From: J T (veridicus@outgun.com)
Date: Mon Sep 23 2002 - 11:55:14 MDT
>>> joedees@bellsouth.net 09/23/02 09:45 AM >>>
On 22 Sep 2002 at 21:41, Calvin Ashmore wrote:
>
> An idea for a new topic: Passion.
>
> Passion is an antithesis to apathy, so it is a positive quality.
> However passion may be triggered memetically, when internal and dear
> memes are threatened, which is clearly undesirable. Is it possible to
> have a purely intellectual passion which is driven by reason, or must
> there still be some sort of memetic foundation which underlies it all?
>
> Seems like a good idea at the time :]
> especially as there has been a lot of pumping of hot blood in the
> list.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> (And thank you, Walter, for supporting me, it is much appreciated)
>
> -Calvin (Wondering if I should stay in the sun for a bit before
> returning to the shadows...)
>
[joeDees]
Passion is, in and of itself, neither good nor evil (as if those were
absolute categories!), yet it may equally serve ends that are generally
agreed-upon as either benevolent or malevolent. There are those who
are passionate about gender and racial egalitarianism, and others who
are equally passionate about sexist or racist beliefs. However, I do
believe that, just as consciousness must necessarily be relational
(consciousness is by necessity consciousness OF), that passion must
also refer to some position or stand (passion is by necessity passionate
ABOUT something); I do not think that referentless passion is any more
possible than contentless consciousness.
[veridicus]
Really? You think so? I think that both can be referentless. You can live your life passionately while not being passionate about any particular object. You can live your life consciously without being conscious of any particular object. Consciousness does not need reference, it stands alone. In a universe without "things" could consciousness exist? Perhaps our universe is actually such and all "things" are created by consciousness rather than referenced by it. I think "contentless" consciousness is the most real, most powerful kind of consciousness.
-veridicus
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