Philosophy Discussion Forums

Greta wrote: ↑September 10th, 2019, 6:36 pm
Personally, I'm not even a romanticist when it comes to nature because I see humans and technology as being as much a part of nature as anything else.

What do you think of those "primitive" humans who see gods and all manner of spirits residing in the rocks and streams and trees of the forest and who have made technological instruments to communicate with them?

GaryLouisSmith wrote: ↑September 10th, 2019, 7:16 pm

Greta wrote: ↑September 10th, 2019, 6:36 pm
Personally, I'm not even a romanticist when it comes to nature because I see humans and technology as being as much a part of nature as anything else.

What do you think of those "primitive" humans who see gods and all manner of spirits residing in the rocks and streams and trees of the forest and who have made technological instruments to communicate with them?

The question is broad. What would you like me to think?

Greta wrote: ↑September 10th, 2019, 8:50 pm

GaryLouisSmith wrote: ↑September 10th, 2019, 7:16 pm

What do you think of those "primitive" humans who see gods and all manner of spirits residing in the rocks and streams and trees of the forest and who have made technological instruments to communicate with them?

The question is broad. What would you like me to think?

I like those people and I like to be around them. I too believe in the gods and all manner of spirits that live in the forest and I believe in the effectiveness of their instruments in communicating with them. I would like you to have respect for their knowledge and beliefs. Most modern people like you don't. They think they are ignorant, backward people and have a haughty attitude and condescending attitude when speaking to them. They think it is the civilized, white man's burden to take care of them because they are like children. Then again maybe you aren't like that at all.

I'm not much keen on stereotypes and even less keen on living up to them, even if I could.

The ancients obviously knew things that we don't. All generations try to pass their accumulated findings about the world to the next generation. However, when a group is invaded by a more powerful one, some knowledge will be lost. It's happened numerous times to numerous cultures.

For some reason you speak as though things could have been different. Today's circumstances with population, climate and politics were always only a matter of "when", not "if". We speak of human empowerment, or human destruction, but the physics of the planet have been in complete control throughout.

Greta wrote: ↑September 10th, 2019, 10:48 pm I'm not much keen on stereotypes and even less keen on living up to them, even if I could.

The ancients obviously knew things that we don't. All generations try to pass their accumulated findings about the world to the next generation. However, when a group is invaded by a more powerful one, some knowledge will be lost. It's happened numerous times to numerous cultures.

For some reason you speak as though things could have been different. Today's circumstances with population, climate and politics were always only a matter of "when", not "if". We speak of human empowerment, or human destruction, but the physics of the planet have been in complete control throughout.

You dodged the question.

GaryLouisSmith: What do you think of those "primitive" humans who see gods and all manner of spirits residing in the rocks and streams and trees of the forest and who have made technological instruments to communicate with them?

What instruments are those? I'm familiar with intuitive communication with purported nature spirits, like at Findhorn, but not sure what you mean by "technological instruments."

Felix wrote: ↑September 11th, 2019, 12:44 am

GaryLouisSmith: What do you think of those "primitive" humans who see gods and all manner of spirits residing in the rocks and streams and trees of the forest and who have made technological instruments to communicate with them?

What instruments are those? I'm familiar with intuitive communication with purported nature spirits, like at Findhorn, but not sure what you mean by "technological instruments."

Here people use, among other things, Yantra and Mandalas - you can see them under google images. There are also many handheld symbols. They are all used not only in ritual, but in normal activity. The world is full of magical symbols that somehow "contain" the spirits.

GaryLouisSmith wrote:

Here people use, among other things, Yantra and Mandalas - you can see them under google images. There are also many handheld symbols. They are all used not only in ritual, but in normal activity. The world is full of magical symbols that somehow "contain" the spirits.
Top

In Scotland when dowsing I used wire coat hangers. The trick I used was to playfully pretend the wires 'knew' something hidden from me. More experienced dowsers don't need aids to do it. Pope Francis has declared we should pay more attention to the natural environment, for obvious reasons.

Belindi wrote: ↑September 11th, 2019, 5:49 am GaryLouisSmith wrote:

Here people use, among other things, Yantra and Mandalas - you can see them under google images. There are also many handheld symbols. They are all used not only in ritual, but in normal activity. The world is full of magical symbols that somehow "contain" the spirits.
Top

In Scotland when dowsing I used wire coat hangers. The trick I used was to playfully pretend the wires 'knew' something hidden from me. More experienced dowsers don't need aids to do it. Pope Francis has declared we should pay more attention to the natural environment, for obvious reasons.

What?

GaryLouisSmith wrote: ↑September 11th, 2019, 6:00 am

Belindi wrote: ↑September 11th, 2019, 5:49 am GaryLouisSmith wrote:



In Scotland when dowsing I used wire coat hangers. The trick I used was to playfully pretend the wires 'knew' something hidden from me. More experienced dowsers don't need aids to do it. Pope Francis has declared we should pay more attention to the natural environment, for obvious reasons.

What?

You should send some of your dowsing friends here to the sub-continent because down in India people are rapidly running out of water for drinking and for livestock and for irrigation. The water table is falling. And people are cutting down too many trees for firewood. And the glaciers are melting too fast, so hydroelectric power will be limited. The future doesn't look bright. Any ideas - other than massive birth control.

Medieval technology won't stop the massive damage caused by people, although it would help people who can't buy modern water finding tech when there is actually water, water in motion like an underground stream is easier to find than a small lake. If the water is not there it will not be found.

Belindi wrote: ↑September 11th, 2019, 7:07 am Medieval technology won't stop the massive damage caused by people, although it would help people who can't buy modern water finding tech when there is actually water, water in motion like an underground stream is easier to find than a small lake. If the water is not there it will not be found.

There is no water actually there.

GaryLouisSmith wrote: ↑September 10th, 2019, 10:55 pm

Greta wrote: ↑September 10th, 2019, 10:48 pm I'm not much keen on stereotypes and even less keen on living up to them, even if I could.

The ancients obviously knew things that we don't. All generations try to pass their accumulated findings about the world to the next generation. However, when a group is invaded by a more powerful one, some knowledge will be lost. It's happened numerous times to numerous cultures.

For some reason you speak as though things could have been different. Today's circumstances with population, climate and politics were always only a matter of "when", not "if". We speak of human empowerment, or human destruction, but the physics of the planet have been in complete control throughout.

You dodged the question.

Actually, I answered it, but not in the black & white way that would allow you to put me in one of those little boxes you reserve for those who think unlike you. Like us, the ancients couldn't help noticing what was happening around them. Then they aimed to pass on their findings to the next generations.

So, no, superstitious ancients were not idiots, just accessing different bodies of knowledge. Having said that, their doctors were even worse than ours today and I'm not sure I'd fancy undergoing an exorcism to cure me of bacterial illness.

GartLouisSmith, regarding catastrophic water scarcity I recommend this discussion:

Being vegan for ethical reasons.

Greta wrote: ↑September 11th, 2019, 9:07 am I'm not sure I'd fancy undergoing an exorcism to cure me of bacterial illness.

There were plenty of anti-bacterial herbs. The liklihood that you would have gotten an exorcism for a bacterial illness seems rather low to me. And it seemed like he was talking about animists/pantheists...

What do you think of those "primitive" humans who see gods and all manner of spirits residing in the rocks and streams and trees of the forest

not, say, ancient Christians.