From: Patsloane-AT-aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 03:13:57 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: PLC:God and science


In a message dated 97-09-10 23:11:40 EDT, Dennis writes:

> The first question is what is logos philosophy?  As a working definition, I

> will 
>  take it to mean that there is mind in the universe.
>  
>  What this means is that there is some intentionality present in nature.  
>  Defining this in a sensible way is a problem of the first order that I am 
> still 
>  working my way through.  

Here's mine.

1) Human beings realized at an early date that they could create order, or
that there was a distinction in their minds between order and disorder.

2) They also noticed orders (patterns) in the universe that human beings had
not created.  Among the earliest signs of this awareness, I would place the
building of Stonehenge (Neolithic),  or the "discovery" of the
constellations.

3) Reasoning by analogy (as human beings do), they conjectured  that the
orders they had not created themselves might have  been created by some
divine mind, creator-deity, logos, primal mover, tao, goddess, god, God,
great spirit , or whatever you want to call her, him, or it.

You'll find this insufficiently "philosophical," because it's simple.  But
what's wrong with beginning with simple observations?  

The idea that the visible world is controlled by invisible forces is pretty
much universal.  Peoples come to the conclusion whether or not they've ever
heard of Aristotle, Aquinas or Heidegger.

pat sloane