Oxford defines reality “the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.” This is effectively the world as described by physics, effectively the state of things as they actually exist is appropriate, for practical reasons. The Chinese first explained the basic substances earth, wood, metal, fire, and water. All things are a combination of these fundamental components. (One could add air.) Today science would suggest the Periodic Table of elements and their components protons, neutron electrons and other subatomic particles are the basis of reality. Relating to the section The Physical (Real) and Metaphysical (Imagined) this is the Physical (Real).
Until the invention of the microscope, telescope the tiny and the very far away were not visible but still real. Historically humans have been limited by their senses to perceive reality.
There are other forces such as gravity, magnetic,
electrostatic, friction, tension/spring, air resistance (wind) that are mostly
unseen but real. Defying gravity on earth will result in negative consequences
if on jumps unaided from a very high place to a low place. Wind can blow
objects away. Still real.
The old idea of reality “was hierarchical, embodied by the Great Chain of Being”, which was “purged of the supernatural elements in the late twentieth century.” Honderich, T (ed.) p. 790. This allowed for supernatural realms such as heaven, which is subject to belief, but has not scientifically proven to exist.
So even reality is not constant but subject to human understanding of being. Before science anything was possible.
UPDATE: July 7,2023 “ …gravitational
waves had been detected, I (the newspaper opinion writer, a physicist)
felt seasick. But this past month’s report of evidence that the cosmos is
churning with low-frequency gravitational waves sent me
reeling.
As a physicist, I’m used to knowing that
an invisible world of particles and waves moves through the universe. I’ve made
peace with being constantly skewered by neutrinos and cosmic rays. I blithely
submit to X-rays at the dentist and to radio waves everywhere.
But a gravitational wave? That’s a
distortion of space-time itself — a stretching and squeezing of the fabric of
reality, a wave of deformation tearing through the cosmos, warping everything
in its path. The monstrous denizens of the intergalactic deep reveal themselves
not through the light they emit but by how they stir the space-time we share. When
a gravitational wave moves through you, you are, for a moment, a different
shape.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/06/gravitational-waves-new-view-universe/
Science
hasn’t changed. Human understanding of science has changed with new information
and so has the human perception of reality. This is akin to the sun rising in
the East and setting in the West. That doesn't really happen. The Earth spins
each day around the sun giving the impression that the sun rises in the East
and sets in the West. This piece of information may change one’s perception of
the universe, but we still (mostly) get up each morning do our stuff and sleep
at night.
If
one comes across a person who rejects science be prepared that they may believe
anything and may not have a good grip on reality. Discussion may be futile.
Mark Twain famously stated, “Never argue with an
idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with
experience.” https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/
The Metaphysical (Imagined) can also be a part of reality for practical purposes. Government makes laws that govern behavior and have real consequences if ignored. Speeding in a car is an example. If an officer of the law detects a violation a ticket with a fine (or worse) may be the consequence. However, governments can make laws that protect favored groups or purposely punish non favored groups. Corporations are a legal entity that are created by laws. They are registered with a government. One of the earliest examples of a corporation was the East India Company of London, which was established in 1600 by a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I. It had the exclusive right to trade with all countries to the east of the Cape of Good Hope. Corporation - Wikipedia. Physically other non-chartered entities could do so but would violate British law. Typically, the government that passes the laws must have the force to back them up. We know this today as police, courts and the legal system. All of this (and more) is made up and we all believe it because if we don’t and we violate a law we can end up in jail (or worse).
The Dutch
East India Company was a rival to the East India Company of London. They settled disputes in the old
fashion way - through war and some compromise. The compromise was each had
relatively exclusive trade areas. In other words, like gangs battling over turf
one had dominance in one area while the other in another area. This wasn’t
always stable. Other powers also came in conflict as colonies and the like
emerged. Privateering is government sanctioned piracy of the other government’s
citizens/trade. This wasn’t restricted to these two companies. Nearly all
colonial powers had conflicts. It should be noted that conflict often arises
because of economic interest. Recall from the Basic Economics section a rule an individual must produce
it, trade it, or steal it, to survive, and there are essentially two ways to
acquire wealth. One is to be the first to find it, labor for it, or
created it. The other is to steal it. If one group is marking a great profit at
the expense of excluding others, they will not give it up easily.
It could be said that the American Revolution began as a trade dispute (Boston Tea Party, the Intolerable Acts). That in part kindled the French Revolution (French crown financial support that increased France’s debt leading to social unrest and economic inequality as well as French intellectual support for the American fight for liberty).
Concepts like fairness, justice, freedom, respect, happiness, equality, fraternity, love, etc. are also metaphysical. They exist because people say they do. They are not like hydrogen or iron. However, the concepts are more like the unseen forces of gravity, wind, etc. These concepts fire humanity beyond survival. These concepts frame the “Social Contract” that every human group forms, they are the” NORMS” for the group. If one says, “that is just not fair!” That should make the group stop and analyze the charge. There often needs to be a hierarchy of how these concepts interact.
THIS IS A MAJOR POINT OF THE BLOG. HUMANS DETERMINE THE METAPHYSICAL REALITY, and the players are the bad guys, the good guys, the indifferent guys, EVERYBODY. In some ways this blog is an attempt to codify how to separate the elements REAL and METAPHYSICAL in a practical way, to enable a meaningful discussion of what structures exist and how they can be improved.
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