Intuition of reason vs. logic of understanding


L: "Poor reason, you believe in phenomena which from my point of view do not exist at all!"

I: "Save your pity, because you are not less dependent on faith than I am. Take only once as an example the circle about which you know to lead so beautiful proofs. In reality, however, there are no circles at all!"

L: "Nobody claims that either. "Circle", that is an ideal form of reality. A wheel turns the better, the more it corresponds to the ideal form of the circle, thus it runs round, although "perfectly round" can never really be achieved. Logic always carries out only an approximation to reality without ever becoming perfectly congruent with it! Knowledge always means only a simplified model of reality.

And you are right: Science trusts its models! No scientist doubts this faith!"

I: "This way of believing does not correspond to the faith of which I speak. What I believe communicates itself to me emotionally and not logically. Truth for me is what I feel to be evident. It is not an approximation to reality, but directly to what I really feel."

L: "Believers are usually religious. They believe what sensations visualize in them. As the highest 'level' they consider the belief in the idea of the good or the belief in God! However, this belief is not logically comprehensible!"

I: "It doesn't need to be. If I feel God's presence concretely, what do I need the proof that God really exists? After all, He is real through His felt presence!"

L: "Then why do so many believers doubt?"



I: "They are seduced by a misguided thirst for knowledge! They could learn humility from the sciences and how these stay within the limits of their domain, that of faith! Who believes to have to prove what he believes, does not believe in truth. Science, however, admits at any time that there are areas about which it is not able to make statements. Faith should emulate that and remain true to itself!"

L: "I can only agree with that, if only because then we won't get into arguments!"









I vs. Self


The ego experiences its self as a unity of the opposite. It forms its existence sometimes in the dispute between reason and understanding. Thereby existential situations occur, which give the impression of sitting between two chairs, as it were. Sometimes it becomes difficult to make decisions either on the basis of feeling or on the basis of knowledge.

L: "'I' experiences itself as a conflict of opposites. During the Easter walk with his assistant Wagner, Faust laments the brokenness of his feelings: "Two souls dwell, alas! in my breast."
On the one hand, he strives with all his might for scientific knowledge. On the other hand, he longs for physical devotion and sensuality.

I: "It is deplorable when need and doing are in contradiction. The I-experience, as self-experience, seems decidedly disturbed as long as this contradiction exists."
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L: "The self is founded primarily by the acquired conscience, that is, by the values and norms, rules and laws, commandments and prohibitions, habits and customs. The ego, however, is founded primarily on drives and needs that want to be satisfied. The self-experience of the ego only happens optimally as satisfaction of needs."

I: "This happens only when talent is able to unfold itself intelligently. One could also say when the ego is motivated by itself, i.e. its ideas are also made happy."

L: "How many happy people do you really meet?
In broad daylight, Diogenes walked through Athens with his lantern lit, shouting, 'I'm looking for a person!' Quite obviously, it experienced happy existence as something most rare!"

I: "What did he actually want to symbolize with the help of the lighted lantern?"

L: "He criticized numerous character traits of the people, which prevented after the perfect luck. These included, above all, the neglect of reason and rationality in favor of personal vanity!"

I: "How does such a thing come about?"

L: "According to my observation, especially when physical needs begin to take a back seat to spiritual ones, or when craving for recognition or power gain the upper hand. This is only prevented as long as the ego is not overrun by the self!"