Basics

I would always patronize eagerness to revisit basics.

For those who believe in this, no proof is necessary. For those who do not believe in this, no proof is adequate J… (Courtesy: That grand old Hindi film, “Neel Kamal” the title narrative, which, I still look at, as a claimer as well as a disclaimer. It says this about ‘Ghosts’!)

The same asker posed two wonderful questions. To me they seem related and to those inclined to accept basic assumptions, it is enough to say, it comes from the same ‘mind’.

I happened to look at movie examples, as an added attraction, while attempting the answers.

Psn(15th January, 2010)

http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110113144458AArRpSb
Why do human like questioning basic asumption?

My answer:
But that is not quite common, or quite often!
And whenever it happens, it is admirable!
..
(There was a grand English Movie.. The Night of the Generals... Our great Hero, OmarSherif is investigating a murder charge alleged to be committed by a very senior army officer, a General. During enquiry, a hotel receptionist remarks:"Oh! Army people... Murder is their profession" (... is a "Basic Assumption"! and a correct one too!)Reply given by Omar Sheriff (much junior officer): "What is admirable in the large scale is monstrous in the small!".

Whether we question or not, it is good to be aware of 'basic' assumption that maintaining the 'center of gravity' while walking is worth it, or else, a stupid banana peel is good enough to crack our bones, slipping on it when we carelessly place our foot, and let go the balance from the other foot!
..
The whole of the edifice of 'Objectivism' is built on a basic assumption that 'existence exists'.(axiomatic assumption). Questioning this, objectivism would collapse. Our sensory level of perception supports only this, nothing deeper! Spirituality actually begins, when we look at this assumption (not exactly questioning it)... and then we may open up to the possibility of perception beyond sensory levels of perceptions! Till then, even that 'quantum-entanglement' theory is just a possibility, a very good one, to fetch a doctorate, but sans-experience!
..
(Wonder whether it was warranted to go this deep... basic assumption about tolerance levels might get busted like a bubble! :).....}

Question 2:
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArFCmuV1eZZFhMsv39CDf5uQHQx.;_ylv=3?qid=20110113135217AAAQzio
Can courage be defind as a moral quality?
Then what will we call the fact that a blind man runs into a battle field?


My reply:
Courage is the absence of fear.
"Morality" is what we try to make out of it, to glorify 'that kind' of courage, to persuade people to be more discrete while trying out that 'fearlessness' for negative type of actions. (For instance, even for terrorist type of activities, like suicide-bombing, etc , some amount of courage is required, freedom from fear of death, for a little while at least. If this fear is predominant, people use intoxicants, nervous stimulants to get rid of that fear. But with such short cuts, the fear returns with compounded interest, that is, now with some nervous debility too!).
It is the deeper sense of courage that is admired as 'moral quality'. Charles Bronson, as a character in a western movie (Black and white film-era), chided a kid for calling his father as a coward. This kid's father was a farmer, not proficient in use of fire arms. Charles Bronson chose to defend that poor farmer with his expertise at guns, though he was himself a loner depending only on guns for survival! Here, the dialogue delivery is superb, when Charles Bronson says "Kid, never call your dad a coward! It requires greater courage to raise a family. I never had that kind of courage, that is why I live by guns only!" )... It is the use of 'courage' that gets the color of morality.