Theos-Talk Archives (February 2009 Message tt00085)

Frank answers:

I hope, that HPB contradicted herself, as Europeans still greatest
metaphysicial - if not theosophist - Hegel says, that a contradiction
is always the sign of the truth and the non-contradiction the sign of
the untruth.

Govert responds:

1) Minor point: Hegel would be called a metaphysician or, very rarely,
a metaphysicist.

2) Hegel can be seen as belonging to theosophy, though I would prefer
to say 'western esoteric tradition.' BTW, a book that has been on my
radar for a while is lately quite affordable at Abebooks for about
$20: "Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition" by Glenn Alexander Magee. The
book is in the mail and I'm looking forward to look at the research.

3) According to some scholars Hegel's philosophy of 'contradiction' is
not entirely clear, as it is applicable only to concepts at a very
high level of abstraction like Being, Nothing, Becoming, Movement, or
to the relation of finite things with the infinite, and much more. He
 would still object to contradictions at a logical and common sense
level and qualify a contradiction as a mark of inadequacy and
falsehood. Therefore, to make a contradictory statement like 'the bulk
of humanity belongs both to the 4th and 5th sub-race' would be a lower
level logical contradiction and not a sign of its inherent truth. 

Govert


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Frank Reitemeyer" <dzyan@...> wrote:
>
> Govert wrote:
> 
> From the quotes below (the 'dead letter' interpretation) it looks like
> we are in Root-race 5 (Aryan), Sub-race 5 (Teutonic). Two quotes from
> HPB and one by 'Alpha' reflecting the understanding of a member. This
> understanding is also reflected in a little graph by Jinarajadasa,
> which some might call the Besant-Leadbeater interpretation, but might
> very well be in accordance with HPB. See:
> http://users.ez2.net/nick29/theosophy/lessons15.htm
> -------------------
> 
> Frank answers:
> Thank you, Govert, for the link to the graph of the Besant-Leadbeater 
> interpretation of the doctrine of the races.
> From where to they have the names of the races? From HPB?
> From their "Maha-Chohan"? Or from the Logos?
> 
> -------------------
> 
> Govert wrote:
> 
> If HPB contradicted herself, and if to save her from the charge of
> inconsistency by saying that some of her statements were blinds, in
> what way are we to reconcile these contradictions? How do we know
> what's a blind and what not? And if a contradiction is found and one
> of the statements therefore allegedly a blind, does that make the
> subject more important?
> 
> -------------------
> 
> Frank answers:
> 
> I hope, that HPB contradicted herself, as Europeans still greatest 
> metaphysicial - if not theosophist - Hegel says, that a
contradiction is 
> always the sign of the truth and th enon-contradiction the sign of the 
> untruth.
> How do we know? Simply by studying the mystery language.
> 
> I don't think that a blind comes always with a contradiction, but I
hope 
> that HPB used contradictions to make it easier for lay-chelas to
understand.
>