Gardening also demonstrates the application of the guideposts of catholic philosophy especially realistic epistemology and objective ethics.
Recall our past discussions of the 4 guideposts.
A journey needs two fundamental pieces of information to be successful: a destination (telos) and a route. In the case of philosophy, the destination is wisdom or Truth, with happiness being a by-product. The route is harder to determine. Many famous thinkers since the first philosopher, Thales, have used different paths and arrived at different outcomes. I use four Catholic guideposts when evaluating a proposed philosophical system to determine if it has the correct route and destination.
Guideposts are not axioms, obvious truths that must be taken as true for a starting point. Thomas Aquinas in his famous Five Ways to prove the existence of God started one with the contingency of being. We know by experience that some things come into existence, and that some things go out of existence – life and death. This is an axiom.
Guideposts are not syllogisms. Syllogisms are a form of logic that employs deductive reasoning using sound premises that lead to a conclusion. A common example of a syllogism is: All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
Rather, guideposts help one to navigate a sound path when the route becomes confused and treacherous. Guideposts indicate or sign one to a proper course of acting. These indications can help one to discern good or bad philosophy. Good philosophy leads to beatitude. Bad philosophy leads to dangerous consequences both for the individual and society. It takes little effort to recall the disaster of Marxism and the over 100 million people (and counting) who have died as a result of that failed way of thinking.
The question of why four comes to mind. I like simplicity of approach in a difficult endeavor. There could very well be more than four signs but I have found these four a very good place to begin. Guideposts are a limiting proposition not a maximal one. All four must be present to have a sound catholic philosophy, not only one. If one of the signs is missing, the error is identified, then I determine if it is worth fixing, then move on. Whether it is Thales, Aristotle, William of Ockham, or Thomas Nagel I have found these guideposts extremely helpful in discerning the proposed thinking.
Stated briefly, the four guideposts are: 1. Creation metaphysics; 2. Hylomorphic anthropology; 3. Realistic epistemology; and 4. Objective ethics. I did not originate these four categories but have found them to be very accurate and insightful. These guideposts help us to understand ‘why things are the way they are’. Equally helpful, these signs help us to identify sophists, those who engage in word-craft for self-profit and exploitation of others.
Realistic epistemology is the sign that man does have the capacity to be in touch with the world. Epistemology comes from the two Greek words episteme (knowledge) and logos (reason, word, study), which taken together is the branch of study that concerns itself with how man knows something, what is happening in our minds when we know something. Realistic points to the certitude that man can be in touch with real things. A realistic epistemology says, “I really am reading this blog.”
Without a realistic epistemology, we cannot have certitude of the real order of things, especially about the natural world and the soul, and then we cannot have truth.
The object, not the subject, determines the rightness or wrongness of something. Objective ethics is one of accountability and accuracy. A subjective ethics is one where a person is not responsible for their acts. An objective accounting of ethics might have extenuating circumstances for acting but it does not fully dismiss the person from the responsibility of knowing what is true or good. The object, the other person, by the subject, me, sets what I should do.
Obvious, crisis point in these two elements
How do we know what we know. Gaslighting though overused, it is definitely being used.
Undermine man’s confidence in truth in it.
Satan makes man uncertain of truth. Confused
Subjective morality soup de jour. Make inane comment you & your God.
God did not define Himself as ones God
I Am.
Manipulated deep and propound point.
People are afraid Christianity buzz word limiting in people’s choices.
These 2 guideposts moor us to a firm foundation.
In most instances attacks directed to the human [person.
Can a firmness of truth in gardening. End of the day, if don’t do the truth it will be consumed by pest and rodents.
Immediately corrode natural world without these 2 firm guideposts.
We don’t see the holes in the human soul. Less concerned about personal holiness.
Rise of organics in grocery stores. No concern body ABC, growth hormones, vaccines.
Human body & mind capable of hiding disease than a plant.
Wee true wisdom TA grace amplifies nature. Study nature to extrapolate in to supernatural.
Analogy unpacked, greater understanding of ourselves and the relationship God is calling us to.
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