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Duality and dualism

dual to each other and important everywhere

Conditions of a restrictive nature, be it in the sciences, but also in private life or in politics, may or may not imply conflict, depending on how they are presented or understood. Logically, they can seem true and irrefutable. At the same time holistically captured, they may remain largely fuzzy.    

Logically, we capture conditions accurately, but not very fast. Holism, on the other hand, allows us to grasp conditions and even their environment very quickly, but we can not prove their truth accurately. What is that supposed to mean?

"Total" emptiness, for example, means, on the one hand, a mental state of a living self-conscious mind. "Total" empty intergalactic space is also spanned by something and energy is transmitted in it, and also in the field of elementary particles arises the question of what is between the individual particles. How, with what logically or holistically comprehensible effect could processes be conceived in such extremely different spaces? The same question can also be asked in terms of time.

On the other hand, "complete" blockade could not just be a mental condition. "Completely" compact space in super or kilonovae is thought to be densely filled up and transmission of energy bursts should be possible in it, but how or in scientific language by what action? Here, too, the question about time arises.

It is possible to ask questions in the macrocosm as well as in the microcosm as under human conditions. We would even be increasingly inclined, with our current knowledge, to expect comparable conditions in extremely large or small worlds.

Most natural phenomena as well as any life take place in a dimension between two extremes and can only allow dual questions. Their extreme boundary conditions require dual questions. Conversely, comprising questions can only be adequately elucidated if extreme conditions are taken into account, so that the latter can or must be attributed dual character. Basically, duality may be necessary to describe or explain something at any space and time as a consequence of existing actions. Historically in many places, duality was avoided like the devil. But it can best give us far-reaching insight. Overall, reality can be viewed as a mirror picture of actions, while actions form our reality. In this context, actions and reality can also be understood as a dual pair, as was already inferred in the context of alternative philosophy from the juxtaposition of existence (being) and development. Plato's idea of ​​the shadow world comes pretty close.

Fixed laws are the foundation of rationality, logic, science, and technology. In their tendency, they tend to represent extreme marginal positions rather than intermediate values ​​and can also be described as fundamental or static. Their usefulness for the synapses in the brain, in computers and in rigid legal systems, ie where fixed rules can be assumed, is readily apparent. On the other hand, it is rather questionable to fix beliefs in this way, because in life rapid adaptation, ie great flexibility, is very important, especially in the case of dangers.

However, flexible life is based on holism, feelings, behavior of other living beings and survival strategies. The great importance of these aspects can be observed anytime, anywhere in nature. Such life might be called modern or dynamic. The term modern gets a wider meaning than just recent time. The concept of dynamics, however, includes transformation and thereby formation of something new. Both prove useful for good likelihood of survival and evolution from generation to generation. However, with a higher share of holistic components, exact proof becomes more difficult.

We can understand duality as the dual counterpart of dualism and vice versa, which at first sounds very abstract. The real issue becomes clear when we realize how logical explanations are often confirmed by life experiences. Conversely, life experiences often show the usefulness of logic.  

© Copyright and all rights reserved Hans J. Unsoeld, Berlin 2018

Updated Nov. 26, 2018   

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