POUND HILL NORTH INDEPENDENT FORUM

"THE MEGA INSTINCT" - A REALIST THEORY FOR MORAL REVOLUTION
BY RICHARD W. SYMONDS (RWS)

PRE-AMBLE

"If it wasn't for our Moral Instinct, we'd all be babbling like monkeys - or extinct like dinosaurs".
If you have understood the sentence above, thought about it, and passed judgement on it, you have just used your Mega Instinct.
That's the Theory - RWS

INTRODUCTORY QUOTATION

"We are uniquely human, moral beings - not just an animal in human form.
Human consciousness is the moral medium through which values, motivation and meaning are conveyed.
Our lives are soaked in the moral - like the air we breathe - whether aware of it or not.
Media, entertainment, politics, business, science, philosophy, religion, linguistics, art, music
and literature are all soaked in the moral.
Moral values, says Iris Murdoch, are 'only artificially, and with difficulty, expelled from language for scientific purposes'.
Draining out the moral puts our sanity and humanity seriously at risk".
(Richard W. Symonds)

"THE MEGA INSTINCT" (represented in picture form)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... eptual.gif

PART 1 - INTRODUCTION

MEGA THEORY - WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA ?

This a Realist Theory for a Moral Revolution.

Darwin's old Theory of Evolution (& the monolithic body of knowledge which has now grown out of it) is challenged by Mega Theory - Galileo-style.

Mega Theory fundamentally changes the way we see our Selves, and our place in the Universe - just as Galileo fundamentally changed the way we saw Our Selves on Earth, in relation to the Sun.

Man is not just a Human Animal; Man is a Moral Being. It is the human difference.

Newton's Theory was ground-breaking - like Darwin's - but it was replaced by a better one - Einstein's Relativity Theory. And so with Mega Theory.

Mega Theory corresponds with the truth, and has a greater 'ring of truth' than the Theories of Darwin, Freud, Skinner, or Dawkins.

The Theory's foundation is primarily one of philosophy (eg Plato's Forms), although it clearly impacts on other disciplines, such as Psychology and Biology (eg Maslow's 'Metamotivations') and Chomsky's Theory of Language.

Mega Theory is designed to revolutionise how we look at ourselves - no longer 'Animal Man' (eg Darwin, Freud, Skinner) but Moral Man.

"MEGA THEORY" - WHAT IS IT ABOUT ?

This Theory is about The Mega Instinct; a Moral Instinct, made up of 7 Mega Values (or Mega Motivations), which makes us uniquely & fully human; a controlling Instinct which is both immanent within - and transcendent of - all our other instincts.

The Theory shows how we use our Mega Instinct to discover what we value - and what motivates us - by applying The Anselm Acid Test.

WHAT ARE 4 OF ITS MAIN THEMES ?

1. We are uniquely endowed with a Mega Instinct - a moral instinct made up of 7 Values - which is both immanent within, and transcendent of, all other instincts.
Mega Theory states there are seven “moral structures”, hard-wired within the Mega Instinct; the controlling moral instinct which is both immanent within - and transcendent of - all other instincts within our biology (or Plato's 'soul', mind & body, personality, psyche....)

2. This Theory of Moral Realism stands in direct opposition to Moral Relativism.

3. Without this Mega Instinct, we would have made ourselves extinct many thousands of years ago.

4. Those in power who seek to control us know they have to control our Mega Instinct. If we regain control of this Instinct, they no longer have power or control over us.

WHAT ARE 7 OF ITS MAIN AIMS & OBJECTIVES ?

1. To produce a working Textbook on Mega Theory & The Moral Instinct - 'up & running' by the South Stoke Festival of Thought 2013.- to mark the 50th Anniversary of CEM Joad (1891-1953) - author of Transcendence-Immanence Theory.

2. To establish a Moral Theory which will vanquish the obsolete philosophy of Moral Relativism, and
revolutionise & radically transform the philosophy of Moral Realism.

3. To create a ground-breaking Moral Theory, to be considered one of the most important contributions to the revolution in Humanities & Social Sciences - especially Philosophy & Psychology - in the early 21st century

4. To help spark a revolution in philosophy & religion, through 'The Mega Instinct" idea, challenging the 'Relativist' approach of Wittgenstein & The Vienna School; the dominant idealogy underlying Western culture for the last 70 years.

5. To help spark a revolution in psychology & the social sciences, through his Mega Motivation Theory - a 'by-product' of Mega Theory - by challenging (& vanquishing) the 'scientific management' approach to behaviour; the dominant corporate idealogy which prevailed in the late 20th century - and still does.

6. To help influence many other related disciplines, by establishing The Gatwick City School - a school of thought in which Mega Theory & Moral Realsm are uniquely combined "to provide cutting-edge solutions to 21st century problems".

7. To show that a greater understanding, and application, of Mega Theory will be a critical pre-condition to Humanity's survival in the 21st century.

WHAT IS THIS THEORY DOING BETTER THAN OTHER RELATED THEORIES ?

