Old Notes And New Thoughts

 

I came across some old notes from my student days. The paper was brownish, slightly crumbled and torn. I read it. Interesting.

On the top of the page was a reference to Plato's 'the ethical good'. The idea of cosmos, of cosmic order, is not based on physical reality, but in higher ideals, way beyond the happenings in time and space, e.g. out reality. The ideas of order, of essential and real order in the higher realms is a challenge to humanity. 

 

Interesting.

I ponder the present havoc of disruption, the strange display of hooliganism and total disrespect for authority. I look with disbelief at the venomous hatred in public places, in speeches and in social media, and I wonder what happened to professional journalism in the more established avenues. 

 

Further in my old notes it says: The human core, our inner being is not passion, exertion of power or dynamic creativity. Rather, it is 'erkjennelse' - coming to an inner understanding of, or cognition of, one's ability to display ethical goodness, and as such, function as one ought.

 

Ok, so it is not based on Bible and our Christian tradition. Still, it speaks. We have a human ability to self-control, to know what is good and to act accordingly. 

 

My notes then delves into an inner discussion in some of Plato's writings. That does not concern me now.  However, there is a comment on ignorance, in which one confuses what is good with what is evil. To strive for evil is an ontological impossibility. We strive for something existing, something substantial. Evil is negative; it is a void, and as such impossible to strive for.

 

So, if that is so, do the ones who express their vile and destructive behaviour, do it for something good? It seems to me there is a high degree of confusion. 

 

Anyway - I was nicely disturbed in my musing over old notes and new thoughts, as I was called to family time and Bible reading. We read Psalms these days, and Psalm 145 was today's portion. God is eternal, good and righteous. And he will set the record straight with the evildoers, in his wisdom and love. He is in control, in the end.