Details of 5 Stages of Consciousness

Contemporary Models of Five Stages of Human Development

Analyses of human development in stages of consciousness can be found in the writings of prominent contemporary thinkers. Let us first review some of these contemporary models, which we can then relate to Paul's model.

It is appropriate to point out that at each stage of humanity's development, a new and different "nature" emerges. This will be obvious even to the casual observer. A human being whose basic focus is meeting physiological needs will seem quite different from a human being concerned with gaining love or self-esteem. Certainly, the human being obsessed with security will express human nature in a fundamentally different way from one seeking self-realization. Human nature is not static. It reflects the level of consciousness we attain. Nature intends that we all reach our full potential of consciousness. The wide range of human thinking, however, demonstrates that some of us have evolved more than others.

Note: Experience teaches that Nature intends us to grow through each of the five stages. Therefore no one stage is superior to the other, any more than college graduates are superior to third graders because they know more. (They should know more.) Life experiences and choices are the major determinants in expanding our consciousness, not natural abilities, privilege, or education. This is extremely important. If we believe human nature cannot be trusted, our social institutions will reflect this belief. If we believe that human nature is good, we will build social institutions that see good as a meaningful goal.

The growth of consciousness can be seen as a form of intellectual metamorphosis. Just as a caterpillar is transformed through metamorphoses into a butterfly, so is our consciousness transformed, from one stage to the next, by the right experiences at the right time. And just as a caterpillar cannot be considered less noble than a butterfly, lower stages of consciousness cannot be considered inferior to higher ones. Actually the higher one is, in consciousness, the less likely he is to judge in terms of superior/inferior.

In Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, he recognizes that an individual stage cannot be used to judge a persons worth. "The peak of the earlier stage must be passed before the next and 'higher' need emerges to dominate the organism [individual]. This [five step] sequence characterizes not only growth from childhood to maturity, but the growth of cultures from subsistence to free expression. For this reason an individual stage cannot be used as an automatic value judgment on personal worth, but is rather indicative of a benign social environment…[note] Sudden emotional or physical deprivation will cause 'lower' needs to reawaken." (28B)

This is an important point to keep in mind as we briefly review some analyses of human development. My argument is that civilized man is locked into Stages II and III because we have not yet learned how to reason nonjudgmentally. Nonjudgmental logic is the key that frees us to reason nonjudgmentally / lovingly.

Note: Later we will learn that human nature is not depraved, but rather deprived, of a rational way to reason lovingly.

Abraham Maslow characterizes the stages of human development in terms of the progressive satisfaction of a "hierarchy of needs": first, physiological "survival" needs such as food, drink, and exercise; second, "safety" needs such as security, order, and protection; third, the social need of "belonging," such as acceptance and love; fourth, personal enhancement or "esteem needs" such as self-respect, status, and prestige; and finally, the pinnacle of needs relating to "self-actualization", self-realization, higher personal growth, and holistic fulfillment. (29)

In his Hero With a Thousand Faces, the distinguished mythologist Joseph Campbell traces humankind's developmental journey. We might summarize this journey in terms of five historical stages of progressive civilization: first, primitive hunting people; second, tribes sharing together in the wilderness; third, the emergence of conscience and the idea of moral law; fourth, the awareness of social interdependence; and finally, the realization that there is a divine existence which indwells all of humanity.

Jesuit priest, and accomplished paleontologist, Teilhard de Chardin, in his The Phenomena of Man, similarly suggests five historical stages of development. First is the pre-human hominid, which he terms "mentoid." This is followed, by a second self-conscious and reflective homo sapiens, whose emergence marked the beginning of civilization. (30) The third stage is characterized by the development of highly individualized persons, whose development in large numbers may be linked with the period of the Renaissance. According to de Chardin, we are currently in the fourth stage, the age of transformation, (31) characterized not only by our awareness of our evolutionary development, (32) but also a desire to integrate self with others and nature. (33) Beyond us lies a fifth stage, the "convergence" or "mega-synthesis" of hyper-personal consciousness, oriented toward God, the Omega Point. (34) Teilhard uses the term "hominisation" to designate the process by which the proto-human evolves into the more human, toward what may be called "ultra-hominisation," the future stage in which humanity transcends its current state. (35)

Still another model is offered by Lawrence Kohlberg in his analysis of moral development. The first, or "preconventional" stage, exists before social awareness; obedience to morality is instilled by punishment, and "good" is whatever brings about the desired result. The morality of the second stage is determined by the "conventions" of a society; the individual's interpersonal relations are guided by the rules or conventions of the particular society. The morality of the third stage has its legalistic basis in a social contract. The morality of the fourth stage transcends both particular societal conventions, and even the theory of a social contract, and instead, is grounded in "universal ethical principles." (36) A fifth and spiritual stage of moral development is only hinted at in Kohlberg's early writing.

Ken Wilber adopts a similar pattern of spiritual development in his book, A Sociable God. In order to maintain the parallel with the writers mentioned above, we will condense his eight categories into five stages. Wilber calls the first stage the "archaic," by which he means that consciousness is concerned with survival and self-preservation. There is a certain "magical" or superstitious aspect to consciousness at this level, suggesting a lack of shared reality. The second stage is that of "mythic/membership" where the individual's identity is defined by, and thus is not separate from, the group. It is only in the third stage that rational, self-reflective, and individualistic consciousness truly develops. In Wilber's fourth stage, a new "inter-individualistic" consciousness emerges, with a capacity for intimacy as well as personal autonomy, and an awareness of a universal community. The final stages are characterized by the development of (a) psychic capacity for cosmic consciousness, (b) intuitive capacity for illumination, and (c) ultimately transcendence of the subject-object duality. (37)

The Hindu saint, Sri Aurobindo, also offers a similar pattern for spiritual development. One of his analyses is couched in terms of the origin of standards of conduct. (38) The first and lowest moral standards arise from personal needs and desires associated with physical and vital necessities. Secondly, emotional and mental cravings and imaginations provide the source of morality. Only in the third stage does moral consciousness develop to respond to law and the good of the collective consciousness of the group, which at this stage takes precedence over individual needs and desires. The fourth origin of morality is an ideal ethic: here thought overcomes instinct, and one is called upon to recognize that the needs of the individual are invalid if they conflict with the moral law. There is still a fifth source of morality, when finally the Divine Law becomes the standard and supreme law, and moves the human spirit toward its own concealed perfection. (39)

What is remarkable about these various analyses is their similarity. We human beings begin almost as a "seed" of what we shall later become, and we shall develop beyond where we currently find ourselves. Along the way, we increase our awareness of both our individuality and our interrelatedness, as we are called toward a higher goal. Accordingly, we are not yet what we are! We have yet to evolve or develop into the full potential the human spirit is capable of becoming.

Other similar models are outlined below:

In Hinduism …

In Buddhism …

The Five Nafs of Sufism - Islam's "Mystical Core …

Abraham Maslow's Psychological Model …

Freud' Psychological Model …

We can imagine from the functional equivalency of the above models that we keep rediscovering the concept of stages in the development of consciousness, but fail to benefit from these models. If we did, we would understand that our present perception of our political, religious, social, and economic reality is more the product of lower stages of consciousness-than the truth of reality.

Psychologist Eric Fromm suggests we may not have yet reached our highest potentials of consciousness. "It is naively assumed that the fact that the majority of people share certain ideas or feelings proves the validity of those ideas and feelings. Nothing is further from the truth. Consensual validation as such, has no bearing whatsoever on reason or mental health. Just as there is a 'folie a' deux', there is a 'folie a' millions'! The fact that millions of people share the same vices, do not make those vices virtues, the fact that they share so many errors, do not make the errors truths, the fact that millions share the same forms of mental pathologic [consciousness], does not make these people sane." (40)

Top

Jesus' Five Stage Model of Consciousness And How His Theory of Nature Provides the Key To Stage IV

Jesus' parable of the sower (Mark 4:13-20) conveys how his teachings are received according to the stage of consciousness of the receiver. What the sower is sowing is the Word, meaning the logos/mind of God. As soon as those on the edge of the path (those in Stage I) hear about the word/logos, they let Satan [the personification of evil] come and carry it away. Similarly, those who receive the seed on patches of rock [those in Stage II] hear the Word [Jesus' logos/logic teachings] and at first, welcome it with joy. But because they have no root in them, they do not last;.. When the first test or persecution on account of the word comes, they fall away at once. "For they have no moral conscience to persist. Then there are others, [those in Stage III], who receive the seed in thorns, [meaning in a judgmental environment]. They have heard the word, but the worries of this world, the lure of riches, and all other passions come in to choke the word, and so it produces nothing. And then, there are those who have received the seed in rich soil [those in Stage IV]. They hear the word and accept it and yield a harvest, 30 and 60 and a 100 fold." [Mark 4:13-20]

The key concept, upon which Jesus anchored his knowledge teachings, is that each of us is meant to grow through five forms/states of consciousness and each form is initiated by a consciousness-raising idea. Paul refers to growing our consciousness in CO 2:2: "it is to bind you together in love and to stir your minds, so that your understanding may come to full development, until you really know God's secret [Stage IV of consciousness] in which all the jewels of wisdom and knowledge are hidden."

