A turn to academia for reflection.
A pilgrims philosophical enquires from a year in India that I took up a degree majoring in philosophy and religion. However subsequent to the travels with a donkey North of Kuranda that convinced me to take a look at the arts from a secular perspective that included the humanities.
The previous time at college was in 1982 studying a horticulture degree from which I differed to travel for investigations in alternative agricultural methodologies. It had been over a decade and a half since enquiring on philosophical topics through the Yoga philosophy and Vedanta (wiki). It was time for a change. I felt an urge to pursue a different line of enquiry. A formalist structure as follows:
- what is the nature of consciousness
- free will and determinism
- personal identity
- environmental philosophy
- philosophy of language
- nature of time
- overview of world religious cosmologies
- Hinduism and its schools of philosophy
General enquires
The Brisbane scene was lively place to further enquiries through the many Buddhist and Hindu based organisations, as well as the theosophical society. The university gave quality content for a direction on how thinkers historically and contemporary approaches these questions I had from philosophical angles I had not come across in my travels. The experience felt remarkable given it opened up an entire universe of discourse. The pilgrims philosophical enquires took on a new turn towards seeking answers through the Western analytic schools of philosophy which had a profound impact on the way I would conduct my lived experience into the future.
Pilgrims philosophical enquiry turns existential.
What emerged as I continued my studies was a gradual departure from my previous strongly held beliefs in Mind/body dualism. Also spiritual monism took a turn to forms of material monism. Also turning from the spiritual against nature movement to an environmental ethic. It was about this world now rather than in another epoch such as a Golden Age. Also the quest for realisation of the self as part of universal spirit vanished to a more pragmatic approach to life. So the real changes that took place were the getting back to my agricultural roots through doing tree climbing related work. I cut cane to produce juice to sell at the markets. Also I started an material arts practice carving in wood. The desire remained to research Religion but from a more social science approach.