Prime Reality: Definition
The concept of prime reality has been discussed countless times by philosophers across the globe, yet no consensus has been reached so far. There are numerous approaches to defining the notion of prime reality; for instance, there is the assumption that God represents it. Other philosophies suggest that the prime reality is purely materialistic, whereas some assume that it is defined not by God but by multiple deities (polytheism).
Seeing that there is currently no observably reasonable way to prove that the material cosmos represents the entire prime reality, a significant number of people maintain their faith in the higher power that defines the way in which people see the world. The identified standpoint can be deemed as the manifestation of monism, as opposed to pluralism, which implies that multiple realities exist (Dembski, 2014).
Nature of the World Around
Speaking of which, the very essence of the universe and, therefore, the environment that surrounds people, is also an unequivocal mystery. The attempts at interpreting the nature of the world can be considered the manifestation of spirituality developing in people. At present, the explanation that is deeply rooted in the principles of scientism is viewed as the most common and, therefore, most reasonable one, yet the idea is still open to interpretations (Koperski, 2014).
Particularly, scientism implies that the world in which people live was not created but, instead, evolved as a result of complex and numerous stages of development from basic life forms to incredibly intricate organisms (Koperski, 2014). Despite the fact that scientism is typically deemed as the direct opposition to the creationism ideas, it could be assumed that the two philosophies could coexist if taking into account that the origin of the world (i.e., the events that spawned it) and nature thereof (i.e., the possible intent based on which the world may have emerged) should be viewed as separate entities.
What a Human Being Is
Introspect is typically interpreted as an essential step in cognizing the world around (Laos, 2015). Therefore, defining a human being is a crucial stage of development and the growth of spirituality that implies detailed scrutiny of the self. The interpretations of what a human is and what people represent are so numerous that they cannot possibly be embraced; however, several standpoints deserve a separate mentioning. The postmodern interpretation of a human being, which is not quite uplifting, suggests that humanity, in fact, is not an intrinsic notion (Laos, 2015).
Therefore, from the identified perspective, human nature as a construct does not exist, and nor does the moral standards and values that used to be viewed as inherent to humankind and, therefore, entirely intrinsic (Laos, 2015). The scientific explanation of a human being, while being quite dry, however, sheds some light on nature and the essential characteristics thereof, claiming that a human is a genus of the Homo Sapiens (Homo Sapiens Sapiens) (Laos, 2015). It seems, however, that the identified definition lacks the element of spirituality, which implies people’s ability to develop their ethical and esthetic standpoints along with their physical capabilities.
What Happens to the Person at Death
Another mystery that is unlikely to be resolved in the nearest future, the question about the afterlife seems to define the life choices of people all over the world, encouraging them to grow spiritually. It seems that the concept of life after death, though, should not be taken literally. While one must admit that death as the complete ending of the secular life and the complete decay of one’s physical body is terrifying, it seems that death is, in fact, the final stage of one’s existence as a human being. While entirely dismissing the idea of God as the superior being that may have created life on earth would be too hasty a decision, it seems that the so-called afterlife does not start immediately as the earthly life ends.
Why Is It Possible to Know Things
The question of why people are capable of cognizing reality is rooted deeply in the study of the brain, particularly, the cognitive processes that occur in it when people encounter new information and process it. The identified phenomenon is traditionally viewed from a scientific perspective. However, there is an even more engaging and complicated question, which is how people are capable of determining that what they hold as the truth represents the objective reality fully.
Drawing the Line Between Right and Wrong
Since the postmodern framework of exploring human nature implies that people are not born with the intrinsic ability to intuitively understand the difference between right and wrong, it is reasonable to assume that the ability to differentiate between the two is fostered in people. To be more specific, the cultural and social factors that constitute the environment in which people grow to define the further capability to identify the ethically appropriate and morally ambiguous ideas (Dembski, 2014).
Meaning of Human History
Finally, the concept of human history needs to be addressed. Without retrospect into the previous actions and their implications, the humankind would not be able to learn. Therefore, human history can be viewed as a series of decisions that have affected the social, cultural, political, and economic development of the world. Moreover, history also needs to be perceived as the experiences that need to be analyzed so that the further decisions made in the context of cross-cultural communication should lead to easier negotiations and more successful outcomes.
References
Dembski, W. A. (2014). Being as communion: A metaphysics of information. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Koperski, J. (2014). The physics of theism: God, physics, and the philosophy of science. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Laos, N. (2015). The metaphysics of world order: A synthesis of philosophy, theology, and politics. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers.