What Philosophy is This?

To the question, “what philosophy is this series about” the answer is, “just philosophy.” Some of it will be similar to other philosophies, some of it will not, and some will be like no other philosophy because it has never been written before.

Is this my philosophy? It is my philosophy if you mean, is this the philosophy I hold and live by; it is not my philosophy if you mean, did I think it all up all by myself.

Where did my philosophy come from? It comes from forty years of studying philosophy, the major philosophers, and most minor ones, as well as Christian theology and the teachings of most other religions; it comes from studying history, psychology, anthropology, and science. It comes from thinking, refusing all contradictions, and not accepting anything as an answer to any question that cannot be clearly understood, explicitly stated, and rationally verified.

I must also say something about the series. Philosophy is a very big subject and I intend to cover the whole field of philosophy from metaphysics to aesthetics. I am fully aware of the enormity of such a project. Anything approaching an exhaustive treatment of so large a field is impossible, at least in the number of years I have left. It will be necessary to take some shortcuts.

If you have read the first few articles, you will notice a great many subjects have been introduced, but in most cases, there is not an in-depth treatment of these subjects. I have tried to make the essential principles under each subject as clear as possible, but there are many nuances, side issues, and interrelationships with other subjects that have been omitted. The first task is to get the principles down, then, as there is time and opportunity, a more in depth treatment of the more important subjects can be made.

Also, along the way, when I believe some subject has already been fully developed by another philosopher, I may simply point to that philosopher’s work on that subject, with whatever comments I think are necessary.

The essentials of my philosophy were established over twenty years ago, and I am still using notes I made thirty years ago. Along the way, I am certain to have learned and adopted ideas from many resources I have consulted. Some of the ideas in my philosophy that are not original may simply be coincidental, some may be derived from sources I have forgotten, and some I know I learned from others I will attempt to acknowledge. I will not try to go back and discover where, and from whom, I learned every word I write however. If anyone notices anything in this philosophy they believe someone else deserves credit for, I hereby give them that credit, and if I am made aware of it, I will give them that credit explicitly and publicly.

There are things in this philosophy which are bound to be controversial, and others that will be strongly disagreed with, and still more that I may not explain well enough to be readily understood. I hope everyone will feel free to make their views, their disagreements, and questions known.

—Reginald Firehammer (9/8/04)