In search for truth...thinking freely or free thinking?

by NYCkid 4 Replies latest jw friends

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  NYCkid

  In a reading for one of my college classes, I came across a passage which I immediately thought I'd share with my friends on this board:
  
  "Truth gains more even by the errors of one who, with due study and preparation, thinks for himself, than by the true opinions of those who only hold them because they do not suffer themselves to think...There have been, and may again be, great individual thinkers, in a general atmosphere of mental slavery. But there never has been, nor ever will be, in that atmosphere, an intellectually active people."

  John Stuart Mill (19th Century Philospher) - On Liberty,Chapter II, "Liberty of Thought and Discussion"

  Now back to my reading...

  Best,

  NYCkid
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  Chameleon

  Which class?
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  JamesThomas

  Interesting quote, to which I agree, and don't.

  Agree that in an atmosphere of slavery, the free will be rare.

  Stuart gives credit to thinking, as the way out. However, it is thinking that creates the slavery in the first place, as we become dominated by narrow and suffocating patterns of "self" weaved within the already restrictive confines of the mind.

  May I suggest -- a crazy as it may sound -- that it is not thinking or thought that is the road to freedom; but rather a quiescent mind, free of commentary and thought, which then brings forth acute nonjudgmental conscious-awareness of the reality of the present moment. Here, arises preexisting wisdom, understanding and freedom, far more vast than the mind could ever comprehend.

  j
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  NYCkid

  Hey,

  The reading is for a Intro to Western Political Theory class. For a former JW, it's been interesting and we have reviewed, Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke and Kant so far. Marx is next week, can't wait....LOL

  J - I agree with you, however I think that very few people can attain that level of disassociation from thought. Personally I would love to in the future.

  I have to read more on Mill, but I think the gist of what he's saying so far is that truth is not fixed and is evolutionary and that the individual has the capability to search for truth for him or her self and it the search is different for everyone. He talks alot about Christianity, Protestanism, Evangicalism and the Roman Catholic Church and how during the 19th century, disallow dissent. I think that's where I made the connection with my JW past.

  Anyway, thanks for your thoughts.

  NYCkid
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  poppers

  From JamesThomas: "May I suggest -- a crazy as it may sound -- that it is not thinking or thought that is the road to freedom; but rather a quiescent mind, free of commentary and thought, which then brings forth acute nonjudgmental conscious-awareness of the reality of the present moment. Here, arises preexisting wisdom, understanding and freedom, far more vast than the mind could ever comprehend." That's about as clear as it can be stated.