PHI 101 Metaphysics and Theories of Reality Essay

PHI 101 Metaphysics and Theories of Reality - Essay Example We live in a dynamic universe. Knowledge is continually evolving. Progress on the scientific, economic and political fronts is essential for survival. Stagnation leads to entropy. There can be no standing still or going back. Growth is a fact of life and ensures that knowledge is continuously updated, and new paradigms constantly replace the old. Once the dynamic nature of knowledge is accepted, it follows that there can be no single universally accepted paradigm to withstand the test of time. Perceptions and standards change over time and become relative to a particular period or civilization. There can be no absolute standards. Each new discovery indicates the shortcomings of previous perspectives. This mandates openness to the diversity of life. When knowledge is continually evolving, and change is inevitable, bigotry has no place in belief systems. By acknowledging that beliefs and values are relative, we open our minds to the viewpoints of others. This approach can contribute towards a better understanding of different perspectives and constitute a bulwark against fundamentalism and rigidity in beliefs. The study of knowledge clearly offers evidence of the interdependence of all aspects of the world. The evolutionary nature of the universe, and of knowledge, tends towards increasing complexity. This includes social complexity. The contemporary theory of ‘Open Systems’ emphasizes that all systems are open and demonstrates that there is interaction on all fronts, both within the component parts of a system, and with the surroundings. Interaction is a prerequisite for growth. The complexity and organization of a system can be maintained only through this openness. Just as the units of nature are interdependent open systems, human society is also an open system which can survive only through interaction. Mutual interdependence is a fact of human life. We