A MEASURE OF TRUTH

By Ralph Arthur Hall, MD.   (1914-1994)

Edited and continued by Alden Bacuzmo

The Realistic Idealist

at http//www.seanet.com/~realistic/idealism.html

In the past, ostensibly, facts were few and far between.  They were not near enough together to be closely related.  To relate them, one had to bridge long gaps with logic. Due to observations recorded using the scientific method we now know so much that we can travel great distances in reason without losing touch with factuality.
Believe it or not, everyone has a personal philosophy. To some extent, everyone explores all the things philosophy explores. A life with a positive, uplifting philosophy will bring forth a life worth living. Realistic Idealism is a philosophy about humanity. It attempts to realistically resonate with our obligatory social and individual characteristics, and simultaneously, extrapolate ideals of love and compassion from the Judeo-Christian heritage. Finally, within our limited bubble of awareness, we can know where we come from, where we are, where we are going, and what things are possible. 
Realistic idealism is not anti-theistic. It recognizes the value, and place, of reverence and faith. It underlines the importance of love and compassion, and urges us to prepare for knowledge, and understanding. This philosophy is not liberal (oppositional to traditional values), and also, has no doctrine (a preconceived structure).  It is founded in nature. This philosophy proposes that one life, committed to the service of others, is enough.
Although the idea of contributing to the body of philosophical thought had been on Dr. Hall's mind from the time he was a young man, many of the concepts presented here originated from discussions among his friends and were later delineated from 1975 through 1994 when he passed away. During this time I worked with Dr. Hall as an editor organizing his thoughts. By the end of that time much work had been completed, and I built this website.  I tested the work by posting portions of the book on Usenet, where challenging debate and criticism arose quickly.  This has been a great learning period for me in that I was motivated to go to the sources myself to defend or reconsider parts of the book. A few parts have been deleted while other parts have been expanded. Everyone who comes to understand realistic idealism is invited to build on its foundation as I have.
Scientific knowledge is the most successful way to understand our universe

