#31982 - 11/20/09 01:08 AM
Re: What makes something natural or unnatural?
[Re: GillesdeRais]
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TheInsane
member
Registered: 09/16/09
Posts: 356
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Basically I know what Im talking about Really? In that case you must have access to the super-secret document purportedly authored by Set itself entitled: "What I Did On My Summer Vacation"! I myself have only heard insane diatribes/gibberings concerning the validity of it's very existence, and how it drives even some sixth-degree Set-O-Philes utterly mad upon exposure to it's sinister premises... Actually, in my response to your post I was pretty clear about what I thought were the glaring misinterpretations of that (Setian) philosophy that you offered. You then responded by pointing out the extensive amount of information that you have at your disposal concerning your viewpoint, but you really didn't attempt to elaborate on why you thought Setians were "Psyche Worshippers" and that they (Setians) see X-tians as being "Nature Worshippers". If you have problems with the way I critiqued your views, extrapolate on your own by PERTINENT citation, not by simply pointing me in what you consider as being the right direction...In this case Doc Aquino's first essay in the CToS, which I still don't see as reinforcing your argument, at all. BTW - I'm interested in reading your 60-70 page essay that you wrote about the ToS on the university level!!! Convert it to a pdf and PM me a way to get it.
Really? How didnt I support it by pointing you right to the parts of one of the ToS's main writings that deals with how they view the psyche as of unnatural origin in contrast to the objective universe? What more evidence do you need?
The exact quote on Christianity and nature-worshipping I didnt find yet but I know I read it. I'll take some time after work today and I will dig it out for you.
And sure, I can send the essay to you. Although it is in swedish. Just send me your e-mail adress.
What makes something natural of unnatural? From a pure objective view everything on this planet is natural. If someone says to me that the plastics we fabricate are "unnatural" I wholeheartly disagree. I start to make the parallel with cyanobacteria. Small organisms who (in simple terms) produce O2. What humans do is nothing different then what bacteria do. We take a few chemical substances, we mix them and make something new. It is a common procedure which occurs daily in nature.
The only difference is that in nature the produced substances are mostly considered as 'waste' to the producing organisms.
Plastics are natural. The procedure to make them is only a bit different with other organisms and animals. This last part mostly is translated as 'unnatural', while it only is used as a false synonym for "man-made".
Plastics and other 'unnatural' materials still consist out of atoms, and as far as I know are atoms basic nature elements which interact with each other one way or another.
On a few side-notes: 1) There is no such thing as "academical knowledge", let this be a phallacy being rooted out of the brain. There only is 'knowledge', and knowledge can be dumbed down to make it more easy to digest or more expanded to get the picture more correct. Even so, knowledge is but a sum of facts. Depending on the amount of facts the knowledge is dumbed down or more expanded.
Following this view there isn't also a "University level" but only a certain level of writing which can only be understood by people who have a certain degree of understanding.
Adding the word "academical" or "university (level)" doesn't make someone more credible to believe, the selling of bullshit still occurs.
2) About the Set topic: this is Egyptian Mythology. While some may know a lot about the Egyptian mythology or Set, it doesn't take away mistakes are being made. From archeological experience I know that many assumptions are being made. And assumptions most of the time are WRONG. Let also not forget that the scriptures ToS provides are philosophical interpretations made by some important and founding members.
Agreed! I was writing of how important ToS members interpret it. Im not affiliated with that organisation in any way. Im just interested in it.
Edited by TheInsane (11/20/09 01:11 AM)
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#36675 - 03/17/10 10:48 PM
Re: What makes something natural or unnatural?
[Re: Dimitri]
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SOLERIFT
stranger
Registered: 08/05/08
Posts: 31
Loc: Dallas, TX
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What makes something natural of unnatural? From a pure objective view everything on this planet is natural.
If someone says to me that the plastics we fabricate are "unnatural" I wholeheartly disagree. I start to make the parallel with cyanobacteria. Small organisms who (in simple terms) produce O2. What humans do is nothing different then what bacteria do. We take a few chemical substances, we mix them and make something new. It is a common procedure which occurs daily in nature.
