What Native American thought can teach us about how to be committed to truth without closing ourselves to what each new time, place, and experience can teach us
When laid out in this way, it seems so obvious that there is an impracticality in searching for universal truths. Especially, as you pointed out, when we know the tragedies this othering can lead to. The practicality of developing a relationship with spaces - as a dynamic experience versus static - learning from it and learning to live harmoniously with it - brought so much clarity to my morning. Thank you for sharing this work!
Of course. Encouraging clarity is my intention and it makes me so happy when that occurs. I couldn't have said it better myself. As you point out our engagement with all areas of life can be a dynamic, creative interaction. If we broaden our scope a bit and look at the history of fields that are often of thought of as leading to a static set of laws like the natural sciences, we find that even these fields involve a continual, creative re-framing of the fundamental nature of the "space" they are studying.
Would you consider Vine Deloria a philosopher? I am interested in the distinctions you draw between the philosophy of place and Taoism. Both, I believe, concern the Being at the exact moment it exists and the varied understandings an observer may have, many based on context.
Yes I would mainly because he considers himself a philosopher. I am sure there is a connection between Deloria's thought and Taoism. I am not familiar with the details of Taoism but I have read a bit of the Tao De Ching and Zhuangzi though and they are quite powerful texts. One thing I think Taoism shares with Deloria is an encouragement to listen to the wisdom of the body even if we can't give an intellectual explanation of that wisdom.
When laid out in this way, it seems so obvious that there is an impracticality in searching for universal truths. Especially, as you pointed out, when we know the tragedies this othering can lead to. The practicality of developing a relationship with spaces - as a dynamic experience versus static - learning from it and learning to live harmoniously with it - brought so much clarity to my morning. Thank you for sharing this work!
Of course. Encouraging clarity is my intention and it makes me so happy when that occurs. I couldn't have said it better myself. As you point out our engagement with all areas of life can be a dynamic, creative interaction. If we broaden our scope a bit and look at the history of fields that are often of thought of as leading to a static set of laws like the natural sciences, we find that even these fields involve a continual, creative re-framing of the fundamental nature of the "space" they are studying.
Would you consider Vine Deloria a philosopher? I am interested in the distinctions you draw between the philosophy of place and Taoism. Both, I believe, concern the Being at the exact moment it exists and the varied understandings an observer may have, many based on context.
Hi Deborah,
Yes I would mainly because he considers himself a philosopher. I am sure there is a connection between Deloria's thought and Taoism. I am not familiar with the details of Taoism but I have read a bit of the Tao De Ching and Zhuangzi though and they are quite powerful texts. One thing I think Taoism shares with Deloria is an encouragement to listen to the wisdom of the body even if we can't give an intellectual explanation of that wisdom.