Our presence in the universe is an affirmation that an...

Our presence in the universe is an affirmation that an anchor in completeness is unnecessary; the openness affirms that "incompleteness" is not a deficiency but may be properly taken as positive, as an opportunity The second part to Thilly's claim must be that there are no other complete systems of thought. That is true. However, there may well be other systems that have depths unfathomed by the West see the introduction to Dictionary of Asian Philosophers, St.

Elmo Nauman, Jr., 1978 just as Western science is in some ways far in advance of other systems The open picture is a view that disaffirms the completeness of Western thought and presents to the West a place in the universe that is a positive opportunity it is a view of opportunity and promise rather than gloom. It is not a cultural relativism. It assigns different strengths to different cultures, it validates the different cultures and it allows for cultural ascendance.

Such ascendance, however, is not obtained by proclamation In Journey in Being, I provide a positive picture where thought is not something that aspires to be complete within itself. Rather, thought and being move in relation to each other. Journey in Being provides an open picture. It also suggests the possibility of completeness of being in the sense of "Being = universe" rather than in the sense of completeness of any given being or thought.

That, however, is presented as a necessity rather than as an intrinsically ideal or joyful or joyless event or condition.

Joy and other states are found in the contemplation and living out of every day life and that includes the remote and ultimate as much as the present There are many other sources including many that may be implicit or forgotten I have referred to the 15th Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica for many major and minor points For recent philosophy, I have referred to Research Guide to Philosophy, by T. N. Tice and T. P.