Pantherism: "Panther is All, All is Panther"

So, I don't believe in pantheism. Pantheism has meant different things to different people but perhaps the best summary is "God is all, All is God"

For many Americans, this is a radical departure from the world as they know it (or atleast think of it). This is mainly because Western thinking got an essentially dualistic start. Aristotle with the idea of classification and separation was the man primarily responsible for this. Western philosophy and Christianity have played off each other alot in the last two millenia.

Pantheism, with slight differences, is central to Eastern religion, especially Buddhism. Buddhism, though, is perhaps pantheism crossbreeded with nontheism.

Spinoza also had a pantheism of his own but his emphasis was on nature. He made a good point: that people mainly think of miracles or crazy acts as "Acts of God." He said that the world getting by on a day-to-day basis is an act of God- that nature itself is God's doing (and that therefore, God is nature- it's actually a bit more complex, but that's Spinoza in a nutshell)

*George Harrison also talks about it in "Within you, without you" - not a Beatles hit but maybe the best of George's hippy Indian songs.


So, here's my idea. This may be nonsensical, but it is original: I say that the idea of mind suggests dualism or a separateness of beings. It's the fact that my nerves are connected to only my body- I can only control my mind and my body. I can't lift a car with my mind. Why can I lift my arm and not the car? Maybe because they are separate.

Mainly, I just think that we can't consciously just "think" for someone else. Their mind is their own, and my mind is my own.

If I go to the circus one day and I witness mind control and telekinesis (and I believe it) I'll change my mind, but for now, this is why I believe in dualism (with the whole "Good and Evil" thing.