Comet
Harvey Wallbanger
Aenesidemus Laughed!
There stood Parmenides, looking upon Thales and the others: Thales with his head bound to look only in one direction, the others the same but with chains upon their feet keeping them from moving up to Thales. Parmenides could see that though it appeared Thales had moved from the others, he was still bound by the chains of the head; thus, he was still bound by the chains of the feet and had not truly moved anywhere. Parmenides stood behind all of them with fixed gaze, wondering how they could not see the figures were mere shadows of themselves. Even Thales could not see that time and change was an illusion, for his senses could not tell him so. He thought, If only Thales head was unbound like mine, he would truly see these figures and things in a new light; a light of the mind and not of the eyes. Yet, the problem remained that nothing had truly changed.
There stood Heraclitus looking upon Parmenides, Thales, the others, and the fire which was behind them all present. Nothing truly had changed, thought Heraclitus, If only they all could see that what the figures they were looking at were mere shadows of the ever changing light in which they all stood! It was simple for Heraclitus to see the changes being made for he had actively made the change to remove himself from the chains of the feet, the chains of the head, and the chains of a gaze; he could see all and the difference between them. Change is the only constant in the world they all wanted to know. Heraclitus said unto his self, How it would be nice to help them, but one cannot help another to truly see how to be free from these chains. They must learn to take the information they have and to understand it if they wish to move beyond where they are. After all, things change
There stood Anaximander, behind the fire that lit up all those within the fires light. He wondered how long it would take for the others to catch up to Thales, for Thales to catch up to Parmenides, for Parmenides to catch up to Heraclitus, and how long it would take for Heraclitus to catch up to Anaximander himself. The duality of such ways of thought, thought Anaximander aloud. How can they all not see that they are all prisoners and bound to these thoughts? Truly we are all within a cave, a cave of illusion caused by the duality of things we see with eyes and with the eye of the mind. Anaximander had seen the cave in which they lived long ago Indeed, it was a cave of the imprisonment of illusion! Yet, there had to be something beyond the cave of illusion; a place where neutrality balanced things out a higher truth: a place where heads and tails were just aspects of the same coin, a place where all was truly of one thing.
And so there was a man named Aristotle who roamed freely within the cave He had spoken to the others, to Thales, to Parmenides, to Heraclitus, to Anaximander, and learned from his teacher Plato. Aristotle took all things he had been told into account and decided he needed to move past the others and understand these things for his self. He knew there were things outside of the cave, but he thought to know these things he must first understand the cave, what caused the cave, and what the purpose of the cave was. And so Aristotle began a four part quest: to explore the cave, to understand the cave, to explain the cave in a systematic way, to know all things of the cave, and to show all others how to know the cave themselves. After all, Thales had separated himself from the others and Heraclitus had separated himself from Thales . It should stand to reason that Anaximander was indeed correct. Aristotle could see these things, wanted to explain these things, and ignored Heraclitus warning for Aristotle had come to see these things via his very wise teacher who was student to the wisest of the wise .
And so Plato was outside the cave and fixed his gaze upon the wonders anew: A ball of fire in the sky, reflections upon the water, and the shadows of figures above in front of him. He was blinded and asked, I have seen these things before and been blinded by them before. I know now of this higher truth which I cannot explain nor comprehend fully How is it I must repeat the things done before to yet again understand all these things? How is it I can explain these things to myself or others? A great voice within him answered from above, By these works shall ye know. To know thy self is to know that which is. As above, so below is true indeed. Know that you truly know nothing. Plato did not understand his teacher though.
And so Plato, the teacher of Aristotle, came back into the cave: for he knew the virtue of the wise: He had learned to break the chains of the feet, the chains of the head, and the chains of gaze of the cave from which he had come. He was discovering freedom and trying to teach this to others, for it was his duty as a wise one. He had taught Aristotle to see these things, to know these things, to explain these things, and to teach others this new light of things. He had to return to bring his wisest student out of the cave from which he had come, for his teacher had brought him (his wisest student) out of the cave as well. Yet, Aristotle did not listen to his teacher and remained to tell the others of the cave.
And so it was that nothing had changed with all the changes that had taken place. And so it was that nothing was new under the sun, for vanity is vanity! As they wrote many years before and many years after, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it arose. The wind goes toward the south and turns around to the north; the wind whirls about continually, and again on its circuit. All the rivers run into the sea. Yet, the sea is not full; to the place from which the rivers come, there they return again all things are full of labor; man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done. And there is nothing new under the sun.
And so it was repeated: again and again with nothing new to be learned. Plato argued that it was his duty to repeat that which was there already, for the wise must educate the imprisoned, for it is wise to be patient with those who didnt understand. Indeed! Patience is a virtue, BUT virtue is a prison. For Plato and the rest are not free of the cave! They are all bound to it! As Plato is bound to Aristotle, who is bound to ways taught before, which is bound to Thales, who is bound to the others, they are all bound to the chains thereof Yet, there is an underlying understanding of the proximity of all things.
TRULY WE ARE FREE OF THE CAVE OR WE ARE BOUND TO IT
And Pyrrho laughed with his skeptical view as well
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