Note: a consciousness-raising idea is an idea that changes how we are conscious of an experience rather than simply expanding our understanding of that experience. We may, for example, know that we should "do unto others as we would have them do unto us." But, until we understand our oneness with others, we will continue to be conscious of others as separate from us, making the performance of "The Golden Rule" more difficult than it should be. On the other hand, if we knew others were one with us, following "The Golden Rule" would be simple, natural, and even automatic. Another example of a consciousness-raising idea is learning the "I" of self-consciousness, for it is beyond the comprehension of instinctual consciousness, just as the consciousness of an adult is beyond that of an infant. For example, an infant is not conscious of his/her self. The point is that there is no reason to believe that we are, even as adults, fully conscious. The "greater things" Jesus promised may be experienced only in a higher stage of consciousness than our present "adult" consciousness.

As mentioned above, contemporary psychological and spiritual models of five stages in the development of consciousness are abundant. Because these contemporary models may be, in principle, parallel to Jesus' knowledge teachings about five stages of consciousness, let us keep them in mind as we explore the five stages of consciousness in Gnostic thought.

It is important to remember that at each stage of our development, a new and different self or "ego" emerges. The nature of the ego of a person, whose basic focus is meeting their physiological needs, will seem quite different from the ego of a person concerned with gaining love or self-esteem. The person obsessed with security will have an ego that is fundamentally different from a person seeking self- realization. So, the ego a person manifests depends upon his/her psychological stage of development.

Again, the fact is that many recognize that we human beings begin almost as a seed of what we shall later become and that we shall develop beyond where we currently find ourselves. Along the way we increase our awareness of our individuality and our inter-relatedness with others as we are called towards a higher goal. Accordingly, we are not yet what we are. We have yet to evolve or develop into the full potential the human spirit is capable of becoming. As the poet says,

"Withdraw into yourself and look. If you do not find yourself beautiful yet, act as does the creator of a statue…he cuts away here, he smoothes there, he makes this line lighter, the other purer until a lovely face has grown upon his work. So do you also: cut away all that is excessive, straighten all that is crooked…and never cease chiseling your statue until…you see the perfect goodness established in the stainless shrine." (41)

Top

Biblical References To The Five Stages Of Consciousness

In the gospel of Philip, "the moral significance of any act depends on the situation, intentions, and level of consciousness of the participants." (42)

It would be odd if western sacred literature did not hint at the five stages disclosed by the contemporary thinkers above. A clear example of these stages may be found in Paul's letters to the Romans, 8:28-30.

"For those God fore-knew [Stage I], he also predestined to be conformed into the likeness of his Son [Stage II], that He might be the first born, among many brothers, and those He predestined, he also called [Stage III]; those he called, he also justified [Stage IV]; those he justified, he also glorified [Stage V]."

According to Biblical scholarship, such as Peake's commentary 8: 29-30, this verse means that God "has" a plan for the perfection of man. In Peake's words, "Christ's task is to bring man into son-ship-and service of God, to be a senior member of a new human family in which all are brothers and sisters [the justified of Stage II]. The formation of these men and women begins with God's call to them [Stage III]. As they respond, they come into their right relation to God [Stage IV], and that means that something of the divine glory becomes theirs [Stage V]." (43)

In their biblical commentary on Romans 8:20-30, Gore and his fellow editors, offer a developmental model similar to Peake's. Gore states that, "The history of the individual Christian is here conceived as a line (so to speak) stretching from eternity through time through eternity. In this line, five crucial points stand out. One, God's prevision or fixing His regard on the yet unborn soul* [non-rational beings in Stage I who are]… "predestined" [to become rational beings in Stage II]… Three, His call, presumably conveyed by bringing the predestined within hearing of the Gospel [Stage III]; Four, His acquittal, or absolution of the soul, bestowed in consideration of its acceptance of the Gospel [Stage IV]; Five, His glorification of the messianic kingdom [Stage V]." (44)

Paul focuses in on the three most relevant stages of consciousness in Heb. 4:6-10, Stages II, III, and Four, when he insists "that 'today' is the decisive time…'days' signify three distinct stages in the process of spiritual [here meaning psychological growth]… The 'first day' signify the hylic stage of immersion in materiality [Stage II]; the 'second day' represents the psychic stage of conversion [Stage III]; the 'third day', the pneumatic 'day' signifies enlightenment or resurrection [Stage IV]." (45)

Paul writes in his letter to the Romans in 8:19 that "the whole creation is eagerly awaiting the revelation of the sons of God. The sons of God [Stage IV] are those who are moved by the spirit (or Spirit,) whether the Holy Spirit or man's own inner spiritual human spirit, 'man's higher moral and religious self." (46)

We can discern these same five stages of consciousness in the Gnostic Gospel of Eugnostos the Blessed. The "unbegotten" refers to the fore-known (prehistoric non-rational beings of Stage I). The "self-begotten" refers to the first self-conscience rational beings who were rational but conscious-less (Stage II). The "genetor" refers to rational beings with a conscience who are called to go beyond reason and love unconditionally (Stage III). The Photogentor refers to Jesus as the first or prototype of someone who has internalized the high reasoning/logos of God (Stage IV). He then teaches this higher form of reasoning to others. This is the key to the enlightened mind of the Pangentor, those who have reached Stage IV of consciousness. When all reach Stage IV, the alpha-omega consciousness of the Archigentor (Stage V) is achieved. (46A)

Note: Rm 8-23 "the whole creation groans (yearns) in birth pangs (Stages I - III) for a better time (Stage IV). See 2Co 5:1-2) "Creation will one day be delivered" Is 65:16 "set straight" Jer "God within" "do what I do not want" something is missing, set right, and day of adoption.

Gnostic Christians' goal is to "become spiritually* 'mature [meaning psychologically perfect]', to go beyond…elementary instructions towards higher levels of understanding. And this higher awareness they call Gnosis, which means 'knowledge' or 'insight'". "Valentinus urged Christians to go beyond the elementary steps of faith, baptism, and moral reform to spiritual illumination [psychological understanding]. His followers claimed moreover, to have received from his access to the secret teachings of Paul, the 'deeper mysteries' that Paul reserved from his public teachings…" (47)

Jesus taught that we are all children of God and, therefore, have within us the potential to be perfect and loving, like God. As the Bible says in Gen 1:27 rsv, we are created in the "image of God." This means we are psychologically, not physically, like God.

As mentioned above, Jesus himself supports the notion of our potential to be perfect and godlike in Jn 10:34-35 jbv. Here he says that it is not blasphemous, as the high priests claim, for anyone to think that he or she can be like God-"is it not written [argues Jesus that psalms 82:6 rsv says] 'you are gods…all of you'…and the scripture cannot be rejected."

If we are meant to become like God, as Jesus himself teaches, is consciousness, as we now experience it, merely a stepping-stone to a perfected stage of consciousness? The answer is that the nonjudgmental rules of logic which Jesus' Gnostic teachings provide are the key to the fourth and perfected psychological stage in a model of five developmental stages of consciousness. Let us now explore how Gnostic Christians interpret 8:29-30 and how that interpretation infers the possibility of our perfection.

In simple terms, Gnostic Christians identify the Five Stages of Consciousness according to the following principles.

• Stage I refers to non-rational beings.
• Stage II refers to rational beings without a conscience.
• Stage III refers to rational beings with a conscience.
• Stage IV refers to the expanded consciousness (enlightenment) achieved by using both judgmental and nonjudgmental laws of logic.
• Stage V refers to an amplified form of consciousness in which the whole is more than the sum of the parts.

Top

The Gnostic Interpretation of Rm 8:29-30

Stage I of Consciousness

According to the Gnostic analysis of Romans 8:29-30, "the foreknown" refers to humanity's prehistoric and non-rational past. This is Stage I.

The consciousness-raising idea that initiates Stage I is life itself. In scripture, Stage I begins when God creates preconscious man and ends when Adam becomes the first self-conscious rational being. In effect, the foreknown are the pre-rational, instinctual beings, destined to develop into the likeness of God, as exemplified by the nonjudgmental character of Jesus.

Governed by instinct, those in Stage I live without being fully conscious of life. They have no concept of guilt, deception, evil, justice, philosophy, history, or the future. Here God is thunder, lightning, and fertility.

Perhaps the "Nephilim" in Gen. 6:4 were preconscious beings who lived primitive and immoral lives in what the Bible describes as "Sheol/Hell". According to Gnostics, the "nabi" were remnants of pre-rational beings who existed at the time in which the oldest books of the bible were written. In those books, Yahweh calls for the nabi's extinction. "The nature of existence in Sheol was heathen, and non-moral, and could in no sense form a basis on which to form an ethical and spiritual doctrine…thus, the first stage was…eminently distinctive in character, but this only with a view to a higher reconstruction. For whilst Yawhehism was destroying the false life in Sheol [the preconscious cultures of Stage I beings], it was steadily developing in the individual the consciousness of a new life." (48)

We can connect this change in consciousness with what some historians call the "Dorian Invasions."

In his book, The Republic, the philosopher, Plato, speaks of a time 'before reason' when innocence reigned. In his book, The Origins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Professor Julien Jaynes argues convincingly that most cultures before 1500 BC were dominantly right brain * orientated, and therefore, not self-conscious as we are. Feminine goddesses, rather than masculine gods, exemplify ancient right brain culture. Perhaps we still share memories of those times in our collective consciousness.