The only difference is that in nature the produced substances are mostly considered as 'waste' to the producing organisms.
Plastics are natural. The procedure to make them is only a bit different with other organisms and animals.
This last part mostly is translated as 'unnatural', while it only is used as a false synonym for "man-made".
I could not have said it better. Men have removed themselves from their place in nature so much as to consider all their own creations "un-natural", but this is actually impossible - the only difference is a matter of degree.
However, we do have the potential to make a far greater footprint and thus far greater damage (think about nuclear waste, depleted uranium, aluminum industry fluoride poisoning, chemical dumping, etc.....) - and these are far more dangerous wastes than animal wastes - some shown to have a measureable deleterious effect on almost every living organism surveyed in the surrounding area- (Tietê river in Brazil was one such example of this)
"Nature" itself is not threatened as a whole, but the living organisms may suffer to greater or lesser degree by becoming the filter for such poisons. Our own metabolism breaking them down while making us ill, as cancers and many other debilitations become more frequent. This is shown repeatedly to be the case by studying medical records of the populations near industrial towns, mining towns, and the like - and "nature" is always just fine in terms of survival - it will clean itself or adapt, through the filter of transient organisms that compose it.....
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#36709 - 03/18/10 01:36 PM
Re: What makes something natural or unnatural?
[Re: CJB]
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Michael A.Aquino
veteran member
Registered: 09/28/08
Posts: 1247
Loc: San Francisco, CA, USA
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This is a tautological question, because if you begin from the premise that every phenomenon is included in nature, because nature includes all phenomena, there you are. 
Setian philosophy distinguishes between what we term the Objective Universe (OU) and the Subjective Universe (SU). The OU encompasses the physical presence in time and space of various combinations of matter/antimatter & energy. The SU is quite simply the existence and power of any isolate consciousness of self to apprehend its unique identity apart from the OU, allowing it distinction from, hence definition of and contemplation of/reaction to/exercise of willful change upon the OU.
In this sense, the mere fact that you can even pose a question about nature, much less discuss whether something un-natural is possible, proves your distinction from same. Q.E.D.
While rather a different topic, in looking at "the laws of nature" it is amusing to note the various ways in which they are occasionally a little fucked up, as for example with Klein bottles and Möbius strips.
Set is the neter of the SU; the others are neteru of the OU (which is where the collective term "nature" comes from). The Lovecraftian deities, the Hounds of Tindalos, and the beings in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull lurk between them.
_________________________
Michael A. Aquino
[On Ignore: Dan_Dread, 6Satan6Archist6, Caladrius, MindFux]
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#36711 - 03/18/10 02:34 PM
Re: What makes something natural or unnatural?
[Re: SOLERIFT]
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Dimitri
veteran member
Registered: 07/13/08
Posts: 1357
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However, we do have the potential to make a far greater footprint and thus far greater damage (think about nuclear waste, depleted uranium, aluminum industry fluoride poisoning, chemical dumping, etc.....) - and these are far more dangerous wastes than animal wastes - some shown to have a measureable deleterious effect on almost every living organism surveyed in the surrounding area- (Tietê river in Brazil was one such example of this) Little nuance here, most "wastes" you speak off are natural elements also found in nature with the sole difference humans concentrated most of them for various purposes.
It is true there are things like plastics who are purely "man-made", but you can see it as a concentration of altered ethylene, methylene,.. Nature can handle it if the necessary time is given, too bad for us the time needed will exceed the time we want to give it to decompose and become "not-hazardous".
"Nature" itself is not threatened as a whole, but the living organisms may suffer to greater or lesser degree by becoming the filter for such poisons. Our own metabolism breaking them down while making us ill, as cancers and many other debilitations become more frequent. Yeah, shit happens...
_________________________
You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
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#36725 - 03/18/10 07:57 PM
Re: What makes something natural or unnatural?
