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Wed 13 Aug, 2008 11:30 pm
The plight of Sisyphus has been often been the subject of consideration of existential philosophy since the publication of Camus revolutionary essay on the topic. In the truth of this tale lies that which ties all men to each other in their condition and from this connection a new view of progress and equality emerges.
The progress of man is a recurring theme in the west(and parts of the east as well) and it is worn as a badge of pride when the correct manner of progress is promoted, but I ask this to those who so proudly bear their cachets "Progress, perhaps, but to what ends?" It is in the answer of this question that each shows their hand and it is in the answering of this question that the human condition lies.
So often do we see ourselves as justified in our actions that we become dependent upon such justification to act in any way which seems correct by our experience. So dependent do we become on such justification, that should we be bereft of it, we would not be unlike shoats thrown to the sea.
Our binds do oft become our supports and thence our comforts in this sense. We are bound by this absolute justification of whatever we consider progress by our comfort in it and addiction to it, yet our plight lies within that which we will not open and thus we are tortured by our weakness.
To open the box and peer inside at the truth we must examine ourselves in such a way that is quite psychically painful. We must question the things which we hold self evident and undermine that which supports us. In a sense, we must take a plunge, dive into the seas of uncertainty and hope that we float, for in its depths sits the truth.
All truths of men are constructs build of sand residing in a roaring sea of daring uncertainty. The depths of the waters do frighten us away to run to our kingdoms of sand, though they sit in the waters from which we try to escape. The wise men sit at the base of the kingdoms diving into the waters so that they might pull up more sand and rise further above, but the depths send waves crashing down upon their edifice of defiance and fear. When the sea devours the sand, the true set to work, the children, building it in their image, not fearing the briny depths but rather they learn to swim as though fish and deep do they dive.
Down to the bottom of the sea they find sand to gather up and erect their own platform for the simple joy of creation. Then the weak come forth from the depths and multiply, clinging in fear to their new raft, thence they resume their building until yet again it collapses for the wise men have dug out from underneath that which supports those above.
But I say that their fear is ill founded. That there is no rule book, no tangible governance by the gods is the purest emancipation! That our morals are a compromise and of practical nature, and so are all things which we create and are of us, is a loosening of bondage long carried by man. To know that these tools have practical necessity but cannot be applied beyond such brings is a freedom of will long sought by man, and they who might fret of purpose only need remember that divine or ultimate teleology is a concept created by men, so its absence in logical space is of no significance. In this revelation the fearful finally look down and see their fins! They did not ever need the rafts which they build, and the sea is their true home.
It is in the embrace that man is not god, that teleology is not definite but rather illusory and not necessary, that man is set free and the fruit of Eden set aside for the temptation is lost.
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