Only humankind is able to express mental experiences symbolically. Fear, danger, glee and instinctive love are inner experiences of even the animal kingdom, though these experiences cannot be specifically articulated other than by limited rather generic sounds and body language, which it is assumed would lead to much confusion were it not for the miracle of natural instincts.
In the human field, an emotion of fear that is subsumed as a notion of terrorism is universally delineated despite the difficulty of multiple languages. Nevertheless, when mental experience reflexively adds perspective, the meaning takes on variable meanings, such as the trite phrase that terrorism to one, is freedom-fighting to another. Religion also is a generic term that fails to satisfy an involved mental experience that adds questions and seeks elaboration. If the symbolism of the term simply meant there is divinity and it satisfied the human spirit there would be no need for elaboration or the myriad of subsuming beliefs. That God exists is all ye need to know to move through experience with simplicity and harmony. However, life is complex — symbolic connotations abound — thus the mind continually rides the brain waves to interpret conflictive species bearing the haunting sense of otherness and dissimilarity. Secular humanism, too, is a generic term that fails to satisfy mental experience that begs for answers despite what others may construe an unanswerable format — that humanity exists is all ye need to know.
In the field of politics the same applies. That governance exist is all ye need to know would lend endurance to the facile, mental acceptance of brute totalitarianism. Thankfully the mental process departs from simplicity and explores the variable qualities of alternatives, leading to possibilities, such as republics and democracies, which further break down into various leanings of laissez-faire capitalism, regulated capitalism, conservatism and liberal — all of which within their own respective cells are subject to question. Laissez-faire capitalism does not in itself preclude corporate responsibility, nor does regulation necessarily effect responsibility to the commonwealth; conservatism need not favor the rich nor the religious, liberalism need not champion the poor nor conflict with religion.
To fully comprehend these distinctions, however, humankind must rise above the dark confusions and unquestioned instinctive pulses of the animal kingdom. For lurking in the mind are untold discoveries and subtleties beneficial to the endless reconstruction of ultimate humankind.
Copyright © 2004 Richard R. Kennedy All rights reserved. Revised: July, 26, 2004.