Chomsky's Language Theory, Pinker's "Language Instinct", Hauser's "Moral Minds" & Maslow's 'Metamotivations' are firmly rooted in our biology & psychology.

Symonds "Mega Instinct" Theory - with CEM Joad's 'Tanscendence-Immanence' - is rooted firmly both in our biology & psychology (immanent within) and outside of them (transcendent of)..."unboundedness".

Noam Chomsky has written : “We are after all biological organisms not angels . . . If humans are part of the natural world, not supernatural beings, then human intelligence has its scope and limits, determined by initial design. We can thus anticipate certain questions will not fall within [our] cognitive reach, just as rats are unable to run mazes with numerical properties, lacking the appropriate concepts. Such questions, we might call ‘mysteries-for-humans’ just as some questions pose ‘mysteries-for-rats.’ Among these mysteries may be questions we raise, and others we do not know how to formulate properly or at all...
We will discover what we can about the nature of the world, and, among the truths about it, I believe we will find that part of our genetic capacity, which evolved over millennia, is that CERTAIN MORAL PRINCIPLES ARE ASCRIBED IN IT; probably genetically determined.
To try to discover them is, of course, a big task.

Teilhard de Chardin - "We are Spiritual Beings having a Human Experience, not Human Beings having a Spiritual Experience"

Genesis 1:27 - "So God Created Man In His Own Image..."

The Mega Instinct is rooted both in our biology (immanent within) and beyond it (transcendent of).

The 7 Mega Values (or Mega Motivations) are represented by the 7 Colours of the Rainbow - and form the maor part of the book.

The Mega Instinct is not only biologically immanent, it is also transcendent - and controls (or can control) all other instincts.

It is both Theory & Practice combined. We use our Mega Instinct to discover what we ultimately value, & what ultimately motivates us - by applying The Anselm Acid Test.

PART 2 - THE SEVEN MEGA MOTIVATIONS

(a) THE THEORY & PRACTICE

Applying The Anselm Acid Test to discover what motivates us (& why), and to discover what we most value (& why) - using our Mega Instinct ("If we don't use it, we lose it").

1 - BEAUTY (RED)

Genesis to The Present - Diary of Main Events - "Footnotes to Plato" - History of Moral Ideas - Biography

Music & The Arts, Creativity, Wonder & Awe, Fulfilment & Inspiration, Innocence & Purity

2 - FREEDOM (ORANGE)

Genesis to The Present - Diary of Main Events - "Footnotes to Plato" - History of Moral Ideas - Biography (eg Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela)

Liberty, Democracy, Human Rights, Responsibility & Duty, Power, Control & Influence, Decision, Choice & Space, Individuality & Uniqueness

3 - HAPPINESS (YELLOW)

Genesis to The Present - Diary of Main Events - "Footnotes to Plato" - History of Moral Ideas - Biography

Pleasure & Desire, Fun & Humour, Entertainment, Confidence, Enthusiasm, Hope

4 - LIFE (GREEN)

Genesis to The Present - Diary of Main Events - "Footnotes to Plato" - History of Moral Ideas - Biography (eg Sports personalities)

Survival & Well-Being, Health, Energy, Excitement, Thrill & Risk, Sex, Self-Preservation, Profit & Growth, Courage, Aliveness & Vitality, Consciousness & Unconsciousness, Awareness & Dreams

5 - LOVE (LIGHT BLUE)

Genesis to The Present - Diary of Main Events - "Footnotes to Plato" - History of Moral Ideas - Biography (eg Christ)

Goodness, Esteem, Pride, Belongingness, Approval, Valued, Acceptance, Compassion, Frienship, Kindness, Respect, Dignity, Selflessness

6 - PEACE (DARK BLUE)

Gensesis to The Present - Diary of Main Events - "Footnotes to Plato" - History of Moral Ideas - Biography (eg Gandhi)

Safety, Security, Protection, Stability, Reconciliation, Balance, Consensus, Agreement, Harmony, Comfort, Relaxation

7 - TRUTH (PURPLE)

Genesis to The Present - Diary of Main Events - "Footnotes to Plato" - History of Moral Ideas - Biography (eg Socrates, Joad - "Third Class Socrates")

Reality, Knowledge, Facts, Justice, Fairness, Understanding, Purpose

(b) 7-POINT MEGA THEORY STATES...

.1 MEGA THEORY states we are uniquely endowed with a Mega Instinct - a moral instinct made up of seven Mega Motivations (or Mega Values) - which is both immanent within, and transcendent of, all other instincts

.2 MEGA THEORY also states these seven Mega Values exist objectively and independently of the human mind (Moral Realism) - and our subjective actions, thoughts, ideas and beliefs discover (rather than create) those moral Values eg Plato's Recollection Theory.

.3 MEGA THEORY states these seven Values are objectively real - such as Truth, Beauty and Love - and we are subjectively conscious of these Values through our Mega Instinct - a kind of 'Seventh Sense'.
Tarski's Correspondence Theory of Truth, Popper's Scientific Method and Joad's Immanence-Transcendence (IT) Theory, are closely associated with this Mega Theory - along with Chomsky's Theory of Language Acquisition.

