Here begin the musings of the Ori Skylia.
I like to think of myself as a philosopher. I think to some extent, all people are philosophers; it's simply a matter of how much of our lives we devote to the discovery of the formula for happiness, not simply to the pursuit thereof. All people are devoted to the pursuit of happiness. Desire for happiness, peace, and tranquility within our lives is a basic function of human societal behavior. A true philosopher, however, wishes to know the formula - the equation, the logic, the answer, as it were.
The question, of course, is why. Sententia is still young enough that I cannot claim to have the why; I think no great philosopher believes that he fully found that. Sartre; Camus; Voltaire; Socrates - I doubt any of them believed they had the full why. We can only hope to shed some light on the how; what can we do in the span of our small lives to fulfill a purpose to humanity?
It is that desire for purpose that makes humanity unique on the earth. This is a vast planet teeming with existence and life, life that feels pain and has some sort of understanding of preservation. It is the inner workings of the human mind that seeks something more that sets us apart. Apart in the universe? That is a question for science, not philosophy (although I believe not).
Within this particular thread, I will explore some of the ideas of Sententia. Sententia is a fledgling philosophy, something that I have drawn up in dreams and through my own personal beliefs over the course of the last eight years or so. It draws heavily from several pre-established philosophical thoughts - solipsism and existentialism being my primary influences; Jeffersonian morality has its influences here, as well; Epicurean thought - what little we know of it - also has a place in Sententia.
Nevertheless, Sententia is somewhat my own. I don't expect anyone to take it fully to heart; philosophy, after all, should be about finding your own answers. However, I hope to be able to give others some insight into finding their own answers through Sententia. If anyone who is not of the Church should find this, I will also make it clear here: while Sententia does have certain similarities to Origin, it is not a religious philosophy, nor do the ideas of Sententia have anything to do with the Church. This was established by me as a person - not within my role as an Ori in the Church of Radcliffe.
As with all philosophies and beliefs, certain things are axiomatic to any concept of thought. The most essential and important axiom to Sententia is a simple concept that humanity has struggled with for thousands of years: free will. Free will is a difficult thing to come to grips with. Those with a belief in a higher power often believe that the higher power "has a plan"; a plan, naturally, negates the concept of free will. Some have argued (indeed, have argued since Democritus in ancient Greece) that the existence of the atom precludes free will; that matter has its designated place and function and can only react within the parameters of those atomic movements. Others, like Epicurus, have argued that free will comes from random movements within the atomic structure of the universe (a theory somewhat substantiated by quantum physics), but, because it comes from small, random movements of atoms, it is a small and somewhat inconsequential part of existence.
I cannot accept that my life is wholly out of my own control. I spent many years struggling with solipsism. I love the ideas put forth in solipsism - that there is simply no existence except for my own; that I am the great and the glorious and the only! - but am too aware of logic and practicality to accept such complete and utter narcissism as the answer. (Certainly, there is an important place for narcissism in Sententia - but we will address that at a later time.) Of course, acceptance of solipsism is the definitive belief in free will - a solipsist creates the world around himself, after all - but I cannot, in good conscience, accept such a bleak and unrealistic view of life.
One should start with defining free will. At its most basic level, free will is the concept that the choices of human beings are made by rational thought and decision of the individual, and are not caused by the influences of physical or divine. Realistically, though, one cannot fully accept this simple definition as the truth of free will. As we will discuss later, many influences throughout our lives lead us to make the choices that we make; furthermore, not all actions that we take can truly be defined as choices, but simply as actions. While it is a beautiful idea to think that everything we do is at our own choice and behest, the truth is far more complicated. Everything that we come in contact with - other human beings, the place we live, the people who bore us - shapes and defines who we are and what we do.
Does this not create a contradiction to the very meaning of free will? Does this not violate this basic axiom of my own philosophy - to say, "Yes, brothers and sisters, we all have free will!" with one breath, and to follow it with, "But not in everything!" in the next?
