ego-centricity - into the

bargain, and whoever longs for objectivity cannot avoid the problem

of relativism."

This I think is why in Advaita we see some aspects of qualified

dualism. When absorbed in the absolute the ego is shed. When

engaged in day-to-day life, objectivity is a necessary requirement -

the ego, the minimum that is required is to be tapped from the

reservoir that could be dammed and contained. If one learns to make

ego work for him - that is to master the ego and use it for the

purpose of realising the Brahman, then everything else becomes

redundant and dissolves itself into oblivion allowing the person to

pursue his main activity unhindered. Thus it may be quite possible

that ego could be converted into a useful tool even. But let us hear

Karl Popper more - for he has a lot to say on this. ………

"And before this we find, what immediately is experienced is

subjective and absolute….the objective world on the other hand, which

natural science seeks to precipitate in pure crystalline form is…

relative.

Science does not rest upon solid bedrock. The bold structure of its

theories rises, as it were, above a swamp, but not down to any

natural or 'given' base; and if we stop driving these piles deeper,

it is not because we have reached firm ground. We simply stop when

we are satisfied that the piles are firm enough to carry the

structure, at least for the time being.."

Reininger writes in Das-Pscho-Physische Problem: "Metaphysics as

science is impossible, because although the absolute is indeed

experienced, and for that reason can be intuitively felt, it yet

refused to be expressed in words. For 'Spricht die seele nicht mehr

so spricht, ach! Schon die Seele nicht mehr' - If the soul speaks

then alas it is not longer the soul that speaks!"

That is the factor. When one realises the Brahman, he himself

becomes one with it and is therefore unable to express it in words

and merges into silence. The experience could only be felt and not

expressed.

With pranams

Shankar p. - Chennai

Om! Shankaraya namaha.

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