Some of us long for a return to the past. We imagine it as an innocent and gentle time. But we forget that in the selfless consciousness of right-brained or preconscious man, we were unaware of what we experienced. We had no sense of self to relate our experiences to. An example of what can be termed selfless, right-brained, or preconscious consciousness can occur when driving our car without being aware of it because our mind was focused elsewhere. Other examples are, when we cannot remember what we did because we were intoxicated or on drugs, and when we quiet the ego or mind self during meditation.

Biblical terms for those in Stage I are "ancient world" in 1Peter 2:4, "irrational animals", 1Peter 2:12; "before the foundations of the world", Eph. 1:4; "men in their dreaming", 2Peter 22. Gnostic Christians use terms like "unbegotten", meaning those not yet born to reason, and "pro-pator", meaning the forefathers of rational man.

Top

Stage II of Consciousness

Stage II refers to the first stage of rational beings, those of us who are in the "image" of Jesus, meaning rational like Jesus, but do not have a conscience. Mean-spiritedness, narrow-mindedness, intolerance, and prejudicial behavior identify this stage. The term "lawless" in 2Pt 2:8 rsv and 1Tm 1:9 refers to the conscience-less behavior of those in Stage II. Paul also uses the terms "base mind" (Rm 1:28 rsv) and "senseless mind" (1:21). At this stage, human nature cannot be trusted.

In Stage II, for example, many of us make decisions in companies and industries whose products work against the good of all, yet we think of ourselves as good, God-fearing people. And many of the rest of us, given the chance to earn high incomes, would do the same. This is conscience-less reasoning. In his first letter, the apostle John expresses the relationship between loving God and loving one's fellow man.

"If a man say I love God, and hateth [and cheats] his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" (First John 4:20-21, KJV)

Biblically, Stage II begins when Adam chooses to eat the forbidden fruit, and ends when Moses gives the law. The key to Stage II is our awakening to self-consciousness through its agent, the "I", or ego, of the reasoning mind.

In Gnostic thought, the second stage applies to the "first born", who are in the "likeness of his son", meaning the first rational beings who are psychologically/spiritually like Jesus. By "the likeness" and "first born," Paul means self-conscious and rational like Jesus. By "in the image" of Jesus, Paul means that in Stage II, even though we have learned to reason, the development of our reason has not yet reached the perfection of Jesus'. Our reason is like, or in the image of, Jesus', but not as fully developed in its capacity to love unconditionally as is his.

"Gnostics read the story of Adam and Eve as…relating to the discovery of the authentic spiritual self (Eve) [meaning the true psychological self that is still] hidden within the soul (Adam) [meaning in Stage I of consciousness]…" (49)

The consciousness-raising idea that initiates Stage II is the idea of self- consciousness, in other words, the discovery that the "I" is separate from all else. It is this idea of self, which in turn, empowers us to reason, for it is the self to which all rational thoughts relate.

Remember, by reasoning, I mean the process of relating two or more ideas or premises in a way that they produce a conclusion not stated in the premise. If an animal, for example, moos (premise one) and gives milk (premise two), we can conclude that it is a cow. Reasoning then has to do with the process of relating ideas, not the subject matter being related or the reasonableness of our conclusion.

Similarly we can come to a wide range of conclusions, depending on what stage of consciousness we are in. Ideas, in and of themselves, do not reach conclusions. People reach conclusions according to how they relate ideas.

For Gnostics, Stage II begins with Adam's decision to eat the apple from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and ends when Moses gives the law.

Adam's decision to eat the apple symbolizes the birth of self-consciousness, and, in turn, our ability to reason. For in his first act of choosing, Adam makes the distinction between himself (the subject or "I" who chooses) and his choices ("It.") In making that distinction Adam, meaning mankind, became self-conscious.

The author of the Adam and Eve story reinforces that this story symbolizes the birth of self-consciousness by adding that it was after Adam ate the apple that he realized he was "naked." This indicates that, before his choice, Adam was not yet self-conscious, he was still in the instinctual stage of consciousness. (Stage I). The connection between being naked and being ashamed of our bodies is the product of Augustine's interpretation of Rm 5:12, not the author of Genesis.

John Milton's poem, Paradise Lost, exemplifies Adam's choosing self- consciousness and reason [Stage II] over the selflessness of instinct in the Garden of Eden [Stage I], for it suggests Adam's awakening to self-consciousness.

"Some tears they drop, but wipe them soon. The world was all before them, theirs to choose." (50)

Note: Technically speaking, Adam had three options when he became aware of the distinction between himself and his choices. One, he could see himself as distinct from all else, which is the underlying cause of civilized man's consciousness of separation. Two, he could see himself as part of the subject of his choices, which is the underlying cause of "aboriginal man's'" consciousness of being a part of nature. And three, he could perceive himself as both separate from and yet one with nature. This perception is the goal of Gnosticism.

Choice, however, is not without responsibility and even terror. Self-consciousness is not only a blessing, but also a curse. Jung has suggested that when "the unconscious, instinctive mind of primitive man" evolved into the conscious reflecting mind, the resulting "orphaned and isolated" mental states were all too often the negative ones of doubt and fear. "Abandoned by nature" as we evolved into self-consciousness, we could have experienced the dawn of conscious awareness as a curse, as the Biblical story of The Fall depicts. For our reasoning, or self- conscious, mind would now find itself separated from all else, and therefore, alone.

In Stage II, then, rationality makes its first appearance. This stage is characterized in terms of a sense of "security and order" (Maslow), "shared tribal values" (Joseph Campbell), "self conscious and reflective homo-sapien" (Chardin). As individuals we would relate to others in Stage II in our society by "rules, regulations, or conventions of a particular society" (Kohlberg). Also, "the individual's identity is defined by-and thus not separate from-the group" (Wilber). Each analysis recognizes that a growing self-consciousness that identifies with the clan or tribe, or religious, political, or racial group is dawning in Stage II.

It is a positive step to become aware of ourselves as distinct from others, to "individuate," to use the psychologist Carl Jung's term-to become our own person. Distinction from others involves becoming aware of others as different from ourselves. The sense of separation means the loss of that innocence or ignorance symbolized by Adam and Eve before they tasted the forbidden fruit in the garden. But this is a positive step in a developing rational consciousness.

"Man, who lives in the Garden of Eden, in complete harmony with nature, but without awareness of himself, begins his history by the first acts of freedom, disobedience to a command. Concomitantly, he becomes aware of himself, of his separateness, of his helplessness; he is expelled from paradise and two angels with fiery swords prevent his return." (51)

Self Identity In Stage II
Self-identity in Stage II, then, is a product of our experience, which is provided by the environment and our social group. Hence, the ego self which is synomous with consciousness develops at Stage II is, by and large, a social fabrication. At this stage, we imagine ourselves as confronted with a choice between basic instincts and impulsive drives, on the one hand, and the rational and moral demands of our group, on the other. Until very late in this stage of development our identity is structured in terms of this dualism.

Note: This dualism surfaces in clearly defined distinctions between ourselves and others, our race and others, our religion and others, our country and others, and on and on.

This is Kohlberg's "conventional level": moral values are determined by performing the correct roles within the conventional order. In Stage II, we learn to do what maintains the general authority and social order of our group. Our mentality in this Stage is typically a "law and order" one. Stability is provided by the social group within which we align ourselves. Hence, our developing ego would identify with these groups and they would become the determining source of our values and character. Being a "conservative", for example, often implies maintaining the values of "our" particular church, political party or special interest group. In effect, the ego self in Stage II develops through its experience in a group-such as a family, church, political community, gang, or cult.

The categories of either belonging, or not belonging, are central to our thinking and reasoning in Stage II. In Maslow's "hierarchy of needs" this stage is identified by such social needs as "security, order, and protection" i.e., law and order and conformity. Some of us in Stage II, for example, judge that homosexuality is immoral, because it does not conform to the interests of our group. A conformity like this does not take into account that Jesus says we should not judge.

Social problems arise when we derive our identity in opposition to other groups, sometimes in a way that may be very childish and even destructive. The negative side of Stage II is the 'us versus them' mentality endemic to the clan; "if you're not one of us, then you're against us." Dogmatic 'us versus them' and vengeful thinking can exemplify our mean-spirited mentality in Stage II.

Like small children, in Stage II we are absolutely convinced that we are right. It follows that we will be positively certain that those who disagree with us are wrong. Anyone who disagrees becomes "they", or even the enemy. What is important to realize is that the source of this mechanism lies in the 'us versus them', either/or, dogmatic consciousness of Stage II, which judges others in terms of their difference from our own group.

Historical Examples of Stage II of Consciousness that Persist Today
In Stage II, our social institutions are based on logic justified by Plato's theory of nature. This does not work any better than trying to build a home with dental tools. For, just as building a home requires the proper tools, so does building equitable social philosophies require both Aristotelian and nonjudgmental logic, not a monopoly of one or the other. The perfect example of Aristotelian logic distorting even the best of intentions is religious wars. For even though religions are the shepherds of love and peace, they can become oppressive when practiced in the context of Aristotle's judgmental laws of logic. It is our habit, of trying to love in a field of Aristotelian logic, that pits the one true God of Islam, against the one true God of Judaism, against the one true God of Christianity, and on and on.