[Re: Michael A.Aquino]
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TheInsane
member
Registered: 09/16/09
Posts: 356
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Dr. Aquino:
The SU is quite simply the existence and power of any isolate consciousness of self to apprehend its unique identity apart from the OU, allowing it distinction from, hence definition of and contemplation of/reaction to/exercise of willful change upon the OU.
I dont believe there is such a thing as an isolate conscious self. I think its the big case where humans want to recognize what sets them apart from animals so much that they actually want to be set apart from everything else as well. Wanting to be "the crown jewel" of creation if you will. That we are somehow above nature.
Physics today does indicate that everything is indeed one on the sub-atomic level and that the world merely appears dualistic in the eyes of intelligent life. That humans beings are set apart from everything else pretty much has to include a notion of a spiritual self of some kind which I deny exist. Religion in general does seem to disagree here which is one reason I was drawn to LaVey years ago. He did indeed feel that not only are we not separate from nature, there isn’t even a soul it is all the body. And then of course we have Nietzsche who had some beautiful words to say about it; "Body am I entirely, and nothing more; and soul is only the name of something in the body." The notion that the mind somehow controls the body is something I regard as the biggest illusion of the philosophy and religion of the West.
I regard man as a collection of "energy" (not sure if this would be the right word). Something that is always changing - not having a core. This is also why Nietzsche said "become what you are" (a call to action) and disregarded Socrates notion of "knowing your self" since it really isnt possible to know something that is ever changing. I regard change as the all there is, the all there was and the all that ever will be in true Heraclitean spirit 
In this sense, the mere fact that you can even pose a question about nature, much less discuss whether something un-natural is possible, proves your distinction from same. Q.E.D.
It doesnt really prove anything. Why would one have to be distinct from something to be able to question it? We merely play with words and give them definitions and it is our own definitions of these words that we can analyze. I have come to realize that much of mans metaphysical thoughts in reality often ends up as lectures or lessons in linguistics rather than actual metaphysics.
I know that you have written about how humans beings are able to think of unnatural things but I would like to disagree. Everything humans think of is either possible within the realm of the nature around us or is built on things we see in nature. So while a dragon might never have existed it is clearly built up on images and ideas from the natural world. So far I know of no one who has actually proven to have in one way or another had a thought isolated from the natural world much less being able to somehow prove that the self is isolated. If anything there is constant proof that we are never isolated from anything. We are constantly affected and we constantly effect the surroundings whether we like to or not.
Set is the neter of the SU; the others are neteru of the OU (which is where the collective term "nature" comes from). The Lovecraftian deities, the Hounds of Tindalos, and the beings in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull lurk between them.
I actually did my magister essay on the subject of ancient Egyptian mythology and how your organization uses these in your religion. I think that the principle being truly outside the natural world in Egyptian mythology would be Apep rather than Set though. Set to me seems to be chaotic at times but in general chaotic within the natural realm, and indeed being controlled and not separated. Always ending up being controlled, serving or helping the other gods. But of course I am aware that people from the ToS have declared that they do not wish to re-awaken an old religion and in general I take the ToS as modern day occultism dressed in Egyptian clothing.
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#36732 - 03/18/10 10:52 PM
Re: What makes something natural or unnatural?
[Re: TheInsane]
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Michael A.Aquino
veteran member
Registered: 09/28/08
Posts: 1247
Loc: San Francisco, CA, USA
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I don't believe there is such a thing as an isolate conscious self. In that case, who is making this choice to disbelieve, then to communicate that disbelief to other isolate entities for their consideration?
I think its the big case where humans want to recognize what sets them apart from animals so much that they actually want to be set apart from everything else as well. Wanting to be "the crown jewel" of creation if you will. That we are somehow above nature. Some aspects of nature are inherently not conscious, such as rocks, wind, and fire. But you bring up the case of animals, and a major interest of the Arkte Element of the Temple of Set is indeed respect not just for the manifestation of consciousness characteristic of humans, but also for those of other sentient creatures as well. In short the "Gift of Set", as we call it, is turning out to be far more multifaceted and subtle than we once assumed.
