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What may influence our perception and thoughts?
Hi. just a casual question, if you ever have a few minutes free. Re. an earlier reply (which I estimated VERY highly by the way). Currently intrigued by the idea that mans thought processes, perception and self-perception might be influenced by more than just socio-economic environment/status/background and cultural beliefs. Which I'm perfectly happy with. But also by the earth itself? You mentioned the ancients realising the moon was 'a big deal' and worshipping it (the highest estimation they were capable of?). Getting me to thinking, did the ancients have an intrinsic knowledge and wisdom that has been somewhat 'trampled down' by modern man's insistence that the only true knowledge is that gained through empiricism? Not that their superstitions were true (as such), but they were their way of acknowledging and 'explaining' (to their satisfaction) phenomena they had experienced. A way of staying in harmony with their environment, not intellectually fighting aginst it? I'm sure you've noticed how many of the younger seekers of advice seem drawn to mysticism. esp. fate/destiny. Clinging to an idea that 'everything happens for a reason'. I meet people like this face-to-face all the time too. They deny any formal religion, but overlook that this degree of pre-ordained order would demand the existence a supreme 'architect', an all-powerful 'planner'. Think what it's all coming down to in me is this. The possibility that somehow man circa.2014 is finally (parodoxically) becoming completely alienated by his own man-made world? Agree..totally refute..examples for or against? I appreciate 'a solution' is a big ask! You struck me as having a good grip on this, love to hear your thoughts sometime, anytime. CJB
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Since you are asking my opinion, here is is:
No. People of ancients civilizations did not have any sort of supernatural, intrinsic knowledge that we've now lost because of empiricism.
They had different knowledge! I grew up on a farm, so I know things about goats and horses and even dogs that other people don't know. A few years ago I broke up a rather nasty dog fight at a dog park in the city. The city folk were shocked that I could do this, but I'd seen enough dogs get into scraps at the farm - it didn't shock me and I knew what to do because I'd observed people around me.
I have lots of similar experience when ti comes too, butchering chickens, or approaching police horses. I have knowledge about these things not because I'm "more in touch with nature" but because I was exposed to that knowledge in my life by other human beings!
Ancient humans got their knowledge the exact same way. They watched, and listened, and learned about what they were exposed too. The weather, the behaviour of the environment around them was much more vital to their ability to stay safe and alive than it is to yours and mine, so they talked about it a lot. They developed theories and acquired 'knowledge' some of which was ban on, and some of which was really mistaken.
Yes, mythology, religion, old-wives tales, where all ways of passing down information populations that were ill-informed and pre-literate. At the times they were created, they were the best tools we had for sharing and remembering important information.
Humans were no more 'in harmony' with nature than we are today. In fact, people were fighting harder against it, for their survival. It is simply because, as a whole, humanity was weaker, less able to impact the environment, that we modern people look back with rose-tinted glasses and think "Oh they were so much better to the planet back then!"
Bullshit. They were simply less capable of doing damage to the environment, and far more accustomed than we are now to the environment just fucking decimating them, through natural disaster and illness. People didn't go hungry because they were worried about the ozone layer or thought being mean to animals was wrong, they went hungry, even starved to death en masse, because they didn't have the information, the skill or the technology that would have allowed them to do anything else! Wive-tales, religion and myths weren't capable of expressing, holding or sharing that information the way written language and wide education is.
There is no solution, because there isn't really a problem as you've articulated it. Pollution and Global Warming are problems. Too much stress and mental illness are problems. Poverty is a problem. But empiricism isn't the 'cause of these problems. We are. If we had the power to bring these problems on ourselves in the year 200, we would have done it then. In the year 2014, we do have the power, so we've faced these problems that are direct result of human - even animal - desires for safety, power, plenty of food, good health and longevity.
Are we being 'alienated' by our own man-made world? No. We are just having to re-evaluate our actual priorities and needs after having, for the most part in the first world, addressed our most basic needs for health and food. It's a new challenge, and yes, a lot of people have tried to meet the challenge by rejecting 'modernity' and science, but that's just an emotional reaction to the fact that the world, with or without empiricism, is a frighting, dangerous place, and we all die in the end.
You ask about the idea that "modern man's insistence that the only true knowledge is that gained through empiricism", and frankly, that's a huge overstatement and just not the case. What is true, is that scientific method is the very best way we have ever had to gain knowledge about how the universe actually works. Nothing else holds a candle to it in that regard, but that doesn't mean that if everyone just accepted science tomorrow all our problems would be solved. Science isn't GOD. It's not a solution. Science (and empiricism) are methods. They are ways to approach problems. They are tools. Just like myths and religions were once the best tools we had to understand and share information, just now we have far better, far more actuate tools at our disposal.
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