Another good illustration of how Aristotelian logic interferes with the accomplishment of worthy goals surfaces in our political arenas. Democracy, monarchy, theocracy, and communism, for example, are all supposed to represent the will of the people. However, all too often, hierarchical reasoning concerning power and money turns most states into "oligarchies", governments controlled by privilege, based on wealth. In practical terms, "oligarchies" are governments that are controlled by special interest groups.

In Stage II and into Stage III, we tend to think of the past as the 'good old days', when greed and lust for power came in second to honor and chivalry. History, however, documents that even though attire and technology have changed, political institutions today are carbon copies of those in ancient Greece and Rome.

In Plato's book, The Republic, for example, he writes what is all too often the case today. His account of oligarchical states is worth noting because its familiarity proves how little political life has changed over the last two thousand years. According to Plato, wealth in an oligarchy is controlled by a select few, "riches and rich men are honored…virtue and virtuousness are dishonored." (52)

"Money is [generally] the ruler of success, and a leader is elected because he is rich not because he is a better pilot." (52) "To keep their power leaders of oligarchies side with the rich and the poor get poorer. The poor, however, cannot rebel because their means of subsistence is controlled by special interests they cannot influence, period. Sometimes forced to sell all that he has, the poor dwell in the city of which he is no longer a part, being neither tradesman, nor artisan, nor horseman, nor hoplite, but only poor helpless creatures [and] where there are paupers, there are thieves and other criminals. [And I would add street gangs]" (53)

Stage II people in an oligarchical state "are money makers who resemble one another in their toiling and raving ways, [they think] …only how lesser sums of money can be turned into larger ones. The oligarchical man keeps up a fair outside but he has only an enforced virtue and will cheat when he can." (54) "He will not spend money in search of glory [virtue]; so afraid is he of awakening his expensive appetites and inviting them to help in the struggle; in true oligarchical fashion he fights [injustice] only with a small part of his resources, and the result commonly is that he loses the prize and saves his money. (434)…[the oligarchical man] then, will be at war with himself: he will be two men, and not one." (55).

Oligarchies fall in Stage II and III because the goal of oligarchical men is "to become as rich as possible, a desire which is insatiable…[a desire which in the end leads to their downfall because acting as if] their power rests on their wealth [they] refuse to curtail by law the extravagance of the spendthrift …because they gain [through interest] by their ruin: they take interest from them and thus increase their own wealth and importance…There can be no doubt that the love of wealth and the spirit of moderation cannot exist together in citizens of the same state to any considerable extent, one or the other will be disregarded." (56) Those who favor moderation will be reduced to poverty as those who have wealth increase their power through interest. "Men of business stooping as they walk, and pretending not even to see those whom they have already ruined, insert their sting [interest] into someone who is not on guard against them and recovery [through interest] the parent sum many times over…and so [over time] they make drone and pauper abound in the state." (57)

In Paul's time, politics and economics were little changed from Plato's, even though classical Greece had fallen and Rome had risen.

The Roman Empire had become an oligarchical state in Jesus' lifetime. The human dramas played out then would seem familiar to todays. Unfortunately, those dramas, and Jesus' involvement in them, are so distorted, by myths and supernatural accounts of history, that the everyday political life of Jesus and his Gnostic followers are all but lost.

The political environment in which Jesus lived was anything but supernatural. What was considered important in Jesus' time is still considered important today. "Materialism, military industrial complexes, bankers [referred to as money changers who set up their offices on tables in the temple], unions, business, politics, and princely powers" and corrupt "world leaders" (Ref Eph. 6:12) were major concerns. "Bankers proliferated and prospered, they paid interest on deposits, cashed checks, met bills for their clients, lent and borrowed money, made or managed investments, and fattened on such relentless usury [interest] that cut throat and money lender became one word." (58).

It is apparent that Jesus did not share in the hierarchical standards of the Stage II values of his time. Jesus, like Paul, considered interest-bearing capital a ruinous institution that sooner or later funneled all wealth into the hands of a few at the cost of the dignity of the rest. Is not money loaned for interest by and far the largest form of welfare? Money does not work, yet when loaned for interest, it gets paid for doing nothing. For Gnostic Christians, loaning money for interest was not condoned. It was considered a parasitic practice. (See Usury #77)

"No one [Jesus says in Mt. 6:21-34] can be the slave of two masters: either he will hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and money…for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also…so do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself." Yet to this day, most of us worry more about building retirement funds for tomorrow than sharing with others today.

In Stage II, Aristotelian logic distorts the best of intentions of all economic systems. Who would deny that history overflows with examples of class struggles in which, over time, the victors become as corrupt as the losers.

Capitalism, for example, is based on the idea that humans are competitive by nature, and therefore, they will attain the highest of their goals through competitive economic systems. That's no problem, if we think of our highest goals in terms of better ways to enhance the well-being of humanity. In Stages II and III, however, we think in terms of individual profit. Similarly, the basis of communism is teamwork and sharing. Again, there's no problem with this idea, except that most of us are in Stages II and III, which makes us more concerned with ourselves than the team.

The basic flaw in capitalism, communism, socialism, or whatever well-intentioned economic philosophy, is not in the philosophies themselves, but rather in the consciousness of those who apply the philosophies. Karl Marx (1818-1883), for example, was a well-intentioned political philosopher who gave birth to modern communism. But, when Joseph Stalin, in a lower stage of consciousness than Marx, applied Marx' philosophy, Marx' ideals were lost and communism became synonymous with terror. The same holds true in religion. The universal love that Jeremiah, Jesus, and Mohammad taught is historically undermined by zealots, inquisitors, radical fundamentalists, and terrorists.

The shortcomings of religion, politics, and economics in Stage II can be seen as a product of Aristotelian laws of logic being inappropriately applied. As was said before, ideas do not relate themselves. People relate ideas/reason. And when we relate ideas solely on the basis of Aristotle's laws of logic, as we do in Stage II, we build social institutions, that sooner or later, separate us, destroy us, bankrupt us, and worst of all, lead us to think we are virtuous, when we are not.

Speaking of "the system" in a derogatory way can be equated to the affinity for judgmentalness that the Aristotelian system of logic builds into our social institutions. We can liken that judgmentalness in contemporary philosophical systems to the "beast" in Plato's book, The Republic, as well as to the beast in the book of Revelations, for both are personifications of judgmental reasoning which, without our awareness, controls our lives. The evil aspects of materialism, consumerism, colonialism, fascism, Protestantism, Hinduism, and all other 'isms' are not the real problem. The real problem is the built-in inclination to judgment that lurks in our institutions like an ill-tempered beast, waiting to devour us when we let down our guard of love.

Philosophy must redefine itself when it realizes that its basic tool, reason based on Aristotelian logic, cannot be considered a qualified instrument with which to do philosophy. Without this knowledge, society is at the mercy of chance, because we would not know that how we now think and speak may be counterproductive to the very things we love. We need to move into a new era of philosophy based on both Aristotelian and nonjudgmental logic. Then, we will have all the tools necessary to recreate civilization in such a way that we will feel safe and at home.

It is important to remember that, in Stage II and III, we cannot live humanely within philosophical institutions built with Aristotelian logic. For when we use only Aristotle's system of logic, our philosophies of religion and politics are mined with judgmental reasoning. Our repetitive history of wars, racism, sexism, and hypocrisy demonstrates that even the wisest and most noble of philosophies will turn into judgmental institutions as long as we use the traditional tools of logic. For even though our social institutions are built to facilitate human need, they are built with the tools of judgmental logic, which build into them an affinity for judgment. This can undermine the stated purpose of even the most well-intended institutions. Trying to build humane social institutions with Aristotelian logic is like trying to cool down in a pot of boiling water. It cannot be done. To cool down, we need to put out the fire beneath the pot. To put out that fire, we need both Aristotelian and nonjudgmental logic.

Paul refers to those in Stage II of consciousness as "lawless" men (Second Peter: 2:9), worldly people (Jude 10), peddlers of God's word (Second Corinthian 2:15), the anti-Christ-meaning those opposed to Jesus' knowledge teachings (First John 2:18), blind and short-sighted (Second Peter 1:9), disguised [hypocritical] servants of righteousness (Second Corinthian 11:5), and in Gnostic terms as hylics-meaning "emerged in materialism" (59), self-begotten-meaning awakened to self- consciousness, and sarkic-meaning materialistically driven.

Top

Stage III of Consciousness

Stage III refers to the "called", meaning rational beings with an awakened conscience. Human nature, at this stage, is reaching for perfection.

Biblically, Stage III begins when Moses gives the law, which establishes the ethical basis of right and wrong. This awakens our conscience, the inner voice that calls us to do the law. In Stage II, we are rational, but conscience-less. In Stage III we are rational and have a developed conscience. In this stage, however, we still have the tendency to rationalize what we know is wrong. For that reason, James, in 1:8, refers to those in Stage III as "double-minded." Nevertheless, openness, acceptance, and inclusive behavior generally exemplify Stage III.

The key to Stage III is the introduction of laws, and in turn, our conscience, which is awakened by our moral responsibility to the law.

Stage III ends Biblically when Jesus reveals his Gnostic teachings.

Paul refers to those in Stage III in the development of consciousness as "the called", meaning those who are called by their conscience to be nonjudgmental and loving. In Stage III these values are imminent spiritually, but intellectually, they are often rationalized away.