We find, for example, that sensation, awareness, and intelligence are not measurable all by the same yardstick between species. You may think you're much smarter than your cat, but his SU is built quite differently than yours, selecting-in things of importance to him but not necessarily to you and selecting-out similarly. Arkte Setians are actively involved in such exploration and communication worldwide, from bats to snakes to barracudæ to whales. And yes, one of the consequences is an increasing tendency to vegetarianism among Setians, though this is neither a general expectation nor a thoroughly-thought-through philosophy.
Physics today does indicate that everything is indeed one on the sub-atomic level ... and also on the NYC Subway at rush hour ...
... and that the world merely appears dualistic in the eyes of intelligent life. Sounds as though you've just argued for the SU, except it's not a case of "dualism" as much as of isolate consciousnesses.
That humans beings are set apart from everything else pretty much has to include a notion of a spiritual self of some kind which I deny exist. Well, you certainly have a self, because here you are expressing it. The term "spiritual" is somewhat unhelpful here, methinks, because it usually connotes a kind of predesigned framework into which consciousness fits, such as that of humanity as conceived and judged by JudæoChristianity.
LaVey ... did indeed feel that not only are we not separate from nature, there isn’t even a soul it is all the body. No, that is not quite true. Anton certainly believed in not denying bodily pleasures as conventional religious "frameworks of the soul" prescribe; that's what "Indulgence Instead of Abstinence" was all about. But he was far more interested in the essence of each individual: his character, ethics, emotions, æsthetics, etc. He felt that it was of prime importance that these not be compromised, distorted, or otherwise injured to the individual's weakening and eclipse. He was one of the most psyche-perceptive persons I've ever known.
And then of course we have Nietzsche who had some beautiful words to say about it; "Body am I entirely, and nothing more; and soul is only the name of something in the body." I think that if you read Nietzsche in context, you will find that his attitude was much like that of Anton's as summarized above: that he had no time for cheap exploitations of what profane religions call the "soul", but this all the more because he was aware of its true essence and potential - hence his concepts such as the "Will to Power", "horizon building", etc.
_________________________
Michael A. Aquino
[On Ignore: Dan_Dread, 6Satan6Archist6, Caladrius, MindFux]
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#36733 - 03/18/10 11:47 PM
Re: What makes something natural or unnatural?
[Re: Michael A.Aquino]
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Jake999
senior member
Registered: 11/02/08
Posts: 2174
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You may think you're much smarter than your cat, but his SU is built quite differently than yours, selecting-in things of importance to him but not necessarily to you and selecting-out similarly.
Quite true! Having had cats for the past 40 years, and not TREATING them like cats, I've been able to see the intellectual side of cats, such as it is. It's there, if you can back off of any "I'm part of nature" stance and go for more of a "separate but equal" stance that's been part of most segregative thought. We coexist, based on certain self interests, and beyond that, your cat ultimately sees you as an affectionate and beneficial to have around pet... just about how you see them. This lasts as long as they see benefit in your being around, and then, logically, when (if) they see you no longer meet their needs, they branch out and find other methods to get what they need in food, accommodations, etc. If they stick around long enough for you to die on them, laying on the floor and beginning to deteriorate, they will eat you. The symbiosis is over. You then become food.
No, that is not quite true. Anton certainly believed in not denying bodily pleasures as conventional religious "frameworks of the soul" prescribe; that's what "Indulgence Instead of Abstinence" was all about. But he was far more interested in the essence of each individual: his character, ethics, emotions, æsthetics, etc. He felt that it was of prime importance that these not be compromised, distorted, or otherwise injured to the individual's weakening and eclipse. He was one of the most psyche-perceptive persons I've ever known.
