"I agree with N. that the universe being organic is dicey. Extremely complex, yes. But 'self-fixing?'"
Ok, your right, I've been very unclear. Let me try to do a better job. I think that the universe is evolving into perfect consciousness, and that this universal structure is a simultaneous and eternal 4 dimensional object. Therefore, at one end, right after the big bang, the universe is extremely simple. At the other end, however, it is unthinkably complex. Both of these ends exist simultaneously, so the designation of the universe being organic or not organic becomes rather difficult; do you follow me? What I mean by self fixing is this. As things get more complex, they get more organic. Automobiles, for example, used to have to be cranked to start and required constant maintenance. Automobiles these days are giving themselves tune ups every 100000 miles! Hence they are becoming more "self-fixing," complex, and thus organic (not anywhere near as organic as humans, of course). Humans are organic and self-fixing because our bodies heal themselves in various ways.
"A true Hegelton!"
Yes, I suppose. What's really interesting is that I came up with all of this way before I'd ever heard of Hegel.
"Interesting idea (as things get more complex, they get more organic) - depends of course on the meanings of these terms. The automobile example is nice. How do you deal with the big freeze crunch modern science says happens at the other end? No real complexity at that point!"
The idea is this. Consciousness must first be seen as just a new type of highly complex "physical" energy that does not just reduce to the brain. In other words, physical energy and conscious energy have ultimately the same definition in common, which is balanced existence (structure) around absolute nothing (like the atom). The big crunch in physics is therefore just an incorrect extrapolation of a process that we can only see the past of at this point. In other words, at the other "end" of time all of the energy in the universe has morphed into conscious energy(the science of physics does not take this possibility into account), which is (almost) completely in control of every stage the universe is in or ever has been in (because the universe is completely interconnected); God or Allah or Brahman, whatever you want to call it. This super-consciousness decides to 'punch through' absolute nothing and in effect start the evolution of the universe. However, the best way to think of this is as a simultaneous and eternal interactive energy structure. This thinking requires the acknowledgement of a duality somewhat like the wave/particle duality in physics. The universe is both simultaneous and eternal. Because of this, 'God' creates us and we are part of the process that creates 'God,' and it is both an event and an eternal entity. Thus the highest thing we can do is create; it is absolutely essential to the existence of this system, and gives our life meaning. What we create is eternal. (This is my answer to N.'s eternal return). Please go to http://philosophy.dmpetersen.net for a much more detailed discussion of this.
"Although all of this sounds nice, it is an example, I think, of what Kant attacked in The Critique of Pure Reason. It is a dialectic of reason, as he would put it, producing an illusion of metaphysics. In short, how could any of this be proved?"
It works very well - you think that because it can't be proved it has no value?? Anyway, its all "physical," so it possibly ultimately could be proved. Why do philosophy if you think nothing can ever be known about reality? This system goes very far towards unifying science and religion(I'm not claiming it's the truth of course)
(no response).
The likely evolutionary path of the human race:
The 21st century needs its own philosophy; here it is: