My name is Jeffrey. Most of my life has been devoted to music (obsessively perhaps), thus I have been writing songs and lyrics for most of my adult life. Lyrics in song have always been of vital interest to me, principally because of the communication of ideas. Singer songwriters such as Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Roger Waters, Pete Sinfield and James Taylor are some of the musicians in the popular contemporary genre that inspire me. I also have a strong leaning towards classical (orchestral) music. My tastes are eclectic.
About two decades ago I ventured into fiction writing to broaden my experience as a writer. In more recent years I have written several essays on topics of interest to me that could loosely be identified as 'philosophical'. I suppose that I have an interest in writing and the arts that is more inclined to 'serious' topics rather than purely entertaining ones. Perhaps for many people my approach to life issues is a little intense, but that is how I am. Something within me yearns for comprehension and validity. To list all the things that interest me philosophically would be too numerous for an introduction. Human psychology and behaviour is a topic that I find fascinating and bewildering. The function of belief as it pertains to human behaviour is a realm of the strange and mysterious.
A novel I have been writing (unfinished) has required me to do much research in the area of quantum physics and cosmology. It seems to me that this study and theory in science is very much a realm of speculation and philosophy; these regions are not just hard science. The language, the concepts and the paradigm are almost beyond the comprehension of a human mind, and yet we venture ever further into these worlds, these universes of fascination. It would be nice to have a 'theory of everything', but is that wishful thinking?
I admire the writing of those such as Hitchens, Dawkins, Lawrence Krauss and Neil Turok. I like being challenged with perspectives on reality that have not necessarily occurred to me previously. Still, one can rely too much on the realm of thought to make sense of reality. Sitting quietly in the garden and exercising awareness of the moment is equally as important to find meaning in one's life. Enough for an introduction, I look forward to exploring what is to be found here and engaging in some cerebral exercise.
Does an introductory post mean that one must also be "posting a new topic, one must pose some sort of philosophical argument or a line of philosophical open-ended questioning?" If so, then I might suggest that music is very much a part of what makes us human. It is possible that music preceded language as we now know it and that we communicated with music before we communicated with words. The very heartbeat that marks our days as living biological organisms is a rhythm that extends beyond our existence as a hominid species. Music has always been with us both biologically and cosmically. Perhaps the existence of all things in the cosmos stems from music if one regards music as essentially vibration. I could venture into string theory and quantum mechanics, but perhaps we could leave that for further discussion if there are any takers?
Has my posting qualified for what is "allowed"? I am always suspicious of the word NOT, especially in prominent capitals. I would refrain from being a rebel for the sake of rebellion, but I have always been a skeptic by nature. I think skepticism can lead to truth. At least a truth if NOT the truth.
Regards, J.