.4 MEGA THEORY states we are motivated by seven perennial Values (Mega Motivations), of which we can conceive of nothing greater :

1. Beauty
2. Freedom
3. Happiness
4. Life
5. Love
6. Peace
7. Truth

.5 MEGA THEORY states we are motivated by that which we most value.

If we discover what we value, we will discover what motivates us. 'The Anselm Acid Test' is used to discover what we most value; and thus we can discover what motivates us.

.6 MEGA THEORY is based on a simple idea - so simple it can look like a truism :

WE ARE MOTIVATED BY THAT WHICH WE VALUE - WE VALUE THAT WHICH MOTIVATES US

WE ARE MEGA MOTIVATED BY THAT WHICH WE MOST VALUE - WE VALUE MOST THAT WHICH MEGA MOTIVATES US

It is critical for us, therefore, to understand what motivates us, and why. Equally, it is critical to understand what we most value.

.7 MEGA THEORY, in practice, states we discover what motivates us the most, and what we most value, by simply applying the Anselm Acid Test - using our Moral Instinct - by asking ourselves the following questions...in other words, we are using & applying our Moral Instinct when we ask this Anselm Acid Test Question :

"In my mind, can I conceive of anything more important, or greater than .... ?" (Insert any word you consider important eg health, wealth, security etc)

You will find that your chosen words will fall eventually into one or other of these seven 'baskets' (with some occasional overlap)
Our Mega Instinct will naturally put these 'baskets' - the seven Mega Values (or Mega Motivations) which make up our Mega Instinct :

1. Beauty
2. Freedom
3. Happiness
4. Life
5. Love
6. Peace
7. Truth

PART 3 - CONCLUSION

The Mega Instinct is the medium through which we think for ourselves, freely and clearly.

Reclaiming this Instinct and making it our own (no-one else's) - a difficult task - will be a critical pre-condition for Humanity's survival in the 21st century.

"MEGA THEORY" - TARGET MARKETS

Who is Mega Theory primarily aimed at?

Those involved in :

(a) Humanities (eg Philosophy & Religion),

(b) Social Sciences (eg Psychology, Politics & Government, Business Management & Occupational Psychology, Employment & Training, Self-Help/Health Psychology, Cognitive Science & Biolinguistics),

(c) Education (eg Teaching), History (eg of Ideas)

WHO WILL BUY IT ?

Educational & Academic Markets (eg Schools & Universities) & Libraries.

WHO WILL READ IT ?

Students & Professional in (a), (b) & (c) above.

It is aimed at both an undergraduate and postgraduate student audience.

The book would be used on primarily degree courses in (a), (b) & (c) above.

It is research which will sell well to academic libraries

The subject area of the proposal is widely taught & researched.

This subject has international appeal outside my home country - especially the United States.

WHAT MAKES MEGA THEORY BETTER THAN OTHER COMPETING THEORIES ?

The biggest weakness of competing books, like "Moral Minds" by Marc Hauser, is that they are only rooted in biology.
The strength of Mega Theory - the unique selling point (USP) - is that the Mega Instinct is not only immanent within biology, but also transcendent of it...which opens up new horizons.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1a "The Babbitt Warren" by CEM Joad (1926)
Joad analyses America by Plato's Truth, Beauty & Goodness.

1b "Defence of Reason, an Affirmation of Values, and a Plea for Philosophy" by CEM Joad

1c "Appeal to Philosophers" - Aristotelian Paper (1940) - by CEM Joad

1d "Recovery of Belief - A Restatement of Christian Philosophy" by CEM Joad (1952)

1e "Guide to Moral & Political Philosophy" by CEM Joad (1936)

1f "Teach Tourself Philosophy" by CEM Joad (Last reprint 1971)

2. "The Language Instinct" by Steven Pinker

3a "The God Instinct" by Tom Stella

3b "The God Instinct" by Jesse Bering

4. "Moral Minds" by Marc Hauser

5. "Moral Politics" by George Lakoff

6. "Beyond The Farther Reaches Of Human Nature" ('Metamotivations') - Abraham Maslow

7. "Moralogy", Institute of Moralogy, Japan

8. "Ethics and Education" by R.S. Peters

9. "The Moral Vision of Iris Murdoch" by Heather Widdows

Richard W. Symonds MCIPD is a Member of the International Society For Philosophers - http://www.isfp.co.uk
Founder Member of The Gatwick School of Philosophy, The Joad Society & The Ifield Society
Author of “The Mega Instinct : A Realist Theory For Moral Revolution" (unpublished)
He can be contacted at GCI (Gatwick City of Ideas)
Email : richardsy5@aol.com

POUND HILL NORTH INDEPENDENT FORUM - RICHARD W. SYMONDS

Tuesday, 26 June 2012

JUNE 26 2012

Thursday, 5 April 2012

POUND HILL NORTH INDEPENDENT FORUM - RICHARD W. SYMONDS

Tuesday, 4 October 2011

"THE MEGA INSTINCT" - A REALIST THEORY FOR MORAL REVOLUTION - BY RICHARD W. SYMONDS (RWS)