COMMENSAL ISSUE 89


The Newsletter of the Philosophical Discussion Group
Of British Mensa

Number 89 : November 1997

ARTICLES
29th September 1997 : Norman Mackie

COMMENT ON C88

Anthony Owens (C88, p28) : We are definitely on the same wavelength with regard to the element of chance. One person can receive life imprisonment for murder after shooting someone, when his less accurate friend receives probation for an assault with a deadly weapon. This seems to be a very bizarre form of quality control. However, 'identical' is a word that can rarely be applied to human experience. Two siblings growing up in the same house with the same parents will have widely differing experiences upon which to build their lives; friends, school, workplace etc. Therefore come the day when any two individuals are faced with equally tempting, desperate or threatening circumstances their reaction may differ in the extreme, from murder on the one hand to suicide on the other.

As a novice in matters philosophical please excuse this partial quote, probably from one of the masters, "civilisation will not progress until either our philosophers become politicians or our politicians become philosophers". With this thought in mind whilst reading 'Yes to a Global Ethic' by Hans Kung I was impressed by these words by Joseph Bernardin, the Archbishop of Chicago, "Ethical governments, ethical corporations, ethical religious organisations, ethical businesses and trade groups - all can make a powerful contribution to the human community."

Would our PDG members consider, in our experience / opinion, where in this world at present is the 'best' country / region / city / town or community and why or how can it be considered to be 'ideal’ ?

Finally, this little thought from Gurdieff reached me recently, "your level of Being attracts your life".

Many blessings to you,

Norman Mackie


Norman : Welcome to Commensal ! I don’t understand the Gurdieff aphorism - could you explain it ? There’s an interesting presumption that there’s a relationship between being a philosopher and acting ethically; also, that an ethical stance always leads to good. There was a thread running recently on QVNet (ISPE’s closed discussion group) as to whether Hitler, Himmler and the SS acted ethically according to their own (to us) perverted ethic. Himmler’s speech to the SS mid-way through the Final Solution has a sort of crusading zeal about it. See also Rick Street's thoughts later in this issue.

Theo