[lit-ideas] Re: FW: Re: gashlycrumb tinies

 
In a message dated 7/30/2005 5:01:29 PM Central Daylight Time,  
aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

The  golden rule is a wonderful
theoretical construct.  In reality it has  to be forced onto the species.



Dear Andy,
Perhaps the concept of the study of the moral law within being wondrous has  
to do more with the term 'study' rather than that of 'moral law'.
 
Perhaps those you state who do not follow standards of caring for The Other  
are those who have done little (or no <wry look>) study of the moral law  
which is buried deep within them.
 
Perhaps your frustration with those in positions whereby change for the  
betterment of The Other comes from you being aware of 'the inner moral law'  
which 
is there and of which you follow (I really do doubt that the only reason  
that you, or any of those of us on Our List, care for The Other is because 
we'll  
be whacked one side of the head by police or someone 'watching' us [much as I 
 would like to be that person -- sometimes <g>])   
 
Sometimes living within the tension of the opposites is what leads to  a 
frustration.  Here we see (in some) and know (from our ownselves) what  'ought' 
to 
be [inner moral law] and some of us know more than others--thus the  concept 
of learning more and more about it.  Seeing those who just won't  bother to do 
so or who those who have touched upon the edge of it but  no more leads to a 
'why are you doing this-and-that' [i.e. the edge of The  Golden Rule could 
even have the concept of taking care of oneself...which is  something that some 
of us needed to remember who have, at times, focused more on  the edge of 
taking care of the neighbor *rather than* ourselves and crashed and  burned 
because 
of it.  It's not always a 'bad' thing to take care of  oneself and those one 
loves rather than sacrificing oneself or those one loves  for the sake of the 
Other.  If, however, one forgets to take care of  The Other--then we have the 
meanness [and worse] that is seen.  If we only  go to the edge of that 'moral 
law' (either edge) and do not hold that tension of  the opposite, then we have 
the lack of balance, freedom, sweetness that we all  long to see flowing 
along each and every life in this world. (or, at least,  those of us [most on 
this 
list, anyway], who are digging deep and who have souls  which are screaming 
when we see/hear of the pain of The Other.)
 
Of course, that presupposes that the moral law is, really, the Golden  
Rule--for if could be, possibly, something even more deep and possibly slightly 
 
different...I'm not done studying yet, so I have no answer...
 
Just because there IS a moral law within does NOT mean that all actually  
study it. Or even go beyond the edges of it.  
 
But, if one does--perhaps it is that inside work which becomes a wondrous  
activity and study.  
 
(and, sometimes yelling at people to dig deep works and sometimes it does  
not. How, I wonder, could people who do not dig deep to study the internal 
moral 
 code be persuaded to do so?  In what manner would they receive such  
information?  Would one have to use words of self-interest?  Would one  use 
indirect 
methods?  Is it important to even try?  Why or why  not?)
 
All of this leads one to going deep in all aspects--for I think of our  
conversations on the concept of 'sacrifice'--thinking of Julie's thought of the 
 
astronauts who think (and some state so in the Astronauts' Hall of Fame at the  
Kennedy Space Center) that exploration of space is worth even the sacrifice of 
 their lives, if necessary.  But, if they left behind a four-year old  
child...would that child think it was worth it?  How would one explain such  a 
father/mother's passion for space exploration which took that life...to a  
child?  
Those in law enforcement/fire prevention also deal with such  
tensions--especially when they choose to have a family.  What moral law do  
they follow?  That 
of assisting helping society as a 'whole'--or their  personal 
spouse/child/etc.?  What sort of moral code would allow that  person to 
sacrifice one's own 
life which needs to be 'there' in order to have  one's child grow up as healthy 
as possible?  But, what happens to society,  as a whole, if no one is 'there' 
to assist in accidents or research or other  important societal situations?  
 
Such is the side of the moral code that I am engaged within studying, at  
this time.  There are, I know, other sides to study...
 
But, most people that I know do not like to go that deep.  Some  
instinctively follow and hold the tension of these opposites--and others do 
not.  Some 
alternate. Most that I know don't like to think too deeply--and others  are 
just 
now beginning. (One of the men at scout camp has begun to read  Plato--and 
wanted to talk about it to lots of people <g>. It was fun to  see people's 
reaction ... )
 
Living in the tension of the opposites (even within a moral code),
Marlena in Missouri

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