What does Ethical Pluralism (a new Mathilde Ludendorff) mean by God-Cognisance and God-Living?
God-Cognisance and God-Living in Ethical Pluralism: Awareness, Participation, and the Experiential Core of Plural RealityIntroduction: The Experiential Heart of Ethical PluralismEthical Pluralism, as a philosophical system grounded in the ontology of irreducible plural essences, offers a unique vision of human fulfillment that transcends traditional religious, metaphysical, and ethical frameworks. At its core lies the rejection of any unifying principle, substrate, or teleological hierarchy in reality; instead, existence is a mosaic of independent essences—such as persistence (replicative continuity), finitude (programmed termination), transformation (contingent adaptation), consciousness (reflective awareness), aspiration (strivings toward ethical, aesthetic, epistemic, and relational values), transcendence (elevation beyond temporal and spatial constraints), moral discernment (intrinsic evaluation of actions), and relational fulfillment (discerning bonds of affinity and distinction). These essences coexist without common ground, interacting contingently to generate the dynamic richness of life. Ethics in this system derive not from external commands, utilitarian calculations, or deontological absolutes, but from the intrinsic affirmation of these essences—actions and orientations that respect their autonomy and foster harmony amid diversity.Central to this philosophy are two intertwined yet distinct concepts: God-Cognisance and God-Living. These terms encapsulate the experiential dimension of Ethical Pluralism, where human consciousness engages with the plural fabric of reality to achieve meaning and fulfillment. God-Cognisance refers to the aware apprehension of this multiplicity, a form of experiential knowledge that evokes awe at the unfathomable interplay of essences. God-Living, in contrast, denotes the participatory state where one immerses in this plurality, transcending the bounds of ordinary perception to "live" the divine as timeless, spaceless affirmation. This essay explores what Ethical Pluralism means by these concepts, how they are related, their similarities, and their differences. Through this analysis, we uncover how they form the experiential bridge between the empirical world of visible essences (inside spacetime) and the metaphysical depths of invisible essences (outside spacetime), providing a pathway to ethical realization in a world of irreducible diversity.Defining God-Cognisance: The Awareness of Plural EssencesIn Ethical Pluralism, God-Cognisance is the foundational experiential awareness that enables humans to apprehend the irreducible plurality of reality. The term "God" here is not a reference to a personal deity or anthropomorphic entity but a symbolic shorthand for the collective, ineffable depth of these essences when experienced holistically. Cognisance, derived from the Latin cognoscere (to know), implies a knowing that is not merely intellectual but deeply intuitive and participatory—an awakening to the fact that existence is not a singular narrative or unified substance but a constellation of autonomous modes.This awareness arises from the essence of consciousness itself, which emerges contingently from evolutionary processes as a reflective capacity to navigate multiplicity. God-Cognisance is not passive observation but an active, discerning engagement: It involves recognizing, for instance, how persistence (the drive for continuity seen in genetic inheritance) coexists with finitude (the necessity of endings for renewal, as in cellular death), without attempting to resolve their tension into a common "life force." This discernment evokes awe—not at a creator or purpose, but at the unfathomable independence of essences. As such, God-Cognisance is the epistemological gateway to Ethical Pluralism's ethics: By becoming aware of plurality, one derives the imperative to affirm it intrinsically, without imposing unity or hierarchy.Scientifically, God-Cognisance aligns with quantum mechanics' revelation of probabilistic realities (e.g., superpositions where multiple states coexist without resolution) and evolutionary biology's contingent branching (e.g., phylogenetic diversity without teleological unity). It is not mystical revelation but experiential insight grounded in empirical multiplicity—awareness that the universe's "God" is this plural interplay, apprehended through human consciousness as the navigator of essences.Defining God-Living: The Participatory State of Transcendent FulfillmentGod-Living, in Ethical Pluralism, represents the immersive, participatory state where one "lives" the divine through direct engagement with plural essences, transcending the constraints of time, space, and causality. This is the practical culmination of God-Cognisance: Not mere knowledge of multiplicity, but existence within it as a timeless, purposeless affirmation. The term "Living" emphasizes vitality and embodiment—it is not abstract contemplation but a lived experience where the self dissolves into the mosaic of essences, affirming their independence without seeking synthesis.In this state, one participates in transcendence essence, elevating beyond the empirical "inside spacetime" (visible essences like survival drives) to the "outside spacetime" (invisible essences like aspiration and relational fulfillment). God-Living is characterized by atemporality—moments feel eternal, free from duration's tyranny—and aspatiality, where bonds form without physical locality. It evokes fulfillment not through happiness or reward but through intrinsic harmony: For example, affirming relational fulfillment in discerning bonds mirrors the essence's autonomy, yielding a sense of completeness amid diversity.Religiously purified, God-Living rejects myths of personal gods or afterlives, viewing them as projections of unity onto plurality. Instead, it is the ethical realization of life's meaning—participating in "God" as the experiential depth of essences during finite existence.How God-Cognisance and God-Living Are Related: A Symbiotic Pathway to FulfillmentGod-Cognisance and God-Living are intimately related in Ethical Pluralism, forming a symbiotic continuum where awareness leads to participation, and participation deepens awareness. Cognisance serves as the dawn—the initial awakening to plurality that orients the individual toward ethical affirmation. It is the cognitive foundation, enabling discernment to evaluate actions against essences (e.g., is this act respecting finitude's role in renewal?). Without this awareness, one remains trapped in false unities, like materialistic reductions or dogmatic monotheisms, unable to derive intrinsic ethics.God-Living, in turn, is the participatory fruition of this awareness—a state where cognisance becomes lived experience. The relation is dynamic: Cognisance prompts transcendent moments (e.g., intuitive glimpses of relational bonds beyond utility), which constitute God-Living; conversely, experiences of God-Living refine cognisance, heightening sensitivity to plurality. This interplay resolves life's paradoxes experientially—e.g., the tension between persistence (longing for continuity) and finitude (acceptance of endings) is affirmed in timeless states where both coexist without conflict.Scientifically, their relation mirrors neural processes: Cognisance as perceptual awareness (e.g., evolutionary adaptation to environments), leading to transcendent states via quantum-like neural coherence (e.g., non-local awareness in meditation). Ethically, they interlock: Cognisance derives the imperative to affirm essences, while Living actualizes it as fulfillment.How God-Cognisance and God-Living Are the Same: Shared Experiential EssenceAt their core, God-Cognisance and God-Living share a fundamental similarity: Both are experiential modes of engaging with plurality, transcending rational constructs to affirm essences intrinsically. They are the same in their non-conceptual nature—neither is theoretical knowledge but lived insight, evoking awe at multiplicity's depth without purpose or dogma. This shared essence rejects dualisms: Just as consciousness essence enables awareness, transcendence enables participation, but in Pluralism, they blend in experiential unity.Their sameness lies in atemporality and independence from spacetime: Cognisance, when deep, slips into timeless discernment; Living is that slip manifested. Both derive ethics experientially—affirming plurality yields intrinsic goodness, whether as aware evaluation (cognisance) or participatory harmony (living). Religiously, they purify "God" as plurality-awareness, not deity—same in evoking reverence for diversity.Scientifically, they converge in quantum consciousness theories (e.g., Orchestrated Objective Reduction), where awareness (cognisance) collapses probabilities into experienced reality (living), affirming multiplicity without synthesis.How God-Cognisance and God-Living Are Different: Awareness Versus ImmersionDespite their symbiosis, God-Cognisance and God-Living differ in scope and intensity: Cognisance is the aware apprehension—the discerning "knowing" of plurality, often reflective and preparatory. It operates within consciousness essence, enabling evaluation (e.g., recognizing how aspiration counters survival's utility). Living is immersive participation—the "being" in plurality's realms, fully transcendent, where discernment becomes effortless affirmation.Differences manifest:
- Cognitive vs. Existential: Cognisance is epistemic (knowing essences coexist); Living ontological (existing as their interplay).
- Preparatory vs. Culminatory: Cognisance orients (e.g., intuitive glimpse); Living fulfills (timeless state).
- Partial vs. Holistic: Cognisance may focus (e.g., ethical aspiration); Living encompasses all essences.
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