In Paul's biblical model of five forms of consciousness, Stage III begins when Moses gives the law to Israel and ends when Jesus revealed his theory of nature to the world. Paul refers to those in Stage III as "the called", for it is in this stage that the law awakens in us our moral conscience, which ever after asks us to do good.

Lawgivers like Moses, Confucius, and the Greek philosopher Salon, were, for Paul, more than teachers of wisdom. Their formation of a written code of ethics marked a turning point in the development of consciousness for those codes established ethical criteria for right and wrong. It was in response to such laws that we can find the origin of consciousness and its call to act in life- affirming ways.

In Stage II we are lawless and therefore not morally responsible for we have no laws to be responsible to. In Stage III we have knowledge of moral laws and are therefore responsible to them. By moral, Gnostics mean 'life-affirming,' or, as Dr. Albert Schwietzer said "the fundamental principle of morality [is] that good consists in maintaining, promoting, and enhancing life, and that destroying, injuring, and limiting life are evil." (60)

It is in our third stage in the development of consciousness that we become aware of our inner God-self, whose nature is love. We have discovered our God-self in Stage III for our conscience is the voice of our God-self.

The consciousness-raising idea that initiates Stage III, then, is written laws, for they reform the consciousness of Stage II by adding a conscience. In effect, the law transforms our rational, but conscience-less form of consciousness, into the moral form of consciousness of Stage III.

In Stage III we are no longer driven by dogmatic and judgmental reasoning. Our conscience tempers our judgments. We still judge, but in a context of compassion, empathy, and openness to others. It is in Stage III where we begin to value diversity and even equal but opposite virtues. As Neal Bohr, father of quantum mechanics, has confirmed, "the opposite of a most profound truth may well be another most profound truth."

In Stage III we longer reason in black or white terms as in Stage II. Our conscience moves us to favor gray areas where unconditional love and compassion reside. Jung would agree because he believes "conscience [in Stage III] is the internal perception of the rejection of a rational choice." In Stages IV and V our reasoning and conscience are harmonious. That inner harmony is the inner peace that most of us pursue, but too often look for in all the wrong places. Plato says it best. "We all seek the good, but know not the nature of it".

Most of us, stuck in Stage III form of consciousness, are not yet aware of Jesus' theory of nature, which is the consciousness-raising idea that admits us to Stage IV. We remain, therefore, caught up in the dilemma of not being able to reconcile what we know to be the Good with what our reason tells us is the practical and logical thing to do.

Paul refers to those of us who are stuck in Stage III of consciousness as "double- minded men [who are]…unstable in all his ways". (Jn 1:8 kjv)

The Greek philosopher, Zeno, tells a tale of Achilles' race with a turtle, to demonstrate the odd truth that two minds, the rational and intuitive, often oppose one another, even though they occupy the same head. This illustrates double-mindedness-two minds in one head-because we intuitively know that the athlete Achilles can outrun a turtle, yet we can, through mathematics, logically prove that Achilles can never catch up with the turtle.

What Zeno is trying to explain is the dilemma that the ego-self is often in conflict with the intuitive self. And if we can understand the cause of this conflict, we can identify the root of evil, for evil lurks in our ability to rationalize away what we intuitively know is right.

The key to reconciling the two minds is the key to Stage IV. This reconciliation brings the ego into harmony with the intuitive self, and in turn, the god-self because in Stage III the intuitive self is synonymous with the god-self.

Stage III may be likened to the "young adult" stage of humanity. Wilber characterizes this stage as when "individual consciousness truly develops." Sri Aurobindo says "moral consciousness develops [and]…takes precedence over individual needs and desires" in this stage. It is in Stage III, then, that the conscience makes itself heard, and its moral nature known, through our self-conscious ego/mind.

Ideological systems in Stage III would have us believe that our "salvation" lies in believing some doctrine, whether political, religious, or economic. But in the great and universal myths of judgment, from Egyptian to Christian, we are judged not for our beliefs, but for our actions.

In Jesus' story of the Judgment (62), the sheep are divided from the goats on the basis of one very simple criterion: did they treat others as they would have treated him? Did they give food to the hungry, did they take the stranger in, did they clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned? "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (63) The sheep did, the goats did not. Those who will "inherit the kingdom," will be those who draw no distinction between man and God, between the ordinary person and Jesus. For to set the profane apart from the sacred, to distinguish the "mere" human being from the Lord, is to engage in judgment based on the categories of either/or. In contrast, those of us who will be worthy of inheriting the kingdom must see in our fellow man both the human and the divine. Nonjudgmental logic is the way to this both/and reasoning. As Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita: "I am the Self, seated in the hearts of all creatures." (64) "The true yogi observes Me in all beings, and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere." (65)

Characteristics of Stage III
Characteristically, in Stage III we care for most everyone, but spend our time and money primarily on our families and ourselves. In Stage III we might demonstrate against abortion, but fail to demonstrate our concern for millions of starving children. We all too often voice our care, but give only enough to appease our conscience. The result is, to paraphrase Plato, we save our wallets but lose the prize. Admittedly, it is not easy to clearly distinguish our reasoning in Stage III from that in Stage II. We must ask: what is it that we understand at Stage III that we do not at Stage II? For one thing, we would experience a growing awareness that there is a whole to which both sides of an either/or conflict belong. We would realize that when we act without consideration for the general good of others, we are in Stage I. When we act on our group's behalf against the welfare of the whole, we exemplify Stage II consciousness. In Stage III we begin to realize that we are part of the whole, but still find it hard to commit totally to the well-being of those outside our group.

In Stage II God is often personified as a vindictive father; in Stage III he is generally personified as a loving father. This is why in Stages II or III of consciousness we tend to look for some divine fatherly image-or superhero-to make everything right for us.

Jesus used the parable of The Good Samaritan (66) to illustrate the difference between the consciousness of Stage II and the lower levels of Stage III, on the one hand, and the later levels of Stage III and of Stage IV on the other. In his story, a priest and Levite walked by a man who had been robbed, wounded, and stripped naked and left to die on a road. The Levite, who represents a conscious less person in Stage II, did not stop to render aid. The wounded man was not a Levite, and therefore not his problem. The Priest, who represents a person with a consciousness in Stage III, felt bad about the wounded man, but feared more for himself and moved on. But the Samaritan, who represents a person who sees himself in others (Stage IV), stopped and offered assistance. Jesus was illustrating how we must become neighbors to one another without regard to our differences. Love Thy Neighbor means that no one may be excluded from one's care and concern. Brotherly love (agape) is to be extended to all people, even our enemies. In Stage III we understand this, in Stage IV we live it.

Dilemma of Stage III
A Need For a New Nonjudgmental Logic

"A caution to everybody; consider the Auk: becoming extinct because he forgot how to fly, and only could walk. Consider man, who may well become extinct because he forgot how to walk and learned how to fly before he thinked." (67)

Why would those of us who have reached Stage III, continue to think in immoral ways? It is because we are logically limited to judgmental reasoning. The secret of how to transcend judgmental reasoning lies precisely in reasoning in terms of both/and, or what can be called nonjudgmental categories of reasoning. Jesus' theory of nature lays the foundation for this type of reasoning. But again, I am getting ahead of myself. Let me continue setting the stage upon which Jesus' theory will be presented.

Nearly two thousand years have passed since Jesus inaugurated the entrance into this fourth stage, and initiated it by being its exemplar. Of course, many of us are still in Stage II, and a smaller number of us still linger in Stage I. But it would seem that an increasing number of us are ready to enter into the next higher stage of development, the stage of the perfected adult who has reached his or her full potential for being fully human-Stage IV of consciousness.

Experience has taught us that trying to change our thinking by rejecting the mind, or simply saying no to immoral rationalization, is at most, a stopgap solution, but never a permanent one. Immoral judgments will never be fully overcome until we overcome our ancient affair with judgmental either/or reasoning.

Gnostics believe that civilized man is ready to enter Stage IV. In Stage III we mean well, and have a moral conscience, but have been held back because our judgmental process of reason leads us to conflict and opposition. The key to entering into Stage IV lies in our recognition that we must ally our ego-self with the God-self through Jesus' knowledge teachings.

Paul recognizes the conflict between his reasoning mind/ego and his heartfelt feelings, or spiritual values. This dilemma demonstrates the age-old paradox of two opposing minds in one head. In RM 7: 18-23, Paul states, "I can will what is right, but I cannot do it, for I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do." Paul continues, "I delight in the law of God, in my innermost [God] self but I see in my members [meaning the ego/reasoning mind] another law [judgmental law] at war with the [nonjudgmental] law of my [God-self] mind". Here, Paul is setting the stage upon which Jesus' theory of nature will play out its role as the reconciliator between the ego-self and the God-self.

I stress the word reconcile, because unlike other doctrines that prescribe methods to quiet or escape the ego, Jesus' theory of nature is meant to elevate the ego to the same level as the God-self. In actuality, Jesus' theory of nature helps the ego catch up with the God-self, making mind/ego values harmonious with the values of the God-self. This is what Paul is referring to in Romans 12:2 when he says, "be not conformed to this world [meaning our consciousness of the world]; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind [the ego-self]…" This cannot be overemphasized. Its meaning underlies the relevance of the intellectual understanding of Jesus' ministry, and is paramount to Gnostic thought.