The simple answer is that free will, while axiomatic, must be worked for and towards. To some extent, this is one of the most existential viewpoints of Sententia: that you must actively seek to make the choices; that a failure to make choices, and simply to exist in the path of least resistance, is a failure to truly exist as the truest self you can create. Most people exercise their free will in the smallest of ways - will I have peach cobbler or cheesecake for dessert? will I wear the green shirt or the red today? Though these small gestures seem inconsequential, the first step is to realize that every real choice that is made is an act of free will, and a small step along the road to self-creation.
No human being, however, can live up to his fullest potential with such inconsequential choices. These choices are important: it is the little things about a person that truly differentiate; it is the small foibles of personality and actions that cause others to love or hate. But these choices are not those that will lead to the realization of full potential within one's self. Free will is a conscious decision that most do not consider. The world we live in is a world of pre-defined roles and responsibilities, where certain actions and certain methods are considered by all to be acceptable and normal. And, for many of us, even if we were to examine "acceptable and normal" actions with the unlidded eyes of free will, we would continue to follow the same path.
There is a distinct difference, nevertheless, between choosing the path that we follow, and following the path because it is there and easy. And, looking at the world with these eyes often allows us to see choices that we would have otherwise ignored or never considered, some of which can shape us into entirely different people than the path of least resistance would have created us.
Many fail to live up to their fullest potential, whatever their potential is. This is neither good nor bad (concepts which will also be discussed at a later time); it simply is. Every person has the power to change this about themselves, however. Every individual has the power to make the conscious choice to exist as they desire - even if the conscious choice is no different from the easy path. What matters is the choice.
What is important is the act.
Naturally, one cannot fully conclude that outside influences have no bearing on the world we live in. Resources and ability hamper true free will. We do not live an existence of pure choice. There are certain things that we cannot simply will to happen, or choose to make happen. Within the confines of existence, for example, we require certain things. We require air, sustenance, and shelter; we cannot choose to abandon these things, for without them, there is no existence. We may choose the way in which we go about obtaining them.
Furthermore, free will can only apply to the individual. Many of the choices that an individual may wish to make would conflict with the rules of existence - that there are other individuals, that they too have choices to make, and that we cannot and should not impose our will wholly on others. And, often, the choices that we would make cannot be made, because they directly impact and affect the lives of those around us and those other individuals own choices prevent or preclude the choice that we would make for ourselves.
How, then, does the Sententian define free will? The answer is this: free will is the knowledge of choice, and the attempt to make the choice that is most suitable to the individual, despite the influences of the world around us, over which our own persuasion is often small.
Certainly, there are great acts of free will. Suicide is one of the truest acts of free will that exist; it is an irrevocable choice, made solely by the individual. Marriage is another - the choice to legally and societally bond yourself to another human being, although there are circumstances in which marriage is simply the path of least resistance. However, most great acts of free will can only be defined by the person who made that choice. What is a small action in one man's eyes may be the largest leap of faith that another has taken. As with all things, acts of free will are subjective. What we do to create ourselves, the internal struggles and triumphs, can never be fully understood by any other human being. Words are beautiful and powerful things - but when it comes to conveying the truth of one person's heart, soul, and existence, they are small and petty and can never convey the depth of emotion and self that goes into a true choice made within one person's life.
The most important rule of accepting free will is to use your own logic and understanding of your world and your circumstances to define how you will live your life. Nothing more, nothing less. Censure or judgment of others should never be a factor in your existence. As a human being, you are on a path to find your own happiness. We will all make choices along the way that we would change with hindsight. It is inevitable. what we should all seek to understand within ourselves is that, in our quest for happiness, or perfection, or wealth, or whatever tangible or intangible thing it is that will deliver a purpose to you, we should never regret the choices and actions we have made. We should embrace the self with passion and love and understanding; we should be happy with who we are, regardless of who that is; and, in so being, we should accept that every choice or lack thereof has led us to where we are within our lives, and that those choices have therefore created this self that we do embrace with passion and love and understanding.