Can't argue that. The popular mythology of LaVey is that he was this bulwark against religion and damning all there was to the concepts of one's "soul." Not really accurate, since it assumes that the LaVeyan "soul" might even somehow be spiritual or metaphysical. The soul in LaVeyan terms might better be seen as an exercisable muscle (or even the appendix... nobody really needs one, but it's there) that had nothing to do with the supernatural, but of individual psychic balance and in integrating the concepts of body and mind. One could be sick in the soul... remember, be classified Satanism is that bridge between religion and psychiatry. It allowed one to do the work without resorting to middlemen (gods or psychiatrists).
I won't speak for LaVey, but in my hallucinations, if I asked him, "Doktor, what's the soul?" He might answer, "It's that quality that allows man balance between his physical needs and the ancillary needs of the body and mind, such as aesthetics, appreciations of art and literature, epicurianism, etc. It's an individual and highly personal categorizing system that balances need against want and allows for one to indulge in one's desires, thereby negating compulsion."
Or he could just say, "Jake... it's Wednesday night. Don't forget we need to move the limo across the street by 3 AM for the street sweeper."
_________________________
Bury your dead, pick up your weapon and soldier on.
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#36749 - 03/19/10 06:41 AM
Re: What makes something natural or unnatural?
[Re: Michael A.Aquino]
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TheInsane
member
Registered: 09/16/09
Posts: 356
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Dr. Aquino
In that case, who is making this choice to disbelieve, then to communicate that disbelief to other isolate entities for their consideration?
Well there is change and there is variation and animals of different kinds do view the world in dualistic images. However I do not believe that there is such a thing as an _isolate_ consciousness. I do not deny consciousness per se but I do not believe that it is isolate in relation to the objective universe to use your terminology.
I am familiar with the Arkte element and I think it’s a healthy thing for the ToS to have. Otherwise your organization as a whole tends to lean a little bit to much on the divine nature and ability of man somehow making us non-animals. Maybe Im wrong but this is the impression I have gotten when studying the ToS. I guess some of this also has to do with the way some of you view outside society as “the world of horrors” (your words not mine). But I guess that is more in a human context rather than a natural one.
Sounds as though you've just argued for the SU, except it's not a case of "dualism" as much as of isolate consciousnesses. . . . . . Well, you certainly have a self, because here you are expressing it. . . .
No I didn’t argue for an isolate conciousness. I said “_appears_ dualistic”. I guess its all a matter of where one comes from philosophically. The ToS is quite obviously a western organization building on western ideas. This can of course be seen in the re-definition of the Left Hand Path which only partly takes into account what the LHP traditionally is. I am way more influenced by an eastern mindset personally. If we take into consideration the Buddhist notion of non-Self (anatta) for example. They don’t deny consciousness and they don’t deny that this consciousness sees things in a dualistic way. They do however deny that there is a core Self, a traditional soul, an outside (or isolate) perceiver of the world if you will. I am somewhat in agreement although it’s a tricky path to walk to refer to a religions view of self and then not necessarily agree on other metaphysical topics. I would never claim to be a Buddhist 
In short we have a sense of Self but like everything else it is something that is ever changing. It is a flow that only because of the continuous movement appears to be solid. Like the onion we can peal off the layers and never find the core. Or indeed how physicians thought the atom to be the one solid building block and then realize that it is made up of even smaller parts and they in turn of even smaller parts. In the end it is just a flow of energy. What we call solid – like a stone for example – really does not have a solid foundation. In this sense matter can be said to be an illusion – not in the sense that it does not exist but rather in the sense that it isn’t what it appears to be. Movement of energy makes things seem solid but in reality everything is ever changing, without a core except the constant change of energy. The vama marga of tantric Hinduism (traditional LHP) is built on this notion even though they do use the term atma (self) in contrast to the Buddhists anatma (no-self):
She [Kali] is naked and dark like a threatening rain cloud. She is dark, for she who is herself beyond mind and speach, reduces all things into that worldly "nothingness" which as the Void of all which we now know, is at the same time the All (purna) which is Light and Peace. . . . She stands upon the white corpse-like body of Shiva. He is white because He is illuminating transcendental aspect of Conciousness. He is inert because he is the changeless aspect of the Supreme, and she apparently changing aspect of the same. In truth, she and he are one and the same, being twin aspects of the One who is changelessness in, and exists as, change.
I also find Bertrand Russels thought on the self and soul interesting:
The same thing applies to the mind. We think and feel and act, but there is not, in addition to thoughts and feelings and actions, a bare entity, the mind or the soul, which does or suffers these occurrences. The mental continuity of a person is a continuity of habit and memory: there was yesterday one person whose feelings I can remember, and that person I regard as myself of yesterday; but, in fact, myself of yesterday was only certain mental occurrences which are now remembered and are regarded as part of the person who now recollects them. All that constitutes a person is a series of experiences connected by memory and by certain similarities of the sort we call habit.
I am sorry if I elaborated to much on that 
No, that is not quite true. Anton certainly believed in not denying bodily pleasures as conventional religious "frameworks of the soul" prescribe; that's what "Indulgence Instead of Abstinence" was all about. But he was far more interested in the essence of each individual: his character, ethics, emotions, æsthetics, etc. He felt that it was of prime importance that these not be compromised, distorted, or otherwise injured to the individual's weakening and eclipse. He was one of the most psyche-perceptive persons I've ever known.
Well my interpretation of this is that Anton was indeed in agreement with the parts he stole from Redbeard in the Satanic Bible: and your spirit - your immortal spirit - shall live, not in an intangible paradise, but in the brains and sinews of those whose respect you have gained . And then in his own words “ He no longer can view himself in two parts, the carnal and the spiritual, but sees them merge as one, and then to his abysmal horror, discovers that they are only the carnal - AND ALWAYS WERE!” Its not a denying of a sense of Self but a denying of an unchanging separate self – separate in regards to the body and the objective universe. But Anton was also not clear on this since he did also speak of continuation after death through fulfillment of ones owns ego. An idea I never saw him elaborate and that he seemed to not put much value in (not in a spiritual sense anyway”. He seemed to act more in accord to the Redbeard quote above.
I think that if you read Nietzsche in context, you will find that his attitude was much like that of Anton's as summarized above: that he had no time for cheap exploitations of what profane religions call the "soul", but this all the more because he was aware of its true essence and potential - hence his concepts such as the "Will to Power", "horizon building", etc.
I don’t deny their interests lie in the “essence of individual human nature” so to speak but I don’t think either LaVey nor Nietzsche would agree on a concept of an _isolate_ Self somehow in your body but not being of your body. Both were pretty clear on this.
Jake:
The popular mythology of LaVey is that he was this bulwark against religion and damning all there was to the concepts of one's "soul." Not really accurate, since it assumes that the LaVeyan "soul" might even somehow be spiritual or metaphysical. The soul in LaVeyan terms might better be seen as an exercisable muscle (or even the appendix... nobody really needs one, but it's there) that had nothing to do with the supernatural, but of individual psychic balance and in integrating the concepts of body and mind.
Agreed! I do not deny either LaVey or Nietzsche (or myself for that matter) ever using the words "soul" or "spirit" or alike. However I am arguing that neither of the 3 of us claim the soul to be an isolate intelligence or even something that really is seperate from the body (the carnal as LaVey puts it). It is a function of the body, and an important one at that, but its not separate and its not the true core of what we are.
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#41222 - 08/01/10 03:49 PM
Re: What makes something natural or unnatural?
[Re: GillesdeRais]
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SODOMIZER
pledge
Registered: 07/04/10
Posts: 61
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Most philosophers have ditched the natural/unnatural because humans, as a natural phenomenon, do "unnatural" things -- and because of a politically incorrect history of "unnatural" as being used to ban homosexuality, race mixing, incest and other things proles love.
I think it's kind of obvious what natural means: coherent with the order of nature.
That requires, however, you to buy into a correspondence theory of truth:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/truth-correspondence/
But that immediately cuts you off from not only all liberalism, but all Christianity.
_________________________
SC / O9A
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