Notes and Summary on the Third Investigation

1. There is a life to the mechanics of categories, in part through the categorical nature of taleology. One useful way to look at this is in terms of analogy. The opposite of a given symbol or object is not always intuitive. Although a circle is made of a line, the opposite of a circle (a cross) may not oppose lines so much as the returningness of circles. This is because circles are defined within a certain context through which they gain metaphorical import.

2. Paradox is a high form of combining opposites to reach a truth inbetween. The use of a paradox is a high standard in reaching truth statements. More on this in The Motist manifesto.

3. The nature or "second center" in the midst of categories implies a dynamism amongst related ideas, that focusses reasonably on what is being defined rather than in building connections amongst clearly distinct realities. In this respect I share somewhat in the correspondence theory of truth. A link is provided at my less recent essays page at Philosophical Essays, listed under Coherence theory (I have not adopted a pseudonym at this earlier page).

4. Although there is a temptation to belittle this method as standing on no firm ground, in fact the categorical field is no one place; to change terms is to choose another field. This does not imply that any given field is meaningless, but rather that insofar as one field is distinct from another, there is some degree less overlap in what they describe. By starting in a different place, a different solution, not a different reality, is provided. Any statements derived are necessarily non-conflicting insofar as they relate.

5. There are also overlaps between larger notions of justice, identity, intelligence, beauty, etc. which may be compared in a similar fashion to arrive at a sense of the relatedness between ideal types and the system within which they may be organized or considered. At the very least, considering the combinatorial relatedness between categorical types and functions results in a broader view of the field of potential thoughts or roles. Finally, individual identity may be considered as existing within the context of such relationships, such that that life of inter-relevance becomes the life of mind.