Recently discovered Gnostic gospels teach that ordinary consciousness/ego can be harmonized with the God-self. For example:

"Only when one's psyche, or ordinary consciousness [of Stages II and III becomes integrated with one's spiritual nature [which happens in Stage IV]…one can achieve internal harmony and wholeness." (68)

Gnostics claim that the renewal of the mind/ego that Paul refers to is the fulfillment of the prophesy of God's promise of a new covenant. Understanding that "biblical idiom differs from modern idiom in considering the heart as the seat of intelligence…heart is used in the bible where in English we should use mind or will… to say in the heart means simply to think (Romans 10:6), to reckon in the heart is to plan (Genesis 6:5, Proverbs 6:18-19). When Yahweh gives Solomon breath of heart (First Kings 5:9) this signifies not magnanimity, but intelligence…" (68A)

Recognizing that 'heart' signifies the objective mind rather than our feelings, I will quote Jeremiah 31:31-33 to show how Yahweh promises Jeremiah that he will elevate the "heart," meaning mind, so it will objectively "know the Lord," the God-self within.

"Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, not like [Israel's covenant with the law]… I will put my law within them and I will write it upon their hearts; [within their reasoning minds] …"

Mt 22:14 (rsv) states that "Many are called [in Stage III] but few are chosen [meaning few reach Stage IV]". This passage suggests the resistance that those of us in Stage III have towards giving up old beliefs for new ideas. For example, most find it difficult to give up the ideas of a hereafter, better karma, superheroes, or a 'quick fix' through supernatural intervention, for the idea that Jesus' Gnostic teachings could change the world by changing the consciousness of all individuals-one at a time!

The story of a drowned man entering heaven makes the point that we need look no further than everyday miracles for God's intervention. A man is in danger of drowning but turns away rescuers in a boat, and later in a helicopter. After drowning, the angry man approaches St. Peter at heaven's gate and demands to know why God let him drown. "I prayed and waited, but God never came," to which Peter answered, "Yes He did, but you didn't recognize Him. God was the man in the row boat and the pilot of the helicopter you turned away."

The point is that God is manifest in natural events (such as rescuers in row boats), not just in dazzling displays of divine intervention, the latter of which we seldom see, the former of which we have the opportunity to experience everyday. When we have evolved to Stage IV, we will see the divine in others and the world.

Biblical idioms for those of us in Stage III are found in Paul's terms, such as double-minded men (James 1:18); those under the law (Colossians 3:5 and 3:19); hearers (Hebrews 4:2); babes in Christ (First Corinthians 3:2); old covenant (James 3:4); third heaven [meaning Stage III] (James 12:2); unsteady souls (Second Peter 2:14); and The Called (Romans 8:29-30).

Gnostics used the term "psychic," meaning worldly but capable of "conversion" (69), and sarkic, meaning of the flesh, for those of us in Stage III. In the beginning of Stage III we remain judgmental and materialistic, but to a lesser degree than we were in Stage II. We can safely say that those of us in Stage III are the well intended who want to make the world a better place. Unlike IV's, however, whose care is unconditional, we still spend most of our time and resources on personal agendas. Actually, most of us in Stage III help only to the extent that we appease our conscience, which in the end, "saves us our wallet but costs us our prize."

We stand today at the crossroads between Stages III and IV of consciousness. Our real hope is that enough of us have already made it through Stage III and are ready to make the transition to Stage IV. Jesus' theory of nature is the key to that transition.

Jesus was the first to reach Stage IV through his own knowledge teachings. Those teachings influenced thousands of people in the first three hundred years after Jesus. By 400 AD, however, his knowledge teachings were considered heretical, and sentenced to a silence that has not been broken until today.

Top

Toward a new Civilization

If nonjudgmental logic were taught to children on a global scale, it could lay a foundation for an entirely new form of civilization. The first step in the transition to a new stage, for the self individually, and for civilization collectively, is to recognize that the underlying source of our problems is hierarchical, either/or, and judgmental reasoning. I have argued that this reasoning is the consequence of Plato's theory of Forms and Aristotle's three logical laws of Identity, Excluded Middle, and Contradiction, which evolved from Plato's theory.

After we recognize the source of our problem, the second step is to devise a solution. My solution is the theory that some classes have more than one nature, which in turn, justifies a nonjudgmental system of logical laws. With these laws, it would be logical and rational to assume that opposing opinions, values, and conflicting actions, when they are life-affirming, could be right. With the formulation of these new laws, it should be possible to transcend the judgmental reasoning inherent in Aristotelian logic's either/or categories, which have become the paradigm of logical and rational thought.

We can call on the gods to save us, we can pray for enlightenment, or we can use the power of reasoning, in conjunction with our spiritual understandings, to achieve that change in consciousness which would usher in a higher form of civilization.

Nonjudgment will help us to see through the intoxication of individuality, pride, honor, and success, to envision the whole in which we each are a part. We need to weave a more durable and unifying cultural pattern of philosophy and religion, science and technology, music and poetry, wisdom and truth. When we can listen and learn from our fellow human brothers and sisters, we will have taken the first step toward loving unconditionally. For in this openness we can accept the ideas and values of others on their own merits, especially the most imaginative and original perspectives of truth, from which we will be able to weave new cultural nets, with which to catch visions, of that which we cannot now even dream.

Jesus was serious when, in the Sermon on the Mount, he said: "Be ye therefore perfect." (70) We have the potential for perfectibility. "The earliest Christians and fathers of the Church would not have accepted Augustine's dogma of original sin." (71) It is not through Adam that all sinned, as the great saint of Hippo believed. Sin is an error in our consciousness due to our reasoning process. We can change that way of thinking: we can reason in nonjudging ways. When we cease to judge our fellow human beings, when we stop holding them up to our imagined standard, we can instead embrace them in friendship and brotherhood and love. This is the reasoning which morality is seeking; this is the reasoning which will make a kingdom of heaven possible.

Most of the problems which arise in our world are the result of our perspective. We must give up the perspective of human nature as greedy and selfish. Certainly, some human beings are like that, but these are the "little children" in the lower stages of rational growth, not mankind's more representative examples. Our perspective must allow us to see in one another and ourselves the image of the Divine. Paul's letter to the Ephesians tells us that we are God's work of art and are pre-ordained to live the good life. (72) Never has civilization been more ready or more able to achieve that good life. We have the means for universal education, the technology to meet our needs, and the philosophy of nonjudgment and the logic of love to make this possible. This philosophy is not new. It was taught by the great masters of religion and philosophy, such as the Buddha, the Christ, Krishna, Mohammed, Lao Tse, Confucius, Plato, Pythagoras, and the prophets of Israel.

Can our society survive its current crises? Most of us believe that radical changes are needed to make society civilized and moral. There are those in religious circles who are talking about Armageddon. Can our political and economic systems survive the onslaught of crime and corruption? We look back with nostalgia to the good old days. But they, too, were an illusion, for, greed was every bit as much in evidence; poverty still claimed its victims; and every institution was subject to moral decay. Albert Schweitzer called for a "renewal of civilization" and a world view which would set us on "the right path." "The modern man is still without any correct feeling for the full significance of the fact that he is living with an unsatisfactory philosophy, or without any at all." (73)

Humanity is ready for a satisfactory philosophy and for the promise of a good life. We are tired of the hate which produces ethnic cleansing, and the wars, like that in Cambodia, which left millions homeless and sixty thousand maimed. We are equally tired of relinquishing our streets to drug gangs, Washington to special interest groups, and the Golden Rule to terrorists. We want a change.

Judgmental reasoning in our churches, educational systems, economic systems, and societal policies are evidenced by the large number of us who still remain at the lower stages of moral and rational development. For example, 87% of Americans are willing to do to the terrorists what they did to us.

Now is the time for the inauguration of a new way of life. The possibility of a new world-view is at hand. Jeremiah, the Buddha, Mohammad, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us that love was the only answer. Why not build a new world order based on love and brotherhood, and nonjudgmental reasoning and acceptance of differences? The choice is ours whether or not to form a new civilization on life-affirming principles. We can choose to journey toward higher stages of moral and rational development, toward Stage IV, where we can all join together in a kingdom of heaven on earth.

Top

Stage IV of Consciousness

Stage IV refers to "the justified," meaning those of us who are righteous or right-minded. Seeing ourselves in others, unconditional sharing, and always acting in accord with our conscience exemplify the right-thinking of those in Stage IV. Human nature, at this stage, is perfect, godlike, and loving.

Stage IV in Paul's five-stage model of consciousness began when Jesus revealed that the root of evil was the prevailing theory of nature, and that His theory of nature was the remedy for that evil. Jesus taught that the era of the justified would end when nonjudgmental reasoning or righteousness was the norm globally, for then the "glory," or Stage V, meaning doing on earth as it is in heaven, would become a reality.

The key concepts that initiate Stage IV's state of consciousness are knowledge of how the prevailing theory of nature justifies judgmental reasoning and how Jesus' theory of nature justifies nonjudgmental reasoning.

Knowledge has consequences. The consequence of the knowledge Jesus' Gnostic teachings reveal is a new way of thinking. Jesus said, "marvel not that ye must be born again," (John 3:7 kjv). By "born again," Jesus means reborn intellectually into the renewed form of Stage IV consciousness. In other words, He was referring to the rebirth of consciousness/mind, not physical rebirth.

