Definitions

Words which may have special meaning in the Paradigm of Transcendent Reality

Dis·ci·ple (dî-sì¹pel) noun

1.   a. One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.

           b. An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.

2. Disciple. One of the 12 original followers of Jesus.

3. Disciple. A member of the Disciples of Christ.

En·vi·ron·ment (èn-vì¹ren-ment, -vì¹ern-) noun

1.   The circumstances or conditions that surround one; surroundings.

2.   The totality of circumstances surrounding an organism or a group of organisms, especially: a. The combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth, development, and survival of organisms: "We shall never understand the natural environment until we see it as a living organism" (Paul Brooks). b. The complex of social and cultural conditions affecting the nature of an individual or a community.

An artistic or theatrical work that surrounds or involves the audience. 

Gov·er·nance [gúv' er- nuns] noun
1. manner of government: the system or manner of government
2. state of governing a place: the act or state of governing a place
3. authority: control or authority (formal)

Knowl·edge n
1. information in mind: general awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles

2. specific information: clear awareness or explicit information, for example, of a situation or fact

3. all that can be known: all the information, facts, truths, and principles learned throughout time

4. learning through experience or study: familiarity or understanding gained through experience or study
knowledge of nuclear physics

Synonyms: knowledge, erudition, information, learning, scholarship, wisdom,

Absolute Knowledge: All that could be known, including that yet to be discovered. 

Mo·ral (mor'·al)  adj
1. involving right and wrong: relating to issues of right and wrong and to how individuals should behave
2. derived from personal conscience: based on what somebody’s conscience suggests is right or wrong, rather than on what the law says should be done
3. in terms of natural justice: regarded in terms of what is known to be right or just, as opposed to what is officially or outwardly declared to be right or just
4. encouraging goodness and respectability: giving guidance on how to behave decently and honorably
5. good by accepted standards: good or right, when judged by the standards of the average person or society at large
6. telling right from wrong: able to distinguish right from wrong and to make decisions based on that knowledge
7. based on conviction: based on an inner conviction, in the absence of physical proof

noun - standards of behavior: principles of right and wrong as they govern standards of general or sexual behavior.

Morals noun - standards of behavior: principles of right and wrong as they govern standards of general or sexual behavior.

In Transcendent Reality, we define the words 'moral' and "morals' to be those percepts and actions which enhances or preserves the collective or society.  Thus the opposite, 'immoral.' is that which harms or weakens the the collective or society. 

Phi·los·o·phy (fî-lòs¹e-fê) noun (Middle English philosophie, from Old French, from Latin philosophia, from Greek, from philosophos, lover of wisdom, philosopher. See PHILOSOPHER.)

plural phi·los·o·phies; Abbr. phil., philos.

  1.  a. Love and pursuit of wisdom by intellectual means and moral self-discipline.

b. The investigation of causes and laws underlying reality.

c. A system of philosophical inquiry or demonstration.

  1. Inquiry into the nature of things based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods.
  2. The critique and analysis of fundamental beliefs as they come to be conceptualized and formulated.
  3. The synthesis of all learning.
  4. All learning except technical precepts and practical arts.
  5. All the disciplines presented in university curriculums of science and the liberal arts, except medicine, law, and theology.
  6. The science comprising logic, ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, and epistemology.
  7. A system of motivating concepts or principles: the philosophy of a culture.
  8. A basic theory; a viewpoint: an original philosophy of advertising.
  9. The system of values by which one lives: has an unusual philosophy of life.

In Transcendent Reality, we define the word 'philosophy' to be system of thought, or a model, that represents a system or sub-system in reality.  In this sense, fields of study, such as mathematics, religion, the scientific method, science, and governance, would be philosophical constructs. Another word to describe philosophy is a 'model' - a representation of reality, especially an imperfect representation, in which future behavior can be predicted with some useful accuracy, probability, or reliability.

philosophy, [Gk., = love of wisdom], study of the ultimate reality, causes, and principles underlying being and thinking. Western philosophy, dating from c.600 B.C., when the Greeks established inquiry independent of theological creeds, is traditionally divided into five major branches.

METAPHYSICS inquires into the nature and ultimate significance of the universe, holding reality to subsist in thought (IDEALISM), in matter (MATERIALISM), or in both (DUALISM).

LOGIC is concerned with the laws of valid reasoning.

EPISTEMOLOGY investigates the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing.

ETHICS deals with the problems of right conduct.

AESTHETICS attempts to determine the nature of beauty and the criteria of artistic judgment.

Pur·pose noun
n (plural pur·pos·es)
1. reason for existence: the reason for which something exists or for which it has been done or made
the purpose of life

2. desired effect: the goal or intended outcome of something

3. determination: the desire or the resolve necessary to accomplish a goal 

vt (past pur·posed, past participle pur·posed, present participle pur·pos·ing, 3rd person present singular pur·pos·es)
set something as goal: to intend or determine to do something

Re·al·i·ty (rê-àl¹î-tê) noun

plural re·al·i·ties

1.         The quality or state of being actual or true.

2.         One, such as a person, an entity, or an event, that is actual: "the weight of history and political realities" (Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.).

3.         The totality of all things possessing actuality, existence, or essence.

4.         That which exists objectively and in fact: Your observations do not seem to be about reality.

5.         Philosophy. That which has necessary existence and not contingent existence.

Absolute Reality - All that exists, regardless of whether it is known or not

Re·li·gion (Middle English religioun, from Old French religion, from Latin religio, religion-, perhaps from religâre, to tie fast. See RELY.)

