what is thinking?
in simple terms it is to reflect
and what is this - to reflect?
it is the action of mind -
this does not really give us an answer
and to cut to the chase -
the problem is we can only answer such a question
by thinking
that is we can only answer the question - thinking
poses - (its nature) by thinking
this suggest thinking can explore itself
OK - this thinking - is reflection on reflection
if you like a second order reflection
in which thinking (first order) becomes the subject
of thought
now I think this does happen in a clear way -
the question is though - what does this tell us of
thought - the mind - thinking
or more specifically - reflection
reflection it seems is not - what?
fixed within bounds?
theoretically we can have a situation where there
is no end to reflecting on reflection
the capacity to reflect - 'regard' - is without limit
even so
what is happening - at any logical level is just
reflection
and so the question - what is this?
well it is consciousness - what it does -
and it is this (whatever it is) that distinguishes
mind from matter -
matter - as an object of mind - does not reflect -
the reflection is the mind - operating - internally -
on itself
p.s.
the idea of reflectivity and the mind as internality -
doesn't necessarily mean there is something other
than matter
what I have in mind is the view that by 'matter'
we mean 'what exists' - whatever it's attributes and
dimensions
on this view it would follow as a matter of definition
that the inside - (mind) is to be regarded as a form of -
a dimension of - matter
here we would have to say
that matter has a reflective and non-reflective
characteristic
the reflective is the internal of what is (mind) -
the non-reflective is the external - the surface of what
is (the physical world)
could we then regard mind as a function of matter?
perhaps
an internal function that is not - by definition -
a characteristic of the surface
anyway
still the question how to define - pin down
reflection - mind
no answer - except in terms of reflection
we never leave the farm
