Heidegger

What if there are no “absolute” good or evil forces, but just degrees of
beneficial and detrimental events? What if the degree of an event being
beneficial or detrimental is relative to the frame of reference?

Hence; regardless of human or natural causes, global warming may be
responsible for a rise in sea level by melting arctic ice (an event with
neither a good nor evil intent). From the frame of reference attributed to
ocean-front vacation homeowners, this will certainly be “detrimental”;
however, from the view point of the shipping industry, the event may open
many new “beneficial” lanes of traffic formerly blocked.

Trust is also often framed as an “absolute” concept. I ask, how can anyone
absolutely trust this, that or the other when no one can even trust
them-selves? How many times have you believed that you would do one thing,
and then did another, or said that you would not do something but did it
anyway?

Faith can be both beneficial and detrimental. I recall a recent news story
about a woman in Tennessee that leaped to her death from the sunroof of a
moving car when she witnessed what was seen as the rapture. It was later
discovered that she was watching a release of helium filled inflatable dolls
from a loose tarp on a pick-up truck destined for a fraternity party.
Obviously, her faith in the rapture was beneficial in her eyes at that time;
however, detrimental to her family when mourning their loss at graveside
services.

And what makes one item beautiful and another ugly? I suggest that both are
neutral until they are cast as one way or another from a particular frame of
reference. Modern quantum physics even shows that sub-atomic forces are not
only interpreted by the point of view, but actually change forms depending
on the viewer.

History is littered with wars that have been either beneficial or
detrimental depending on which side of the battle was victorious. Our
current conflict in the Middle-East is an example of killing with faith that
there is some “absolute” good or evil; however, the eventual outcome will
simply become beneficial or detrimental from an economic frame of reference
and will yield no champions to the virtue of any religions.

It is possible; therefore, that the polar struggle between “absolute” good
and evil forces are relative to the respective frames of reference that push
the limits of degree to infinitely opposite artificial directions. With one
view point balancing both the beneficial and detrimental aspects in the
directions of west to east, and the other doing the same from east to west,
they will continue to stand back to back on an imaginary northern and
southern meridian. Unfortunately, neither one has the eyes needed in the
backs of their heads to see that the relative truth is just over their
shoulders.

The author of this article, Les Smith, is a Registered Investment Advisor from Lake Wylie, South Carolina: leesmithjr at comporium.net

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Posted on Saturday, December 30th, 2006 at 4:30 pm
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