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Introduction To the Author and originator of the Realistic Idealist: Dr. Ralph Hall
Chapter 1. The Opinion Poll. The disarming of knowledge and the abdication of leadership.  What is an opinion?
Chapter 2. Understanding Knowledge. New knowledge will appear meaningless until it fits into the pattern of the knowledge already possessed. For instance, "never attribute anything to evil that can't be explained by stupidity". Some of the characteristics of knowledge are discussed and why it is feared.
Chapter 3. G*D, Nature, and Reality. This is a brief history of the evolution of the concept of God from the evolutionary dawn of literacy to today. It shows a progression and dimension up to and including the discovery of the scientific method: today's ultimate discovery of G*D. What guidelines can be devised to limit erroneous thinking about God?
Chapter 4. Logic: Dialectic Whatever. Logic, alone, leads to futility.  The futility of logic, without scientific knowledge, still rules most of our social order.
Chapter 5. The Dilemma of Logic and Ethics. Examples of the futility of logic as applied to ethics, and how morality can and should be based on evidence. Morality based on evidence is the most convincing morality.
Chapter 6. The Language of Nature is Science. Some of the mystery and all of the magic are stripped away from life as our ancestors knew it.  This is humanity's search for reality and the continued revelation of G*D.
Chapter 7. Reverence and Faith: The Road To Equanimity. This is basic human psychology.  You will be introduced to the "trinity" of Reverence: Identification, Dedication and Humility.  You will find out what these mean to the Obligated Social Being: YOU!
Chapter 8. Alienation: The Road to Despair. A fast growing, modern, individual affliction: the affect of ignoring reverence.  The proof of its existence.
Chapter 9. What is Truth? In this insightful survey: "Truth" and "Fact" are no longer confused.  In a way, Facts are the strands of life while Truth is the fabric of life.  The Truths of life are revealed as Love, Beauty, Work, Mystery and Freedom.  These become some of the basic principles of Realistic Idealism.
Chapter 10. Doctrines. We are alerted to the road blocks to understanding presented by doctrines, especially that of Boaz.
Chapter 11. Creation. The Bible describes creation in seven days.  Why not one? Because, even back then, they knew that it was a process.  The Biblical creation was the most up-to-date scientific explanation of the time (it was Aristotle's time).  It would have been published in the "Scientific Babylonian".  This chapter discusses scientific revelations of the further expansion of G*D's process.
Chapter 12. Ontogeny. Every living thing starts with one cell.  Next to paleo-phylogeny, the development of life through the study of fossils, ontogeny is the strongest indication of the existence of the evolutionary process.
Chapter 13. Evolution. A discourse on an understandable explanation of a truly beautiful, and, ultimately, obvious process of the development of all life from one miraculous, or perhaps, predestined, cell. It has been said that "a chicken is an egg's way of making another egg".
Chapter 14. Heritable Behavior and Abilities. Anything that is not heritable is of no evolutionary significance. The guides to heritability are 1. social or environmental pressures which encourage specific heritable characteristics in sexual mate selection, 2. extermination of part or all of a population, 3. geographic separation allowing separate development, and 4. mistakes in DNA replication increasing the variation of a population.
Chapter 15. Learning and Motivation. Here is discussed some important aspects of the process of learning.  Learning and the resulting change in behavior is a neurological process with an evolutionary agenda.  How can we shape our interaction with our environment without an understanding of this process? For instance, Patricia Kuhl at the University of Washington has excellent evidence that indicates language is learned through inherent physiology shaped to the prevailing environment during a specific maturational window of time.
Chapter 16. Extinct Humans. This is a short description and discussion of our early, now extinct, human like variations from Ramapithicus to Cro-Magnon.  We take a side trip with Neanderthal.
Chapter 17. The "Fit and Capable". The characteristics of the mind are determined by the brain. The racist condemns all members of a stereotype to have no variation beyond what the prejudiced impression provides (no variation). A wide range of genetic variation in regard to the brain and it's capabilities is essential for evolution to take place. If some declare (in order to combat racism) that evolution and variation stopped 50,000 years ago, their motivation is admirable, but the evidence is missing. In this chapter we explore the observed width of variation through time among humanity's many families. It has to be emphasized that each human family is widely variant and is continuing to evolve with the seeds of individuals from other families.
Chapter 18. The Search for Order. This is the introduction to our interpretation of the Old and New Testaments. 
Chapter 19. The Old Testament: Judaism. Here, the real beginning of the Old Testament (Exodus) is interpreted from a new perspective.  Scientific verification is revealed.  In hopes of unraveling some of the mystery surrounding one of the basic tenets of western society, the Ten Commandments are explained in a way that give them new and deeper meaning... then and now.
Chapter 20. The New Testament: Christianity.  Although virtually everyone thinks of Jesus as the Christ, there are some differences between what Jesus thought and what Christians expect.  In spite of these debatable variations we can rest assured that Jesus Christ highlighted the concepts of love and compassion.  This is the basis of Realistic Idealism which now builds on this tradition and proposes a yet newer Gospel.
Chapter 21. "Family Tradition". Examining raising children, the effects of family on physiology, and some of the roads to sexual identification.
Chapter 22. Crime and Punishment.  Examining criminal behavior and our justice system from the perspective of evolutionary principles.
Chapter 23. "Government in Truth". A realistic approach to governing.
Chapter 24. The Practice of Realistic Idealism. We have Love and Compassion.  Now we have Knowledge and Creativity for those who are ready.
Chapter 25. "Closing Thoughts"
I wish you peace, health and happiness.
It is not my intent to confuse, alter, or confront those things that you hold dear, but to show you a path that I have found to a better life
and peace of mind.
Links to other essays are as follows:
Psalm 104 A detailed study of the relationship of Pharaoh Akenhaten's Hymn to his single God, "Aten" and psalm 104 in the Bible.
The Quitter Everyone Loves Want To Stop Smoking? A comedic, though informative, look at the act of the cessation of the intake of nicotine. This has information you won't find anywhere else.
The Art Of Solipsism A new, fresh look at a concept that has been long ago rejected and forgotten.
Atheism and Religion A conservative consideration of inherent qualities that might account for the "religious experience".
The Deconstruction of Skepticism An over simplification of subject matter that is kept sacred among the philosophical community.
Economics An ongoing exercise in the comprehension of our economic desperation.
The refuter's handbook A somewhat humorous assessment of common internet etiquette.
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