Welcome to Weekly Guest Post 5 of the book tour The Door is Open by Andrew Court. Watch for a weekly guest post for the next several weeks on my site!
NOUS – “THE EYE OF THE
SOUL”
Just as we all have many
different appetites and emotions (which are usually in conflict, and which can
be interested in all sorts of healthy or unhealthy objects), we also have many
different, and often confusing, mental functions: we have random thoughts,
images, and memories; we have stored facts and data; we have logical processes;
we have practical knowledge about how to do various things; we have theories
and beliefs and opinions and all kinds of prejudices, etc. Where, in the midst
of all this mental clutter, is the True Ruler of the human soul?
Socrates believed that no one does evil consciously. Our thoughts and notions may certainly be irrational or even foolish, but we always believe that what we are doing in any given moment is the right and proper thing to do: if we knew that what we were doing was 'evil' we could not keep doing it. So the 'True Ruler' of the soul, that ought to be making decisions, would have to be that part of the mind which absolutely knows, beyond any mere opinion, the difference between good and evil − the part of our soul that is capable of unerringly discerning 'the Good'.
Socrates believed that no one does evil consciously. Our thoughts and notions may certainly be irrational or even foolish, but we always believe that what we are doing in any given moment is the right and proper thing to do: if we knew that what we were doing was 'evil' we could not keep doing it. So the 'True Ruler' of the soul, that ought to be making decisions, would have to be that part of the mind which absolutely knows, beyond any mere opinion, the difference between good and evil − the part of our soul that is capable of unerringly discerning 'the Good'.
Does such a place exist?
Plato thought so. He called this part of the soul Nous.
Nous is that special place in our intellect - beyond the confines of imagination, belief, and even reason - that arrives at knowledge by sudden, uncontradictable, insight. Such an insight (we have all had them) may follow in the wake of a long and painstaking period of questioning and pondering, or it may appear inexplicably out of the blue, but when it arrives it arrives in a flash. In general, these are rare and involuntary events, for this is a potential human faculty that usually lies dormant. But Socrates believed that it is possible for this faculty to become conscious and deliberate. In fact, he said that 'awakening Nous'− not merely studying or thinking − is the highest task of anyone who wishes to perfect his or her soul. It is possible, even easy, to have a keen and clever mind, to know a great many facts, and to be filled with practical and theoretical knowledge, and yet to have no authentic Wisdom because one's Nous has never awakened. Such a soul is always like that ship whose captain has been narcotized, a ship which is either in a state of endless anarchy, or which has been taken over by one or another tyrannical usurper: some harsh or foolish passion, appetite, belief or prejudice, which 'rules' and ruins one's life.
For Socrates, then, Wisdom is not about knowing many things or understanding difficult ideas. It is always and only about awakening one's soul to wonder and insight.
Nous is that special place in our intellect - beyond the confines of imagination, belief, and even reason - that arrives at knowledge by sudden, uncontradictable, insight. Such an insight (we have all had them) may follow in the wake of a long and painstaking period of questioning and pondering, or it may appear inexplicably out of the blue, but when it arrives it arrives in a flash. In general, these are rare and involuntary events, for this is a potential human faculty that usually lies dormant. But Socrates believed that it is possible for this faculty to become conscious and deliberate. In fact, he said that 'awakening Nous'− not merely studying or thinking − is the highest task of anyone who wishes to perfect his or her soul. It is possible, even easy, to have a keen and clever mind, to know a great many facts, and to be filled with practical and theoretical knowledge, and yet to have no authentic Wisdom because one's Nous has never awakened. Such a soul is always like that ship whose captain has been narcotized, a ship which is either in a state of endless anarchy, or which has been taken over by one or another tyrannical usurper: some harsh or foolish passion, appetite, belief or prejudice, which 'rules' and ruins one's life.
For Socrates, then, Wisdom is not about knowing many things or understanding difficult ideas. It is always and only about awakening one's soul to wonder and insight.
Andrew Cort is an expert on the inner message of Spiritual Awakening that is always ready to be found in the wonderful stories of the Bible and Greek Mythology. To receive several FREE GIFTS from Dr. Cort (a copy of Chapter One, ‘Making the Decision’, form his new book, THE DOOR IS OPEN; a copy of his article on RECONCILING SCIENCE AND RELIGION; and a complete version of the Bible’s erotic masterpiece, SONG OF SONGS , adapted as a Poetic Dialogue to be read out loud by lovers; as well as a subscription to his SPIRITUAL GROWTH NEWSLETER) click here http://www.andrewcort.com/Gifts . You can also learn more on his blog,Spiritualityand Religion.
Interested in buying the book?
Twitter www.twitter.com/andrewcort
Be sure to check out the next stops on the tour:
10/10 The Bunnies Review Interview
10/10 My Cozie Corner Weekly Guest Post 5
10/11 Simply Infatuated Weekly Guest Post 5
10/11 Reading, Writing and More Weekly Guest Post 5
10/12 The Bunnies Review Weekly Guest Post 5
10/15 A Night's Dream of Books Weekly Guest Post 610/15 My World Weekly Guest Post 6
10/10 My Cozie Corner Weekly Guest Post 5
10/11 Simply Infatuated Weekly Guest Post 5
10/11 Reading, Writing and More Weekly Guest Post 5
10/12 The Bunnies Review Weekly Guest Post 5
10/15 A Night's Dream of Books Weekly Guest Post 610/15 My World Weekly Guest Post 6
To follow the entire tour, please click here.
Disclaimer: I don't usually post a disclaimer on a guest post, but I am today. Guest posts such as this do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the owner of this blog. This is guest post is for the sole purpose of promoting this book and creating a dialogue about various "religious" things.
Thank you for hosting Andrew Cort today.
ReplyDelete