copied from journal entry dated 2/7/2000, 1:45 AM

I really wish these things wouldn’t strike me so forcefully at such inopportune times. If I don’t write it down now it will be gone in the morning.

A Theory on the Mind

1. A Collective/Comprehensive Philosophy

• Made up of memories, data, observations, etc., as well as established/accepted beliefs.
• Dinstinct and detached from emotion.
• Contains elements that we have forgotten or are unaware of as well as those that can be recalled by the conscious.

2. The Animal - like Freud’s “unconscious” in some ways.

• source of all emotions, drives, desires, etc…
• distinct from all moral/value judgments
• basic instincts of man qua man
• not governed by logic/reason or conscience

3. The Conscious/Operative Philosophy

• seat of logic/reason
• the part of us that is able to call up or access data from the Collective.
• competes with the Animal for control of actions 
• possibly the seat of morality (the Conscience)
  • Problem: There may be things that logic tells us are ok, in view of our comprehensive philosophy, that our consience still tells us are wrong. Therefore the Conscience may be another part.
• able to shut itself down (or are we able to shut it down?) almost completely.  Not all the way. Therefore we can operate by the Animal instead.

 

Enough for now - I need some sleep!

 

This entry was where I first started trying to work on my Comprehensive Philosophy project. It’s not anything like a solid or coherent, developed theory - just at attempt to get down a sketch of some ideas while I had a moment of clarity. My understanding of these things has developed and changed significantly since this point, but I think there is still some useful stuff in here.

Only someone who prevents us from satisfying a desire which he himself has inspired in us is truly an object of hatred. The person who hates first hates himself for the secret admiration concealed by his hatred.

- René Girard

7/26/99:

René Girard’s “mimetic desire”: we often seek goals simply because we perceive them as being sought after by others.

9-16-1998

I know that I don’t usually write journals voluntarily, but there are just some times when things in my head have to be written down. If I could find someone who would be willing to listen to my ideas and could identify with me then I probably wouldn’t be writing this right now, but that just goes to prove the point that I wish to make.

I am coming to the belief that a large portion of man’s actions and reactions stem, not from a Freudian sexual desire, but rather from a desire to be understood or to identify with another. As with the Freudian concept, this motivation is chiefly selfish in its roots - obviously. But this does not necessarily make it an impure motive. I believe that this constant search for a “soulmate” is a built-in need in mankind, perhaps as a means to draw us closer to the One who understands us best of all - our Creator.