Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

["James Piat" <piat1 AT bellsouth.net>]

> Dear Jim (I apologize for the previous informalities. Too much in a hurry
to
> get my ideas out there)

Same here!

>
> Thanks for the feedback and interesting ideas. All due respect though, I'm
> not sure what you mean by "the discovery of the abstract notion
existence".
> Doesn't this imply that the notion existed before its "discovery"?

I'd say yes.

> If so,
> doesn't that mean that the "thing" is not contingent upon our constructing
> ideas about it?

Again, I'd say yes.

 That consciousness was something that existed prior to our
> notions of it and was made available to us, either by grace or evolution,
> and not something that sprang forth?

Well if by this you mean consciousness and existence as well as
consciousness of existence were not invented by man I would agree.  But
there may have particular time in history during which man discovered
hem  -- just as there was a specific point in history when man discovered
that time was not fixed but relative.  This latter discovery --momentus as
it was- would pale in comparison to the discovery of context or existence
itself.  Maybe even discovery is too strong a word  -- maybe realized
through the grace of God is a better way to put the matter.

  Hmmm. I have to chew on that for
> awhile. But, I think I hold to my first contention that language attempts
to
> get at the consciousness we participate in, instead of consciousness being
a
> manifestation of a language we use. Interesting stuff.
>
Well I'm puzzling over the same question   -- but I think (if I understand
you correctly) that we both agree that consciousness and or language is more
akin to something we participate in than something we each individually
responsible for creating or generating.

Jim Piat