  1. a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.

b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.

  1. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
  2. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
  3. A cause, a principle, or an activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

religion (rî-lîj¹en), a system of thought, feeling, and action shared by a group that gives members an object of devotion; a code of ethics governing personal and social conduct; and a frame of reference relating individuals to their group and the universe. Usually, religion concerns itself with what transcends the known, the natural, or the expected; it is an acknowledgment of the extraordinary, the mysterious, and the supernatural.

The evolution of religion cannot be precisely determined. In addition to the more elementary forms of belief and practice, such as ANIMISM, ANCESTOR WORSHIP, totemism, and SPIRITISM, there are the commonly termed higher religions, which embody a principle of transcendence. These include POLYTHEISM, in which there are many gods; DUALISM, which posits equally powerful deities of good and evil; MONOTHEISM, in which there is a single god; supratheism, in which the devotee participates in the religion through a mystical union with the godhead; and PANTHEISM, in which the universe is identified with God. Religions are also classifed as revealed (i.e., by divine agency) or nonrevealed (i.e., the result of human inquiry). JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, and ISLAM are revealed religions, and BUDDHISM, HINDUISM, and TAOISM are largely nonrevealed religions. [The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, licensed from Columbia University Press. Copyright © 1995 by Columbia University Press.]

In the Paradigm of Transcendent Reality, we use the word "religion" to connote that special philosophical construct that defines and promotes what is the "greater social good."  Thus religion becomes the sole arbitrator and final authority on what is moral and just, and what is not.

Par·a·digm [pérrə dm]
(plural par·a·digms)
n
1. typical example: a typical example of something
2. model that forms basis of something: an example that serves as a pattern or model for something, especially one that forms the basis of a methodology or theory
3. grammar set of all forms of word: a set of word forms giving all of the possible inflections of a word
4. Science, Philosophy: relationship of ideas to one another: in the philosophy of science, a generally accepted model of how ideas relate to one another, forming a conceptual framework within which scientific research is carried out


[15th century. Via late Latin from Greek paradeigma “example,” from paradeiknunai , literally “to show beside,” from deiknunai “to show.”]
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 

Sci·ence (sì¹ens) noun (Middle English, knowledge, learning, from Old French, from Latin scientia, from sciêns, scient-, present participle of scìre, to know.)

Abbr. sc., sci.

1.         a. The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena. b. Such activities restricted to a class of natural phenomena. c. Such activities applied to an object of inquiry or study.

2.         Methodological activity, discipline, or study: I've got packing a suitcase down to a science.

3.         An activity that appears to require study and method: the science of purchasing.

5.                  Knowledge, especially that gained through experience.

Scientific method noun
 The principles and empirical processes of discovery and demonstration considered characteristic of or necessary for scientific investigation, generally involving the observation of phenomena, the formulation of a hypothesis concerning the phenomena, experimentation to demonstrate the truth or falseness of the hypothesis, and a conclusion that validates or modifies the hypothesis.

Tran·scen·dent adj
 1. better: superior in quality or achievement
2. philosophy beyond limits of experience: in Kant’s philosophical system, exceeding the limits of experience and therefore unknowable except hypothetically
3. philosophy beyond categories: above or outside all known categories
4. religion independent of the world: existing outside the material universe and so not limited by it

5. An altered state of being.

In the Paradigm of Transcendent Reality, we use the word "transcendent" to connote an extra state of being that results when the hitherto independent ingredients or members coalesce into a unified object that act as a single entity with unique properties that are uniquely different from the properties of any of its hitherto independent components, especially when the extra state of being includes self-propagation, and/or self-actualization of the resulting entity.

Examples: atoms coalescing into molecules, molecules coalescing into crystals or super-chains, super chains of molecules coalescing into one-celled beings, one-celled beings coalescing into multi-celled beings, multi-celled beings forming groups, such as families, clans, tribes, or nations.  In each of the examples given above, there is a 'transcendence' to a higher, unique state of being.

 Un·der·stand·ing n (plural un·der·stand·ings)
1. ability to grasp a meaning: the ability to perceive and explain the meaning or the nature of somebody or something
 
2. interpretation of something: somebody’s interpretation of something, or a belief or opinion based on an interpretation of or inference from something

3. mutual comprehension: an agreement, often an unofficial or unspoken one
I’m sure we can come to an understanding about this.

4. knowledge of another’s nature: a sympathetic, empathetic, or tolerant recognition of somebody else’s nature or situation
I thought you of all people would show a little understanding.

5. able to know something: able to comprehend the sense or meaning of something (archaic)

Un·i·ty n
1. being one: the state of being one
2. combining into one: the combining or joining of separate things or entities to form one
3. something whole: something whole or complete formed by combining or joining separate things or entities
4. harmony: harmony of opinion, interest, or feeling
5. singleness among individuals: singleness or constancy among individuals or groups
6. arts arranging of artistic elements aesthetically: the arranging of separate elements in a literary or artistic work to create an overall aesthetic impression
7. arts aesthetic impression: the overall aesthetic impression produced by the arrangement of elements in an artistic or literary work
8. theater principle of dramatic structure: any one of the three principles of dramatic structure derived from Aristotle’s Poetics.
These state that the action of a play should be limited to one plot unity of action, one day unity of time, and one location unity of place.
9. mathematics number one: a number by which a given element of a mathematical system can be multiplied with the result being equal to the value of the given element

Val·ues noun - Principles or standards: the accepted principles or standards of an individual, group, or system, especially moral values. (see moral)