Universal Recognition Required? (Rand and Lee)

A very good friend and fellow "searcher" suggested Ayn Rand and Bruce Lee as possible candidates! These are interesting candidates!

Philosophers must be simultaneously relevant and prophetic! Ayn and Bruce definitely were that!

Ayn is credited with the development of the philosophical system called "Objectivism." Individualism and Capitalism were emphasized as necessary to by promoted as long as they were held in check by a constitutional government. She was against statism and any form of collectivism...having been deeply ingrained within a collective society...I believe that she earned the right to stand against it! I believe that she was definitely on track as she considered the acquisition of knowledge was only through reason!

Bruce was a cultural icon! Again, he is recognized as a philosopher...as a practitioner of Wing Chung and the founder of Jeet Kune Do concept he focused on practicality and efficiency of movement! He combined deflection and counter-attack into the same movement! BRILLIANT! As the founder of the Jeet Kune Do concept, Bruce believed in distilling his art to its basic elements and not "piling" others upon the truth! He refined his martial arts over time believing that true martial arts were a process of defense and not a methodological "system of steps." He grasped the reality of the art in that he found that rejecting a technique because it was not accepted by others as part of the system was a mistake! Another brilliant position required by the 21st century philosopher!

Ayn died in 1982 and Bruce died in 1973...well before they could lay claim to the title of 21st century philosopher...but they definitely have components of the philosophy needed for the this millennium!

They were absolutely prophetic...and these concepts are necessary elements of who we are looking for!

What do you think?

21st Century Global Perspective

The 21st century requires a philosophy of global perspective.

The seeds of this perspective were planted in the 1960s. There was an child-like epiphany of the "hippies" and especially the "flower children" to "make love...not war!" It was fledgling that shot up quickly...but never really achieved everything that it could have as an adult thought! This perspective is not dead...or even endangered...just not cultivated enough to be commonplace! We need to walk the forests of concepts and rediscover the medicinal plants of global perspective!

OK...enough prose!

The global perspective needs to focus on the unity of mankind and not on its differences!

The "weed seeds" of predjudice' lie dormant' in the "Embrace Diversity" movements that have just recently become passe (and none too soon!). When I ponder this situation, the simple recognition of differences in people precludes a value judgement! It the end...that value will become negative.

The attitude that I think that we should be looking for can be summed up in this simple observation given to me by a 5 year-old girl...

"If you're telling me that we should start breaking down these barriers with what we have most in common..."

"...Then..."

"The things that we have most in common are the differences that are between us..."

"The things which are different between you and I is exactly the same as the the differences between me and you..."

Out of the mouths of babes! Perhaps if I wait for a while...she'll step up as the 21st Century Philosopher!

I would contend...that it is simplier than that! Differences don't matter!

It is misdirected basic human need to classify things...we are now beyond that!

What matters is what you bring to the table and what you do with it!