In Charles Dickens' novel, The Christmas Story, Scrooge's discovery of his capacity to love, and the joy it brought, exemplifies baptism, or awakening to our God-nature. Gnostics define baptism as that moment in which we comprehend Jesus' knowledge teachings and our consciousness is renewed/reformed. Water sprinkled on the forehead at Gnostic Christian baptisms symbolizes purifying the consciousness by washing away the judgmental reasoning that clouds our minds in the lower stages. The bright halo that crowns Christian saints symbolizes the presence of enlightened minds. Jesus was the first to be baptized into higher consciousness through his knowledge teachings. In effect, Jesus was the first fruits, or in Gnostic terms, protogenitor, meaning new type of human being, that nature intends all of us to become.

Top

Learning From the Past

"Every revolution was first the private thought in one man's mind and when that same thought occurs to another man, it is the key to that era. Every reform was once a private opinion, and when it shall be private again it will solve the problem of the age." --Emerson

Let us remember those who went before us on that search and who passed on to us their best and most noble ideals. We must think of progress as separating the pearls of truth and wisdom from the useless shells which conceal their beauty. Albert Einstein once said: "I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the measure as I have received and am still receiving." (74)

Progress in Stage IV means learning the logos, or Reason of God, and using it. This godlike logic is the structure of truth which ties the cosmos together. We can reflect that truth more clearly in our rationality through nonjudgmental logic/reasoning, the fruits of which are clarity of vision, love, and brotherhood among all human beings. In Stage IV we recognize that the values of others are as sacred to us as to them. When all acknowledge that people are essentially different and at different stages of moral and rational development, we shall be able to set charity in our hearts and nonjudgment in our minds. For if we are to love, we must follow the injunction, "Judge not." In Stage IV we know the truth, that a Kingdom of Heaven on Earth is possible when all follow the command to judge not. Here, those who know the truth, wait as they teach others to catch up.

The key to understanding Stage IV is found in John 1:1-20, if we understand that logos means the "word", or will, or creative mind of God, not Jesus personally. John considered Jesus the first of a new type of human being who had learned how to reason like God. In fact, John is saying that Jesus began at Stage I of consciousness, as we all do, then grew into Stage IV. He started out the son of man, and then became the Son of God …manifesting his growth. John also points out that anyone can become Godlike, just as Jesus did, through Jesus' theory of nature.

"Jesus was the logos incarnate, the logos [word] functioning as man." (75) Most think this means that Jesus was God functioning on earth. However, John's intention was that the logos/reason of God was within Jesus, meaning Jesus reasoned like God. John, like other Gnostic Christians, understood that Jesus had learned the way to bring his innate Godlike potentials of reasoning into everyday life. And that anyone who understood Jesus' teachings could, like him, do the same thing, or, as Trimmel says, "make contact with divine reason." (75)

Let me support this by quoting the respected scholar Marcus Borge's translation of the opening passage of the Gospel of John. Note: Borge will substitute the Greek word, logos, where the English translation reads 'word.'

"In the beginning was the logos [the creative mind of God] and the logos was with God, and the logos was God. He [the logos] was in the beginning with God, all things came into being through him and without him not one thing came into being that had come into being. In him was life, and the life was the light of all people…He [again the logos] was in the world, and the world came into being through him: Yet the world did not know him." (76)

"It is important in these opening verses of the Gospel not to think of word, or logos, as referring to Jesus, if we mean Jesus of Nazareth. Reading them as Jesus is subconsciously encouraged by later Christian doctrine on the Trinity and by the use of masculine pronouns in the Greek original and English translations. But masculine pronouns are used because logos is a masculine noun in Greek, not because the reference of 'he' indicates Jesus. John is not saying 'in the beginning was Jesus' as if John thought Jesus of Nazareth was present at creation, rather that which became incarnate in Jesus-namely, the logos was present at creation-it was the logos (not Jesus) that was with God and that was God." (76) (Also see note M in the Jerusalem bible.)

The point Borges makes is that John is telling us that the logos/reasoning of God created all things and was the true light or intelligence-but, in Stages II and III, we do not understand it.

In verses 12-14, John teaches that the logos gave all who accepted it the power to become children of God. This is what John means by "the word was made flesh." In other words, the logos/reasoning mind of God was made compatible with the flesh, meaning our reasoning mind, the ego self. In verses 16 and 17, John gives credit to Jesus' "fullness" [meaning perfect understanding of the logos] for our opportunity to access the logos within us. For "though the law was given to Moses, grace and truth [comprehension of the logos of God within us] have come through [Jesus' Christ message]…No one [before Jesus] has ever seen [the logos of] God; it is the only son [Jesus] who is nearest to the Father's heart [mind/logos] who has been made Him [the logos] known [to us]."

According to Gnostics, the Trinity coincides with John's teaching that it was Jesus who made the logos/logic of God known. In early Gnostic Christian understanding, "Father" symbolizes God in Stages II and III. The "son" Jesus made the truth that God was within us, known to us. With that knowledge, we, like Jesus, become a "holy Spirit,"-a perfect and fully realized being, (Stage IV). The traditional Trinitarian concept of God was "revealed only in the 4th and 5th centuries AD and hence is not explicitly and formally a biblical belief." (80).

In effect, Jesus' knowledge teachings bridged the gap between a transcendent and external God and an eminent and internal God. In Stage II, for example, we personify God, Yahweh, as a vengeful father. In Stage III, we personify Him as a loving father. Jesus teaches "the truth" that the logos, or mind of God, is within us, and is us. Understanding and practicing those teachings, then, is what awakens our consciousness to its full potential of perception, making us psychologically, the perfect beings or holy spirits of Stage IV.

(Strength of an Eagle - Isaiah 40)

The Jesuit priest, John L. McKinnsey, states that "in between the flesh [meaning the reasoning mind] and the holy [meaning the mind of God]…there is an impassable gulf-impassable that is, by man-but bridged by Jesus, the Son, who renders it possible for men to be adopted sons. (81) The point that McKinnsey makes is that Jesus bridges the gap between the reason of man and the reason of God, and anyone, who comprehends Jesus' teachings, can do the same.

Gnostics conclude from these opening paragraphs of the Gospel of John that Jesus discovered an objective method to pattern his mind after the logos/reasoning mind of God. Through his Gnostic teachings, Jesus empowered us to do the same. In effect, the popular world-view of Jesus' time-that mankind was meant to be like God-was, according to John, turned into a practical reality by Jesus' Gnostic teachings. The point is, these teachings free us from the prison of self-deception that judgmental reasoning creates. In our new-found freedom we leave behind the Stage II and III illusions of separation, contradiction, and ignorance (sin), to enter a field of oneness and infinite wisdom.

Top

The Return to the Garden

As we trace the development of rational and moral consciousness, we have discovered that each stage contains the seeds which give birth to the next stage. Let us relate these stages to the familiar myth of the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve, before they fell to temptation, symbolize the irrational and instinctive consciousness of Stage I innocence. Their choosing to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil symbolizes the rational and egotistical self-consciousness of Stage II.

Choice awakens an awareness of both responsibility and morality, which, along with self-identity, are the prerequisites of judgmental reasoning. In the awareness that judgment is unnatural, conscience emerges, particularly in response to the law in Stage III. And it is conscience that leads eventually to our realization of the inadequacy of reasoning in terms of either/or categories. This knowledge impels our minds toward the understanding that it is the way we think and reason which keeps us from inhabiting the Garden. With fear and trembling, we set out on the journey to discover the solution to the riddle of evil. In our desire to transcend the rational and moral limitations imposed by either/or logic, we are initiated into a new logic, nonjudgmental logic, the logic of Stage IV.

The Tree of Life now stands before us in the Garden of Eden, holding out the promise of unity with one another, which was lost through the first choice to eat of the fruit of the Tree of good and evil. Like the prodigal son, returning to his Father after he realized his errant ways, so we too awaken to our true nature, after traversing through the lower stages of life.

Top

Characteristics of Stage IV

Stage IV comes, neither as a miraculous gift of grace, nor with a bolt of lightning from the gods. It is the hard-won prize of our heroic journey of return, discovering within ourselves both our essential nature of Love and a system of nonjudgmental reasoning which makes "doing on earth as it is in heaven" a practical reality.

In Stage IV, we will have learned nonjudgmental logic, and therefore, embody within us its qualities. Those qualities include nonjudgment and love, non-discrimination and unconditional acceptance, tolerance, humility, generosity, forgiveness, self-realization, and agape and the brotherhood of man. In the words of St. Paul, we are to "put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, . . . forgiving each other. (82) These are not superhuman qualities added to us, but our birthright, when we come into the fullness of our nature by reasoning lovingly. As Maslow says, "I think of the self-actualizing man not as an ordinary man with something added but rather as an ordinary man with nothing taken away." (83)

What would our lives be like if we had not eaten from the Tree of duality, which brings opposition and conflict into our world? What would we be if we had never experienced a sense of separation and alienation from the Divine, Nature, our fellow human beings, and our own inner self? Indeed, what would it be like to eat from the Tree of Life? Writers who describe the developmental path of human progress give us a glimpse into the answer. Maslow talks about self-esteem, self-respect, and self-realization. We might add that the "self" in each instance is that inner nature whose expression is love. Joseph Campbell says that we are destined to move into an awareness of social interdependence and, ultimately, the realization that there is a divine indwelling presence in each of us. These ideas are echoed by Teilhard de Chardin, for whom the desire to integrate ourselves with others and with Nature marks the transition into a new stage which culminates in a spiritual consciousness. Both Kohlberg and Sri Aurobindo point to a stage where universal principles replace mere law; but Aurobindo adds that a further stage is reached when the Divine Law, the law of love, moves humanity toward its perfected end. In Stage IV we realize that nonjudgmental logic is the natural law of love, and therefore, Divine Law.

