We Must Never Proceed from False Principles

Title: We Must Never Proceed from False Principles

²  A falsis principiis proficisci. – To set forth from false principles.

We must never proceed from false principles – ‘principles’ in the sense of foundational premises. A premise being a statement considered as fact upon which we may then base future arguments and arrive at meaningful conclusions. Equally, we must explicitly state our premises when constructing our arguments; failure to do so may result in grievously erroneous conclusions – as most philosophies, ideologies and religions undoubtedly certainly do.

To proceed from false premises is akin to employing the wrong ingredients in a recipe, the wrong materials in a construction, the wrong formula in a chemical compound or the wrong equation in an engineering calculation. The results can vary from simply disgusting, in the case of a cooking recipe, to life-threatening and devastating, in the case of an edifice, a chemical formula, or an engineering calculation. Proceeding from false premises, from incorrect or invalid principles, in the above examples can ruin lives, but when it comes to matters that organize people, that determine cultures and civilizations, it can be the ruin of present and future generations.

I will elaborate at a later point in time on the meaning of the terms ryu, nin, ninpo, as well as on the structure of MAMBA and of MAMBA as a ninpo ryu. First of all, however, we must commence from an understanding of what we mean by “human”: after all every “ryu” – even a ninpo ryu like MAMBA Ryu – is nothing other than a human organization. We must consider, in our quest to understand MAMBA Ryu – and ourselves – some of the parameters and characteristics of the human condition. What are the principles – the First Principles – upon which MAMBA ryu ninpo is based?

A Chinese proverb states: “A maker of idols is not an idolater”; implicitly he understands the fictitious falsehood of his premise (the idols) and therefore does not attach reality to its conclusion (by not idolizing it). This may be true on an individual, personal level; however as a species, the human being’s capacity for imaginative thinking is only comparable to his capacity to believe the reality of his imaginings, to delude himself into believing that the idols of his mind are in fact no longer mental creations but rather creations of a substantial nature. This delusionary tendency is not purely spawned by cognitive processes, but rather fueled and sustained by profound emotional impulses, needs, and drives. Historically only a select few have been both motivated as well as capable of transcending the illusion of culture and convention, to see reality, especially human reality, for what it truly is. Today, more than ever and for the first time in the history of our species, we have the technology and the science to guide us in the establishment of First Principles from which to begin the construction of our paradigm: the paradigm I have termed MAMBA – Mastering the Art of Mind-Body in Action.

            The most fundamental false principles upon which many – if not most – philosophical, ideological, and religious models of the human condition, of the concept of the human being, and of humanity itself, have been founded upon can be reduced to the following two widespread mythical ideas: a) the existence of the supernatural; and b) the existence of dimensions of life beyond death, time, and space. Despite the fact that no empirical evidence exists to corroborate either of those two unfounded presuppositions, the vast majority of human beings have, explicitly or implicitly, organized their lives – and the lives of their future generations – based these delusional ideas. Contrary to popular opinion, and irrational reasoning, the widespread nature of these beliefs does not validate them in any way: it simply exposes the extent to which we humans are prone to create, and believe in, imaginings that we wish to be true. Culturally speaking, therefore, makers of idols are, in fact, idolaters.

            Why is this relevant? It is relevant because the concepts we entertain, assume, and accept in terms of our humanity, in terms of being human, and in terms of the human condition are cultural constructions founded on beliefs rather than facts. Cross-culturally those beliefs are mostly irrational fictions, figments of our imagination and our existential fears. It is relevant because historically individuals, communities, and entire nations have been prepared to injure, persecute, maim, and even kill in defense of those culturally constructed fictions, and have been particularly predisposed to do so to the detriment of those who do not share in their norms and beliefs.

MAMBA KAIZEN – the philosophical psychology of MAMBA Ryu – seeks to prepare us to find meaning, fulfillment and happiness in a life without fear-based delusions. Yet we cannot hope to accomplish this goal without endeavoring to understand the true nature of human life as well as to expose, and overcome, that mental labyrinth of delusion – what in MAMBA we term “the Matrix” – which culture has cognitively and affectively thrust upon us since the moment of our birth.

If life ends at death and begins sometime during conception; if there are no supernatural beings, powers or energies to either comfort, cajole or condemn us; and if there are no dimensions beyond the four dimensions of time and space, the imaginary Fifth Dimension of the human mind, and arguably the virtual Sixth Dimension of cyberspace, then we are faced with an existence that is at once vast in its possibilities as well as terrifying in its realities – yet those are the First Principles with which we must begin to define and construct our existence if we are to be true to what we are as human beings – and not proceed to construct for ourselves fictitious and irrational identities parting from false principles of supernatural origins, dimensions, powers, energies or entities.

The war begins within, and the first enemy is our ignorance of self. We must never proceed from false principles and we must always keep our First Principles close in mind.

The Sennin’s Log – First Entry

April 10, 2015