We learn through Jesus' theory of nature how to access our potentials to process ideas/reason in Godlike ways. Utilizing that process can be considered enlightenment for it awakens our mind to its capacity for both judgmental and nonjudgmental reasoning, which, in turn, harmonizes our ego-self with our God-self.

In the renewed mind/consciousness of Stage IV we understand that we are both an individual/ego and our God-self. The ego is still the ego in Stage IV, but here it is harmonious in thought with the God-self; and therefore one with it. And because our God-self is one with all, we/ego are also one with all. (Eph 4:26 - "All are one with Christ, no distinction between free man and slave" Stendle 27)

In John 14:20 Jesus himself recognizes our oneness with God, and him, by saying "on that day [when you are in a consciousness of oneness] you will understand that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you."

In our new experience of-or awakening to-a consciousness of oneness, we experience what was formerly considered 'other' in profoundly new ways. In our new consciousness our senses are flooded with oneness. The sense of separation and other is replaced by joy, peace, and brotherly love that we cannot, in lower stages of consciousness, imagine. This is what is meant by making contact with divine reason. This is what Jesus and other Gnostic Christians wanted to make available to us. Their passion was for freedom and life, both theirs and ours. In their minds, they are one with us and, therefore, could be truly free only when everyone of us is also free.

In Stage IV of consciousness we do not become repentant and pious, we celebrate being fully alive. The term, Holy Spirit, applies to being fully alive at Stage IV, because holy means complete or perfected. Spirit, from the Greek word, pneumatic, or soul, refers to the "psychological self." Together, holy and spirit, means that we are psychologically perfect because we have regained our capacity to reason like the gods. We have reached our destiny as human beings, which are to "make contact with divine reason, and like God, discern ultimate truths." (84). This is higher consciousness.

Again, Jesus says in JN 8:31-32 "if you make my word/logos [reason] your home you will learn the [ultimate] truth, and the truth will set you free."

The Greek term, cosmos, can be translated in many ways. Cosmos can mean the universe, the world, or our consciousness of the world. When we believe that we need to give up the world (in the sense of giving up living comfortable and fun-filled lives), we have misinterpreted scripture. When Jesus said, "the truth will set you free," he meant just that. He was not talking about giving up all the nice things of the world. He meant giving up our lower stages of consciousness (cosmos) in order that we can have more abundant lives. Instead of cutting ourselves off from the good life, we can live the good life by advancing to Stage IV. In Gal 5:16-24, for example, Paul lists "self-indulgence…fornication, gross indecency…feuds, wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels" as things we give up when we reach higher consciousness. He promises us "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control" when we reach Stage IV.

In First Corinthians 13:9-12, Paul explains how the transition from our present consciousness of the world to the higher consciousness of Stage IV changes our perceptions of the world. "Once perfection comes (i.e. when we have reached Stage IV) all imperfect things will disappear. When I (meaning the ego) was a child, [Stages II and III] I used to talk like a child, and think like a child, and argue like a child, but now I am a man [in Stage IV] all childish ways are put behind me. Now, [in the consciousness of Stages II and III] we are seeing a dim reflection in a mirror, [a distorted view of life]; but then [when reaching Stage IV] we shall be seeing face to face the knowledge that I have now [in the psychic--Stage III] is imperfect; but then [in the pneumatic--Stage IV] I shall know as fully as I am known by God…" (85) In Rm 7:23 Basilides explains that "being of pneumatic nature [those in Stage IV] 'do by nature'… the law." (86)

Biblical terms that refer to those in Stage IV are "the justified" (Romans 8:30), "Sons of God" (8:14-19), "Body of Christ" (First Corinthians 12:22), "mature" (2-6), "sealed" (Second Corinthians 1:22), "Men of sincerity" (2:17), "Ambassadors of Christ" (5:20), "heirs of God through Christ" (Galatians 4:7), "Partakers of the holy Spirit" (Hebrew 6:4), "Perfect" (James 1:4), "Complete" (1:4), "Lacking nothing" (1:4), "Doers of the Word" (1:22), "Share the Divine Nature" (1:4), "Renewed in the spirits of your minds" (Ephesians 4:23), "Equality with God" (Philippians 2:6), and "angels". (Jude 2:11).

Gnostic terms for those in Stage IV are pneumatikoi, which means psychologically complete individuals, pangenitor, meaning the first universal man, and Bythos, meaning the will, logos, of our life force in Stage IV.

I would add that many of the modern day references to higher consciousness, enlightenment, and satori exemplify characteristics of Stage IV, learned through Jesus' Gnostic teachings.

We can only imagine a world in which Hindus would truly see Krishna in the heart of everyone; Buddhists and Muslims would respect everyone as they would revere the Buddha and the Prophet respectively; and Christians would treat others as they would treat Jesus. Not once or twice, but three times, Jesus asked his disciple, Peter, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" Three times Peter answered that he did. And three times Jesus repeated the same words, which were among his last recorded, in the Gospel of John, "Feed my sheep." What a world it would be if we all fed the sheep of the world! What a world it would be if we all came to the realization that the divine dwells not only in some distant heavenly realm, but also here and now, in our neighbor and in ourselves. "The kingdom of God is within you," (87) Jesus said. And so it is for those reborn with a renewed mind.

Top

Baptism of the Spirit

In the story of Jesus' baptism, it is said that the heavens opened, a dove appeared, and a voice said: "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." It is unusual to find any story in the New Testament in all four of the gospels, the three synoptic gospels and the gospel of John. But this story was apparently so important that it was told by the writers of all four gospels. (88) What was the immediate consequence of the experience? "Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil." (89)

It is instructive to consider just what those temptations were. The first taunted Jesus with the gratification of a pig (Stage I): the temptation was to use his power to turn stones into bread to assuage his hunger. The second catered to the wolf of honor and success (Stage II). He was tempted to throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple in order to win the crowd's adulation for his miraculous powers. The third temptation promised Jesus the power of the kingdoms of the world, if he would but worship and give himself to satanic power (Stage III). In every case, Jesus resisted the temptations to bewitch his power of good, and so in the wilderness he completed the rebirth begun in the waters of Jordan some forty days earlier. Thereafter, he emerged and began his ministry of teaching, healing, and sharing his doctrines of nonjudgment and love (Stage IV).

What Jesus did is what is required of the reborn in Stage IV. For what he did, we can do. As he himself admitted: "I do nothing of myself." (90) "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." (91) For Jesus and those of us who have come to his realization, there is no separation between the Father and the son. The Father and son, the divine and human, are one: "I and my Father are one." (92) If we realize this truth, then what we call "the power of God" is our power, too. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do." (93) As A Course in Miracles teaches, there is no separation between us, as sons, and the Divine, as Father. (94) But in our minds, we erect barriers to that power of truth and love, and so we keep that power from manifesting in our lives. What A Course in Miracles leaves out, is that those barriers are the consequence of either/or reasoning.

The barriers which keep the natural power of love from working its miraculous wonders are a misguided and misdirected ego and its world of desires, fears, wants, needs, expectations, and those actions which spring from those motives. It is the either/or thinking which creates the consciousness of a separate, needy, and fearful self, which stands in opposition to others. It is this mind, which feels itself isolated and alienated from others, which creates the illusory reality, which the Hindus called maya. It generates the worlds of sorrow, which the Buddhists call samsara. It is the misguided and mistaken consciousness of this ego, which must "die" in order that the ever-present inner nature of love may express itself unimpeded. Crucifixion and resurrection symbolize this truth in many religious traditions, including Christianity. This "death" is the ultimate requirement of those who are reborn in Stage IV.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a kernel of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:24-25)

The paradox is that by dying, we live. "Dying" means, at the very least, a change in consciousness, a change of mind, a new way of thinking and reasoning. By dying to the consciousness of the old self and its needs, we awaken to the consciousness of another self, the fulfillment of whose desires brings abundant life. When we are reborn, we do not live a lackluster life devoid of feeling and desires. On the contrary, we live life abundant in creativity and joy.

Stage IV begins when Jesus reveals his Gnostic teachings and ends when everyone reasons accordingly. This Stage in consciousness can be considered a staging ground in which those of us who have reached this stage wait for those in lower stages to catch up. Stage IVs wait willingly because they know that all are one, so no one is free until everyone is free.

In review, the key to Stage IV of consciousness is to understand the prevailing theory of nature and the new theory of nature that Jesus reveals in his Gnostic teachings. Understanding both theories allies our reasoning mind with our heart. We, therefore, do the law from within both head and heart. Paul refers to those in Stage IV as "men made perfect" (Heb 12:23) and those who have the "mind of Christ". (1 Co 2:16)

Top

Practical Applications of Jesus' Gnostic Teachings In Stage IV

There is a saying that everything is a philosophy and if you think that is a joke, that is your philosophy. What this means is that most everything we think or do is "of or according to a philosophy or a p